Pedaling Together: Manning Middle School’s Mountain Bike Club Builds Confidence on the Trail

Tucked into the Foothills just west of Applewood, South Table Mountain offers some of the most accessible and scenic trail riding in Jefferson County. For students at Manning Middle School, it’s also become a Friday afternoon tradition thanks to the Manning Middle School Mountain Bike Club.

The club gives students a welcoming, low-pressure environment to discover mountain biking, build friendships, and gain confidence on two wheels. Coach Casey Cazier, who has been volunteering with the program for two years and is returning for his third season, says the mission has always been straightforward.

“Our goal has always been simple: to have fun, build confidence, and get kids excited about riding bikes,” he said.

Each Friday after school, between 30 and 45 students show up ready to ride. To keep things safe and enjoyable, coaches split riders into smaller groups of five to seven based on skill level, fitness, and sometimes just who their friends are. The first couple of sessions each season stay close to campus, where coaches work on basic bike handling and get a feel for each rider’s abilities before heading out onto the trails.

Before every ride, the group runs through what coaches call the “ABCs” (checking air, brakes, and chain) to make sure every bike is ready to roll. Coaches also take a few minutes to talk trail safety and etiquette, reminding students that with dozens of riders on the mountain, being respectful to other trail users matters.

“When you have 30, 40, or even 50 kids on the trails, it’s important that we’re good ambassadors for the sport,” Cazier said.

The club runs entirely on the energy of parent volunteers and adults who love mountain biking and want to share it with the next generation. Without those volunteers, Cazier is quick to point out, the program simply wouldn’t exist.

One of the most meaningful developments in recent seasons has been the growth in female participation. Last year, the club regularly had 10 to 14 girls riding on Fridays – enough to split into two separate groups. For Cazier, who is also the father of a female downhill racer, that’s been one of the program’s most exciting milestones.

“On a typical mountain bike ride, you don’t always see a large number of female riders,” he said. “I’m really proud of that.”

His daughter Macey, 12, is heading into eighth grade and already races competitively at Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park. She also trains with the advanced group at Boulder Junior Cycling. But the Manning club, she says, fills a different and equally important role.

“Manning Mountain Bike Club is more about having fun, talking, and riding with friends than a serious practice,” Macey said. “South Table Mountain isn’t too hard, so you can ride and talk at the same time.”

For students who are deeply involved in other competitive sports, theater, or band, the club offers something refreshing – a place to enjoy being active without the weight of performance or rankings.

That relaxed atmosphere doesn’t mean the growth stops, though. Some of Cazier’s most rewarding coaching moments have come from watching beginners accomplish something they never thought possible. He recalls one sixth grader last season who had never made it to the top of South Table Mountain. They rode at the student’s pace, taking their time, and eventually reached the summit.

“After the ride, I overheard him telling his mom at pickup that he had made it all the way to the top,” Cazier said. “Seeing that kind of pride and confidence develop is one of the best parts of coaching.”

That, at its core, is what the Manning Mountain Bike Club is about. Not race times or podium finishes, but the look on a kid’s face when they realize they can do something hard.

“The most powerful thing you can give a young athlete,” Cazier said, “is belief in themselves.”