Cycling gains momentum among largest Native American tribe but bikes are scarce — here's how you can help

The Navajo Nation, one of the largest Native American territories in the United States, spans approximately 28,000 square miles and is home to around 200,000 people. In this vast community, cycling is emerging as one of the fastest-growing recreational activities. But it’s a very new trend and one with many obstacles in its path. 

When retired cyclist Scott Nydam (formerly of BMC Racing) and his family moved to the edge of the Navajo reservation in 2016 for his wife’s healthcare profession, he quickly connected with passionate local bikers eager to share their love for the sport. But they faced one main problem: a severe lack of access to bicycles. There wasn’t even a single bike shop in the region.

Finding a new purpose in his retirement from racing, Nydam transformed his Gallup, New Mexico-based coffee shop, the Silver Stallion, into a nonprofit organization in 2018. The nonprofit focuses on getting more Navajo youth on bicycles and educating them in both bicycle mechanics and specialty coffee service industries.

“Our regional youth face unique challenges in creating and taking steps toward their dreams. Many basic resources, like bike shops, are absent in our area. Through strategic partnerships and dynamic solutions, barriers that often inhibit kids from flourishing can be overcome,” the nonprofit states.

Since its founding, the Silver Stallion has made significant strides. It has helped establish more than a dozen middle school P.E. bike programs in the region, founded seven after-school mountain bike clubs, and launched a mobile bike repair truck that offers free bike repair events and educational programming in remote communities throughout the Navajo Nation.

Despite these achievements, there is still much work to be done. This week, gravel pro Yuri Hauswald, Japanese artist Taro Takizawa, and bicycle apparel manufacturer Sportful announced a jersey fundraising campaign to support the cause.

Sportful is producing a limited run of artist-designed jerseys, with $65 of every $110 made going directly to the Silver Stallion and its efforts to get more kids on bikes.

“When pedaling, passion, and purpose collide, it’s the perfect trifecta of something really special,” Hauswald says.

The jerseys in the collection were designed by Takizawa, a Japanese-born but U.S.-based artist who focuses on printmaking, wall vinyl installations, drawings and 2D designs. His works blend Western and Eastern aesthetics with an appreciation for traditional printmaking processes and mark-making. An avid gravel cyclist himself, Takizawa met Hauswald during a bike ride celebrating Hauswald’s induction into the Gravel Hall of Fame in 2023.

“We hit it off that day in Lawrence, KS, and struck up a friendship that has now blossomed into this jersey collaboration with Sportful,” Hauswald says.

“The best part of this collaboration is that a portion of your jersey purchase will go directly to Silver Stallion Bicycle and Coffee Works. This means that you will not only be wearing a stunning piece of artwork but, most importantly, you will be supporting programs that get native youth out exploring on their own lands.”

Learn more about the Silver Stallion nonprofit at https://silverstallion.org/.

To own a piece of wearable art and support the fundraiser, please visit Sportful here.