In the second year of the USA Cycling Best In Kit competition, we saw some close matches, major upsets, and a lot of great kits! 64 amazing clubs participated this year, but only one team could come out on top. The 2020 Best In Kit winner was Reno Tahoe Junior Cycling also referred to as Reno Devo. Thank you to all those that participated in the 2020 Best in Kit competition.
We had a chance to talk to Kyle Dixon, a coach for Reno Devo, to ask him a couple of questions regarding their awesome kits. (All answers provided by Kyle Dixon)
Who designed your rad kit?
We had the same kit design for 3 or 4 years and the young athletes on the team were asking for a refresh. So we told them to come up with something new. My daughter Mya found a website that you could play around with kit designs and colors. She came up with designs that have the color fade look. Then a bunch of the athletes got involved and fine-tuned it and passed it along to Jakroo for them to bring it to life. As with so many parts of our devo team, it was driven by the young athletes!
What’s your favorite part of your kit?
I asked the devo athletes this question and they pretty much all said the #ridefortate that is printed in several spots. Tate Meintjes was an original member of our devo team and he was tragically killed in a car/bike accident one year ago. He was a great bike racer and an even better human being. It means a lot to everyone on the team to #ridefortate.
What is the ideal sock combo for your kit?
Easy! Crazy bright orange!
After reading Kyle Dixon’s answer to the team’s favorite part of the kit, we asked Kyle to explain the #ridefortate further, and he replied:
“...Tate was pretty much an original member of what is now Reno Devo. His brother Ian was actually on the team when it started but Tate joined soon after as I recall. What is now Reno Devo began 9 years ago with a few kids signing up for a new junior mountain bike team in Reno. The program has evolved year after year in response to what the young athletes on the team want out of it. We never had a 5 or 10-year plan for where we wanted the team to go.”
Tate changed that, he had the long dream and grit to get him there.
“Tate was the first kid that really had the drive to compete on an international level. Our program was growing each year but Tate was growing/developing faster. Over the past 4 years, Reno Devo has taken some huge steps forward in training prescription, race schedule, and overall athlete preparation. These steps were in large part due to wanting to keep local athletes in our system. Something we weren't able to do with Tate. Tate came along and decided he was going to reach the top level of mountain bike racing. But we just weren't able to support that at the time. So while Tate moved on to another program he remained close to our team and many of our athletes.”
Tate changed the direction and future of the Reno Devo program.
“Now when we talk about Reno Devo and what we want to provide to athletes we always say we "want to be a team that can help a new young racer develop a love for the sport and grow year to year while also providing all the support and tools needed for the future Tate's to reach their potential". Tate remains a big part of our program. His father spoke to our national level kids, last year, a few months after he passed. He shared stories of Tate’s drive to be successful and how he took his daily preparation seriously. That was a tough night but a powerful and important one. Many of the young athletes on the team knew Tate well and many of them and us coaches are still coming to terms with his passing. Having the #ridefortate on the jersey is important to all of us on Reno Devo.”
No matter the team or club that you ride for when you pull on that jersey you almost feel like a superhero, you feel as though you’re representing an idea or a message much larger than yourself. For Reno Devo, I feel there is definitely a similar sentiment when teammates that knew Tate or heard stories about him, that these kids continue to strive to do what Tate only wished that he could have achieved.
Thanks for all the hard work that Kyle Dixon and the other coaches and support members of the Reno Devo club do to support American cycling.
We hope this story and journey around a club kit reminds you of a story in your own area, please share. We know these stories exist in every aspect of life, but we know cycling and we would like to hear your stories around cycling clubs and how they have transformed your cycling communities here!
Again thank you for all that have participated this year in the 2020 Best in Kit competition!
