The Outride program, a non-profit funded in part by Specialized, is expanding and they are adding five new Riding for Focus programs in the Four Corners region of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado.
“We believe in the power of bicycles to bring opportunity, agency, and freedom. We are proud to share news about the grant from the Catena Foundation to initiate five new Riding for Focus programs in the Four Corners Region. This represents a continued investment in these resilient communities, in addition to the four Riding for Focus programs and NICA teams Outride has supported in the Arizona, New Mexico, and Diné (Navajo) communities. This is an important step towards supporting more diverse student populations and communities.”
Outride added that they “acknowledge that there are disparities in opportunities in these Indigenous Communities created by occupying the ancestral lands of their people, as well as the brutal history of the colonization of our country.”
Outride hopes that these programs will give more opportunities by bike to these communities and make meaningful connections. The Riding for Focus programs include a fleet of up to 30 mountain bikes from Specialized, which should be easy to build and maintain. Helmets, maintenance equipment, and training will be provided as well. Outride has partnered with the Catena Foundation for implementation.
“The Catena Foundation supports community health through access to cycling and development of multi-use trails. We are excited to partner with Outride’s Riding For Focus program on a unique effort to expand cycling education and promote healthy lifestyles in indigenous communities throughout the Southwest in 2021,” says Mike Wight, Restoration and Trails Program Officer for the Catena Foundation.
Outride is also working with local stakeholders and groups, including the non-profit Silver Stallion Bicycle and Coffee to provide mechanical support since bike infrastructure can be “critically lacking” in the area.
See the Outride website for more information.
