The Secret Sauce That Helped Raise Olympians Riley Amos and Christopher Blevins

When Riley Amos was in 5th grade he was stoked on catching snakes more than riding bikes.

In middle school it wasn’t racing that fueled him, it was doing wheelies. Everywhere.

Riley shooting hoops with friends at a traditional Devo bike practice:

But by the time he set off for college at Fort Lewis, his love for cycling ran so deep that he went on to pursue a full-time career in mountain bike racing, securing a coveted position as a World Cup-level rider for Trek Factory Racing. Since then, Amos has risen to the top of the field: racing against, and almost always beating, the best riders in the world. That’s how he earned himself a spot on the 2024 US Olympic Team. 

”Without Durango Devo and my little town in Colorado I would never have found this path. The amount of fun I’ve had growing up exploring the outdoors on my bike with my best friends showed me what life is about,” says Amos. “I had so many cycling mentors growing up, and I constantly strive to take a small piece from their process and incorporate it into myself.”

Amos and high school teammates at fat bike race Silverton Whiteout, 2018

Olympic teammate and fellow Devo grad Christopher Blevins had a similar experience: from a young age he loved to ride, but he really, really loved to play. 

Blevins would show up at practice hoping for a fierce game of bike polo, foot down, or a post-ride basketball game — all non-traditional traditions Devo sprinkles in to keep things light and fun. 

Going on to ride for Specialized Factory Racing, Blevins became Devo’s second graduate to make the US Olympic Team for the 2020 games in Tokyo. (Devo alumnus Howard Grotts went to Rio de Janeiro in 2016).

Blevins says, “Durango Devo really was the foundation for why I love riding my bike, and not just riding fast. It taught me that the bike is how you find community and discover a place, and the friendships and relationships that have come into my life from that network early on have carried me through the last 15 years.”

“Even today with all the pressure, all the travel, all the high stakes of the World Cup circuit and now the Olympics, Christopher still always rides playfully. Devo fostered this environment that helped keep his fun-loving, adventurous spirit alive on the bike,” explains Blevins’ older sister Kaylee.

Blevins’ mother, Priscilla, notes: “Christopher never ever forgets NFTF, and he rides his bike always with that Devo saying in the back of his mind and heart.”

15-year-old Blevins showing off his vintage Air Jordans at Nationals:

For both athletes, having so much fun on bikes with friends helped them develop a deep love of riding that has fueled their illustrious careers.

Over the decades, Durango Devo has produced Olympians, World Cup champions, Grand Tour champions, and too many national champions to even count. Pretty remarkable for a program that doesn’t put racing first. In fact — and especially in the early years — Devo puts racing last.

Durango Devo co-founder Sarah Tescher explains, “Devo has proven again and again that the best thing for kids to be doing, to become the cyclist they want to be, is to be a kid and be playful and learn to make mistakes joyfully and without performance anxiety.”

Young Blevins was the first of his team – including coaches –  to master the skinny, 2011

Many claim there’s something in the water here in Durango, Colorado — and that may be true — but we know there’s more to it than that. It’s the Devo philosophy: “Never forget the feeling.” The feeling of having fun with your friends on bikes. Of high country adventures. Of going places on a bike that are hard to access on foot. Of learning from some peers while lending a helping hand to others. Of sharing snacks atop your little mountain town’s peaks.

Devo graduates look back upon their experience as not only instilling a deep love of cycling, but also as developing friendships, community connections, and life-skills that helped them through a multitude of challenges and experiences far beyond the bike.

“Christopher has always been a phenom on the bike.  Simply a stand out kid with protégé bike handling skills. But Christopher is also a hard worker and sings songs, writes poetry and builds his own non profit all while doing the work on the bike,” reflects Tescher.

“We could tell Riley was remarkable on the bike from the get-go, but it has been most special to watch him grow into such a great character and leader,” says Devo high school coach Sam Vicory, “As a captain of the high school team, Riley would never hesitate to take time away from his own race weekend to mentor younger riders or drop what he was doing to help his coaches.”

Amos’ father Charlie adds, “As for the snakes, he still stops today to move the non-venomous ones off the road.”

Eight-year-old Amos with a win at a local hometown race:

Each year Devo guides over 600 kids along the world-class trails of Durango and beyond, including offering over 70 scholarships to those who need them. Some riders even receive bikes and helmets to remove any barriers to participation that may exist.

Offerings start with push-bike programs teeming with adorable little tots working on their confidence, proprioception, tenacity, and social skills, and advance all the way through high school programs ranging from bikepacking to freestyle and enduro to an elite cross-country race team that Blevins and Amos both participated in.

Fellow Durango Devo alum and UCI World Cup rider Lauren Aggeler sums up the classic Devo experience: “I would never be where I am today without Durango Devo and the passion they put into the program. I have had much success, many lows, but above all I have kept the classic Devo motto, NFTF. Never forget the feeling. Never forget why you do it, who you do it for, and how much fun riding your bike with friends really is.”

Young Blevins with Lauren Aggeler, now a fellow UCI World Cup rider.

Help Durango Devo raise more world-class cyclists and remarkable humans. As a 501[c][3] non-profit organization, Devo relies on donations to connect Durango’s youth to the outdoors through bikes and to create lifelong cyclists, one ride at a time.