Ned Signs On To Mentor Riders!

‘Tis the season of giving back! Ned Overend, a one-of-a-kind mountain bike legend just signed on to serve as one of Outride’s Athlete Ambassadors this fall. Ned joins over two dozen racers now on-board dedicating time and talent to mentor our Riding for Focus students.

Yeah, Ned is a really big deal. Hailing from the mountain bike mecca Durango, Colorado, Ned is the ultimate model for the next generation of racers. When you think of pioneers in the mountain biking world, Ned was the first to take the world podium. He became the first-ever cross-country world champion by winning the inaugural UCI Mountain Bike World Championship in 1990, was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame in 2001. He is not content to rest on his laurels and continues to ride and race at the same high levels. Exhausted by just reading about him? There’s more—Take a deep breath!

“Our Athlete Ambassadors give the youth in our Riding for Focus programs someone to look up to. These athletes each have a story of how cycling has impacted their lives - inside and outside of competition. We want our kids to see the whole picture when it comes to bike riding, and we found some incredible athletes to help us achieve this goal”, shared Kaylee Blevins, Outride Research Manager, who developed the program that launched this past spring.

Ambassadors make visits to schools, write letters, post blog news and share their riding and training secrets on how to be the best they can be, on and off the bike—even when the trail gets rocky. Ned will make visits to local schools in Durango and around Colorado this spring to share his riding skills and expertise.

We ask every year, ‘When will Ned ever slow down?’ But we say—don’t ever count him out. Overend has a lot to show the other younger racers who are competing and that he still has plenty left in his tank. He didn’t get the nickname “The Lung” for nothing.  His best advice, “Learn some skills before you increase your speed.” Sage advice for both on and off the bike for all ages.

Tribute to Ned at the Specialized Morgan Hill Museum designed by Creative Director Robert Egger. Flintstones-esque bike with sundial GPS and woolly mammoth skinsuit.

Ned Overend's 1992 Specialized Stumpjumper M2, the bike he rode to the lead in the NORBA National point series, along with two World Cup victories.

Read all about Ned and our Outride Athlete Ambassadors giving back here.