Women on Bikes Series: Kelly Erbach
I learned to ride with training wheels
as a kid (then one day, trying to be cool in front of my babysitter, I
proclaimed, "I don't need these
things!” discarded said helper wheels and took off down the driveway). I
didn't start riding seriously until 2006 when I moved to Flagstaff, AZ to work
as a nurse.
(I had, however, attempted a couple mountain bike rides while I was a student at Luther in Decorah.
I had no idea what I was doing and was pretty terrified at various points.)
In Flagstaff, mountain biking is the big thing and felt like I had better join the culture. I moseyed on down to the local bike shop and walked away with a sweet new hardtail, which I did not know how to ride off road.
(I had, however, attempted a couple mountain bike rides while I was a student at Luther in Decorah.
I had no idea what I was doing and was pretty terrified at various points.)
In Flagstaff, mountain biking is the big thing and felt like I had better join the culture. I moseyed on down to the local bike shop and walked away with a sweet new hardtail, which I did not know how to ride off road.
What
motivated you to ride as much as you have over the years?
Fitness, comradery, and being outside. The fast downhills keep me
coming back as well. The uphills...not so much.
What
kind of riding is your favorite? (paved, gravel, mountain)
Easily mountain biking, although there is something to be said
about a nice countryside road ride. My husband tricked me into getting a road
bike a couple years ago and it has been a mostly positive experience...except
the occasional bug clouds. No one likes a sports bra full of sweaty, dead bugs.
And the cars. I am scared of cars.
Do
you remember how you felt on your first mountain bike ride? (If not a mountain
biker, how about first commuter ride, paved trail ride, gravel, etc.)

If
you had nervousness at all, what do you do or think to overcome it?
Practice, practice, practice! And it does help tremendously to ride
behind more experienced riders who will slow their roll for you;
watching/mimicking what they do helps you to improve and gain confidence.
Do
you use clipless pedals? If yes, what are some tips/suggestions for beginners
that you would share? If no, are you thinking of trying it out at all?
Yes, and I can't imagine going on a road or mountain bike ride
without them now; it is much safer and more efficient. Learning clipless pedals
was a VERY steep learning curve for
me (maybe I'm just a little slow on the uptake) and I crashed constantly until
unclipping became habit. I would suggest practicing in the yard or on another
forgiving surface until it becomes more of an instinct. Or just ride up a
mountain road, get really tired, and then tip over from a standstill in front
of your new lady-friend riding buddies...twice. That works too.
I'd love to know a bit more on when you started competing, what inspired you to do so, and how it makes you feel!
I have only done two bike races (both times, it was a mountain bike race on a four-person team), the first being in 2012 and the second being last summer. (I have less than zero interest in ever racing my road bike.) I had been somewhat interested in racing for quite some time, but I felt intimidated and nervous about not finishing at least somewhere in the middle of the pack. (I'm not a "I'll be happy if I just finish" kind of a person.)
Also, all of my earlier years of mountain biking were spent in the mountains of Arizona and Montana, where the terrain is pretty non-forgiving. I just never knew if I was really ready. My friend, Dan, and I used say we were going to do some race near Bozeman, but we would have to pack a bunch of sticks to shove in the spokes of all the little kids who would pass us. Obviously, we were feeling really fast. ;-) I finally registered for a race when I had other ladies to race with here in the Midwest. My fear of being last vanished and I knew we would have a good time, regardless of outcome (not that I didn't give it 110% while I was on the course).
I am so glad I took the opportunity to participate as a racer and not just as support. I loved the experience, had a great time cheering on my teammates and hubby, was proud of my performance, and felt empowered by the results I saw when pushing myself as hard as I could (which I basically never do when I ride just for fun). I'm not sure how quickly I will be able to get my fitness level back up after baby, but I am hopeful to do a race again in the fall. If not this year, then definitely next summer.
If
you are a commuter what are some of the challenges you face and how do you
overcome them?
I have never really commuted much by road. I used to ride some
single track between my house and the hospital when that was an option, but the
overwhelming majority of my commuting has been via car.
Do
you commute even if the weather isn’t ideal? Why or why not? If yes, what do
you do to make it more tolerable?
Yes...in my Outback.
Have
you had a bike biff? If so, how did you recover on a physical/mental/emotional
level?
I used to crash literally every ride. It was partially a product of
riding trails above my skill level (how are you going to learn if you don't?)
and partially from being a bit (incredibly?) reckless. I recovered quite
quickly mentally, but that is because I was young (early 20s) and my brain
wasn't fully developed yet (as my husband and I like to say). I used to think
all my scabs and scrapes were cool battle scars, but now I find them annoying.
I demonstrate considerably more judgment when choosing what to attempt these
days; that and my skill set is greatly improved. I still go down every now and
then, and it does throw off my mojo, but I forget about it by the next
ride.
What
do you love about riding your bike?
The same things that have kept me motivated over the years:
fitness, comradery, being outside, and fast downhills. A beer in the parking
lot afterwards is a big positive as well.
You were biking before you met him? Was he at all a lead into competing or did you start that on your own?
You were biking before you met him? Was he at all a lead into competing or did you start that on your own?
I started biking regularly in 2006. We met in
2011 in Madison through mutual friends in the bike industry (he is an industry
professional). Our shared interest in riding has been a foundation piece of our
relationship, as we both love exercising and hitting the trails together. As
far as racing is concerned, I like to take all the credit for starting to
compete occasionally. Although, him being registered for the same races on
men's teams was probably a factor.
Did
your husband introduce you into a different style of riding? (like Road?)
I had self initiated a few road rides prior to
spending time with my husband, but he encouraged me to get my own road bike and
learn how to ride it properly. (Who knew there was actual technique and
strategy involved? I thought you just pedaled down the road.) "Ride it
properly" lessons can be quite a challenge, as I don't take well to
instruction from my significant other (which is ridiculous, as I could learn a
ton from him, as he has an extensive racing history). Some of his helpful
tidbits still trickle into my brain, even though I get pouty about constructive
criticism when I am tired/hungry (which I most of the time I'm on my road
bike).
Do
you and your husband go on rides together often, or do you have separate rides?
Prior to my pregnancy kicking into gear, we
tried to ride together as much as possible. He tells me that I am his 'favorite
riding buddy', which is very sweet. However, he is way faster than me, so we
make sure he gets out with the A-team when he can in order to zoom around at
his full potential. I really enjoy most of our mountain bike rides together
(probably because I feel pretty skilled and like I can somewhat hold my own).
Road rides together are a crap shoot, as he likes to ride efficiently (which means
pedaling faster than I feel like pedaling sometimes) and I would often prefer
to lay in the grass and take a nap.
I don't take particularly well to criticism from my partner,
whether it be of the helpful or frustrated variety. :-) I found some friends in
Arizona to ride with that were way better than me, but were also very
patient...and were not my significant others, which meant I let myself take
direction from them much more agreeably. It's all very silly. I should just let
myself learn whatever I can from whomever I can, but that seems to be easier
said than done sometimes.
I was 23
when I started and still found it to be a pretty steep learning curve. But it
feels so great every time you obtain a new skill, no matter how minor! I still
get excited about it. Mountain biking just keeps getting better and better as
you improve and build confidence. 

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