Teaching at Valmont Bike Park

The long-awaited Valmont Bike Park opens next weekend. (Rad!) I did some design work for the park, but otherwise I’ve been watching from the side of the road like everyone else.

My main focus right now: Getting the contract to teach clinics at Valmont.

About a month ago, the City of Boulder issued an RFP (request for proposal) seeking a contractor to provide instructional classes at the park.

This being a huge-budget park in a city that means business, the RFP is demanding. Boulder wants to reach riders of all ages, levels and types with a super-pro program. The RFP demands lots of experience, lots of insurance, lots of options, lots of everything — but it gives the winning bidder the exclusive right to teach paid clinics at the park.

To best serve all riders, a group of us joined forces:

YMCA Y-Riders – They’ve been teaching kids how to ride for more than 25 years. They’ll focus on younger and beginner level kids.

SMBA – They’ve been developing young riders for 18 years. This was my first coaching job. SMBA will focus on older kids, beginner to advanced.

Lee Likes Bikes – World-class instuctor. Literally wrote the books on MTB and BMX technique. I will focus on adults and advanced kids. I’ll also train other instructors, including people we hire to meet Valmont demands.

Our proposal was hand delivered yesterday. The selection date is June 17.

Now we wait.