Redstone-based company fills versatile freeride biking niche in valley

When did you first backflip a bike? It certainly wasn’t as young as some kids at the YewFlow freeride mountain bike school.

“I had a 10-year-old do his first backflip to dirt last year,” YewFlow Founder Andrew Mann said. 

He had worked with the student for five years, taught them to flip first into a foam pit, before, with the students’ father’s goahead, he helped the student land a first backflip. 

Founded three years ago by Mann and Sarah Uhl, YewFlow fills a gap in the world of Roaring Fork Valley bike schools, offering “freeride” training for kids ages two to 16. This gives them the means to express themselves and be creative on a bike, according to Mann.

“Being out in nature, being on your bike, it naturally brings out this creative, playful side,” Mann said. “And I think kids can truly come into themselves, discover a peace of themselves through the biking.”

Mann said the company sets itself apart by giving students a versatile skill set — a freeride foundation — teaching them dirt jumping, bike motocross (BMX), skate park biking, pump track biking, downhill mountain biking, and more.

“We’re providing not only a broad range of skills but at a very high level, too,” Mann said, who competed as a professional freestyle BMX biker.

The company offers a range of programming, starting with several field trips in April, including an outing to the Woodward Copper “barn” where students can practice tricks into a foam pit, and a bike mission to Fruita, according to YewFlow. 

In May, the company transitions to its “Spring Programs,” offering weekly clinics for ages two to 14. The clinics include the “Striders,” where ages two to four learn to balance on bikes, the “Girls Bike Club,” for girls ages eight to 12, and the “Advanced Freeride Sessions,” for ages nine to 14. 

YewFlow offers five youth camps once the summer rolls around, for ages five through 16, beginner through advanced, including a “Little Shredders Camp,” for ages five to seven, and a “Girls Bike + Create Camp,” where girls do trail rides, arts, and crafts. 

The camps run Wednesday through Friday at Crown Mountain Bike Park in El Jebel, North Face Park and Prince Creek trails in Carbondale, and Coal Basin Ranch in Redstone, according to YewFlow. 

Bikers looking to push to the next level can join the YewFlow Freeride Team, a group that meets for 10 hours of training per month and works on high-level riding technique.

“I can do all five lines at Crown Mountain bike park. I’m pretty proud of that,” said Reggie Lewin, 11, who has biked with YewFlow since it started and is a member of the freeride team.

The bike park includes pump track lines up to “pro-level” lines, according to Mann.

“I like biking a lot, I like being around my friends, and it’s just fun to do new things and try new things,” Lewin added.

The company also offers a coaching mentorship program, giving 14 to 18 year olds an employment opportunity once they get to the upper years of the programs.

Mann estimated they had over 200 students last year and expects to have 300 next year. 

With YewFlow comes Mann’s own professional experience and passion for the sport. After a long career as a professional biker, Mann said he stepped away from biking for a number of years, before working with Eagle County to build the Crown Mountain Bike Park in 2019 and 2020. 

“That’s what got me back into it,” he said. 

After working for the park for two to three years, he wanted to take the county’s youth bike clinics to another level, and branched out. 

“And now we’re three years in,” he said, adding, “And I see how much good we’re doing for the community.”

Uhl said the program gives kids confidence, something she and Mann want for their own children.

“We have a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old and we want them to be able to trust themselves and have the foundation to try new things,” Uhl said. “And maybe that’s painting and maybe that’s a backflip.”

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.