Video by Ambassador Tim DaCosta
Words by Ambassador Chad Cheeney
“All we have to do is to decide what to do with the time that was given us.” -Gandolf
From a young age, I was smitten with the prospect of being a leader in the sporting world. I struck out at throwing spirals and scoring goals and turned my eyes towards the fruits of exploring the outdoors by bike and foot. I eventually found the world of competitive cycling. The training was fun at first but got isolating and confusing. Reading magazines and seeing the alternative circles in cycling playing hard with bikes, I wondered why not make training fun and make it more social by really rethinking team cycling as practiced in my Oregon/Colorado hoods. So I participated in every coaching scenario I could. I listened and I practiced in my spare time with all my awesome friends. Singlespeed races, base rides, bike polo, bar crawls by bike, timed obstacle courses, and the like. Kinda obsessed with picking up the phone and dialing numbers to get people on wheels and playing by bike.
This eventually led me to pay attention to the local youth and made me want to create a fun team-like experience for their formative years. So long story short, I co-created Durango Devo with local badass Sarah Tescher and we went at it with the passion that is just natural in the bike world. Giving these kids the opportunity to ride with peers consistently in a new fun way. This grew like wildfire! Long story short, I eventually started coaching with Fort Lewis College Cycling and made my best effort to replicate the play games, and ride hard vibes that were so successful with Devo. Both programs are so special to me and I love my jobs. This edit is a typical summer day in the life capture of my passion towards being a local cycling leader.
I’ve coached over a thousand junior cyclists since starting in 1999 with Dave Hagen and the Durango Mountain Bike Camp, and Dirt Lovers with Arthur Razee, Rick Callies and FLC with Fred Owen and Rick Crawford. These kids went to the Olympics, are world champs, ride in the Tour de France, make films for the biggest cycling companies, write articles in magazines, coach NICA teams all over the country, make bike products, and are leaders in their communities. So cool. I guess I’m bragging a little, but really the message I want to convey is that if you give back to the community, planting seeds and watering them with love and playing passionately in the wind that greets their sun-seeking petals every day, the world can seem like a better place.
Q (Chad): I See you ride and all I think of is art. You ride like you’re a paintbrush. Where did you learn this and what is your inspiration for your creative lines?
A (Tim): That could be one of the most fulfilling things you can say to someone as a rider. My style comes from so many places: My background in BMX, living, and filming with so many creative riders, and just realizing that we are just riding bikes. The bike is just a brush with which we paint the surfaces we ride on. I try to be as mindful of that as possible. And it creates purpose and gives me reasons to want to progress. In this world of over-saturated media, trying to be different is hard. But if we can all learn from each other and not be worried about what others think, we can be the best and most honest versions of ourselves.
Q: We spent the day together, what three things did you observe with the youth that surrounded you?
A: The kids were STOKED. I could tell they were there to have fun. Racing can be so focused and stressful. I think the fastest people I know are the ones having the most fun. The kids had so much comradery. Bikes are the common thread that bring everyone together, but they know that friendships are worth more than that. The kids listened to YOU. It was neat seeing how they looked up to you and respected your process. And how they were free to engage with you about racing and riding.
Q: Racing is often a yes or no type of thing with cyclists. What do you get out of racing and what keeps you toeing the line?
A: Ehhhhhhh. Racing is tough for me. I’m a very competitive person. So I can have a bad time on the greatest track if I’m not focused on what’s actually important. Racing has always been about the people for me. The new places I get to ride and the relationships that I form are what keep me coming back to racing (although not that much anymore).
Q: If you were in my boots on that day, what would you have made sure to teach the kids or show them about our beautiful sport?
A: You have always been a great example of how to stay excited. Not just about bikes, but about life. That is what I would want to be able to show to kids as a coach or mentor. After all the rides and races and hubbub are over, staying enthusiastic about life is what it’s all about for me. If I can’t do that, I’m not living up to who I want to be. Bikes are just a tool. But they can take us just about anywhere.
