Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 2018)
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 11 Learning life lessons on two wheels By Cody Rheault Correspondent When Tom Lyons was a child he couldn’t have cared less about his bicycle. If you know him today, you would find that hard to believe. Then, it was no more than a mode of transportation and a way to hang with his friends. But today it has become an exten- sion of himself — one he uses to encourage and inspire local kids to be and do more. As a kid Lyons played a number of sports including soccer, basketball, and base- ball. None held his attention for long. When he was 10 he began to explore life on two wheels. Slowly a passion started to build in him; his free time now consisted of rid- ing to learn. At 12 he received his first real mountain bike — a Cannondale M400 — and it wasn’t long before he dis- covered jump tracks, grav- ity trails, and the adrenaline- inducing sport of downhill racing. To m f o u n d h i m s e l f inspired by mountain biking legend Hans “No Way” Rey, a German pioneer in the sport of free-riding. After school he would study the sport icon by watching his films and prac- ticing maneuvers in his drive- way. By then, he knew what he wanted to do. Lyons’ passion in the sport led him into the competitive world of downhill mountain biking. For six years he com- peted for his spot among the pros and placed third in the Oregon State Downhill cham- pionship his junior year. But over time injuries and serious emergency room visits took their toll on his body. A broken pelvis — among many inju- ries — pushed him to life off the hill and pursuing another dream he’d held since he was young. From the age of 12, he knew he wanted to be a teacher. But the world of cycling hadn’t taken hold of him yet. Facing retirement from downhill racing, Tom saw a new way to give back with what he had learned over many years. His new direction led him to a lead instructor position at the Lumberyard Bike Park in Portland, and Life Cycles in Eugene. For the next three years Tom would focus his efforts in teaching the new generation of mountain bike enthusiasts through private lessons and classes. “This was a way to get out and have fun, but be safe and still go to work the next day,” he told The Nugget. Schedule online! Sarah Conroy, Chiropractor Relax & renew after spring cleaning. Call 541-588-2213 392 E. Main Ave. SistersChiropractor.com Located within Bigfoot Wellness Shena Fields LMT#7439 Harmony Tracy LMT# 21211 Why Buy A Quality Pre-Owned RV From Larry’s RV? ★ 27 years as Central l Oregon’s consignment experts ★ Save thousands of dollars compared to new model retail V ★ Year-round service on-site, your RV e! ready to hit the road when you are! ★ Long-term storage available 7 days a week ★ Propane 541-923-4564 3000 S. Hwy. 97 Redmond 2005 Honda d CRV • Perfect RV Tow Car • Automatic • All Tow Equip. Incld. • 142K Miles • $ 5,995 Firm Vin315466 SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY AT LARRYSRV.COM He would take them out to trails a couple times a week to practice skills, and soon became a personal mentor to many. He would help prepare meals, study courses, work on bikes, and help them recover from injuries. “Everything just clicked,” he said. “It was clear how to combine these passions, do what I love, and give back to the local community.” It also gave him, “a chance to help teach some up-and-coming youth a lot of the lessons I learned the hard way.” Former students Rhys Ewing and Jack Hill are sea- soned professionals in the world of downhill racing. Rhys won the NWCup series last year, and Jack Hill contin- ues to be a prominent threat to the CAT 1 podium. Lyons says finding two of his passions and learn- ing how to integrate them to work toward a bigger purpose helped shape who he is today. “There is nothing more rewarding than getting to directly influence and help local youth who share your PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT Mountain bike racer and teacher Tom Lyons has brought his passion for life on two wheels to classes through Sisters Park & Recreation District. passion,” he said. Lyons, 32, is now a resi- dent of Sisters and has taken his last 18 years of experience to the local youth. Teaching classes out of Sisters Park & Recreation District, he recently took over from former instructor Thomas Wilkonson and personally wrote the new seven-week curriculum. A certified Level 1 instruc- tor through the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association, Tom has taken his role as a local mountain biking instructor as a service to the community. He has also donated two years and over 200 hours of his time to the construction and maintenance of the SPRD Bike Park 242. Classes were held twice weekly for both beginners and experienced students this spring term, with classes held at the Bike Park or on the Peterson Ridge Trail system. For the first few weeks Tom focused on teaching students the basics of bike handling, operations and controls, as well as incident response and personal goals. Each student coming into the program with expectations are met with Lyons’ dedica- tion to see it through. He val- ues the one-on-one instruction with his students and prefers See LYONS on page 20
