Entering The Next Phase Of BikeLife

I heard the sound of a bird in flight above me, looking up, I was in awe as I was certain I had just seen a Barn Owl. Whatever it was, I knew it wasn't a typical bird that I've seen countless times. It was larger, with white/cream feathers, and what looked like a flat face. I struggled to look and see if it would stay on a tree long enough for me to get a better look or maybe even a picture, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

I forgot up until a couple days later and decided to search for the meaning of seeing a Barn Owl.

"Owl spirit animals are symbolic of death in many traditions. In most cases however, it should not be taken literally: If the owl is associated with death, it can be viewed a symbolic death, meaning a transition in life, important changes that are taking place or about to happen.

When the owl shows up in your life, pay attention to the winds of change. Perhaps you are about to leave some old habits, a situation that no longer serves you or to bring something new in your life."

During my ride and the conversation with Travis on the day that I looked up the meaning, I had started the process of some serious soul searching. Specifically about the concept of racing and what else I would like to do in my "prime" years of mountain biking.

I realized that I just really didn't want to race anymore.

I spent that Tuesday mountain biking a total of 15 miles. My first ride was roughly 9 miles that included a break at home, then going out again to finish with a total of 15 for the day. What I loved the most was the fact I rode for a long time in a single day. I took my time and took breaks when I needed them. 

I have become disenchanted with the pressure that I put on myself when it comes to racing. Yes, I end up having fun riding my bike, but it takes a bit of time before I feel like I can calm my nerves and not worry or focus on the whole "race."

One could say "Just pretend it's a giant group ride!" However, that's not how my brain works. It becomes hyperaware of surroundings and anxious about passing and being passed. I want to be as respectful and responsive as possible, yet I'm trying hard to do as well as I can. I'm also doing this on #bikeshoplife scheduling, which isn't super easy. I don't have unlimited hours in the day to train. I'm at a continual disadvantage due to that, and the one day where I can put the most miles on doesn't always end up being free. Honestly, I hate the concept training and I just want to ride my bike as much as I can, whenever I can, without worrying about riding too much because I'm trying to get as many miles as possible in my limited time. I find myself burning out because of trying so damn hard.

I work very hard to do well at events I participate in while battling my chronic neck/shoulder muscle stuff. I'm seeing that I will be dealing with discomfort during riding regularly, even with all of the PT I've done. It's frustrating and having that chronic ache while trying to race can really mess with your emotions. I do not have the capacity to go to a race and just "ride." I'm doing my best to put out max effort because I am a prideful person. Because I can't turn that part of my brain off, I know that the only way to counteract that is to simply not race...I'm either in or I'm out.

What I've loved about attending races has been immersing myself in the local community where the event is held and engaging with fellow riders. It also gives us a mini-vacation away from the bike shop to spend time with friends and ride our bikes. However, there are times I wish I could enjoy the scenery and trails on my own terms, and not battle the continual "Should I pass or not pass?" and question whether or not I'm pushing too hard or just enough. I'm forcing nutrition in rather than eating when I want to and what I want to. I thought "What if we went up to Hayward for a mini-vacation that wasn't during Chequamegon weekend to ride mountain bike trails instead of racing?" We'd be able to ride way more for a longer period of time, and I could finally show Travis some fun stuff that I rode at the Borah Epic. We could easily find a table at a restaurant, we could do our own thing and ride at whatever pace we wanted without putting the hurt on. 

It sounded lovely.
Why not do what sounds lovely?

One could argue that I have the kit and the bike, but in the end, why should I continually push myself to do something that my body just obviously doesn't want to do. Also, my mental and emotional health might actually benefit from me not putting so much pressure on myself to do events. I've given it a solid go for a few years now and each year I go into the couple races I do with the hope that I'll feel fantastic in the end. Each year I've found myself continually lacking in training hours, and often not of my own choice. Each year I'm thinking that my shoulder and neck will improve, and in the end, I'm extremely uncomfortable.

How much more would I enjoy my time here on Earth if I rode my bike in ways that brought ME joy?

I like to take pictures. I like to watch the critters doing crittery stuff. I would like to enjoy my trailside snacks instead of choking on waffle crumbs and forcing gels down my throat. I would like to stop and stretch when I feel like it. I like to look at the clouds, hear the birdsong, and appreciate the flowers. I like to ride race pace when I want to, other times athletic pace is perfect, and then there are the days when I'm all over the place. Thing is, I'm riding how I want to when I want to.

My time is precious and I'm sick of feeling obligated to log extra miles to feel conditioned for a race.

I'd rather go out and do a gravel ride with my friend and enjoy the time outside rather than being focused on my average every ride. We had a great gravel ride not too long ago and it did not involve going fast. Instead, I was encouraged to go down by the "waterfall" and get a picture or two. We stopped to look at Trillium flowers on the side of the road. We went to ride over bridges literally to just ride over bridges and look at the river.
My shoulder and neck were tight, but I was able to appreciate the multiple breaks over the course of our ride.

I'd love to spend time with Travis mountain biking and 100% enjoying my time with him. When we are racing together, it's not that it's a bad time, but it's not the same as if we were just riding trails together. He has strengths that aren't really compatible with mine. We have to continually remind each other of those differences during a race, if we were just riding, we would be much more in sync.

Why not free up our lives for a little while? If I keep planning for us to do this race and that race and we keep closing shop for those, we'll always have the excuse to not go down to Arkansas or go to Copper Harbor. As great as our traditions have been for the past few years, I also have the stark reminder hanging over my head. Life is short, you just don't always know how short it is. If my neck and arm are going to ache from riding, it better be while biking oodles of singletrack with Travis rather than at a race.

This means that what I've decided to do event-wise for 2019 will likely be my last for some time. I'll make an exception for the local Decorah Time Trials if I'm feeling it, but beyond that, I'm putting all other event goings on hold.

This means I'm going to be a mountain biking ambassador for the non-competitive person. I'm going to be the ambassador for the person who likes to ride their bike, enjoy the scenery, and maybe take a picture or 20 of their bike leaning against trees n' stuff. Because why not?

I'm going to be the ambassador for casual gravel rolls that might lead off the beaten path to take in the scenery at a dam. I'm going to be the ambassador of trail-side cookies, high fives, and GoPro sessions because we all want to have a cool shot of us riding mountain bikes!

An ambassador for having fun on bikes.

At first, I felt a deep sadness when I came to these realizations, but at the same time, I felt a sense of relief. Acceptance. This isn't the first time I've questioned racing, but this is the first time I'm really acknowledging that it's something that I do not need to do in order to be a "mountain biker." It's the first time I said: "It's okay to not want to."

It's the first time I embraced that I can still be a damn good rider (who has a lot to learn) and I don't need to race in order to prove my mettle. I've done it. I've won a few things. I have had great pride in what I've been able to accomplish, but now it's time to take better care of me.

I need trips that really open up my heart and soul, that make me appreciate my time on the bike, that make me feel grateful for Travis and my biking friends.

2019 is the year of rebirth and re-evaluation and 2020 will be my year of adventure on my terms.

Women on Bikes Series: Jennifer Mettler

My name is Jennifer, and I’m cyclist based out of Minnesota. I have enjoyed racing since a young girl. I have done all 5 disciplines of cycling, but my 2 biggest focuses are road and cyclocross. I also do the NICA high school mountain bike series for fun to help get me into shape for cyclocross.

For a long time, my focus was BMX racing but I switched because endurance cycling suited me better. I am a cat 2 for cross and cat 3 for road and am the current state cat 4 crit champ. I also podiumed at nationals in the TT this year and I hope to do the same at cross nationals. I usually ride about 5 days a week. Although it’s hard to balance cycling and school, I wouldn’t want it any other way!

Tell us about your introduction to #bikelife, what about it made you say "Yes! This is for me!"
I was introduced to cycling through my father, who was also a cyclist. Being the sporty kid I was, I loved it. My father would take me on rides and entered me in some races. The more races I did, the more I loved cycling.

I loved the satisfaction of leaving it all out there on the course, whether it be BMX or road or cyclocross or mountain biking, as well as setting goals and reaching them. It made me feel strong and still does. I love cycling just as much as I did the day I discovered it!

Tell us about your BMX riding and how you eventually found endurance riding was more your style-
I was really good at BMX when I was younger. I also was doing some road, cyclocross, mountain biking, and other sports too. I was talented at all forms of cycling: I consistently placed top 5 in the national ranking for BMX, road, and cyclocross, although I never was #1. I attribute my success to the raw strength doing so many activities gave me. Later, I had to give up endurance cycling because I was having issues with my breathing, so I shifted my focus to BMX. It was going well, but as I got older, I began to plateau while others continued to improve. I was getting really frustrated with myself, so I decided to randomly take up a new challenge: ride 100 miles in one day. I was successful and had so much fun. I really missed endurance cycling. I’m so glad I came back because after doing that 100 miles, that lit an entirely new fire in my heart. I did the NICA series and won most of the Freshman races, and after that, I gave cyclocross a shot. I fell in love, and caught the “cyclocross fever”. I went to as many races as I could, and during this time I realized I loved this more than anything else. My newfound love for endurance cycling made me feel happier and better than ever before.

You really jive with road and cyclocross, why do you love those two disciplines the most?
I think cyclocross is my strongest discipline, so naturally, I like it the most. I like how cyclocross is kind of a mix between road cycling and mountain biking. There's a perfect balance for me between power and skills. I prefer racing in a strung-out field that a super close pack, but I also prefer the wider grass courses over the narrower mountain bike trails. I like being able to ride on skinny wheels but still get to shred off road. Also, the atmosphere at cyclocross is awesome. It’s relaxed and fun but it’s still competitive.

For road, my favorite event is the time trial. I am naturally a good time trialist, and it’s my strongest road event. I like how I get to control my own race: nobody can crash me out in a time trial, and nobody else can out-sprint me or attack in an undesirable area. I also like pushing myself to the very limit and being surprised each time how far and fast I can really go. I also really like the long, 2-3 hour road races. Those are very fun. My favorite thing about road, in general, is going fast.


You also participate with your local NICA mtb series, tell us about your NICA experience and why it's been helpful-
I like NICA because I get to race the top high school girl cyclists from all around Minnesota, and I like how they are all my own age too. In road and cross, I am racing mostly all women older than me, so it’s cool to race other girls just like me. The NICA atmosphere is really chill and supportive. There is super good competition in the Varsity field, the field I race, and the races are awesome training for my other cycling disciplines. The races are fairly long, and the courses are set up well.

Why do you feel individuals should become involved with their local NICA league (or something similar?)
The atmosphere is great at NICA races, and I think that anyone would enjoy being involved. Through NICA you can support student-athletes and getting more kids on bikes, or if the right age, get the enjoyment of racing in the fun-filled atmosphere! I believe supporting the young generations of riders is important, they are the future of this sport!

I know many who wish they would have discovered cycling earlier, and by supporting and being involved with NICA or similar organizations you can help others discover the joys of riding bikes!

When you started out riding, what were some handling skills that challenged you? Do you have any suggestions for what helped you grasp them?
The hardest thing I’ve ever had to get used to was riding in a pack. It was really scary at first. But the more I pushed myself to improve my pack riding skills the better and more comfortable I felt.

Another thing is off camber sections, for both cyclocross and mountain biking. I always felt like my wheels would just slide out from under me, and again it took a lot of practice of pushing myself to ride those sections and bit by bit I felt more confident on those sections.

For any skill, I would recommend trying to take things step by step, and continue to push your limits until eventually, you feel comfortable. For example, say you have trouble popping your front wheel up to get over a large root or rock that's like 8 inches. Start off by popping your wheel over a stick, until that feels comfortable, then try a 2-inch rock or root, then 4 inches, then 6 inches, and so on. Practice makes perfect if you want to improve a skill!

Are there still handling or technical riding aspects that you find tricky? How do you not let that drag you down when riding?
I do still get nervous riding through large rock gardens, or riding in very large tight packs, or taking corners really fast. But even if I feel nervous I just keep practicing and eventually I feel better about that one really tight corner, or that one daunting rock garden. If you feel nervous on certain sections, you know you are pushing your limits and improving your skills, and I find that empowering!

Clips or flats? What do you use when and why?
I’m a clips person. When I first started I used flats, because when you first start riding, the idea of having your feet firmly attached to your bike may be scary, and even for very experienced riders the idea may feel daunting. Or maybe you just like the feeling of riding without being clipped in. Some people really like to have their feet ready to be taken out of their pedal if need be, others prefer their feet to be firmly attached to the pedal to put out more power and not have to worry about slipping a pedal. I like to have my feet clipped in because I feel like I am one with my bike that way, and I also can put more power into the pedals. I have been riding with clips since I was around 10 so I feel most comfortable with those and I rarely use flats anymore.

For folks who are nervous about giving mountain biking a shot, do you have any suggestions on how they can go about creating a positive experience?
Mountain biking is awesome and I highly recommend it for anyone! If you want to give it a shot, first thing is to make sure you have the right type of bike. If you aren’t sure you want to commit to mountain biking I would contact my local bike shop to rent a mountain bike. Your local bike shop can also give you suggestions on the right bike for trying out mountain bike riding. The right bike can really influence how good your first experience is! Second, ride with an experienced friend who is willing to help give you pointers on the trail and help it not feel overwhelming. If you don’t have one, that is ok! Third, do some research online about which trail you will go to, and be sure to pick one that isn’t so technical. You want a trail without too many roots and rocks, and that is wider and not as hilly to start, just to get familiar with riding mountain bike trails. Or maybe just ride on some gravel first with the bike, to feel familiar with it before you take on some trails.

Once you feel like you’ll stick with it, you can buy a bike (again, ask the bike shop for suggestions), and then try to get involved with a team or mountain bike group if you can. This is the best way to meet more people, which will make the sport more fun!

Have you had any biffs (accidents) that were challenging for you on a physical/mental/emotional level? What did you do to heal and overcome?
I have had several bike crashes, but the most memorable one is when I was 11 and doing one of my first major road races. We were going 30 mph down a hill in a group when someone braked in front of me suddenly, and I overlapped wheels with them and went down hard. I had really bad road rash and other injuries from that and since then the memory likes to creep in the back of my mind during races. I’ve also fractured some bones and hit my head really hard through BMX. Those experiences made me worry a lot more about crashing and being out for another 8+ weeks. I did a good job at concealing it but I would get very very nervous before certain races. Since then, I’ve gotten so much better at managing those negative thoughts. I know I can’t control what happens, and I’ve grown to accept that. As I’ve become more experienced on the bike my fears continue to go away little by little.

What do you love about riding your bike?
I love to go fast, and I love how strong cycling makes me feel. I love and appreciate the things my body can do on a bike. I love feeling free and riding away the stresses of everyday life on my bike.

Tell us about your bike(s), what they are like and why did you choose them?
Cyclocross bike- Red/black Specialized S-works (with bright yellow bar tape!). Super nice bike, very light and very fast. It’s slightly small on me but still fits well and I feel super comfortable on it. I got it on a huge discount from a past teammate of mine. I was in need of a new cyclocross bike and it was an amazing deal for such a great bike!

Road bike- Red Specialized Tarmac. A very light bike, and a fast bike too. The bike fits me very well so I like it a lot. This bike is my team’s bike. Very thankful to the team for loaning the bike to me, it is very nice and it saves a lot of money not needing to buy a whole new bike right now (my other one had gotten too small)


Mountain bike- Dark purple Specialized, 29-inch wheels. It is a fairly light bike, and before it belonged to me it belonged to a fellow Minnesota MTBer. I have had it for around 4 years, and I’ve ridden it through snow, mud, and ice, so it’s fairly worn down. For the conditions I’ve ridden it in, I would say it’s a very durable bike. I chose this bike because it was an upgrade from my old one, as well as it was used so therefore cheaper. Also, I liked the color.

Time Trial Bike- White/orange Kestrel 4000. It is an older bike and the past bike of an Olympian. Its very aero and fast. Being a used bike, it was a lot cheaper than having to buy a new TT bike (which are quite expensive) I love riding this bike, I feel like I can glide through the air.

BMX bike- blue supercross. Super light and super stiff, with 20-inch wheels. It really accelerates fast. I got this bike built for when I did worlds. It’s a beautiful looking bike.

What has been your favorite cycling event(s) to participate in?
I love going to the big pro series CX events in the USA, like jingle cross and trek cup. They are always so much fun, and the competition is top level and awesome. Plus once your done racing, you get to watch and admire the pros. The atmosphere at those races is energizing. The national championships events are super fun too since I get to see all my friends and make new ones from around the country, and get to race with the best!

Why do you feel women should consider participating in at least one event?
It is so much fun. You meet so many new people, and it doesn’t have to be competitive if you don’t want to do that. Racing is competitive, but not overly so. It’s also very fun and action-packed, and nothing beat the encouraging environment and the satisfaction of crossing the line after giving it your all. There are also many organized rides, which are super fun too. Everyone is there to have a good time, and the environment lifts you up. Up to personal preference which one you do, but both are great experiences!

What do you feel deters women from getting involved with cycling?
One is the common misconception that cycling is a guy sport. It is a sport and hobby for ALL people! It doesn’t matter who you are, you have a place in this community :) Another big thing, at least for me, is the mechanical aspect. It may seem overwhelming to newer riders, in fact, I’m still not the best at bike maintenance! But there are people willing to help you learn. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll start to realize it’s not as hard as you thought!

What do you feel could change industry-wise or locally to encourage more women to be involved?
What I am beginning to see more is women’s cycling clinics on the schedule of races, and I think this is a brilliant idea to help women get involved! The cat 4/5 race turnout has been bigger lately because of this! Another thing I would like to see is more events with equal women’s pay. Thankfully we are seeing that more frequently though. Also, I think there should be more women’s cycling broadcasting. It would show the public cycling is an all gender sport, not a guys-only sport. The most significant thing, however, is everyone should be welcoming toward women new to the sport. This may seem obvious, but it’s really something to pay attention to. Strike up a conversation with a new rider, know their name. Give them tips and pointers. I am thankful to the women in my community who are so kind, welcoming, and encouraging. They help me to feel comfortable and welcome, and I try to do the same for others.

What inspires you to encourage women to ride?
What inspires me most is the huge impact cycling has had on my life. The feeling riding and racing gives me is better than any other, and I want to share that with other women!

Tell us a random fact about yourself!
Aside from being a cyclist, I’m also pretty into figure skating!

Women on Bikes Series: Emma Rehm

I’m a rider, writer, and dispenser of high-fives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (ancestral Osage land). I’m a bike commuter, a mountain biker, backpacker, and a road joy-rider. I’m deeply motivated to learn and grow and expand my skills and abilities. I’m interested in inclusion and access in mountain biking, community building, learning the indigenous place names and history where I live and where I travel, and I’m not really interested in competition.

I bought my first ever brand-new bike when my partner and I decided we wanted to ride from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. I was reluctant to be a person who cared about “gear” but I found so much joy on a bike that fit and was reliable and suited to the task at hand! The next couple years were a rapid succession of getting into road touring, mountain biking, and bikepacking. We rode in Spain! In Idaho! In Mexico! In the Adirondacks! Across Pennsylvania twice!


Mountain biking is the first thing I’ve ever been bad at and loved anyway, and I think that’s because I got serious about yoga at the same time as I got serious about mountain biking and learned how to approach everything in life as a practice. I think of my writing as a storytelling practice, and I post my stories at https://ridingthatbike.tumblr.com/. I post on Instagram too @the.emmahazel.

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Tell us about your introduction to mountain biking, what about it made you say "Yes! This is for me!"
It wasn’t for me at first!

I thought mountain biking was a bunch of jerks yelling at each other to go harder and faster, trying to outdo each other, buzzing hikers on the trails, crashing in the woods, getting hurt and breaking expensive equipment, and then getting shitty drunk. Not for me, no thank you, this is not a community I have any interest in.

But a laid-back gentle-natured mountain biker friend of mine was certain that I would love it, encouraged me to try, and continued to invite me along on rides (that I declined) for at least a year before I finally agreed to come out. I found it scary but I loved riding bikes in the woods.

Even so, it took a long time for me to realize that I can choose to go as fast or slow as I want, I can say no if someone is encouraging me to do something I don’t want to do, I don’t have to drink, I don’t have to be a jerk. We can choose to be a community of people lifting each other up and helping each other be who and how we want to be.

The day I knew that mountain biking was for me was the day my partner and I went out to ride in freezing rain. You know you love something if you take any available opportunity to do it, no matter how questionable that opportunity is.

How were you able to overcome the challenge of not being "good" at mountain biking and still love it?
Learning to love the process rather than the end result is one of my favorite things to talk about. I was so excited to learn how to love something I’m bad at!

Growing up, I put a lot of pressure on myself, which turned into damaging perfectionist tendencies. I’ve worked hard to unlearn my perfectionism and train my mind to stop negative self-talk and to be kinder, gentler, and more compassionate toward myself. I have great resources I can recommend if anybody else out there is struggling with this (I know there are other people out there struggling with this).

One useful strategy for me is framing everything I do in terms of practice. My introduction to the idea of practice as an adult was an annual art project called Fun-a-Day, where participants do something fun every single day for an entire month, document it, and then have an art show at the end. It was such a novel concept for me, because it completely removed any pressure to make something good: the entire point was to have fun and to develop and maintain a regular artistic practice. But of course when you are maintaining a regular practice, you’re warmed up and your skills are fresh and you wind up making some great stuff!

Then I started to really enjoy the process of learning in the context of developing a yoga practice, so when I started to learn to mountain bike, my brain was primed to enjoy the process.

Syd Schulz has written about expectations and her racing performance, which has been cool for me to read, since she is a pro mountain biker experiencing and writing about the same things I am experiencing and writing about in a very different context.

When you started out riding, what were some handling skills that challenged you? Do you have any suggestions for what helped you grasp them?
All of it! I went into it thinking, ok, I ride my bike all the time, I have decent city and touring bike handling skills and I’m pretty strong, I’m sure I can do this! But a mismatch between expectation and reality is the source of suffering, so after discovering that I couldn’t figure out how to make switchback turns on the uphill and that slipping around on loose leaves made my heart jump out of my chest, I did a big reset of expectations and found more joy in the learning.

Early on, I went to a women's mountain bike skills weekend and that helped open my mind to the idea of learning as I go, and not needing to have a certain skill set before I could consider myself a mountain biker. That took off a lot of (self-imposed) pressure, which made it easier to learn.

Are there still handling or technical riding aspects that you find tricky? How do you not let that drag you down when riding?
There will always be aspects that I find tricky, because as my skills progress, I keep trying harder things. I surround myself with folks who also focus on practice, and we ride with an understanding that pausing to session a feature is always welcome.

One thing I’m working on is getting more comfortable riding with the downhill on my left side. I have some anxiety about it, partly because I have significantly less vision in my left eye (which is what it is), and also because I’m a left-side dismounter (which I can work on).

If I find myself getting frustrated that I can’t ride something or I can’t ride it cleanly, I move on, because I’ve learned that the frustration is a clear indicator that I’m in some kind of deficit (sleep, calories, water) or that some other life stressor is manifesting on the trail. It is never about the actual trail, so that makes it easy to not get mad at myself.

For folks who are nervous about giving mountain biking a shot, do you have any suggestions on how they can go about creating a positive experience?
Do some expectation-setting first! Don’t go out on a first ride with somebody who wants to ride a trail straight through and is only willing to let you tag along and chase them. Go with somebody who is willing to stop and take their time and talk you through how to do things, and who won’t give you a hard time if you aren’t ready and want to walk a section.

I am lucky to live in a city with an indoor bike park, and double-lucky because they hold free weekly women’s skills clinics. It’s a great way to learn fundamentals. If you have access to coaching or skills clinics, I heartily recommend it!

What are your thoughts on inclusion and access pertaining to mountain biking?
As a white person who is into outdoor adventuring, I have easy and unquestioned access to any place I want to go. That’s an incredible privilege when you consider that the indigenous people who have been forcibly removed from these places have access that is limited by many factors, including the cost of travel and the degree of welcome that the present inhabitants may or may not offer.

For instance, I know several (white) folks who have hopped in a car and done biking and paddling adventures in the part of Lenapehoking that is presently called the Delaware Water Gap. Contrast that with the incredible effort to create and fund a program to send Lenape youth to visit the area, which is their ancestral homeland. There’s a beautiful documentary about the program, which you can watch here: http://delawarenation.com/the-water-gap-return-to-the-homeland/.

I think white folks have a responsibility to engage with land and people in an equitable way, and writer Carrot Quinn models this kind of engagement in a way that I think is really interesting. This post, about how wilderness is not apolitical, is a great starting point:

https://carrotquinn.com/2018/04/30/intersectionality-and-long-distance-hiking-the-wilderness-is-not-an-apolitical-space-2/

As my social world has begun to revolve more around bikes, my circle has become notably more cis/white/hetero/male, which tells me that something is going on here that makes this sport, this way of engaging with the woods, uncomfortable or unwelcoming for many people. If I, as a cis / white / hetero woman, sometimes feel alienated and uncomfortable in the mountain bike world, how much more alienating must it be for someone whose identity ticks fewer of those boxes?

I want to see straight/white/cis people doing the work to make this space comfortable/livable for queer and trans and nonbinary folks and nonwhite folks -- it’s not on a person with a historically marginalized identity to be a trailblazer, it’s on those of us who have social capital to make it a place that someone would want to be in. That means examining and rooting out our own internalized white supremacy (Do Layla Saad’s Me and White Supremacy Workbook! Read White Fragility by Robin Diangelo! Follow Rachel Cargle on Instagram!) and “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Representation is another crucial part of that work, and there are tons of resources.
Ayesha McGowan (who is aiming to be the first black pro-woman racer) wrote a great piece about tackling diversity in cycling:

https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a19702179/diversity-is-cyclings-most-urgent-problem/.

This article about Daniel White, a black man who has hiked the AT and biked the Underground Railroad route, discusses the lack of diversity in the outdoor industry:
https://southerlymag.org/2018/11/19/the-blackalachian-treks-to-shed-light-on-the-outdoor-industrys-diversity-problem/

Anna Schwinn, bike industry insider, is building clubs that are explicitly inclusive of trans racers:
https://www.bikepgh.org/2018/02/15/meet-anna-schwinn-keynote-speaker-5th-annual-women-biking-forum/

Mountain biking has helped me find my power and confidence, and I want everyone to have access to that feeling. Whether mountain biking is someone’s path to that feeling is a different story, but I want it to be an option.

Clips or flats? What do you use when and why?
Flats. I like that you can get a zillion colors of plastic platform pedals.

Have you had any biffs (accidents) that were challenging for you on a physical/mental/emotional level? What did you do to heal and overcome?
I did a brutal superman-style full body dirt surf that scuffed me up pretty badly, including scrubbing off a bit of tattoo on my elbow. I didn’t break anything and I rode out, and then went mountain biking and paddling the next day, trying my best to keep The Fear from creeping in. But after the adrenaline comedown, it took a long time for my elbow to heal up, which meant several months away from mountain biking: plenty of time for The Fear to grow.

When I was healed up, mountain biking was hard and I didn’t know if it was because I was weak and out of practice, or if it was because I was scared. My strategy was to isolate the variable so I could do more targeted work to address the gap, and I figured it would be easier to address strength first, so I got totally shredded. But mountain biking was still hard, so I knew I had to address the fear directly. I signed up for a weekend skills clinic for people interested in doing stage racing (I wasn’t interested in stage racing, but I was interested in intensive coaching on tough rocky terrain), and it helped a ton. It took about eight months for me to stop feeling post-crash fear and just feel the regular everyday learning/growth/new things fear. I proudly celebrated my one-year crashiversary and have only had minor scraps since then.

What was your inspiration behind creating a blog about your adventures?
Initially, I started writing them down to remember them distinctly, to keep one adventure from blurring into another, and to remember the special moments that happen when you’re out in the world. I also used them as a reference point for myself, so that when I was getting ready for my next adventure, I could look back at my pack list, or see what I was worried about, what tools I was learning to use, what I was excited to try.

As I started doing bigger and longer adventures (and accumulated knowledge and skills), I discovered that it’s boring for me to write (and to read) adventure stories written in a day-by-day chronological format. My interests and focuses changed in terms of what I wanted to remember about a trip, so I started to practice different ways of thinking about and telling the stories.

For instance, looking back at our trip in Baja, I am not going to care much what bottle cage mounts I used. But I will want to remember camping in a steep-sided valley near a small stream and hearing a shy horse try to nerve itself up to walk past us as we ate tacos around a tiny campfire.

So I write these things down, like a snapshot of a moment in space and time and memory and senses. I like to go back and read my adventure stories as a way to witness my own growth, and to access the things I was feeling as I wrote them. I share them, but I write them for myself.

How can storytelling bring realness to mountain biking or other outdoor activities?
To tell a good story, you have to leave a lot of things out, so I think storytelling can but doesn’t always bring realness. The good stories are about the hard parts, the gross parts, the scary parts. The boring parts that enable the adventure are usually left out: breaking down camp exactly the same way every single morning, stuffing your things into your bags in exactly the same sequence, lubing your bike chain, all the everyday things that are actually the bulk of a trip -- the framework within which the adventure is possible.

Storytelling can also present a distorted version of reality, like glorifying a sunset vista without talking about how you were creeped out by the dude who circled in his truck three times while you were setting up camp. I think we often write about what we want to remember, and we don’t necessarily want to remember the mundane or the struggle. The story that is told is a representation of the person who is telling the story.

There’s no one objectively true experience -- we all focus on and feel and see and notice different things -- so one of my favorite things is when multiple people write about their experience of the same event. It’s such a rare treat to get a glimpse into how differently we all experience our own realities.

What do you love about riding your bike?
I spent most of my life feeling disconnected from my body, or feeling resentful of it, and riding bikes has helped me connect my mind and body, and to have a relationship with my body that is based in gratitude.

Tell us about your bike(s), what they are like and why did you choose them?
Surly Long Haul Trucker, my commuter and road-tourer. This is my first ever brand-new bike, fitted for me, and the beginning of a relationship with my local bike shop. Having a bike I loved changed everything for me, and it was the start of serious bike commuting and touring. It’s easy to load, rides like a dream, and fits perfectly.

Barbie Dream Bike (a purple Surly Troll), my adventure bike. Indestructible, warty with infinite mounting points, capable of getting rad and carrying everything. This is the bike I learned to mountain bike on, and having a bike with 26” wheels is probably the reason I stuck with mountain biking. I didn’t feel comfortable or in control on the 29ers that everyone else was riding, and I’m so glad I trusted my gut on that.

Specialized Fuse, my main dirt ripper. Incredibly, I won this bike in a giveaway, and it was my introduction to both suspension and to plus-size tires, which I think I wasn’t ready for until this bike arrived in my life. It’s so peppy! I love it!

When you became more involved with cycling, what were some of the accessory/gear purchases you felt were really beneficial for your experience?
I live in a rainy place that is cold for months of the year, so waterproof and windproof gear like jackets and gloves mean I can joyfully ride year-round.

What do you feel deters women from getting involved with cycling? Especially mountain biking?
There is a lot of research about what deters people from marginalized groups from cycling, and to address it, we have to acknowledge and address the fact that institutionalized racism and sexism (plus the uniqueness of every individual’s existence) means that we don’t all have the same lived experiences. What can feel empowering for one person might feel scary for another person. Here’s an example of some research, including suggestions for steps to address the barriers, from a study of occasional urban cycling commuters in Portland OR:
https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1042&context=trec_briefs

It comes down to making sure people feel safe, physically and psychologically.

What inspires you to encourage women to ride?
I will do anything to help people find their power. We are all so much more powerful than we have been lead to believe.

Tell us a random fact about yourself!
I have a budget for gummy candy.

Women Involved Series: Ash Bocast

Since y'all last heard from me (a few years ago, working for Liv Cycling, fresh off a career as an international adventure tour guide), a lot has happened.

In late 2016, despite this step being terrifying, I left my perfectly great job at Liv and started my own event management company - Roam Events. At Roam we partner with different brands to host women's bike events all over the country.

Our events are quite different from one-another, but they all share one commonality: no skills clinics, just shredding with other ladies until your legs stop working or, for us normal humans, until you are ready for a beer and a burrito.

I'm still traveling the country full-time with my pup Ryder, we have a new member of the family, my partner Andi (a pro racer and badass female bike mechanic)...and we've upgraded to a schmedium-sized school bus that we built-out ourselves and lovingly call Nancy. Nothing like being 33, professionally nomadic, and getting to ride bikes with hundreds of women for work!

Follow: @thisisroam (company) @roamrydes (Ash) @zoltonator (Andi) @theroambus (Nancy)

First off, for the folks who haven't met you or read your first interview- Why mountain biking?
Mountain biking is like soul medicine for me. Need a dose daily, even if it’s just catching up with fellow riders on Instagram or reading an article from Singletracks or Mountain Flyer Mag.

What inspired you to create Roam Events?
Two main reasons:
I was tired of women’s bike events being so hyper focused on beginner riders, it was like the industry forgot there are thousands of women out there who ride pretty damn well. I wanted to put on events for the experienced riders who just wanted to unapologetically shred with friends.

Traditional bike demos tended to suck (ie ride-a-bike-for-40-minutes-from-a-parking-lot). I knew we could do better with test rides; longer rides, multiple bikes, more variety of trails so that folks could feel great about their decision before dropping a few thousand on a new bike.

We’ve been hosting women’s-only events for three years and they just keep getting better and better. Our approval rating is insane, something like 99.8% across 50 events...and I feel especially stoked when we get the stamp of approval from former world champions and the “hardcore” ladies that I really look up to.

What has been the best part of creating Roam?
Seeing the industry change drastically once everyone recognized quality was more powerful than quantity. We’ve created a new mold for bike events, and are ecstatic to see others putting their own twist on it and putting on even more fun-first experiences for cyclists.

What has been the most interesting or challenging thing you've learned since creating Roam Events?
It was surprisingly hard to convince women that our events don’t suck.

I’ll meet someone that is the exact kind of person that would have a killer time at our events (advanced rider, likes to let loose, self-sufficient) and she’ll say something like, “I don’t do women’s events.” I’m still trying to figure out what they think goes on at our events, but I’m sure if they saw the ladies shredding mach 10 through a sketchy drop, or enjoyed a shot of tequila with us while we were whipping up the taco bar...they would think differently.

It’s been awesome when the skeptics come to our events and have the best weekend of riding they’ve ever had...we even surprised the hell out of Jill Kintner, who had never been to a “women’s-only” event outside of competition. She’s since hired us to help her put on her own women’s-only events after attending our festival last fall.

Inquiring minds want to know why Roam doesn't offer skills clinics-
Plain and simple: we wanted to offer something for the lady shredders who would rather just have the support (food, demo bikes, trail leaders, shuttles) to just go ride their asses off all day.

Even still, why are skills clinics so beneficial for new and experienced riders?
We are the biggest supporters that everyone, men included, should take clinics or get private coaching. Seriously. I’m like a broken record, “Take a skills clinic! Take a skills clinic!”

This list goes on and on as to why, but the biggest reason for me is that riding with better skills and more confidence is SO MUCH MORE FUN. I had no idea how bad I was at riding (I thought I was soooo good) until I started taking clinics - my riding has improved at light-speed since then and I smile much more out on the trail.

Tell us about the Roam Bike Fest and what it's all about-
Roam Bike Fest is the world’s only women’s mountain bike festival and shares more similarities with summer camp than a festival.

First things first - the festival is ridiculously fun. That’s coming from hundreds of participants telling us over and over again how much fun they had. We gear the event towards experienced riders who want to ride a world-class riding destination with friends (or new friends). Aside from a crazy amount of riding to be had, we offer hundreds of demo bikes, free shuttles with local guides, workshops, presentations, suspension clinics, film screenings, and an intimate setting to personally interact with women who work in the bike industry. Throw in the biggest taco bar you’ve ever seen, free beer, and our famous Saturday night dance party, and the festival is unlike any other bike event in the country.

Tell us about the Roam Retreats, and what makes them different than the Bike Fest?
Roam Retreats are all-inclusive bike vacations, meaning we take care of everything from the moment participants arrive. The retreats include accommodations, all meals, and are capped at around 25 participants - the three biggest differences from a Roam Bike Fest.

Our theme for our retreats is, choose your own adventure. If you are crazy fit and love to ride the biggest hardest most technical trails in the area, we got you...if a normal 2-3 hour spin on intermediate trails is more your thing, we encourage participants to enjoy the remaining afternoon in the pool with margaritas. Everyone gets to ride as much or as little and as fast or slow as they choose.

We scope out and lead all the best rides in the area, have shuttles, put together gourmet meals for every dietary preference, and have our own fleet of carbon demo bikes from Specialized with custom Industry Nine wheelsets that participants get to test ride all weekend.

Best of all, the retreats are really affordable (on average about $500-$1,000 less than a similar vacation). We don’t think high-quality mountain bike trips should only be for the super wealthy. Our business model is a lot different than other tour operators - participants only pay for what it costs us to put on the trip...no upcharge. We work really hard to secure partnerships that help offset the costs of the retreat - Specialized, in particular, has really stepped up because they believe in what we are doing.

What's the scoop on the Sturdy Dirty Enduro?
The Sturdy Dirty!!! Talk about fun. The Sturdy Dirty Enduro is a women’s race that was created to encourage more women to try out enduro racing in a fun-first environment. The race (hosted at Tiger Mountain near Seattle) follows a standard enduro format, but the entire atmosphere is wildly different from your typical bike race. From pro riders to beginners, the vibe is inclusive, the cheering supportive, and the aid stations and volunteers are next-level (like snow cones and bacon wrapped dates at the top of Stage 1 next-level). The founders of the race, Sturdy Bitch Racing, were tired of being the only women racing at enduros, so they created their own event to show how fun enduro racing is in the hopes more women would start racing in general. The race sells-out at 250 riders with 10 categories, including pro and masters beginner. It’s definitely a bucket-list race for every female rider.

Roam Events recently worked with Rebecca Rusch, tell us about the experience and what it entailed!
It was a little crazy getting a call from Rebecca last fall - I’ve idolized Rebecca since I was a kid, back when she was professionally adventure racing - so it was completely surreal.

Rebecca launched new endurance training camps, Rusch Academy, this summer and we were absolutely thrilled to work with her on that project. The multi-day event takes riders all around Rebecca’s stunning hometown, Ketchum Idaho, and they receive 1-on-1 coaching from Rebecca and her team. We take care of rider care and transportation logistics, which means we feed everyone, keep their bikes tip-top, and schlep everyone’s gear from place to place - which is way more fun than it sounds! We’re excited to be working with Rebecca for three more camps for summer 2019, as well as helping out with Rebecca’s Private Idaho a crazy fun gravel race primarily ridden by mtb and roadie crossovers. Also in Ketchum...another bucket-list race!

With your events, who would be the target audience? Advanced riders? New riders? Both?
Our target audience is definitely an advanced rider. The reality is about half of our participants are intermediate riders, 40% are advanced or experts, and about 10% of our shredders are newer to mountain biking.

If you are reading this and are a rider that can absolutely shred on a bike, and maybe don’t do women’s events...our events are for you! Haha. Really though, we despise the hand-holdy pandering BS that the bike industry has a bad habit of putting the word “women’s” in front of - so we stay far far away from anything resembling that.

Our rides and schedules are definitely focused on a more intermediate+ rider. Blue or black trails, multiple hours of riding…we are committed to targeting our events to a more skilled rider. Nothing against the new riders - just more reason to take skills clinics and then come play bikes with us!

How quickly do these events fill up?
We’ve sold out nearly every event we’ve put on. So we don’t recommend waiting to register.

For folks on the fence about attending one of the events, especially if they would be traveling solo, what should they know?
Over half of our participants come solo to our events! Regardless to who you join with, everyone leaves with new friends...and that’s not some mushy marketing crap - we’ve witnessed hundreds of friendships formed over the course of a weekend and do our best to encourage it.

Why do you feel it's important to have some #ladyshred events out there?
Actually, I don’t think it’s as important to explain the worthiness of #ladyshred events as it is for me to convince the non-believers that they are worth attending. We ride, we drink, we dance, we laugh and smile until our faces hurt, and at some point, probably go ride some even gnarlier stuff because there are so many other rad ladies shredding. The focus isn’t that we are women, it’s that we all love to ride, be outside, kick back with a drink and a laughter-inducing story, and enjoy being in the company of like-minded people. The #ladyshred effect is just a byproduct.

Who do you partner with to make these awesome events possible?
Specialized, Industry Nine, SRAM, Liv Cycling, and Sierra Nevada Brewing have all been vital to the success of our events this year. We ask a lot of our partners, it isn’t just, “give us some support and set up a tent here please.” Our partners are actively involved in helping us achieve our goals and creating uniquely rad offerings at our events.

What do you feel could change industry-wise or locally to encourage more women to be involved?
The changes are already happening - it’s been incredible to witness over the past three or four years. I’ve seen a lot more active engagement with women as employees and customers across the board in the industry, and it is hard to find a mountain bike community that doesn’t already have a women’s ride group etc.

The only sore point from my perspective continues to be appropriate coverage of and support of professional female riders - still see a lot of “fluffy” or “sexy” advertisements, and the race coverage and athlete profiles leave a lot to be desired...don’t get me started on the pay gap (sponsorship payouts, not race payouts). It will continue to be hard to get more women involved at this level when the currently reality is that only 5-10 female athletes worldwide can afford to be full-time professionals.

Tell us about Nancy the Bus!
I’ve lived out of a Sprinter, a minivan, the back of a Tacoma, and finally...it was time to go big or go home - so we bought a bus this winter and named her Nancy! She’s a 2004 International school bus (about the same length as the extended Sprinter, but SO MUCH MORE space inside) and is a total beast. We spent a few weeks, well, two exactly, converting her to live out of full time and it’s been so much fun. She’s been the perfect addition to the business and our lives.

What inspires you to encourage women to ride?
Seeing the positive impact riding has on so many of us. Not just on the trail, but the community and relationships we develop through riding. Its powerful and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

Tell us a random fact about yourself! 
I always travel with a full quiver of battery operated power tools - seriously, like enough tools to build a house. You never know when you might need an angle grinder in the middle of the desert!

Any final words on Roam Events and how women can support you?
Come play bikes with us!

We have 17 events throughout the year in a dozen states - you can learn about all of them at our website www.thisisroam.com or follow us on Instagram @thisisroam

Women Involved Series: Lisa Slagle

I own a creative agency called Wheelie (wheeliecreative.com) and an action sports photography workshop series called Wheelhouse Workshops. We work with companies all over the nation to promote fun and creativity and elevate women!

My business social handle is @wheeliecreative and personal is @montanarado

You can learn more about me here!

Tell us about Wheelie and why you wanted to bring and create thoughtful content pertaining to the outdoors and the folks involved?
Wheelie is a creative agency for people who thrive outside. That means strategy, branding, design, photography, video, etc. for companies who work in the outdoor industry or want to attract outdoorsy people.

I started the company 10 years ago as a means to fuel my snowboarding habit, and it has grown into something beyond my biggest dreams. My team is amazing, creative, and hilarious. They're the real magic now.

Tell us about the podcast series Outside By Design-
Outside by Design is our company podcast highlighting the business side of creativity in the outdoor industry. I am lucky enough to meet and work with lots of brilliant people, so this is a platform for them to tell their stories and to share the stoke with marketing managers, creatives, writers, and brand managers across the industry.

What do you love most about the podcasts highlighting women involved in the outdoor industry?
Growing the field! Elevating people is fun, and it's cool that we created a platform for doing so. The outdoor industry attracts passionate people, and it is an honor to share some stories and laughs with some of the industry's smartest people.

What do you love most about having your own company that can aid folks in the outdoor industry in so many ways?
I love instigating change or flipping things upside down and asking, "What if we look at it this way?"

What has been the most inspiring thing you've learned since becoming involved in the outdoor industry?
I take a lot of things from the outdoor industry to business. Like getting up early, working through the suck, and celebrating victories.

What has been the most challenging?
Everything. There is no manual for life, and I have to be composed when everyone turns to me for answers. I think having a great team dialed has been monumental in growing the business.

Tell us about the introduction to your #bikelife and how it influenced you from then on-
I worked in my first bike shop in college, in Fort Collins. I learned a ton about bikes, but more importantly, I met bike people. And that shaped the friend crew I have now, a decade and a half later. Also, collectively, the bike mechanics were super mean to me, a 19-year-old who had never worked in a shop before, and it made me tough. I learned how to really really know what I was talking about and to ask questions to be better. And to always put tools back where they belong. We eventually grew to be great friends.

Can you take us back to your first few mountain bike rides? What did you learn and what made you say "Yes! This is for me!"
They were hard. I yelled, "I should have bought hiking shoes!" and threw my bike at my best friend, Chris, who still reminds me of this frequently. I tried harder and got better and then it became really fun! I went on bike trips. I rode my bike as much as possible. My hamstrings and quads grew. Life became magical.

Clips or flats? What do you use when and why?
Mostly clips. I do a lot of huge rides! Flats when I'm downhilling so I don't tear ligaments in my ankles again.

When you started out riding, what were some handling skills that challenged you? Do you have any suggestions for what helped you grasp them?
When in doubt, pedal out. I used to give up when something was hard to climb, but I learned to power through climbs, and now I'm an animal! I used to be such a downhiller, but now I love climbing. My advice is to push and push and then push one more time, and you can probably ride it.

What do you love about riding your bike?
Going fast, feeling the wind in my helmet, spending time with friends.

Tell us about your bike(s), what they are like and why did you choose them?
Right now, I have a Liv Hail that I ride all the time. I love it. It climbs well, and I have a great time descending any terrain on it. I also have a New Belgium Cruiser that the first bike shop I worked at gave me as a birthday present one year. It means a lot to me.

Why do you feel it is important for women to be involved in the cycling industry?
Women attract women. It's important for lots of people to be in the bike industry. I love bros, but I also love commuters, roadies, and beach cruiser crews. Bikes are a great way to show personality, and the more personalities, the bigger the picture of the industry we show.

What do you feel deters women from getting involved with cycling? Especially mountain biking?
Intimidation. Bike mechanics being mean to you. Confusion. New vocabulary words. Falling on rocks. Bleeding. Crying. All the stuff that eventually becomes what you love. I think if you want to get into mountain biking, you have to really want it! It helps when friends make it easier!

What do you feel could change industry-wise or locally to encourage more women to be involved?
More men showing up to support women. What I mean by that is this-- think about your high school life. Did the whole school go to girls' soccer games? Or tennis? Or track? Nope-- the whole school went to boys' football games. I think that women-specific events are great, but I really appreciate it when the industry sends dudes to the event too. It shows that women are integrated, not just a side sector.

What inspires you to encourage women to ride?
Playing with gravity and seeing new things! I'm not into going to the bars or sitting around gossiping, so I love having friends who do active things with me. My closest friendships stem from surviving long rides or seeing new terrain or sharing a smashed PB and J on top of a mountain.

Tell us a random fact about yourself!
I can hold a pogo stick with my knees and spin a jump rope at the same time.

Women on Bikes Series: Jenna Downey

Jenna Downey, born and raised in Atlanta has been an athlete all of her life. She is currently the Regional Marketing Manager for the Southeast for CLIF Bar & Co. and a competitive mountain biker & cyclocross racer.

Growing up doing triathlons and playing soccer, she eventually devoted all her time to running competitively.

After graduating from Holy Innocents’, she went to the University of Richmond to run Division 1 Cross Country & Track.

Fitness and health has always been a passion for Jenna and after moving back to Atlanta, she found the joy of running and importance of overall health while working as a boot camp instructor and High School Track & Cross Country Coach. After sustaining a severe ankle injury in 2013 that required surgery and completely shut down running, Jenna discovered cycling and it has truly been life changing. After dabbling in road racing and finding a love for Cyclocross…it was when she entered the lottery for Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race in 2016 that she started riding mountain bikes and found her new passion. She now races all over the Southeast (and Colorado) and has her sights set on some international stage races!

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Tell us about your introduction to mountain biking, what about it made you say "Yes! This is for me!"
Formerly a competitive runner, I started riding because I kept getting injured. After breaking my ankle and not being able to run anymore is when I really got into cycling. Some guys I rode with encouraged me to sign up for a crit. I hated it! I walked into Peachtree Bikes and they said, why not try Cyclocross? They gave me a bike, I went to my first race and I fell in LOVE! I got a mountain bike to work on my bike handling skills for 'cross, but I never really rode it. It wasn’t until I paced Leadville 100 mile run and I decided to enter the lottery for Leadville 100 MTB with some friends. I was standing on the hill at CX Nats when I found out I got into Leadville…I decided it was time I started riding my mountain bike more! I can remember the first real mountain bike ride was at my local trails…we did 10 miles and I thought it was the hardest thing I had ever done!! I did not know how I was going to do 100 miles at altitude…but the challenge made me work for it!

When you started out riding, what were some handling skills that challenged you? Do you have any suggestions for what helped you grasp them?
Tight switchbacks!! They still give me a hard time sometimes! The best advice I got was at the Ladies All Ride Clinic with Lindsay Richter…she said look where you want to go, which means you are pretty much looking behind you and way ahead! Feels weird to be flying into a switchback not really looking where you’re going, but it works.

Are there still handling or technical riding aspects that you find tricky? How do you not let that drag you down when riding?
Absolutely, but what I love most about mountain biking is I feel like I am constantly learning new things, overcoming new technical challenges and I come away from every ride gaining something new. My favorite place to ride is Pisgah National Forest in Brevard…it has everything!! Every time I leave there, I am a better rider – and I have usually gone over my handlebars a couple of times! Recently someone taught me that if you do crash/mess up on something, you should go back and ride it immediately so it doesn’t get in your head.

Clips or flats? What do you use when and why?
I always clip in! I think when learning to try new skills, it is best to be in flats though.

Have you had any biffs (accidents) that were challenging for you on a physical/mental/emotional level? What did you do to heal and overcome?
Oh gosh, yes. Last October, I was racing CX in Boulder, CO – it was a UCI race and the biggest field I’ve ever raced in, so I was already intimidated! My tire burped on an off camber and as soon as I hit a downhill section at Valmont, the front tire blew out and I got bucked off my bike and landed on my shoulder. I got up, but I didn’t have a pit bike and it was too late…so I DNF’d. I went out the next day to race again but was completely off balance and did not have the confidence I had going in. I was excited to just finish the race without getting pulled. I went back to Atlanta and tried to ride but really couldn’t – I fell while I was running, I had a stupid crash and busted my knee, and decided I needed to take a break. Turns out, I sprained my AC joint (there may have been a separation in there too) and it took FOREVER to heal – almost a year til I stopped noticing it. It really got into my head because I didn’t want to crash on my shoulder again. I definitely rode less aggressively on my mountain bike and things I had ridden in the past made me real nervous. I have spent the past several months getting my confidence back on the bike by practicing features, working on my technical skills and continuing to get back out there. Besides physical, mountain biking is such a mental sport and it is really important to be in the right headspace. I have learned to listen to my body and brain and if I am not feeling right, it’s better to stick to easier trails, gravel or the road than risk getting hurt.

For folks who are nervous about giving mountain biking a shot, do you have any suggestions on how they can go about creating a positive experience?
I was really nervous about mountain biking, especially with other people. I felt like everyone was better than me and they would spend their day waiting on me or laugh when I couldn’t ride something. Turns out, mountain bikers are pretty rad! I highly recommend going with people who want to help you get better and are patient. I also recommend not going on trails that are too advanced…start off on some easier trails to get a feel for the bike and play on the bike! If you have the opportunity, do a clinic – the instructors are awesome and can teach you how to handle the bike from the most basic of skills to jumps and drops!

What was your inspiration to start participating in mountain bike events?
Truthfully, I am not sure where I would be if I hadn’t gotten into the Leadville lottery. We were in, we had to train! I had ~8months to get in shape for a 100-mile mountain bike race at altitude. On the way to Leadville, I did the Austin Rattler 100K (SO FUN!!!) and Blue Ridge Adventures Off Road Assault on Mount Mitchell (ORAMM.) After that, I was hooked!!

What made you fall in love with 'Cross?
The people!!! The ‘cross community is amazing and so much fun. I remember my first race, I walked up clueless and ran into two other female racers. They immediately welcomed me (one has become one of my best friends.) On the start line, we were all talking, laughing and having a good time. ‘Cross is a crazy sport, but it creates a bond like no other. Road racing is very much about tactics (and having a team becomes very important) – I found ‘cross was a way to really push the physical limits. There is truly nothing like ‘cross – as I am reminded at the start of every season!! Hah.

Tell us about your favorite event!
Oh gosh, that is a tough one. I would have to say the Pisgah Stage Race. This is an event where I combine work (with CLIF Bar) and riding and I really get to know all the people racing. Riding in Pisgah is super challenging and a 30-mile day is a BIG day. PSR is 5 days in a row of about 30 miles/day. These are truly some of my favorite trails – they’re raw and rugged, there are rocks and roots – and usually, it is wet. There are long gravel climbs, plenty of hike a bike, and the best descents! At the end of every day, there is an awards ceremony with delicious food and beer and good conversation. The race is limited to 200 people. After 5 days (usually riding with some of the same people) and then eating with others, you get to know everyone and it is just a giant party after Stage 5.

Why should folks participate in at least one event?
I highly recommend checking out an event to see what it is all about – it is not for everyone, but it is a great experience. Cyclocross is a great way to get a taste of racing …and usually, you can jump in with a Cross bike or a mountain bike just to test the waters. It has been exciting to see the increase in women racing in Georgia. The consensus is “it is hard, BUT FUN!” Some people do the Pisgah Stage Race as a way to get a tour of all that Pisgah has to offer – so you don’t even need to “race” it, but you get to experience amazing trails with support and a bunch of new friends!

What do you love about riding your bike?
After a year of very serious training and some extreme fatigue. I have spent the Fall reminding myself why I got started riding bikes and why I fell in love with riding in the first place. It truly is the people and the places it takes me. I got started riding with some friends, then got introduced to group rides and then I started racing. I have traveled all over the country with my bike to ride or race. I have met some of my best friends through riding, gotten to go to places you probably couldn’t get to without a bike and I love the sense of freedom. What I love specifically about mountain biking is it is truly mentally and physically challenging and you continue to pick up new skills each time you ride. When running was taken away from me suddenly, I didn’t know what I was going to do. Mountain biking has truly replaced running for me.

Tell us about your bike(s), what they are like and why did you choose them?
My very first mountain bike was a Diamondback Overdrive Carbon Hard Tail and I seriously LOVE this bike – I did Leadville on it and won ORAMM on it. It made me a better rider and I am actually in the process of rebuilding it. My first full suspension bike was a Specialized Camber that I just sold to get a brand new Specialized EPIC Evo! I am IN LOVE. It is like Specialized was in my head and created exactly what I wanted...this baby rips and I am stoked to race on it this year! My CX bike is a Sworks Crux, but my newfound love is Singlespeed CX!! Peachtree Bikes hooked me up with a SS Specialized Crux and I fell in love with racing SS. Of course, I can’t forget my road bike…a Specialized Amira (Lululemon team bike) that I have had for over 6 years and can’t part with it!
What do you feel deters women from getting involved with cycling? Especially mountain biking?
From my experience – personal and women I have met – if they have a bad experience from other riders not being nice, or going on a trail out of their skill level, or crashing, it seems to discourage them from getting back out there. Riding with people who are encouraging, patient and enthusiastic is really valuable. It is also a male dominated sport and can be intimidating. I remember my first group rides, the guys wouldn’t talk to me until the very end when I was still there (aka, they didn’t drop me) and then they were curious who I was and how long I’d been riding. It still happens occasionally that men do not want me in front of them and will do everything possible to stay ahead. Thankfully, I met a pretty awesome lady early on who encouraged me to keep coming out and helped me early on with how to ride in groups on the road. Whenever a new female comes to a group ride, I try to take that same approach because I know how valuable it was for me.

What do you feel could change industry-wise or locally to encourage more women to be involved?
It has been really exciting to see the cycling community grow, especially more women, in the past few years. I think it takes a lot of great women supporting and encouraging more women to get out there and ride/race/spectate. Programs like Little Bellas and NICA GRITS are promising for the future of women’s cycling. Not only is it giving girls the confidence and a community to ride bikes, but people like me are inspired by the youth!

What inspires you to encourage women to ride?
Everyone has their own story of why they ride. Most of the women I have met through cycling, they say it has changed their life one way or another. Whether it is road, indoor spin class, triathlon, cyclocross, mountain bikes, I have seen women transform -- they gain confidence, have a purpose, a community, women who thought they were never an athlete, are athletes! Selfishly, I want more ladies to ride with too. ☺ I get excited every time I meet another lady on the trail or at a group ride. I know how riding bikes has changed my life, and I want others to experience it as well!

Tell us about your job at CLIF Bar & Co. and why you love it.
I am the Regional Marketing Manager for the Southeast for CLIF Bar & Co. I am based out of Atlanta and manage our partnerships, relationships, and events in the Southeast. I have met some of the most amazing people through my work and I get excited to go to work every day because no day is the same. I am constantly inspired by people at the events we support as well as my co-workers. When I joined CLIF, I quickly realized it is a company that practices what it preaches and that makes me proud. We are a family and employee-owned company and CLIF takes care of its people, the planet, and our communities. We make a great product and we have really awesome people. It just happened to work out perfectly, that I ride bikes and CLIF was born on a bike.

Why do you feel it's important for women to seek out jobs in the outdoor/cycling industry?
It is a very male-dominated industry and the more women that are getting involved as well as the female-owned companies that are popping up, it is clearly changing the landscape.

Tell us a random fact about yourself!
I started doing triathlons at age 6 and played soccer before I became a competitive runner. I wish I had discovered mountain biking sooner – which is why I love Little Bellas and NICA so much!!

Thinking About A Hardtail Bike? Read This!

Hardtails are a bike that comes with a front suspension fork and no shock in the rear. This makes it an excellent bike for mountain biking yet also can be more dual purpose for gravel/pavement rides for cross training.

Because you aren't paying for dual suspension you can make your dollar go further with a hardtail vs. a full suspension.

Hardtails help you learn technique better because you have more feedback from the trail under you. You learn how to separate your body from your bike a lot quicker on a hardtail than a full suspension. Hardtails also have you work on skill and body positioning when it comes to climbing.

A full suspension can "squish" and give you added traction when riding uphill. A hardtail really has you learn the basics.

I recently wrote a review on my Specialized S-Works Epic Hardtail, which you can read here.

I think what helped me appreciate the hardtail more for what it allows you to do (or doesn't help you with) was my experience on other bikes. Gaining confidence in my handling and control- figuring out how to better move my body for certain things. It really let me see how my skills had progressed and allowed me to further work on bettering them.

Carbon vs. Aluminum...
*Carbon is going to be lightweight and can dampen trail feedback/vibration. It's not going to be as active as suspension, but it can make quite the difference.
*If you live in an area where you'll do a lot of climbing you might find going with as light of a bike as possible to be helpful. You'll still gain fitness and have a workout, but you aren't pushing a heavy bike up a hill.
*If you want the bike to be multi-purpose for gravel, pavement, and mountain biking- going carbon might be a good choice. It's lightweight and again, carbon material dampens vibrations, so can make the ride less fatiguing.
*Carbon is spendy but can also be repaired.
*You will spend more money on carbon. So you should do a comparison between a carbon and aluminum bike and their component spec, to see which is going to benefit you the most.
You can spend more money on a bike with a carbon frame with lesser quality components vs. spending the same on an aluminum frame with upgraded components. It will come down to what you feel will be the best value vs. what you may want to upgrade in the future. Is getting a lightweight frame that you can upgrade down the line more important to you vs. the drivetrain and other mechanical bits? You can lighten up an aluminum bike with carbon bits/wheels, etc.
Aluminum is going to be more budget friendly.

There is a lot to think about when investing money into a new bike and this blog post isn't going to give you a black and white answer because every person will have different wants/needs. It will take research, asking questions, and riding bikes to figure out what is going to be the best route for you.

Wheel size...
Wheel size is another rabbit hole that can be confusing and depending on our height and the brand, your options may be limited. My review of wheel size is strictly my experience between the two brands that Decorah Bicycles sells: Trek & Specialized.

At roughly 5'2" Trek would put me on a 27.5" wheel and with Specialized, I'm able to purchase a full suspension or hardtail with 29" wheels.

Do I feel 29" wheels are "too big" for me at my height? Most of the time I would say no. I personally like to have an option, and I do feel that the 29" wheel size is best for what I want my hardtail to do, which is be multi-purpose. (Gravel/Road/MTB)

I feel 27.5" wheels are a fun wheel size to ride on singletrack, and my Procaliber 9.8 felt quick to accelerate and going into turns felt quick and nimble. Folks find 27.5" to be more a more "playful" wheel size where 29" wheels lend to stability. 29" wheels are going to be the faster wheel size, but that shouldn't be the only thing to base your decision on.

I would recommend trying out a hardtail in both wheel sizes to see what size you feel works the best for your riding. I would suggest going with the wheel size that will best meet your needs for what you'll primarily use the bike for. If you're mostly mountain biking and looking to do the occasional gravel ride the wheel size might be different than if you're looking to use the bike for gravel riding and the occasional singletrack rip.

A lot of folks have found a hardtail to be a great option for mountain biking in Decorah or anywhere else that could be considered "cross country" riding. Overall, it's a bike that will help you learn how to use technique to achieve your end result, like climbing up a hill. In my opinion, a hardtail is a great bike that will help you grow and develop good handling skills that will take less of a toll on your body than a fully rigid bike.

Is it the right bike for you? You'll have to ride a few and find out! Remember to keep in mind of future needs rather than solely focusing on current needs to help you make the best choice possible.