Since he was three years old, Dylan Davis has been mountain biking trails in his home of Ojai, California. His best friend, Alex Musco, spent every summer in his Montana hometown riding his bike up the mountains.
The pair of rising senior Cal Poly business students ended up bonding over their shared childhood passions for mountain biking. During their time at Cal Poly, they noticed there was no established program for the children in San Luis Obispo to safely learn how to mountain bike. So, together, the two created the SLO Riders Club.
“Getting these kids to fall in love with the trails in their backyards is really rewarding,” Musco said.
The initiative features a fall and spring weekly ride program split up by age group. Each group has a set day per week where they are able to train with the coaches and mountain bike within various areas in San Luis Obispo. Programs range from the Tiny Sprockets, who age between 4 and 6 years old, to the the Juniors Program for kids 12 years or older.
“My goal with the program is basically to provide riders with a safe and fun environment for them to develop their skills, but I feel like it also helps them create a sense of community, build friendships and then also build skills off the bike, like resiliency and courage,” Davis said.
READ MORE: Riders Club of SLO weighs in on city’s next budget
Davis and Musco aimed to replicate it based off of the clubs they grew up biking in within their hometowns. With their passion and technical skills from being business students, as well as the help from their Program Director, Everest Mueller the club’s first season was able to take off in spring 2024.
SLO Riders train beyond the mountain
Both Davis and Musco said group training for mountain biking helps kids get in touch with nature, socialize, stay active and find ways to have fun in a healthy way without the presence of electronics.
“Getting a group of kids together fosters this ‘Hey, let’s work together and go conquer this trail or this feature that we’ve never done before,’” Musco said. “It kind of makes it into more of a team sport and all these kids make lifelong friends.”
Since he’s been doing this, he’s gained more confidence, and gets his friends to go with him. Isn’t that we want? We want these kids outside and not just playing Roblox.
Morgen Marshall, whose son participates in SLO Riders
The students have witnessed the impact of the program on the kids and have been able to see a lot of growth in the children individually and within the program.
“It was awesome seeing him really conquer his fears,” Musco said.
Morgen Marshall, a mom and Cal Poly employee, is able to see the impact with her own son, 7-year-old Jayce. From starting during the spring 2025 session, she has been able to track growth noticeably within her son, which she attributes to joining SLO Riders.
“I just think the club is really helpful, especially for me,” Marshall said. “I’m a single mom, and I don’t really know how to mountain bike… so I just love that they’re making this easier for kids to be a part of that don’t already have access to that with their family.”
“Since he’s been doing this, he’s gained more confidence, and gets his friends to go with him,” she said. “Isn’t that we want? We want these kids outside and not just playing Roblox.”
SLO Riders supports a larger mission
With Marshalls highlighting the interaction with nature that the program offers, it ties in with not just the origins of SLO Riders, but with the overall mission of the Central Coast Youth Cycling Association — which houses the Ojai Riders Club, SLO Riders Club and a new Ventura Riders Club.
Mueller, who founded the Ojai Riders club, helped out Davis and Musco when it came to starting up their club. SLO Riders had just begun with two riders within their first season but with marketing and the help of Mueller the club now contains 20 or more kids per season.
Mueller helps with the back-end protocol, like liability waivers and overall club administration. He also works to guide the true mission of the initiative.
“A lot of that is the attitude that you embrace the whole mountain, because life is the whole mountain,” Mueller said. “No matter what, you know there’s going to be ups and downs, and there’s going to be challenges, and there’s going to be really exciting, fun times, and you got to be able to embrace all of it.”
With the involvement of hands-on coaching paired with a typically individual sport being taught in a group setting, both coaches and Mueller promote mountain biking as a program not solely for the SLO community but within towns that contain suitable terrain and children to participate.
“Outdoor recreation is great for people’s well being, and kind of creates environmental responsibility for the youth and a more connected, sustainable society,” Davis said.
SLO Riders’ upcoming fall season will be one of the last ones that Davis and Musco are able to coach as they are graduating, and overall are excited to inspire SLO youth into developing their next passion.