Rifle Middle School students find the flow state

Rifle Middle School students are dropping and climbing their way into a flow state this year as part of the RMS Mountain Biking Club.

Seventh Grade science teacher Teodor Miu began the club at the end of last school year. 

RMS students are pumped to be riding the trails across the Western Slope including Redstone, New Castle, Snowmass, and the Rifle Arch trails. They are looking forward to riding Fruita, South Canyon, Grand Junction, and Moab.

“Getting kids involved in the outdoors is my love language as a teacher and as a person, as a father. So I wanted the Rifle Middle School kids to experience it too,” explained Teo.

Funding for the club comes in part through a collaborative partnership and grant through Great Outdoors Colorado, and in part from donations.  He added that local cycle shops have been generous to provide parts and sometimes actual mountain bikes so that kids who do not have bikes of their own are never left out.

While adventure is the byproduct, Teo emphasizes that the RMS mountain biking club is focused on academics first. 

“We need to find ways to engage the kids as much as we can. Some are engaged with traditional sports like football, and with that comes eligibility requirements. We're doing the same thing with mountain biking,” he explained. “Even the parents are reaching out to me and holding their kids accountable for their grades because the kids really want to come on the trips.”

He adds that values like character, inclusivity, and perseverance are also emphasized. 

Teo says he typically takes 14-15 bikers on any given outing and there are many more bikers in the club, but he tries to encourage success for every student and tailors the group of riders to the trails they will be conquering.

“In middle school, in particular, we want them to try different things,” said Teo. “I had a female student say just yesterday that she finally found something she was interested in, so her engagement is higher in school. She wants to give me a hug every day.”

His students say they enjoy the freedom and adventure of being outside and on mountain bikes, that it is empowering and they enjoy the friendships formed out on the trails.

“What’s not to love? We get to go to the most amazing places on the planet, and the trails that are being developed locally in Rifle and New Castle are amazing.”

Anyone interested in supporting the Rifle Middle School Mountain Biking club can donate their gently used mountain bikes to Defiance Cycling in New Castle. They collect and fix them.  Funds can be donated to the Rifle Middle School Mountain Biking Club and dropped off at Rifle Middle School.