Vail Valley RIDE summer bike camp teaches kids more than how to pedal

Karen Jarchow has won multiple accolades, medals and world championships in bike racing, but she knows there is more to life than competing on two wheels. That’s why this Eagle resident, who started biking in the beginner category of the Vail Recreation District’s Town Race Series and advanced to the professional category three races later, wants to share lessons she’s learned on and off the bike with the youth of the Vail Valley.

Jachow started Vail Valley RIDE, a bike camp for kids that is based more on a holistic approach to well-being, using the bike as a tool to teach kids that riding is much more than distance, speed or winning races.

“My cycling career gave me numerous opportunities to develop not just in speed and technical ability but also in understanding how to cultivate a positive relationship with biking,” Jarchow said. “Living in our valley is wonderful, but I noticed a competitive mindset in kids at a young age, focusing on biking as just being fast or going far.”

This awareness, coupled with Jarchow’s studies in adolescent development and holistic health, shaped the Vail Valley RIDE program to emphasize equal importance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, teaching kids how the bike can support all aspects.

“I wanted to provide a space where kids could simply be kids in a safe, fun and inclusive environment without performance pressures at an age where their development isn’t quite ready for it yet,” Jarchow said.

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Vail Valley RIDE is open to kids who are 6 to 11 years old. Jarchow said at that age, their main needs are safety and emotional support.

“Through my studies and lived experience as an athlete, I’ve learned that focusing solely on the bike as a performative tool is unsustainable. I adjusted our programming to better support the foundational aspects of childhood development and energetic health through sports, safety and getting comfortable with uncomfortable feelings,” Jarchow said. “Teaching kids that sports revolve around performance, achievement, distance or speed builds a lifelong skill on a faulty foundation. While competition can be a healthy outlet, pushing kids too soon can negatively impact their overall well-being. I wanted to offer kids the insights I gained late in my career, which I needed at their age.”

The kids love the approach and so do their parents.  

“Vail Valley RIDE was a great experience for our 6-year-old. We saw her confidence on and off the bike grow after one day at camp,” said Bethany Hostetler about her daughter’s experience at Vail Valley RIDE. “She loved meeting new friends and spending the day doing what she loves.”

Another parent, Colleen Rynn, added that she has seen her son thrive and push himself.

“The confidence, the joy, the positivity and stoke levels were through the roof! Caden loved camp and his coaches. He was excited every morning and wanted to go back in the evenings to show us what he had learned,” Rynn said.

Vail Valley Rides offers half-day and full-day camps based out of the BMX Parking Lot in Eagle. Half-day camps run Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and full-day camps go Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. During the full-day camps, the kids mountain bike in the morning and alternate between going climbing at Eagle Climbing + Fitness or doing art workshops with Dewey Dabbles in the afternoon.

Jarchow realized the training of bike skills and life skills does not end once a child ages out of the program and created mentorship and coaching opportunities for the kids who used to be in the camp.

“Our RIDE mentor program maintains connectivity, keeping kids involved on bikes and inspiring campers while teaching them the skills needed to become paid coaches. It’s designed for ages 12-14,” Jarchow said. “This is where most of my mentorship comes in as I guide them on how to show up for others the way their coaches showed up for them.”

After being mentors, some kids go on to become coaches, which is a paid position starting at age 15.

“It keeps them in the program and they understand where the younger kids are coming from because they have been there,” Jarchow said.  

Jarchow has four values that she uses to represent more than just the action of riding. These values are Respect, Inspire, Dare and Explore. Jarchow wanted values that inspired a sense of belonging without the pressures of performance. These values are the touchstones throughout Vail Valley RIDE, helping kids understand that a ride is much more than distance or speed.

“I believe that by nurturing these values and providing a supportive environment, we can help kids develop a lifelong love for biking and a balanced approach to life. Vail Valley RIDE is more than just a bike camp; it’s a community dedicated to holistic health and well-being.”