About Us
RCR Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Routt County Riders exists to advocate for all cyclists in Northwest Colorado and to protect the trails and thoroughfares we enjoy on two wheels. We are committed to leading our efforts with open and inclusive minds and hearts. While the culture of cycling in general has evolved greatly over recent decades, it remains evident that diverse voices are underrepresented within the community we cultivate. We all experience the privilege of opportunities given to us in the past by chance, birth locale, race, gender, and much more, and we seek to engage actively in the conversation that surrounds deliberate and overt inclusivity in the multi-layered spectrum of the outdoor industry. We are open to the potential for growth and hope that our trails and roadways will be interpreted as a space for all riders to enjoy their basic human right to freedom of movement.
Meet the Team
Laraine Martin
Executive Director
Laraine came to RCR in mid-2019 with a substantial background of experience managing nonprofits within the outdoor industry. She is an avid backcountry skier and mountain biker who finds healing through connection with nature and strives to advocate for more equitable access to the outdoors. She has lived in the Yampa Valley for over 10 years and loves it dearly.
Matthew Rochon
Community Outreach Program Manager
Matthew met his wife Carri at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and married her (and Colorado) just a few years later. They even enjoyed a spring break in the ‘Boat. Maybe it was the Yampa Valley Curse that saw the Rochons retire to Steamboat in 2019 after 21 years in the Air Force. Matthew has two cycling children, Madeline and Kai. He enjoys Routt County cycling year-round; fatbiking in the winter, cross-country in the summer, gravel rides during shoulder seasons, and getting places without a car as much as possible. He is thrilled at the opportunity to make cycling more accessible to everyone in the community.
Paul Majors
Community Outreach Program Coordinator
Paul has been involved in the bike world since 1987, when he started as a mechanic at Big Shark Bicycles in St Louis. He has been racing and fixing bikes ever since. Paul and his wife Roberta came to the ‘Boat full time in 2019. Paul is an enthusiastic new addition to the Bike Match program!
Lucy Winslow
Programs and Events Coordinator
Lucy’s love for biking has grown exponentially over the years, starting from bike commuting in high school in Denver and college in Oregon, to getting the bikepacking fever and completing a 6-week trip on New Zealand’s South Island. Lucy comes from a background of leading trail crews with Northwest Youth Corps and Colorado Mountain Bike Association, and is stoked to help keep the riding in Routt County as flowy as ever.
Sasha Nations
Program Coordinator
You will find Sasha in our shop, guiding folks in mastering the art of bike repair and contributing to our Bike Match program. She “wears many different helmets” in the local biking community, and moonlights as the Cycling Program Director for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. When not immersed in the world of teaching and fixing bikes, you might catch her singing with pure delight on the trails, soaking in every moment of airborne joy.
Michael Mott
Trail Crew Member
Michael grew up exploring the Cascade mountains in Washington before really learning to ride on the west coast of British Columbia. He has had the opportunity to work on trails in WA, BC, and CO. He’s excited about joining RCR and contributing to local trails. If he’s not out there working or riding, you can find him in the mountains climbing or skiing.
Craig Frithsen
President
I’m a husband, dad, business owner, 28 year steamboat resident and lifelong biker. From riding Huffys in the woods of Massachusetts as a kid to riding mountain bikes in Colorado and many other states and Canada as a bigger kid I have always been passionate about biking. I got involved with RCR to be an advocate for biking in our community and help improve the local Steamboat trail network.
Kyle Pietras
Vice President
Born in Massachusetts, Kyle is a year round biker that loves to ski. A Steamboat resident since 1995, he runs a built from the ground up landscape business. He spends most of his time with his wife Christine, daughters Ella and Norah, and dogs Lefty and Pepé. Can we ride bikes now?
Penn Lukens
Treasurer
Penn is a Steamboat Springs lifetime-local whose passion for adrenaline and speed translates from the dirt to the snow. His background in mathematics and economics fuels development and innovation to the future of riding in the ‘Boat. When not fully throttled on his bike or sled, you’ll find him enjoying the Yampa River with other RCR members, who are also advocates for MORE jumps.
Barb Dowski
Secretary
Barb is a Colorado native who fell in love with cycling while riding her mountain bike to grad school at CU Boulder. After growing up in Colorado Springs, she spent her college and 20+ working years in Boulder County dedicated to the Environmental, Health and Safety industry. Working as a camp counselor in Steamboat many summers ago, she dreamed about moving here permanently. It took about 30 years to turn that dream into reality but she now calls Steamboat home and is thrilled to be a part of this community of exceptional people. As an avid road cyclist and mountain biker she is excited to work with RCR advocating for all types of cycling in Routt County.
Rob Peterson
Board
Rob has lived and biked in Steamboat Springs for over 20 years now and wouldn’t trade it for anything else. He grew up on the east coast and then west coast before finding “The Boat”. To him, nothing beats being a part of small town community. Rob is proud to be an RCR board member and works hard to increase the stoke of cycling in Routt County. His other interests include long walks on the beach, kicking his feet in the water off the dock, and snuggling by the fire with that special someone. Oh, and snowboarding of course. Who doesn’t love snow too?
Jessica Lobeck
Board
Jessica has been enjoying mountain biking in the Yampa Valley since 1995. She is the owner of her own company. When she is not working she is on the dirt or on the snow. Although she enjoys all types of biking her favorite is bike packing with family, friends, or solo, and occasionally racing. These days she is busy trying to instill her passion for mountain biking in her somewhat reluctant 8 year old daughter.
Ian London
Board
Ian London grew up playing outside in the great North Woods of Maine. He attended Colby College and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He joined Steamboat Lawyers Group in 2017 after putting in his time in the corporate world. Ian raced on the road for several years at the USAC Category 1 level, but these days can usually be found on trails or gravel. Steamboat is a terrific community for many reasons, but access to diverse, safe cycling routes is near the top of that list.
Scott Nielsen
Board
Why get involved? Bikes turned into a passion (addiction?). It started with one. But then the garage was filled with steel, roadies, commuters, downhill, trail bikes, and whatever that pile of parts is in the corner. It was bad when the fat bike showed up. I swore I wouldn’t do it! It was time to give back to a great bike community. Let’s go play in the dirt and have some fun! Say hello to your fellow trail users!
Heather Jones
Board
Heather first joined RCR in a staff role as our Program Coordinator in 2019, switching to a Board Member position in late 2020. She is passionate about the outdoors, and in summer you’ll most likely find her on the trails (the Oak Creek Mountain Park is in her backyard) riding her mountain bike or her trusty mule named Rooster. Heather moved to Colorado in 2000, and has called Routt County home since 2017.
Madison Keeffe
Board
Madison is a Colorado native who moved to Steamboat Springs at the age of four and (while not able to claim born-and-bred) the Yampa Valley is her home. Growing up on Emerald, mountain biking is her favorite two-wheeled mode of transportation – but you can also find her out and about on the dirt roads or the good old chip & seal getting back to her endurance roots. It was those same roots that led her to nordic ski for The University of Vermont where she graduated with degrees in both Economics and English. She works at Mountain Valley Bank as a commercial lender.
Todd Givnish
Board
Todd grew up on a bike jumping curbs and building BMX “tracks” in the Philly ‘burbs. Snowboarding (and CMC) brought Todd to Steamboat in ‘99. His love for bikes and the Steamboat community increases year after year. Todd delicately balances his time with family, working at Smartwool, engaging in the community, and furthering his own personal agenda on snow and singletrack.
David High
Board
David has a long history with cycling in the Yampa Valley – he joined RCR back in the 1990s when he and his family first moved to Steamboat. Aside from his professional role as Senior VP at Alpine Bank, he has also served on the Bike Town USA Board of Directors and the 2A Trails Advisory Committee. He recalls when some of the first “crude” mountain bike-accessible trails in Steamboat were built, and is grateful for the (now comparatively vast) local system of trails for year-round use, combined with hundreds of miles of beautiful gravel riding.
Terri Ganch
Board
Terri grew up in Nebraska but moved to Summit County in 1995, where she discovered her love of mountain biking. Upon moving to Steamboat she couldn’t believe the great trail system available in Routt County. Whether single track, gravel, or road, Terri wants to keep trails maintained and cycling accessible to all. When she is off her bike, Terri is traveling, cooking, learning Italian, skiing and snowboarding.
Brent Demmitt
Board
Brent grew up riding bikes in the “mountains” of Kansas and Florida. A college summer spent working and riding in the Rockies changed his perspective on what biking (and life) could be like. Brent’s twisting trail led him from ranching to coaching to law. With three boys out of the nest, Brent moved his law practice from Cave Creek, Arizona to Steamboat – where he rides a bike pretty much daily. The family motto is “how many bikes is too many bikes? N+1”. Joining RCR, first as a member, then a Trail Ambassador, and now a Board Member, ties together Brent’s love for bikes – and for doing good things in the community.
Holly Weik
Advisory
Holly grew up in Divide, attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and was able to spend almost half of her career in Colorado. She loves the outdoors and came to Steamboat for the great recreation and sports available year round. She can be seen biking most of the year to work or for fun. Mountain or road? Yes please to both, including self supported. She is involved in RCR because she wants to be part of where she lives and contribute to the wonderful lifestyle we get to enjoy here in Steamboat.
Steve Williams
Advisory
Steve “just plain likes bikes”. He grew up in the Front Range and worked there for years, bike commuting from the mid-70s to the mid-2000s, becoming one of the charter members of Bicycle Colorado. His family discovered the Yampa Valley back in the 50s, but it wasn’t until 1998 that he established Glas Deffryn Ranch (South Routt) in his retirement to raise purebred Scottish Highland Cattle. He is a longtime member of RCR and contributes his heart and soul to all things biking in the area.