We met in the bike ring after school at Mill Valley Middle in 1992. Our interest in bikes had started at an early age. By the time we met, our yards were already littered with half-finished bikes and parts. We grew up riding and fixing bikes- our friend’s, our own- it didn’t matter. We were obsessed.

Ryan Loften.

Born and raised in Mill Valley, I have been working with kids for 10 years. I grew up mountain biking, BMX riding and building dirt jumps around Marin County. In 2006 I outfitted my mountain bike for long-distance touring. I saved up, cleared my schedule and went on a solo bicycle tour for a year thru Nepal, India, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

As I was being pushed up a hill on my bike by a group of smiling, wide-eyed Nepali school children, I realized that children are the same around the world; they live in the present moment. Kids are constantly reminding me how to be a more patient, present, and light-hearted individual. Mt Tam Bikes Camp is an opportunity for me to share my love of cycling and exploration with the youth of the Bay Area.

Bryce Kirk.

Growing up in Mill Valley, my interest in BMX riding quickly grew to include mountain biking. After meeting pioneers of the sport, like Steve Potts and  Paulo Salvagione, I bought my first mountain bike in 1991. At fourteen, I got my first job at Start To Finish Bike Shop as an apprentice mechanic. Ten years later, I opened Mt. Tam Bikes.