Get More Girls On Bikes

More Girls on Bikes

This season has been a big one for mountain biking with so many other sports being limited. The good news is, there have been a record number of girls riding mountain bikes, but we all need to do more to keep encouraging them.

Girls need to see other girls riding bikes to give them someone similar to themselves to think "Hey, I can do that too".

Girls often love to have colourful and funky bike clothes to let their personalities shine! Encourage it, we need their spunk!

Some girls will fall in love with mountain biking because it means time in the forest. Other girls will love the adrenaline and will go fast on the downhills. Some girls might like the slow and steady endurance aspect of the sport, while others might love the climbing and pursue XC racing. Many others will just enjoy the mid-ride jellybean snack or the post-ride icecream :) Either way, they are ALL mountain bikers!

Mountain biking is a sport where you can always challenge yourself, and this builds confidence as long as you do it in a controlled manner. With all the time I invested in helping to make the Carlington Bike Park happen, it was never about me, it was always about the next generation of riders, especially the little girls. The ones who will be exposed to a safe place to learn off-road biking skills and build that confidence they need. Larose Forest is another perfect starting point to take your girls mountain biking.

If you see a girl on the trails, remember to give her a great big smile and be a positive ambassador for the sport by yielding to her on the trail. They are still the smallest demographic on the trails by far, so let's treat them with respect so they keep coming back.

Here are a few resources to keep your girl interested in mountain biking, the more positive role models they have, the better! Feel free to add a picture of a girl or teenager shredder in the comments below, the more the merrier :) Also let us know about other resources!

Shred Girls: Books, online meetups, positive content:
Shred Girls and https://shred-girls.com/

Professional XC Racers:
Emily Batty Jolanda Neff Kate Courtney

Kona Women Ambassadors (all disciplines of riding!):
https://cog.konaworld.com/category/women-ambassadors/

For the competitive or serious teenage girls: Podcasts, training information, interviews with female role models, yoga at The Consummate Athlete:
The Consummate Athlete and https://consummateathlete.com/
 
Sep 11, 2020 5:03:50pm