kids on bikes
Our People
Daniel Byrd
Executive Director
Daniel is a huge advocate for everyone-especially kids-utilizing bikes to explore, have fun, and enjoy the beauty only found in Colorado Springs. Daniel received his bachelors of Social Work from Colorado State University and has a vast background in working with kids as a coach, counselor, and social worker. During his time at Urban Peak, he started up the Bike Program to help homeless youth earn a bike of their own. Daniel brings together a huge passion for kids and bicycles and hopes to strengthen every aspect of Kids on Bikes in order to have a huge impact on his home town of Colorado Springs.
Jess Verplank
Deputy Director
Jessica is a Colorado native with deep roots in the local mountain bike community. She wants to change the world and have a big impact on our Colorado Springs community. She has a huge passion to get more women and kids on bikes and brings that passion to Kids on Bikes. “I believe that we all need to experience the freedom that bikes allow”. She has volunteered for the Women’s Mountain Bike Association of Colorado Springs, coached women’s mountain bike clinics around Colorado and volunteered and coached for summer camps with Kids on Bikes. She loves gardening, cooking, bikepacking and traveling with her family searching for the best locations across the US to camp, mountain bike, paddle board, ski and adventure together.
Emily Shields
Program Manager
Emily has lived in Colorado Springs for most of her life and has a passion for helping the people in her community. When her husband gave her a mountain bike as a Christmas present in 2017, her first thought was, “what am I going to do with this?”. That bike was more than a bike though, it was freedom, it was happiness, it was joy, it was a challenge, and it was a new lifestyle. Emily now enjoys sharing her passion and love of cycling with those in her community. She is a volunteer ride guide for WMBA, she has volunteered for Front Rangers, will be a proud Highlanders mom/volunteer starting this year, and in her spare time she is always up to volunteer for any and all cycling events! As the Program Manager, Emily is thrilled to be able to partner with Kids on Bikes to help get more kids on bikes and give more kids access to bikes in the Colorado Springs community.
Constantin Riedner
Pedal Station Assistant Manager
Con grew up in Uganda and moved to Colorado Springs when he was 11. Community has always been important to him and Kids on Bikes’ mission is right at the crossroads of his passion for community and mountain biking. Though he came from the world of car mechanics, working on bikes is more in line with his values. The most important thing for him is getting kids and adults on bikes because they are fun. He believes everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy life and connect through cycling. Con loves all things outdoors and when he’s not at the Pedal Station, he is out riding his bike, camping, climbing, hiking, paddle boarding, or skiing. Basically he’s game for anything out in nature.
Ryan Bunge
Bike Mechanic
Ryan was born in Colorado Springs and after putting in some miles in California, Michigan, and South Carolina, he’s back on track in the foothills of the Rockies. He is happiest outdoors and has spent many years snowboarding, hiking, trail running and biking with his girlfriend Andrea. They even named their first son Fisher (yes, after Gary Fisher). Together with their two active sons (Fisher, Cade and 2 year old dog (Lachlan) they now call Manitou Springs home and Garden of the Gods their backyard. An early interest in photography led Ryan to study at Academy of Art in San Francisco. His cameras are always focused on nature, capturing all that is eye-catching outside. Ryan combines his love of photography and bikes and you’ll often find him snapping iPhone pics of bikes in awesome places.
Joining Kids on Bikes + Pedal Station is a perfect fit…
Alyssa Secreto
Community Engagement Coordinator
Alyssa is thrilled to call Colorado Springs home after spending most of her life in Chicago. She first came through town on her bike during an extended self-supported bikepacking trip and fell in love. When she was looking for a place to settle after finishing her tour, she knew the Springs was the place. Alyssa received her bachelors in Psychology and Russian from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has spent her life working with non-profits. She is extremely passionate about strengthening communities and loves using cycling to do that in her new home. If you see her zoomin’ around town on her bike, don’t hesitate to say hi!
Austin Latare
Bike Service Associate
Austin grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio fascinated with snowboarding, skateboarding, and motocross. He spent high school and thereafter studying and working in the small engine repair and diesel mechanic field. After relocating to the Springs in 2018, Austin found the Colorado landscape rekindling his love for the outdoors. He enjoys hiking, snowboarding, biking, and camping with his family and friends. In 2020, Austin started maintaining family bikes and learning all he could about bike mechanics and the cycle industry. Through countless rides in the 2020/2021 seasons, Austin fell in love with the therapeutic benefits of riding bikes and decided to pursue bikes as a career. Today, he enjoys the opportunity the Pedal Station and Kids on Bikes provides to pass along those same feelings and benefits to the Colorado Springs community.
Isaac Remington
Bike Mechanic/Camp Coach
Isaac has lived in Colorado Springs his whole life. While living here, he has grown passionate for all things cycling. Early on, Isaac raced BMX around Colorado and then discovered gears soon after. Since then, Isaac has been competing in cross country races, some of which have been Colorado State Championships in Durango and USAC Nationals in Winter Park. When Isaac is not racing, he’s working to GET MORE KIDS ON BIKES by volunteering as a coach and a board member with Front Rangers Junior Cycling and as a Summer coach for Kids On Bikes, both of which he has been doing for 4 years. This passion for getting more bikes into the community has also provided Isaac with an interest in how to make bicycles more efficient which is why he is currently studying Systems Engineering at UCCS. If Isaac is not in the shop or on the trail, he’s probably trying to rock climb or find time to eat a sandwich.
RAchel Xu
Program Assistant
Rachel has lived all across the USA but has considered Colorado her home since 2009. It wasn’t until she moved to sidewalk and bike lane filled Baltimore for college that she discovered the simple joy of getting from one place to another with her own two feet. It was also in the city that Rachel cultivated a profound appreciation for the power of community bonds and realized the transformative impact of organizations like Kids on Bikes. She is thrilled and proud to be part of Kids on Bikes and working to bring more cycling programs to El Paso County.
Interested in joining our team? Click here to check out our available opportunities
Board of Directors
- President Joey A. Lee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, UCCS-Beth El College of Nursing and Health Science
- Founder, Paige Carmichael, Co-Founder, Carmichael Training Systems.
- Treasurer, Felicia Geray, CPA, Senior Manager, Connor Group
- Secretary, Kevin Knapp, Founder & Owner, Tierra Plan
- Samuel Clark, Executive Director, Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation
- Melissa McMartin, University of Colorado-Rocky Mountain Prevention Center: Sr. Health Promotion Coordinator
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Nic Ponsor, Owner/President of Criterium Bike Shop
Brandon Eldridge, Executive Director, Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center -
Edward C. (Ted) Maynard, MD. Physician-Founding partner of Iron Horse Pediatrics. Children's Hospital Colorado -
Trey Williams, Assistant Vice Provost, University of Michigan - Office of the Vice Provost for Equity, Inclusion, and Academic Affairs