Talon“ T. J . ”Mandeville, an 18-year old with high-functioning autism, achieved his goal of biking every day in 2024, logging 479 hours and covering 3,600 miles, and celebrated New Year’s Day with his Sedona School Mountain Bike Club teammates by riding Big Bug Trail near Mayer.

“It wasn’t hard to do it last year, it was just fun,” Mandeville said before a practice session. He said there were times when he thought about ditching his goal due to weather, “but I gotta do it.”

His interest in mountain biking began when he learned about the Sedona school club in July 2023, which provided him with a bike and the support to get started.

“T.J. joined the Sedona School Mountain Bike Club and had never really ridden his bike much, and wasn’t really in shape, and had to come with his dad to speak for him because of his autism,” Head Coach Eric Mace said. “And he’s really grabbed on to cycling and brought [his] goal of cycling every day he’s done that, and he’s been a great part of the team ever since and has learned to communicate well on his own without his dad being there.”

Mace said Mandeville avoids the more extreme trails and prefers those that allow for a slow and steady pace.

“T.J. spends many hours viewing local maps, memorizing the landscape and trails,” his mother Jeanna Mandeville wrote, and added that his first word was “leaf.” “He would love to work in the forest service and help build and maintain bike trails.”

An amateur photographer, Mandeville has won awards at the Verde Valley Fair and also sells his work locally. He attends Mingus Union High School online and works part time at Thunder Mountain Bike In Sedona.

“His passion for biking is why we brought him here,” sales associate Gigi Stowell. “I met him at the Mountain Bike Festival. He was washing bikes there with the high school, which I thought was really cool … [He] washes bikes like a beast, knocks them out, gets them clean, gets them to the customer.”

The Sedona Mountain Bike Club is part of a statewide network of bike clubs that includes over 1,200 Arizona students in grades six through 12. The club uses mountain biking to foster personal growth and life skills. Each season includes five competitive races for students who wish to participate. For those who prefer not to race, the club still offers opportunities to camp on race weekends and enjoy outdoor adventures.

“He would ride before he comes to work, his dad rides with him as much as he can, too,” Stowell said. “This job has made him come out of his shell. He doesn’t talk too much to a lot of people, but he’s pretty vocal now with us. With his passion for mountain biking, he’s able to talk to a lot more people at this shop now … For him to be learning about his bike, how to fix his bike, and then just growing as an individual here. Has been a cool experience to work with him.”

Mandeville said that his dream is to ride a bike in every state. He can be found on Facebook and Instagram a t @BaconInThisHeat.