Montevideo’s Decade of Momentum: From First Bike Rides to a Community Movement
How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike? Ten years ago, most students at Montevideo Middle School in Penn Laird, Virginia had never been on two wheels. The school's principal at the time, Drew Miller, saw a challenge and turned it into an opportunity. What started as a simple idea grew into a community-wide movement, and today, nearly every elementary student in the district knows how to ride a bike.
The Spark: One Grant, a school’s commitment
Looking for a way to boost student engagement and well-being, Montevideo Middle School applied for and received an Outride Riding for Focus (R4F) grant in 2016. With it came a fleet of 30 bikes and a curriculum designed to teach bike handling, road safety, and confidence on two wheels.
The results of the program were immediate.
"As we got more of our middle schoolers on bikes, we not only saw an increase in self-confidence and focus in the classroom, but also a decrease in disruptive behavior in the academic class sessions that immediately followed riding” recalled Drew Miller.
Students who had dreaded PE found themselves excited to participate. Teachers noticed kids returning to class more attentive, energized, and ready to learn. But this new curriculum came with its own challenges, and unique solutions:
"One of the challenges we faced was that the boys who experienced the greatest benefit from riding, were also the most disruptive and dangerous on the bikes- ramming other students; aggressively braking; popping wheelies; jumping off curbs; etc. As a result, we set up a bike on a trainer in our detention room so we could still have boys riding but in a more controlled environment."
Drew Miller
Building a Movement
The success at Montevideo Middle School didn’t stay within its school walls. Word spread across Rockingham County, and soon, other schools wanted in. Within a few years, all 16 elementary schools in the district had launched their own programs or began sharing bike fleets!
Biking has given students more than just physical activity - it opened up new ways to connect with each other, explore local trails, and develop independence. What started in PE class began to ripple through the wider community. Families started riding together. Local leaders began talking about how infrastructure could support safer biking and walking.
The momentum helped spark the Shen Rock youth mountain bike program, which now has more than 100 riders with the support of adult volunteers. Organizations like the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition are strong advocates for better bike lanes, trails, and safer streets. Grants from Safe Routes to School and Let Grow provided crucial support to sustain and expand the effort.
The Momentum Continues
Today, nearly every student in the district enters school already knowing how to ride, a dramatic shift from just a decade ago. The knowledge, enthusiasm, and love of bikes have been passed from teacher to student, school to community. Drew Miller, who applied for the initial Riding for Focus grant, reflects on the changes he’s seen:
“I'm convinced that receiving the Outride grant was a catalyst for getting young people on bikes in our community. Shortly after receiving our bikes, other schools started getting bikes and now the 11,000 students in our school system have access to cycling through their PE classes. That momentum continued and we now have a robust mountain biking program for young people (ShenRock); more safe routes infrastructure on our roads; and the list goes on. I believe this all started with Outride."
What began with one grant and one principal’s belief in the power of cycling has grown into a district-wide bike culture and a community that continues to invest in connection, health, and joy through two wheels.
Montevideo’s story is proof of how one program can spark a movement, and how a bike can be much more than a ride. It can be a catalyst for focus, well-being, and lasting community change.
Learn more about Montevideo’s long-standing Riding for Focus program and others across the U.S. and Canada at outridebike.org, and follow us on Instagram to see our community in action!