Rolling Into the Future

Building Community Through Youth Mountain Biking

Over the last few years, youth mountain biking has exploded in upstate New York – transforming from a niche hobby into a fast-growing, community-driven movement for kids of all ages. Whether they’re riding balance bikes in the park, learning road safety and mountain bike skills in gym class in school, or competing for state titles, kids are finding connection and confidence while riding bikes.

This momentum didn’t happen by accident. At the center of the movement is Shredders MTB, a nonprofit that launched its flagship program in Saratoga Springs in 2020, as Saratoga Shredders. Highlighted in Adirondack Sports magazine that fall, the program began as a grassroots effort to get more kids – especially girls – outside and on bikes during the pandemic. Five years later, Shredders serves hundreds of riders across Saratoga, Queensbury, Albany, Schenectady, and Orange County.

Shredders focuses on two core pillars: Recreational, community-based mountain bike programming – for kids ages 3-11. Bikes in Schools – a groundbreaking initiative to integrate cycling into Physical Education (gym, PE) curriculums.

With Shredders youth programs now feeding directly into New York’s National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA NY) league teams, upstate New York has built a full pipeline to get kids riding and keep them riding through high school and beyond.

Ages 3-4: Learning to Balance – Shredders programs start with the youngest riders – those just learning to balance. Using balance bikes (bikes without pedals), Shredders introduces kids to trail riding in a low-pressure environment on beginner level trails that helps kids build foundational skills and coordination – once they have learned how to balance and steer, they are ready to add pedals to their bikes – and skip training wheels all together! Shredders offers programming for balance bikes in Saratoga, Albany, and Schenectady.

Ages 4-11: Building Skills, Confidence, and Community – For elementary-age kids, Shredders offers weekly coed and girls-only recreational programs during the spring and fall. These sessions take place in local parks and trail networks, with a strong emphasis on building confidence and teaching beginner to intermediate mountain biking skills – all grounded in fun and a deep appreciation for the opportunity to ride. Shredders ride with gratitude!

But what really sets Shredders apart is its commitment to access. Every child deserves the chance to ride – regardless of background. That’s why Shredders offers full scholarships and a fleet of “borrow bikes” to any family who needs it. 

Still, not every child has a caregiver available to leave work early and shuttle them to after-school Shredders programming. To truly remove barriers, Shredders took the next bold step: bring biking directly into school gym classes.

Removing Barriers: Bikes in Schools + Saratoga Bike Park – In 2023, Shredders launched its most ambitious initiative yet: Bikes in Schools. Shredders raised over $100,000 to provide more than 250 bikes, helmets, storage solutions, a full curriculum, and professional development for PE teachers at Saratoga Springs City School District.

As a result, Saratoga Springs is on the verge of making history. This fall, the district will become the first in the country to implement a K-12 Bikes in Schools program, where biking is taught in gym class just like soccer or baseball. Students will learn how to ride safely, understand the rules of the road, and progress into more advanced mountain bike lessons.

Thanks to the generosity of dozens of Founding Donor families (those contributing $1,000 or more), Christopher Dailey Foundation, Charles Wood Foundation, Saratoga Supervisors Discretionary Fund, Arcadis, Common Roots Foundation, Dake Foundation, and Saratoga Schools Education Foundation, this effort has created systemic change, reaching every child – not just those who can afford extracurricular programs. For more information on getting bikes into schools in your district, visit: shreddersmtb.org/bikes-in-schools

The second part of the equity equation is infrastructure. That’s where the Saratoga Bike Park comes in. Proposed by a group of Shredders girls three years ago, the bike park is a collaboration between the City of Saratoga Springs and Shredders MTB. The hope is that kids can ride their bikes to the park, removing even more access barriers.

The first phase – a professionally designed asphalt pump track by Velosolutions – just opened in July. Phases two and three, which will include a bike “playground” and a jump progression zone, are in planning stages and will rely on additional state and local funding. For more information on Saratoga Bike Park and how you can help complete this project, visit shreddersmtb.org/saratoga-bike-park

Grades 6 - 12: The NICA NY Connection – Once kids reach middle and high school, they transition into NICA NY – the New York league of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. NICA’s mission is to get more kids on bikes through riding, racing, and team-based camaraderie.

The Capital-Saratoga Region now boasts five local NICA teams: Saratoga Shredders (Saratoga area); Grey Ghost NICA (Queensbury/Glens Falls area); Niskayuna Mountain Goats (Niskayuna and surrounding towns); R-Cubed NICA (Albany area); and Rensselaer Redtails (Rensselaer County area).

This spring’s 2025 race season was a huge success for the Upstate New York teams. The Saratoga Shredders NICA team went undefeated, winning all four races and taking home their first New York State Championship. What makes this team even more remarkable? It’s made up primarily of girls – a rarity in the sport. The other Upstate NY NICA teams also crushed it, with Grey Ghost NICA and Niskayuna Mountain Goats placing second and third in overall teams, respectively.

Eighth grader Anna Yarsevich dominated the Varsity Girls competition all season, earning the Varsity Girls overall series win. She and three Shredders teammates – Talia Hodgson, Aurora Stingel, and Anne-Sophie Laloë – went on to compete at the USA Cycling National Championships in Roanoke, Va., where Anna and Talia both earned top 10 finishes in fields of 60+ riders. 

If you have a middle/high school rider interested in participating in NICA NY riding and racing, reach out directly to one of these five teams listed above in your area. If you’d like to be a part of Saratoga Shredders this fall, reach out to head coach Chris Yarsevich: cyarsev@gmail.com. 

Want to Start a Program in Your Community? Youth mountain biking isn’t just about competition – bikes are good for people and for communities! Shredders MTB is committed to helping other communities across New York replicate its success in Saratoga and beyond. If you’re interested in bringing Shredders programs – and/or a Bikes in Schools initiative to your school district – to your region of New York, reach out to Anna Laloë: anna@shreddersmtb.org.

Thank you to the following foundations, businesses, and individuals for sponsoring Shredders MTB in 2025: Christopher Dailey Foundation, Charles Wood Foundation, Friends of Saratoga Recreation, Saratoga Children’s Committee, Verant Wealth, Grey Ghost Bicycles, Common Roots Foundation, Trek Saratoga Springs, Dake Family Foundation, Colliers Engineering & Design, Capital Bicycle Racing Club, Rachel Uccellini, and the Aldrich family. Please reach out if you or your business would like to support Shredders MTB in getting more kids on bikes. Happy trails!