Well, it’s getting close! No doubt about it there are just a few days left until Christmas. If you are like me, you like to leave most things to the absolute last-minute. Although there is probably still time to overnight or second day some “stuff” on AMAZON, wouldn’t you rather make it a little more personal? The Crankjoy Last Minute Ladies Mountain Bike Gift Guide is coming to your rescue!
Gifts that show you put a little extra thought into them really mean a lot. It doesn’t matter how much you spend. Getting that gift just right for the ladies is something she will remember all year.
Personally, I can go out and buy a cool helmet or riding jersey that I really like and I know fits. Going out to shop for these items is half the fun in itself! Getting your lady friend something that is more experiential and meaningful is the right choice.
Here are some gift ideas for that AMAZING lady in your life:
New Bike:
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Everyone would love a new bike right? Well appreciating that most of us are on a budget and did not just win the lottery, how about this thoughtful and much less expensive option.
Buying a gift card from your local shop for her to demo one of her favorite brands. Some shops even allow the rental price to be put toward their new bike purchase. This is a great way for her to test out multiple bikes on local trails to see what bike is best for her. Bikes are a major investment and it’s fun to ride them all. Combine this with some of the ideas below and she can make a trip of it.
Going to a ladies weekend or festival with a demo event is another option to give her “a new bike” at least for a short time.
Free Time:
How about giving the gift of time. Does your lady shredder take care of children, a husband, the house and work a fulltime job while trying to maintain relationships with her friends and family in her spare time? Surely she does many of these things, even if you have never thought about it! Having a dedicated FREE WEEKEND or better yet, FREE WEEK hall pass with her friends for some stress-free riding time would be an amazingly thoughtful gift.
Get your pen, paper, and scissors out and make her a home-made free-time pass! Better yet, combine it with one of the ideas for trips below!
Riding Vacations:
Get together with a couple of friends and send the ladies on their own to an amazing riding destination trip either close to home or at an epic riding center! There are some incredible choices that have everything detailed and dialed or you can take the time and build your own.
Here are some popular choices that are/have been on our radar that host or specifically cater to mountain bikers. Some have even have hosted some ladies specific events in the past and for that, they go right to the top of the list.
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Roam Events, most rad places, USA.
Ash Bocast and Andi Zolton have the ladies mountain bike trip market covered. More a riding trip than a skills clinic, your lady will get some miles in. Sign her up for one of their amazing ladies only retreats. Small groups of 15-20 share a weekend in a mountain bike specific riding location such as Sedona, Moab, Oakridge, Fruita, Bentonville, Bend and Whitefish. No detail is spared in the planning for these trips. They also do an amazing job of making sure that each and every lady is taken care of and feel welcome and part of the group. With lodging, food, bikes, rides and lady camaraderie these trips are amazing! Not wanting a lady only trip for your lady? Go with her on one of their co-ed options to Sedona, Oakridge or Whitefish in 2019. Come with us to Sedona this winter with Roam Events and say “FU Winter” with us!
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Red Wolf Mountain Bike Tours, Brevard, NC.
Close to our heart and our new hometown, this small tour company does an amazing job hosting mountain bike trips for Ibis Cycles (Migration) as well as Seth’s Bike Hack and other small groups. Barrett is your guy and will hook your group up with great accommodations, catered food, side trips to local mountain bike companies (I-9 and REEB Ranch among others) and local breweries. These trips are amazing and yes, we do help with some of the guiding around our local Pisgah Trails, so the riding is amazing.
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Chasing Epic Mountain Bike Adventures, Most Places, USA.
This is a great company that caters to your every need including lodging, bikes, food and guides. You get what you pay for in this world, and although a little more pricey, it’s nice to hop a plane with helmet and shoes and be ready to shred an epic location. 2019 dates have been announced but if none of these tickles your fancy, get in touch with Steve and he’ll set up something, well “EPIC!”
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Riding Fool Hostel, Cumberland, BC.
Located in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island this little gem is a do-not-miss location. Inexpensive and very comfortable, you can ride amazing BC singletrack right from the door. This is small town BC hospitality at its best. Be careful though, you are going to not want to leave! When you do have to leave, you are going to want to open a mountain biking hostel. Such a cool place! Can’t wait to go back.
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Whitefish Bike Retreat, Whitefish, MT.
Opened by Cricket Butler in 2013 this amazing location hosts women’s events, clinics and features year-round adventures. Fat biking, mountain biking, bike packing are all options from this property. It features its own trails a campground and lodge with showers and a sauna. It’s close to some great trails and the area offers plenty of space and opportunity for some big, big adventures!
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Sacred Rides Mountain Bike Destinations. World Wide
Got some extra cash to spend? Get her a trip of a lifetime with women’s only destinations to New Zealand, Costa Rica, Utah, Peru and others this outfitter doesn’t mess around. Trips run from $2100-$5500 so I hope she’s worth it!
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Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Get-A-Way, Ellajay, GA
Camping, cabins and the amazing Pinhoti Trail make this location a great mountain bike destination. The home cooked meals and shared gathering space really connect people who share the love of riding.
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On My Bucket List (hint, hint) Retallack, West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia. TYAX Lodge, southern Chilcotin Mountains.
Skills Clinics:
There are some amazing skills instruction courses and/or coaches to help (not just the ladies) work on your skills. We have had the pleasure to be able to know and attend many of the clinics available. From half or full day personalized instruction to weekend and full week retreats. The sky is the limit, depending on your budget. Here are some offerings, be sure to sign up quick as many of these events sell out early. Many offer gift certificates and even personalized one-on-one sessions around their regular clinics to supplement their travel, so send them a message and ask. Be sure to check around your local shops to find reputable, certified instructors. Please, guys, don’t think you can teach your ladies how to ride, it very rarely works!
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Ladies Allride Mountain Bike Skills Camps: Everywhere, USA
With locations selling out all over North America these intensive skills clinics are the way your lady can up her riding game. For straight up beginners to advanced shredders, Lindsey and her crew have everyone covered. Small groups with a low coach to rider ratio make for an intimate learning experience during these camps. There is a reason they sell out quick, so don’t delay. Lindsey has some of the best coaches in the country that come out to put on her clinics. Put an IOU in her stocking or better yet snag one of these holiday gift sets so she knows exactly what you got her. Look for the full schedule in early January with registration opening soon after. Sign up for the Ladies Allride Newsletter so you won’t miss anything they do.
Featuring ladies only and co-ed camps in amazing locations like Whistler, Hood River, Santa Cruz, Calgary, Park City and others this organization has it all. 28 camps are scheduled for 2019 and most will open up in February for registration. You can demo a Trek and other sponsors gear and will have to sign up for that ASAP as well. Camps include instruction only and participants fend for themselves for lodging and food, but all clinics are stacked with fully certified and bad-ass coaches.
With clinic weekends around Colorado and also at the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival these seasoned pro instructors will help all levels gain confidence on the bike. From beginner to advanced, these small group, rider-focused sessions build the foundational skills needed to make quick progress with your riding.
Festivals/Race Events:
- Roam Bike Fest. Held now twice a year in Brevard first weekend in May and Sedona, now in early November, these festivals are insanely fun! Ladies only demos, dance parties, taco bar, amazing raffle and more riding than you could do in a long weekend. Strong friendships are formed during these weekends and your lady will come away from these weekends amazed at all of the new lady-friendships she has made. You can check the past festivals out here. We have not, nor will we ever miss one!
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Women’s Only Races/Events
These are springing up all over the country as organizers are realizing that some ladies prefer a less competitive atmosphere and more of a party. Don’t worry there is plenty of competition, but without all that testosterone oozing out. I was lucky enough to do my first enduro race with all ladies here in North Carolina earlier this year and it was great. There are some that really stand out: Sturdy Dirty is an all ladies enduro near Seattle, WA. Registration opens soon for the July 13 race. Yeti Beti Bike Bash was one of the first and offers a clinic and race as well as party in Lakewood, Colorado the first Sunday in June. Get a gift certificate towards the weekend here.
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Wildflower Trailfest, Powder Mountain, UT
Beginner to advanced riders can participate in clinics, group ride or even do the mountain bike race. With music, drinks, food and yoga there will be something for everyone. This is happening on July 13, 2019 with registration opening on Jan 7th, 2019.
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Women’s Weekend at Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park. Clevland, Ohio
This is the weekend where they close their doors to everyone except the lucky ladies who have registered for this day- Feb 15, 2019. This can double as a Valentine’s gift as well! Bonus. There is also discounted admission for the ladies Feb, 16 and 17th so they can make a whole long weekend of it! Clinics, parties and riding the indoor bike park all weekend, what more could a gal want. Registration will open soon, so be sure to craft a cool IOU for this one for the stocking.
This Canadian based company knows how to put on a race. For the serious athlete as well as someone who just wants to complete the distance, these events are in amazing locations. From Moab to Colorado and back to British Columbia and Alberta, endurance mountain biking and running events are their speciality.
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