I love mountain biking, so I decided to ask some of my favorite women in the mountain biking world why they love it so much too. My answer is easy. I love mountain biking because it lets me experience the freedom of covering beautiful terrain with the people I love. I am grateful for these ladies and what they have done and continue to do for our amazing sport!
Mates can come and go, but the LOVE we have for our Mountain Bikes will LAST FOREVER!
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Melissa Ross
Pro Cyclist, new mom, Co-founder of Potential Energy Training and Nutrition LLC, Cycling Coach.
“Mountain biking takes me away from the hustle and bustle of everyday to a world where I can be a kid again – chase dreams and have adventures in the process.”
Lindsey Richter
Director of Inspiration for Ladies AllRide International mountain biking skills instructing BAD-ASS!
“Why I love mountain biking?
Because of what it does for my soul. It’s a sport that challenges me, forces me to focus, keeps me in the moment and it has helped me face and overcome fears on and off the bike. The way mountain biking parallels life is what makes it so special to me. Life can be hard and scary and when I learned to do things on a bike that were hard and scary I started realizing I was capable of much more than I ever gave myself credit for. Now I use my strengths from riding and transfer it into my life. Sometimes we just have to look ahead and keep the wheels rolling however we can. It might not always look pretty, but if the wheels are moving forward, so am I.”
Natalie Gentry
App master at BikeParkPRO, Journalist and managing editor at WorldBikeParks
“I love to ride bikes because it makes me happy, healthy, and strong. It cheers me up and gravity brings me down in the best kind of way. I’m in love with the freedom that mountain biking gives me. I’m in love with the community that has formed around the sport. I’m more likely to help a mountain biker that I don’t know than help a stranger, is that wrong? Mountain biking is my church and nature is my heaven. See you out on the trails! ”
Ash Bocast
Roam Event Collective founder. Creator, Producer and Host of The Roam Rydes Podcast.
“In 2009 I was a bit lost. I had spent a decade defining myself as an athlete playing team sports at a high level and suddenly, college ended, my shot at national level competition was cut short by injury, and I had moved to another country. No friends. No teammates. No practice. No games. The all-consuming lifestyle of a team athlete just vanished in a matter of weeks. So when a nice guy at a bike shop invited me out to try mountain biking (on the now infamous Skyline Trail in Queenstown), I hesitantly agreed: insert new all-consuming lifestyle here. I found the camaraderie of teammates in my new trailmates. I rediscovered the challenge of competition in competing with gravity to stay upright while navigating terrain. Practicing body position, maneuvers, and reading the trail focused my mind. Then there was the speed…the thrill of going fast made me giddy. In the seven years since that fateful day in New Zealand I have redefined myself as a cyclist – a definition that has no timeline or deadline as I plan to pedal until the day I leave this earth. Mountain biking is the love of my life. It is my career, my hobby, the epicenter of my friend groups, the community I am surrounded by, and the thing I am most passionate about. ”
Karen Jarchow
Recent Newlywed, Pro Mountain Bike Racer with Team Topeak-Ergon, Co-Founder and Program Director at the Vail Valley Alternative Sports Academy and Administrative Coordinator at Uncommon Communications.
“I love mountain biking for so many reasons. For me, it continuously comes back to a deep appreciation for the open land we are able to explore on two wheels. I love hopping on a trail to experience new landscapes, thrills, and destinations. ”
Erin Machan
Co-Founder of Project Bike Love. Community marketing manager for ZOIC Clothing. Sports psychology consultant, fitness enthusiast, and entrepreneur.
“I love mountain biking for so many reasons. I fell in love with it racing this local weekday race called Over the Hump. I fell in love with riding my mountain bike, racing my mountain bike, people who mountain bike, and everything about mountain bike life. It’s my way of life now. It inspired me to start a non-profit I never dreamed I’d be able to do, it introduced me to all the people that helped make that happen, it introduced me to my job I love, it gave me something to give 100% of my passion too. No matter how I’m feeling or what I’m going through mountain biking is the answer. When my dad died, I’d get on my bike for hours and just cry, and when I got a new job I wanted, I got on my bike to celebrate, when I have a disagreement with someone I get on my bike and figure out how to handle it… no matter what, mountain biking has helped in some way. It’s an amazing sport full of amazing people and I am grateful everyday for it. ”
Thanks to everyone for their contribution to this post! Let’s all ride soon.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
