Cycle4Success brings the thrill of mountain biking to kids in underserved communities.
by Michelle Boudin
Brenda Flores’ 11-year-old son didn’t really love playing outside — until recently.
“Aidan is not the kind of kid who is active,” Flores says. “He’s not into sports, and he was always laying on the couch. We’d already tried soccer and swimming and he was not into anything, so I thought we’d try mountain biking.”
A friend told her about a new program called Cycle4Success targeting kids who wouldn’t traditionally be exposed to the sport.
“At first he wanted to give up because it was hard. He kept at it, and it helped him improve his skills. Now he’s getting off the couch and playing outside with his friends, and he’s always riding.” Flores attributes Cycle4Success for helping her son find an outlet he never would have thought to try.
That’s exactly what Chris Bahr had in mind when he created the nonprofit in 2023. A mountain biker since 1990, he discovered the sport as a student at UNC Wilmington. “I got a bike from a pawn shop in college, and I had another friend big into riding. And the next thing you knew, we were on a trail.”
Now 55, Bahr realized the cost of the bike and proximity to riding trails could be a barrier for some. He started Cycle4Success to provide access to the sport for kids in underserved communities through scholarships and special programming.
Over six months, kids ages 10-14 go on weekly rides with instructors and take part in a race series. When they graduate from the program, the new riders are gifted an upcycled bike, a helmet and all the tools they need to continue riding.
“For me, it’s a recognition that there is a lack of diversity in the sport I love. When I’m out here, I see predominantly white, middle-aged faces and I recognize there’s an opportunity to share the sport that I love with a broader population,” Bahr says.
“We want to share the benefits of freedom, fitness, fellowship and fun that come along with cycling and being outside,” he says. “We are bound by the belief that we have much more in common than our differences.”
The experience has been just as eye-opening for him as it is for the kids he now regularly rides with in west Charlotte.
“Two practices ago, we heard gunshots back and forth, and at first I wondered if it was fireworks. But one of the kids said, I know that’s gunshots.” Four of the kids shared with Bahr that they hear gunshots all the time.
“These are kids who are 9 to 11 years old, and that was a profound thing for me. It was a moment for me to recognize that theirs is a very different reality. Hopefully we’re providing something positive to get them outside and create some sense of unity at the same time.”
In the year and a half since he started the program, 20 kids have participated.
“We take them from novice to comfort and give them the confidence and everything they need to keep up with the sport, including a peer group. They’re all still in touch, and hopefully they continue a life of being able to ride.”
Flores says Cycle4Success has truly changed her son’s life. “I’m so glad he finally found something that he really enjoys.” SP
Photographs courtesy Cycle4Success
