If this kid can, can’t you?

If you ever had a hard time getting motivated to go for a ride, consider Nolan Myer’s story. Nolan’s mother is an organizer of the Dirty 40 gravel grinder race and last spring, Nolan, age 8, had a chance to meet pro cyclist Ted King. Inspired, Nolan decided he was going to ride his bike to school in Orleans every day of the year. Which was all well and good except for the fact that he didn’t own a bike. With his eye on a $350 Mongoose Fat Bike he had found online, Nolan rummaged through his toy closet and old video games and in one day made $200 in a tag sale. He then helped his father with firewood to earn another $100 and his mother chipped in the final $50. All that was left was a full school year of riding. Between the start of school and its end, Nolan rode a total of 262 miles to his school and back over the year, even on the 14 February days when the thermometer never went above 0. His last day of school, June 16, a big group of friends and fans turned out to ride with him and Governor Shumlin sent him a letter of congratulations. What’s next? Mountain bike camp at Burke.