#ladiesallride

[weshipyourride]

VP Sue George Attends Ladies AllRide Signature Camp in Vermont

There’s an old adage that says that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Fortunately, it turns out not to be true as our very own Bikeflights Vice President Sue George found out firsthand last week in Lyndonville, Vermont, where she attended a Ladies AllRide MTB Skills Signature Camp.

“You’re doing what?” said some well-meaning friends when I told them I’d be going to a mountain bike skills camp. “Why? Don’t you already know how to mountain bike?”

While it’s true that I got my first taste of mountain biking while growing up in the late 1980s and early 1990s just as mountain biking was becoming popular, I never had any formal mountain bike instruction. Exploring deer trails through Pennsylvania State Game Llands in the Lehigh Valley with my little brother evolved into chasing Penn State Cycling teammates on fire roads and trails through Rothrock State Forest. As a long time track and road racer, I had great fitness, but I was a terrible mountain biker without many skills, especially on rocks. To be honest, there were times in those first few years that I kind of hated mountain biking, but I’ve always been up for a challenge, and I’m stubborn, so I just kept riding.

Fast forward several decades, and I love mountain biking. I can now do it well enough that there’s almost nothing I enjoy more than being out in the George Washington National Forest pedaling all day on singletrack and some fire roads with my partner and friends in Virginia and West Virginia. 

Bikes have changed a lot in the intervening decades, and I couldn’t begin to count how many different mountain bikes I’ve ridden over the years. Long gone are toe clips, rim brakes, tires with tubes, undroppable seatposts and barely functioning front shocks. Bike geometries are radically different. And we don’t just ride old deer or hiking trails; today’s riding also includes purpose-built mountain bike trails with all kinds of features.

Upon arriving in Lyndonville, Vermont, where Lindsey Richter and her Ladies AllRide Team were hosting a signature two-day MTB skills camp, we participants were introduced over a happy hour meet and repent and got a quick overview of what to expect. The Wildflower Inn played host to us with its location in the midst of the much beloved Kingdom Trails, and the weather couldn’t have been more beautiful: sunny and warm for most of what would be two beautiful September days.

One of the many things that makes a Ladies AllRide Signature Camp special is the expertise of its coaches. Together, they have a vast amount of experience riding and teaching. They’re also incredibly patient and encouraging for riders of all abilities, and they’ll meet you wherever you’re at skillswise.

First things first, we were broken up into groups based on our experience, abilities and what we hoped to learn. I joined five other women whom I’d get to know over the course of the next two days.

We were the most advanced group, which meant our teachers, Coach Lindsey and Coach Diana, could rapidly progress us through the most basic fundamentals so we could really get into working on the areas where we could benefit the most.

For me, that meant things like changing my position on my bike. I needed to let go of a long entrenched tendency to put my butt too far back, which unweights the front wheel, making me more vulnerable to things not going according to plan. I needed to learn to shift my body forward and be like a “curious turtle”, weighting my front suspension, so it can do its job better, and positioning my arms so that I can more actively respond to whatever the terrain may bring. 

It also meant learning things like how to better position my body on my bike so I can pedal around switchbacks, something with which I’ve always struggled.

Our group spent time working on cornering, including how to weight our bikes, where to look, where to point our knees, hips and belly buttons as we turn and how to most effectively brake in corners. 

Probably the most challenging skill for me was taking on some small drop-offs and a small jump. I’ve always been someone who likes to keep her wheels on the ground, so it was a big leap for me to trust my new forward body position enough to roll bigger drop-offs and briefly catch some air on a small jump. I didn’t get my wheels off the ground very much, but it was nonetheless an empowering feeling whenever I would get everything just right and float over something that I might not previously have ridden as confidently, or even at all.

Over our two days, we learned and practiced many different skills concepts, something that can be exhausting both mentally and physically and mentally, so it was especially nice to take a break on the second morning to relax our bodies and minds with some pre-ride yoga. As a yoga teacher for nearly two decades, I led our group of ladies through a gentle practice held outside in a grassy field just as the morning fog was beginning to lift over the mountains in the background.

So to those who question whether they’d benefit from a skills camp or other instruction, I say, “Yes, go for it!” No matter where we ride or how long we’ve been riding, there’s always something we can improve. And why not do things that can make mountain biking even more fun?

Ladies AllRide camps are for women, but men, don’t worry, you have options, too. Lindsey and her business partner Meredith Brandt also offer Grit Clinics, whose private, customized clinics are for men, women, kids of all ages and all levels.

Bikeflights is proud supporter of long-time Bikeflights Brand Ambassador Lindsey Richter and Ladies AllRide. Learn more about Ladies AllRide and their skills camps in locations like Grand Targhee, Wyoming; Bend, Oregon; Sedona, Arizona; Whitefish, Montana; Bentonville, Arkansas; and Lyndonville, Vermont.

[stephanierouse]

Ladies AllRide weekend in Bend was everything I'd hoped for! Brushed the dust off some old skills and learned some new ones, with a rad group of women. Coaches Kelsey & Julie were amazing at explaining and illustrating and spotting skills, and every last woman in our little group was bold about getting outside comfort zones and committing to the challenging stuff, and super supportive of each other. Next time, maybe a new ride area? So many amazing AllRide locations, where should I go next?! :) #ridebikesbehappy #ladiesallride (at Seventh Mountain Resort) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2xjKjsnpNDZWAlMxTJl1Mew0Pw35O88k3rbXA0/?igshid=19bnk7abycrxw

[oddphotographystuff]

These ladies are the real deal.  Amazing teachers who inspire you to be a better rider in a totally positive environment.  A joyful weekend in the amazing Kingdom Trails Vermont.  

[scorpiontale]

The Swank 65. Another day fit for a Marine - wet and muddy.  I somehow kept myself in the running for 2nd place. Demoralized at the bottom of Farlow Gap and then passed by another woman, I managed to regain some spirit and pass her on the climb. I didn’t look back and rode scared to the end. Or maybe it was my cool cat-in-a-wizard-hat socks that gave me the magical powers?

[weshipyourride]

Ladies AllRide Releases 2024 Women’s Mountain Bike Camp Schedule

Long-time Bikeflights Ambassador Lindsey Richter of Ladies AllRide announced her company’s schedule of Ladies AllRide MTB Skills Camps for the 2024 season. This year marks the 10th year for the popular women’s mountain bike camps, which are being held in seven different states across the US.

Richter, founder and Director of Inspiration at Ladies AllRide, has been involved in the bike industry for over 20 years. After 10 years traversing the country with the “AllRide Tour” riding, racing, promoting products and sponsoring a kids’ race team, she made it her mission to get more women into mountain biking. She became certified to coach in 2010 and has since taught mountain biking full-time around the world.

"Mountain biking's transformative power has been instrumental in my life, inspiring me to impact other women's lives,” said Richter. “The symmetry between mountain biking and life has taught me so much about myself. It has helped me with my mental and physical health; it’s made me realize what I’m capable of; and it’s taught me to trust myself and how to get past obstacles on the bike and in life. I’ve made it my life’s mission to pay this knowledge and experience forward by helping as many women as possible discover their full potential on and off the bike."

LadiesAllRide camps offer a dynamic, fun-filled environment where a rider’s mountain biking skills can be enhanced significantly within just two days. The unique experience of riding in a group of women with matching abilities provides an uplifting and encouraging atmosphere that sets them apart.

Their first Signature Camp will kick off in late April in Bentonville, Arkansas. Other venues include Bend, Oregon; Whitefish, Montana; Grand Targhee, Wyoming; Big Sky, Montana; Lyndonville, Vermont; and Sedona, Arizona. Some locations host multiple camps.

Here at Bikeflights, we can help you ship your mountain bike to any Ladies AllRide camp. You can use your own bike travel case, or if you need a box, we recommend our Bikeflights Bike Box Large, which is great for shipping most mountain bikes.

Registration for the mountain bike camps is now open, but spots tend to fill quickly.

View the schedule & sign up.

Photos provided by Ladies AllRide.

[weshipyourride]

Ladies AllRide Skills Camps Get More Women Mountain Biking With Confidence

It’s never too late to work on your mountain bike skills and become a better rider. BikeFlights.com former Brand Ambassador and long-time friend Lindsey Richter leads mountain bike skills clinics that help women and girls do just that through her company Ladies AllRide (LAR). And for years, we’ve also been helping LAR coaches and riders ship their bikes to LAR events.

Although LAR had to cancel most of its camps in 2020 due to COVID-19, Richter is excited to get back to a fuller schedule of camps in 2021.

“I think women are looking forward to traveling again and getting out, and there are a lot of new mountain bikers out there after lots of people started riding last year,” said Richter. “We love what we do, and we’re passionate about how mountain bikes can fuel the soul.”

There are a lot of reasons for ladies to attend camps and clinics put on by Ladies AllRide. Richter explains, “You’ll experience the joys of mountain biking amongst a community of supportive, encouraging, like-minded women from all walks of life. I want women to see that mountain biking is attainable to them and how it’s a lifestyle that brings camaraderie. Yes, mountain biking brings an element of challenge, but it doesn’t have to be gnarly or intimidating. It’s more than just a sport or a way to stay fit. It relates to life in that it can make you more confident in yourself and show you what you’re capable of.”

In 2021, Richter and her team of professional coaches are committed to making LAR camps more inclusive. They are open to all riders who identify as female.

“All fitness levels, skin colors, body types and shapes are welcome,” said Richter. “We’ve been doing a lot of diversity and equity training so we can be authentic about being inclusive, and we are going to bring in more women of color for free thanks to some of our sponsors.”

Although LAR camps held during COVID-19 have a slightly different structure, participants at LAR camps and clinics can still expect lots of individual attention. 

“We’re still finishing our 2021 COVID plan, but we worked out a lot of details during the two camps we held last year. Each signature camp will have less than 100 women with 9-10 women per group. Everyone will stay with their group all weekend, and we’ll have hand sanitizers and signs everywhere to remind people to stay six feet away from each other and always wear masks. All of our camps will be held 100% outside.”

LAR has just announced a 2021 schedule. It will kick off in April and include a mix of LAR mini-clinics and traditional, signature camps running through October. 

April 24: Bend, OR / Half-day Mini Camp

April 25: Bend, OR / Half-day Mini Camp

May 15-16: Bentonville, AR / Signature 2-day Camp

June 5-6:  Bend, OR / Signature 2-day Camp

June 23-24: Bend, OR  / Signature 2-day Camp

June 26-27: Bend, OR / Signature 2-day Camp

July 14-15: Targhee, WY / Signature 2-day Camp

July 17-18: Targhee, WY / Signature 2-day Camp

Aug 26: Burke Mountain, VT / Downhill 1-day Camp

Aug 28-29: Lyndonville, VT, / Signature 2-day Camp

Sept 11-12: Whitefish Mountain Resort, MT / Signature 2-day Camp

Sept 17-20: Flathead Lake Lodge, MT / 4-night Retreat

Oct 13-14: Sedona, AZ / Signature 2-day Camp

Oct 16-17: Sedona, AZ / Signature 2-day Camp

New for 2021 are a stop at the Whitefish Mountain Downhill Bike Park in Montana and an all-inclusive camp that will double as a full-on retreat at a 2,000-acre dude ranch in Flathead Lake Resort, Montana. The retreat will include locally sourced meals, lodging and access to the lake along with the usual skills instruction.

A few usual camp locations were cut from the schedule to limit travel for LAR staff while the pandemic continues.

Richter concluded with some advice that’s good for all of us whether or not you’ll be attending a skills camp this year. “Take time to take care of yourself. It’s important!” she said.

Register for a Ladies AllRide camp.

All photos courtesy of Ladies AllRide.