eNewMexican

The freedom to roam

— PATTI LASALLE-HOPKINS

More than a means of transportation, a bicycle can be a vehicle for adventure, facilitating a rite of passage for young outdoor explorers. Yet in the 27,000 square miles of the scenic Navajo Nation, there is “not one [commercial] bicycle shop,” says Scott Nydam, a New Mexico cyclist and nonprofit organization leader. A flat tire, soft brakes or a broken part can immobilize a bike and isolate its rider. Especially affected, particularly during the pandemic, are young people, who can lose the freedom to roam and learn about their environs.

But what if the bicycle shop itself could wheel around the region to make repairs and provide mechanical training? Enter the Silver Stallion Mobile Ride Center, which has made more than 600 free bike repairs throughout the

Navajo Nation since October 2020 while following pandemic protocols. The project originated with Nydam, founder and executive director of Silver Stallion, which also encompasses a youth development program and a coffee shop in Gallup. With the help of tribal experts and other volunteers, he retrofitted a boxy old blue van as the mobile center, stocked abundantly with parts and equipment.

Wherever the mobile center stops, young people gather. As if paying homage, they watch silently as skilled volunteers rehabilitate their cherished bicycles. The goal is to make bike riding “a viable piece of someone’s life,” Nydam says, “to enable bike riding to be a choice” for youngsters and adults alike.

“There needed to be a heavy lift to make up for inequities,” he says. That came in the form of grants from New Mexico’s Outdoor Equity Fund, the first of its kind in the country. Supporting several outdoor New Mexico initiatives, the fund is one of the resources offered by the new Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) of the state’s Economic Development Department.

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2021-05-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://enewmexican.pressreader.com/article/281947430745104

Santa Fe New Mexican