Biking is a passion 8-year-old Tipton Weber has had for nearly his entire life. The talented young biker began his biking career when he was 2 years old, and that love of biking has stuck.
Weber recently placed ninth overall at the recent Boggy Draw Beat Down’s 15-mile race, averaging about 12.7 mph.
Weber placed ninth out of 53 riders, and the ages of the eight riders who rode across the finish line ahead of him range in age from 13 years old to 66 years old. The first-place rider rode about 14 minutes ahead of Weber. He placed fourth in the 18-and-under division with a time of 1:10:52.84.
“I’m incredibly proud of how Tipton rode at the Boggy Draw Beat Down this year,” Weber’s father, Jace Weber, told The Journal. “Tipton truly displays the physical and mental strength it takes to complete these challenging races – pushing through fatigue, maintaining focus and giving it his all from start to finish.”
Weber first raced in the Boggy Draw Beat Down in 2023 when he was 6 years old, completing the race at a speedy one hour and 23 minutes, putting him in 28th place overall and ninth in the 18-and-under division.
When he was 7 years old, Weber raced a slightly slower time of one hour, 36 minutes to place 39th overall and 16th in the 18-and-under division at that year’s Boggy Draw Beat Down.
“The following year, he returned to the same race, determined to push himself again,” Jace Weber said. “While his time was slightly slower, the experience added to his growing skill set and resilience as a racer.”
In addition to the Boggy Draw Beat Down, Weber also competed at 24 Hours of Mesa Verde in May. At this race, Weber completed one lap in one hour and 58 minutes.
“His goal for next year is to complete two laps – a challenge he’s already training for with determination and grit,” Weber added.
Jace Weber shared that Tipton Weber began riding a pedal bike when he was just a little over 2 years old, kick-starting his love of biking. Now, he rides for Cortez’s High Desert DEVO team, and his parents, Jace and Elizabeth Weber, plan to take him to more races in Arizona and Colorado this year to “continue to challenge and inspire him.”
A lot of Tipton Weber’s inspiration comes from his mother, Elizabeth, and grandfather Jimbo Fairley, who rides trails with him and continues to support and encourage him on his biking journey.
“Tipton’s passion for biking started early. Ever since he hopped on a bike at 2½ years old, he’s been hooked on the thrill of riding,” Jace Weber said. “Watching his mom tackle trails and riding, countless miles alongside of her, gave him the drive to push himself and keep getting better. For him, biking is as much about having fun together as it is racing.”
Elizabeth Weber often races with her son to help him in the case of a flat tire or mechanical issue that could occur during the race.
“Tipton looks up to his mother tremendously – she’s a solid mountain biker herself, and on most rides Tipton’s goal is to beat her,” Jace Weber said. “His mom and I are incredibly proud of his dedication and performance.”
Weber added that his son is “proud” of how he raced this year and hopes to keep improving.
“Tipton was proud of how he rode this year. He told me that he had a blast out there love pushing himself to see what he could do,” Weber said. “He’s already talking about how he can improve for the next race, and he’s excited to set bigger goals for next year.”
