Over the last couple of model years Giant has made an effort to create women’s-specific versions of their more popular mountain bikes: the Trance X and Anthem X. Unfortunately, no one really noticed. For the 2012 model year, Giant has renamed the women’s bike models to match the men’s, but with a ‘W’ appended, and they have teamed up with Liv to sponsor a dedicated brand and a series of demo events around the country.

Photo courtesy of Giant Cycling World, Denver

Giant kicked off the series in Denver with a two-day event in conjunction with the Giant Cycling World concept store. Attendees were treated to women’s group rides, cycling clinics, sales, and even bike giveaways.

For mountain bikers, the demo and group rides took place at Green Mountain.

To see how well Giant has dialed in the bikes for female riders, I brought my 4′ 11″ daughter along. She stood over the Anthem XW in a size X-Small, but with its straight top tube it was too tall for her. The curved top tube of the 2012 Trance X1 W, also in X-Small, proved to be just the ticket.

The new women’s models share the same component groups, Aluxx aluminum frame, and Maestro suspension as the men’s models but are designed with a shorter effective top tube in relation to the seat tube length. Both the Anthem XW and Trance XW come in XS, S, and M only.

My daughter’s X-Small test rig sported 5″ of front and rear travel courtesy of a Fox F125 RL fork and Fox RP2 rear shock with Boost Valve technology. Brakes were Avid Elixir 5s and the Shimano drivetrain was a mix of SLX and XT. The wheels, stem, bars, and seatpost were all Giant branded, and last year’s Kenda Nevegal tires seem to have been replaced by Schwalbe Nobby Nics. The test bike was set up tubeless, but they do not ship from the factory that way. The front wheel had a QR15 thru-axle, and a women’s-specific Fi’zi:k saddle to round out the setup. As tested, the X1W lists for $2,800.

Jacquie, the friendly and helpful Giant rep, fitted the bike with some clipless pedals, set the pressure in the front and rear suspension and adjusted the brake levers a little and we were ready to ride. As we headed out onto the trail, my daughter immediately commented that it pedaled easier than her current bike, a 2006 Giant Trance 1. The bikes weigh about the same, so I assume the difference is gearing with the 10-speed cassette and the tubeless tires. Once the trail got rocky I could see her getting bounced around pretty badly so I let some air out of the tires. I also noticed she was reaching a bit for the bars, even with the 70mm stem. Sliding the saddle forward alleviated that issue. With the adjustments done, we rode for a while and she gushed about how comfortable it was and how well it handled. Once the trail turned downhill, she was off like a shot with the 5″ of travel soaking up the trail chatter and the Nobby Nics sticking to the gravel like glue.

Giant appears to be serious about creating a line of women’s bikes that fit well, look great, and perform on the trail as well as their male counterparts, and the component specs and handling of the model we tested proves that it is not just hype. To quote my daughter, “I love this bike. It’s faster, it steers better and it has SPARKLES!” (On the anodized rear suspension rocker, if you’re wondering)

If you are a female mountain biker who has had a hard time finding a good quality bike that fits like it was made for you, head over to your nearest Giant dealer and take either the Anthem XW or Trance XW for a test ride.

Footnotes:

The Giant website is still showing the 2011 Cypher, rather than the ’12 Trance. However the Anthem XW has been updated. The paper catalog in the store has all of the 2012 models listed with the latest specs.

The Giant rep told me that they also see some tween and teen boys on these models due to the sizing. They kept this in mind during the redesign and the color choices are somewhat subdued as a result.

The Anthem and Trance are the only women’s specific mountain bike models at this time. The Reign already has a shorter effective top tube and Giant felt that there was really nothing that needed changing to make it a better fit for women. They may tackle a women’s specific Anthem X 29er at some point, but there are some major geometry issues to deal with in order to keep the handling the same.

I’ve always been a little envious of trek7k’s sleek Osprey Raptor hydration pack so I was excited to get an Osprey of my very own – the women’s Verve 10 to be exact.  This low-profile pack is full of features any girl would want.

Beginning with the storage compartments, there are three pockets (besides the hydration sleeve) to carry all the necessities for up to a half day of riding.  The main compartment has a ton of room and I’ve been using it for everyday ride essentials like a spare tube, mini pump, tool, ID and a couple energy gels. Loosening the outer straps expands the space so you can store a jacket or legwarmers, a bottle of sunscreen, a trail journal, or even a small lunch. Even with all the room for storage, my favorite storage spot is actually the small stretchable pocket on the shoulder strap.  I always have an energy gel in there which is super convenient. With my old pack I used to postpone eating a gel because I was too lazy to stop and take the pack off to get it out; now I eat on the go and keep my energy levels up the whole ride.

The Osprey Verve 10 can obviously hold a lot of stuff and plenty of water too. The 100 oz. fluid reservoir is ideal for hot summer rides here in the south.  The reservoir is easy to fill and the rigid back spine makes it easy to slip in and out of the dedicated sleeve.  The bite valve is intuitive and perhaps my favorite feature is the magnetic bite valve holder on the chest strap. I don’t have to take my eyes off the trail for a second to put it back in place. When I’m racing I can use every second I can get!

As for fit, the Osprey Verve 10 is super easy to adjust.  The pack stays put and remains centered without noticeable shifting in turns or when I get low on climbs. That’s definitely a plus in my book.  I always laugh when I see someone riding with the bottom of their hydration pack slung over to one side of their body.  Those straps are there for a reason! The waist and chest straps on the Verve could use some excess length management though; a simple belt loop would be ideal for keeping the dangling straps off my legs when riding.

Though this pack has more carrying capacity than I need for most of my rides, because it’s so lightweight I end up using it all the time, even in races.  On days when I’m exploring new trails and want to take more stuff along with me it works just as well.  I’ll probably get some extra use out of the pack this summer hiking or maybe even trail running – the Osprey Verve is a definitely a great multi-sport pack. And with Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee to repair any product for any reason as long as I own it, I know it will last through all my trail adventures.

Thanks to the folks at Osprey for providing the Verve 10 pack for review.

The Sea Otter Classic is returning to Monterey, California this weekend for its 21st year in a row and it looks to be bigger and badder than ever! I was able to attend last year courtesy of Airborne Bicycles, and this year I’m excited to return.

On the outside possibility that you haven’t heard of it, Sea Otter is simply one of the biggest (if not the biggest) bike fair/expo/race/events of the year covering all disciplines of riding. Last year there were almost 60,000 people present over the course of the weekend. While this event is technically cross-discipline, Sea Otter has a very distinct mountain bike bent to it.

The scope of this event is so huge that there is no way you could ever hope to experience it all in one day. In fact, even if you are there for all 4 days of the event, it is still physically impossible to take everything in!

Mayhem at Sea Otter: There are people and bikes everywhere!

Here’s a hypothetical dilemma: let’s say you show up and buy a one day pass to Sea Otter. Which  should you choose to do: watch or participate in one of the many races, tour the 400 booths at the fair and ogle the newest gear and pick up free samples and stickers, test ride brand-new mountain bikes that might not even be on the market yet, watch one of those crazy trials riders do a show, eat delicious food, play on one of the pump tracks, or go for a ride and explore the incredible singletrack of Fort Ord?

Personally, I recommend a large dose of all of the above. The problem is, there is no way you can do all that in one single day… and it would be tough to do even over the course of the entire event!

New for This Year

Ladies Day

On Sunday the 17th Sea Otter will feature a day set aside for events and rides geared specifically toward female riders. On tap for Sunday are “women-specific clinics, [a] demo ride, panel discussion, and product displays, plus a wine and chocolate reception.”

Side note: Now, I’d think most dedicated mountain biking ladies would appreciate this nod in their direction from a male-dominated sport, and I don’t think any guys would be opposed to it, either. Think about the possible benefits for the male gender as a whole: more female-specific events will probably lead to more female mountain bikers, which for all the singles out there is definitely a good thing! Well, the National Coalition of Men disagree, and have threatened the Classic with a lawsuit claiming that these events geared toward women were in fact discriminating against men. C’mon, really? Someone didn’t have enough coffee this morning…

Sea Otter Celebrates Bike Shops

Sea Otter is making an effort to promote local bike shops and dealers by allowing them free access to all 4 days of the event, as well as “dealers-only demo rides, along with dealer clinics, seminars, and daily receptions.”

New Events

Several new events have been added to the roster this year:

Handcycling has been added to Sea Otter’s athlete competitions, in the Road Circuit races.  Also up for 2011:  Speed and Style, which legendary freeriding course designer Jeff Lenosky calls “a combination of a head-to-head race and a freestyle jump contest.”  And Camp of Champions is bringing its Big Air Bag to Sea Otter!  With top pros as coaches, mountain bikers can learn on the Big Air Bag how to make those jumps like a pro.

Downhill Course

Construction is currently underway on a brand new course for the DH race. This update will hopefully silence many of the naysayers who have spoken out against the ease of the course in past years.

Photo taken from the Sea Otter Classic Facebook page.

Coverage

Many of the standard media outlets and some other large mountain bike websites will undoubtedly cover all of the happenings at Sea Otter this year in much greater detail than I ever could. Regardless, even though I may only be portraying a small slice of the entire event, I’m going to take a crack at it! Last year, I published a number of posts during my time at Sea Otter. I had just started blogging seriously a few months before, so this year I come to the game with much more experience, and a little bit more of a plan.

Obviously there is a small chance that this might not happen, but I am currently envisioning literally dozens of short blog posts this year. I plan on covering everything I possibly can including sweet gear, bike reviews, interesting vendors, unique activities, the trails, my experiences, everything Airborne, and possibly some racing action! I just hope I don’t get food poisoning again…

If you choose to follow my blog posts, you can be sure that you’ll get a unique perspective of all the goings on at Sea Otter! I’ll be publishing a recap post here on Singletracks in the aftermath of the event, but if you want a live stream of posts and tweets during the next week, be sure to stay tuned to my personal MTB blog: GregRidesTrails.com!

Your Turn

Are you attending Sea Otter 2011? Drop me a comment… we should meet up for a ride.

Can’t make it out this year? What sort of blog posts from the event are you most interested in seeing?

I was looking forward to the Blankets Creek Duathlon for months because I knew signing up for the race would force me to get out ride my bike more. I was only able to pre-ride parts of the course two days before the race and even though Blankets Creek is a local trail, the pre-ride was my first time riding the infamous Van Michael Trail. For those who aren’t familiar, the VMT goes up and down and up some more and is one of the most challenge trails at Blankets Creek. I was hoping for rewarding downhill but most of the descents were rocky or slowed down by switchbacks… or both.

On race day I had to push aside thoughts of wishing I had trained more and all the other shoulda/coulda/woulda’s that entered my mind. There were a lot of serious competitors among the 260+ racers, but the majority of mountain bikers I met were there to finish and have fun. All the chatting and meeting other racers, especially the women, before the race was a great way to calm my nerves.

Any remaining nervous energy got burned off during the initial trail run. The duathlon started with a 5-mile trail run on the Dwelling Loop, and being a runner and former marathoner, I definitely preferred running before biking. After the first mile and a half I realized my heart rate was way up after I nearly tripped on a root. I was passing folks on the singletrack and feeling the pressure of other runners behind me so I decided to settle in with a few other ladies that were going about the same pace I was. Soon after, over my left shoulder I heard, “C’mon, you’re not satisfied.” She was right – in the back of my mind I was saving my legs for the Van Michael Trail, but it takes more than 5 miles of running to wear me out. So I gladly let the woman by and stuck to her like glue the rest of the way.

The running pace was perfect, a little faster than I would have run if I were running alone. We even caught up to my new friend, Cathi, an experienced ultra-marathoner. At that moment I started thinking negative thoughts, “I need to slow down, I’m going way to fast, Cathi should be running circles around me!” But I decided to make my move. I felt a little guilty about trading places with Cathi but I wanted to run as if I was only there to run the 5 mile trail run; I’d worry about the biking part later. I was so glad to be reminded early on that racing is often more of a mental challenge than a physical one. I finished the run in 44:16 and was one of the first 5 women into the transition area.

I hurried through the transition, gulped down a Gu and a bottle of Accelerade, switched shoes, slapped on my helmet and hydration pack and bolted back onto the trail with my heart rate still approaching maximum velocity. I had 12 miles on the bike to look forward to so it helped to think about it in pieces. First up, ~4 miles on the Van Michael Trail.

It took a while to get into the groove of climbing and I became frustrated when riders in front would stop in the middle of the climbs, forcing me and others following to do the same. This happened a lot on the VMT and I suppose it’s partly my fault for following too closely.

At one point I tried to pass a group of bike-hikers on the left side when I found myself out of space and momentum. I tumbled about 15 feet down a cliff still clipped into my bike like a fly on flypaper. I picked up some scrapes on my shoulders and legs but the worst part of the fall was one of my calves cramped up. Fortunately a couple of nice gents fished me and my bike out of the brush. I think I was cursing out loud by now so I hope they didnt take offense – I really did appreciate the help!

I stretched my leg out and pushed my bike up the rest of the hill and for a few minutes thought, what a waste, I might as well take my sweet time riding now. I was sooooooo mad! Then I thought to use all that anger to my advantage, so I pedaled like a mad woman. I was having crazy thoughts now. I wanted to blast down that stretch with the ropes (pictured above), but fortunately there were some folks from the race crew there telling the riders to take it easy.

By the time I got onto the next section of trail, known as the Dwelling Loop, I was still mad. Dwelling looks a lot different on a bike than on foot. You don’t notice the little rocks as much so it’s actually a pretty fast ride, at least for the first mile. Everyone seemed to be spaced out better on Dwelling and whenever I found myself alone, I pedaled harder to catch the next rider and make up time. Before I knew it, I was back with some of the racers I had seen before my crash.

We turned onto South Loop and the pace slowed a bit. South Loop is not like any of the other Blankets Creek trails, and of course this is the section I left out of my pre-ride. There was a lot of narrow, twisty singletrack through pine trees. Not knowing what else was ahead, I just told myself there’s less than two miles left so it’s time to ride until I puke.

When I saw an opportunity to pass the female rider that I had been behind for the last several miles, I bolted past only to come around the corner to a slow granny gear climb. I fell again going up a short technical section because I was distracted by a rider sitting by the side of the trail. What was he doing there? Did he puke? Am I going to puke here? I was totally embarrassed as I was passed back just seconds after getting in front of the woman. I hung onto the woman as long as I could, wondering if I could out-sprint her when we made it back to the doubletrack.

Before I knew it I could hear the race crew and spectators through the pine trees and I knew we were coming out of South Loop. I was over-anxious and started frantically mashing the pedals and, doh! my handlebars clipped a tree. Down I went for a third time and in front of so many people!

I finished strong knowing I ran and rode my hardest. My final time was 2 hours 11 minutes, and I was shocked to win my age category (the woman I was chasing ended up being in a different age group) and I finish 5th overall in the women’s race!

It’s two days later and I’m still a little sore from the crash, but certain I’ll do another dirty duathlon. A big kudos to Lisa Randall and SORBA Woodstock for putting on an awesome event. See you at the Rope Mill Duathlon!

Photo courtesy of Sorella Cycling

Spring arrived early in Atlanta this year with high temps in the 60s or better most days since late February. It’s been great for a fair weather rider like me and I’ve been able to hit the trails at least a half dozen times so far this year.  I went all out on nearly every ride, leaving the trails feeling satisfied yet exhausted, legs burning, and Camelbak sucked dry.  And every time I wished I could have ridden my bike just a little longer and just a little faster.  I made excuses like, “I need to trim some weight off my bike,” and “running during the winter just isn’t good enough cross-training for mountain biking.”  Then one of my riding buddies from Sorella Women’s Cycling Club mentioned Gene Hamilton, mountain bike coach to many top pro racers, is having a BetterRide mountain bike skills camp right here in Atlanta.  Perfect – being totally immersed in mountain biking for three days is just the kick in the pants I need to get serious about mountain biking again!

I signed up for the BetterRide women’s mountain bike camp right away and I immediately received some articles with good information to help me prepare for the camp.  In one article, Gene explained the importance of imagery or visualization for mountain bike riding (and racing) success.  I had practiced positive imagery while training for marathons for years but I never thought to apply it to mountain biking just for fun.  Gene says “consistent imagery will make a bigger difference in your riding than actually doing the drills if you spend 20 minutes twice a week working on it.”  This is something I’m definitely going to do more of, particularly with respect to the MTB skills I want to get extra help with at camp.

The BetterRide camps cover a ton of  mountain bike skills like:

• Learning correct body position
• Setting up your bike
• How to look ahead correctly
• Climbing & descending techniques
• How to conquer small and advanced obstacles
• Cornering & riding switchbacks
• Braking effectively
• Mental skills

Personally, I have three main goals for completing the camp.  First, I want to gain confidence on downhills.  If you’ve ever ridden with me, you know I don’t mind the challenge of a climb but it’s really all about the downhill reward on the other side. But sometimes I feel like I’m not going as fast as I should be (and therefore not having as much fun as I could be!).  Maybe I burn too much energy on the climbs and underestimate how much energy the downhill will take so I slow myself down.  Or maybe it’s just my human instinct to brake when rolling over jagged rocks and between trees that seem mere inches away from my elbows.  My point is, momentum is a terrible thing to waste so I want to get faster going downhill!

My second goal is to learn how to control my heart rate during a ride.  Most of the time I don’t like to stop during the ride so I keep breaks short unless there’s great scenery along the way.  Like a 3-foot high log across the trail, an erratic heart rate can just as easily ruin my flow.  I don’t really care about the actual heart rate number, but I want to know how to handle those heart rate spikes that result from short, steep climbs or powering through hard, technical sections.  I want to be able to stop and take a break when I want to, not after every tough part of a trail.

Lastly, I’d love to learn a new trick at the BetterRide camp – to be honest my bike handling skills are terrible!  After 14+ years of mountain biking and building a teeter-totter to ride in my backyard, I still get nervous going over some 8” wide bridges on the trails (I can’t believe I just admitted that on the internet). Hopefully after the camp, I’ll be able to ride skinnies, do a wheelie, or land bigger jumps!

I’m super excited about the upcoming BetterRide mountain biking camp and taking my riding to the next level.  There may still be a few spots left in the Atlanta women’s camp on April 15-17, 2011 if you want to join me.  And for the guys, there are BetterRide camps for you too! Don’t pass up the chance to learn from Gene’s expert coaching at one of the many Colorado camps or other locations around the US.  For camp dates and locations, visit www.betterride.net.

Photo courtesy of BetterRide.net

About BetterRide
BetterRide provides structured skills coaching, designed to get you riding at your best. Coaching sessions range from two hour clinics to three day camps across the US and abroad. BetterRide was founded by pro racer and USA Cycling Expert Coach Gene Hamilton who has over 20 years of coaching experience including 12 years coaching mountain biking skills. BetterRide’s coaching highlights include coaching many top pro racers (Chris Van Dine, Brian Buell, Mitch Ropelato, Joey Schusler, Graeme Pitts,…) and over 1,900 riders who just want to get better. Gene and his certified coaches are passionate about coaching, riding and helping others reach their goals. All mountain bike clinics, camps and private lessons are guaranteed to improve your riding or your money back.

There aren’t a lot of women’s specific mountain bike products out there that actually need to be women’s specific (like bike pumps – seriously). One major exception, of course, is mountain bike saddles.  I’ve been searching for a comfortable and lightweight women’s specific saddle for a long time and was recently fortunate to stumble upon the WTB Deva Saddle.

To me, comfort is the most important criteria for any saddle. I like the WTB Deva saddle because, first, it’s slightly wider than most men’s saddles to cushion more of your bottom. I’ve ridden on a few 2-3 hour rides already and I didn’t have to slow down because my butt was sore (since it’s winter, my legs become sore and tired long before I notice soreness anywhere else!).  Another way the WTB Deva adds comfort is through a feature called the Love Channel. The Love Channel is a small groove that runs down the middle of the saddle to minimize pressure on sensitive areas. I shouldn’t have to tell you how important that is when rolling over rocks and roots at high speed!

Then there’s the gel padding that helps provide comfort, too.  As a racing saddle, the Deva is pretty firm with some flex; the minimal padding gives the Deva a low profile which is crucial when the ride involves varied saddle positions. If I’m frequently getting in and out of the saddle for climbs and descents, the last thing I want is to sit back down on a firm, unforgiving seat.  I’ve ridden with a men’s saddle before and there were many times that I would much rather climb out of the saddle than sit and pedal on something that feels like a hard, plastic chair in the waiting room at the DMV.

Though it’s been a while since I’ve done any mountain bike racing, I still like using a racer’s saddle because it is lightweight.  These days I favor lightweight components, not just because I plan to get back into mountain bike racing, but because I only weigh 100lbs. and don’t want to waste extra energy hauling around a heavy bike (outside of DH, few men ride mountain bikes that weigh 25% of their body weight).  My WTB Deva SLT weighs just 240g with titanium rails and by itself, the Deva won’t make the difference between getting on the podium or not, but it’s a great saddle choice for me.

For any woman who is riding a men’s saddle and hating it, the first upgrade to your mountain bike should be a women’s specific saddle like the Deva. The shape of the WTB Deva makes a world of difference! Even after taking a (motherhood) hiatus from the bike, I can ride comfortably for hours on this saddle.  And the Deva is the perfect saddle if you intend on racing or are in the market for a high-quality women’s mountain bike saddle.

Plus, nothing says you’re fast and fearless like white mountain bike components.  I’ve  always been hesitant about choosing white mountain bikes and parts because of the inherent mud and grime but for the Deva I’m willing to make an exception. My white WTB Deva certainly makes a statement, and my butt could not be happier!

Thanks to the folks at WTB for providing the Deva for review.

Becker’s Orthopedic & Spine Review posted a short article summarizing a study from The American Journal for Sports Medicine showing women were roughly 33% more likely to be hospitalized for biking injuries than men. The study analyzed roughly 200,000 injury reports from 1994 to 2007 and only looked at patients older than 8 years old.

According to the study, 6.1% of injured women were hospitalized compared to just 4.5% of men. Although it doesn’t sound like the report speculates why this might be the case, we reckon it might have something to do with macho guys waving off serious injuries that deserve medical attention. In fact we wouldn’t be surprised if the rate of injuries that should be treated in a hospital are actually higher for men than women since men tend to mountain bike more aggressively. Then again, maybe some women go to the hospital in cases when it’s not really necessary.

Aside from the main finding, several statistics from the report are actually pretty interesting. The study points out that upper extremity fractures are the most common injury in biking accidents (does the head count as an extremity?). In a bit of good news, the report shows the annual number of mountain bike-related injuries decreased a whopping 56% over the period, perhaps thanks to increased awareness and better equipment. Finally, patients between 14 and 19 years of age sustained a disproportionate number of the annual brain trauma cases which sounds like teens aren’t wearing their helmets when they should be.

We want to hear from you – why do you think women are more likely than men to be hospitalized for mountain bike injuries? Have you skipped professional medical treatment when you probably shouldn’t have?

A little while back we introduced “Sweet Bike” on singletracks which allows you to spec out your dream bike. After speaking with Mudhunny it dawned on me: not only can you use Sweet Bike to figure out what your dream bike will cost you but you can also use it to make a stock bike work for you. For example, if you’re a woman looking for a DH bike, you’re probably not just going to get an off-the-shelf bike. For starters off the shelf DH bikes are generally too heavy for smaller riders. Mudhunny mentioned how heavy even the womens-specific DH rental bikes at Trestle Bike Park felt – a fairly common complaint for many female riders.

I recently came across one bike shop that goes the distance when it comes to building up a custom bike for their customers. This custom assembled Morewood Makulu by Fanatik Bike Co. (pictured below) is a great example of assembling a bike for a customer with their specific needs in mind. In this case, the customer was a petite woman looking for a bombing DH mountain bike.

Fanatik offers a “blank canvas” online form that allows you to specify every detail down to cable housing and tire tubes. After you submit the form one of the shop techs will look over your build, make suggestions, and even let you know about compatibility issues that might arise. Once everything looks good they’ll build your dream bike the way you want it!

If you’re really serious about your ride or if you have specific needs that stock bikes don’t address then this may be the way to go. Judging by the female-specific bikes I’ve seen from various manufactures, there’s definitely room for improvement in terms of component weight and performance (bars, stems, saddles, and even wheels). After all, women are, on average, lighter than men of the same height. Knowing that, a woman can get away with carbon bars and lighter cranks or wheels that might not hold up for a male rider. I have heard from a few component manufacturers that they are going to start offering female specific DH components beyond just bars and seat posts. Rumor has it MTB forks are being developed with women in mind – and we’re not just talking pretty pink graphics!

Computer manufacturers like Dell have offered custom builds for years and it’s only a matter of time before mountain bike manufacturers start to do more of the same. The internet makes it possible to send bike specs directly to the factory, so why not customize?

Photo courtesy of Trestle Bike Park, Winter Park Resort

Downhill mountain biking can certainly be intimidating. There are bigger and heavier bikes involved, lots of protective equipment to don, speeds you imagine only a motorized vehicle should be going, and getting big air on jumps for the fearless and/or a little bit crazy. The best way to learn how to downhill mountain bike is to ride with an experienced rider or an instructor and there’s actually no need to make a huge investment in a downhill bike or gear if you’re just starting out. At Trestle Bike Park, for example,  you can rent all the equipment you need, including your choice of many high-end downhill bikes, and get expert coaching from instructors who know every square inch of the mountain. So if you’re new to mountain biking or are a veteran cross-country rider, young (10 year olds can do this!) or old, downhill mountain biking can be a safe and exciting sport.

The Trestle Bike Park school offers four levels of classes, from beginner (Trestle 101) to advanced (Trestle 200 & 300) and even pro-style skills training. I’ve ridden over 130 mountain bike trails in the US, including downhill at Keystone and Northstar resorts, and always felt confident enough in my bike handling skills to make it down the mountain, so I opted for the Trestle 200 to learn proper freeride stance and better cornering techniques. Boy, was I in for a surprise! Figuring out the freeride stance was a bit unnatural as my body kept reverting to a comfortable XC riding position, but the stance really is the key to making downhill riding more enjoyable. My instructor, Bob Barnes, Director of Winter Park Ski & Ride School, showed me some important aspects of the freeride stance:

• Since you don’t have to pedal much when riding downhill, you’ll be standing up out of the saddle with your pedals horizontal and your heels pointed down and knees slightly bent.
• In the freeride stance your weight should be shifted forward almost over the center of the top tube, compared to XC riding where your weight is usually over the pedals.  Keep leaning forward so your chin is directly above the headset and fork.
• Most downhill and freeride bikes have wider handlebars for a reason; keep your arms wide and elbows forward and bent.  Your forearms should be positioned at nearly the same angle as the fork.

Photo courtesy of Trestle Bike Park, Winter Park Resort

In Bob’s words, this stance should allow you to “go where you want, when you want and as fast as you want.”  Keeping my elbows in the proper position was the hardest thing to remember. My elbows kept falling in a parallel to the ground position, common for climbing hills in XC mountain biking. This naturally pushes your center of gravity back towards the seat more and what happens is the bike takes the lead and you’re just holding on for the ride. It was also hard to make myself lean forward and stand upright going downhill. Just like downhill skiing, if you lean forward you’ll go faster. My (tense and nervous) instincts were telling me to move back and slow the bike down, but it actually became a much smoother, and yes, faster ride when I remembered to lean forward.  Fortunately you always have the brakes to control your speed. It’s important to remember never to lock up on either the front or rear brake while you’re riding downhill. It’s ok to ride your rear brake going downhill and then give it a firmer squeeze (along with the front brake) when approaching corners or technical sections.

Maintaining the stance is a little tricky when taking corners.  For many turns you can get away with your feet still being horizontal, but ideally you will have your outside foot down.  You should keep an upright stance and lay the bike down towards your knee of the leg on the inside of the turn. We’ve all seen this cornering technique before and watched with amazement at how a rider can lay their bike almost horizontal to the ground while riding a banked turn. The trick is keeping the bike’s momentum going forward and relying on the outer knobs of your tires for grip.

I’m really glad I got the chance to take a class on downhill mountain biking at Trestle Bike Park – I honestly can’t imagine a better place to learn. And with 33 miles of downhill trail, there certainly is plenty of terrain to practice on and advance to when you’re ready. You also won’t find a better value for your money – it’s actually cheaper to take the beginner downhill class at Trestle packaged with a demo bike, protective gear and lift ticket than to just rent a bike and buy a lift ticket for a half-day. Trestle also hosts “Women’s Wednesdays” all summer where ladies can get 2-for-1 lift tickets, rentals, and instruction.

Seriously, anyone can learn how to downhill mountain bike.  If you like riding bikes, its 10 times more fun when you hardly have to pedal, especially uphill!

There’s a new documentary film out about mountain biking women and judging by the previews it looks to be as adrenaline packed as any MTB film we’ve seen. Of course, this movie isn’t just about women who ride bikes – it’s about women who ride downhill, DJ, and freeride specifically. A Seattle Times film reviewer gives the movie two and a half stars out of four which ain’t bad.

The film is showing in Seattle this week and you can buy the DVD through the Bones Over Metal website for $24.95 right now. Anyone seen this one yet and care to share a review? Trailer embedded below.

A few mountain bike items to take a look at today:

Mountain biking 101: How to get women into the sport. Diane Ursu posted a good article over on Examiner.com with tips for introducing women to the sport of mountain biking. Aside from the obvious stuff (get a comfortable bike, the right clothes, etc.) Ursu also says “don’t give her pointers unless she asks, at least for the first ride” and “let her lead.” Most articles I read about getting women into mountain biking are written by men so they usually skip these points Give the article a skim if you’re thinking of introducing your significant other to mountain biking this fall.

3 cool MTB events in Atlanta this weekend. I already posted about this in the forums but here’s a quick recap: SORBA Atlanta ride @ Panola Mtn. State Park Saturday; GA Tech sponsored collegiate MTB race at GA Int’l Horse Park Saturday & Sunday; and ribbon cutting / grand opening for new bike trails at Burruss Park in Marietta on Sunday. I’ll definitely attend at least one of these events – that is, if it doesn’t rain!

Mountain Hardwear giving away a pack-a-day through September 17. Man, August and September must be the months of free outdoor gear! Not only can you score a VHoldR HD helmet cam or Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, you can also register to win a sweet pack from Mountain Hardwear (giveaway pack changes every day). The cool thing about this promo is that you’ll find out if you’re today’s winner as soon as you submit the entry form and you can enter every day the contest runs (I didn’t win today so that means you still have a chance!). Most of the giveaway packs are hydration bladder compatible and should be great choices for epic slogs through remote terrain.

I’ve always been proud to show off my wounds and scars from mountain bike crashes, but there is actually a much easier way to show off my love for the sport. Bike part jewelry is a really unique way to take a little bit of your mountain bike with you (literally) anywhere you choose to wear it and it makes for a great gift too.

I was super excited to see the wide variety of handcrafted jewelry designs that Designs by Jodey has created from bike parts.  Jodey, a mountain biker herself,  makes bracelets, necklaces, earrings, bookmarks, and keychains out of new and used bike parts.  It was hard to decide on just one piece but I finally chose a custom sized Double Row Chain Link Bracelet.  The chain link is such a classic and obvious representation of a bicycle part – I didn’t want anyone to mistake this as just another ordinary bracelet.

When I read that Jodey used worn bicycle parts for her jewelry, I was a little skeptical.  I wondered if I was going to end up with dirt and grease rubbing off on my wrists or clothes.  On the contrary, the silver chain link plates in my bracelet are clean and shiny! The cool thing is I can tell they aren’t new due to the characteristic scratches and friction marks. Sometimes I like to imagine the killer trails this chain saw in its former life – if only chain link plates could talk.

The bracelet also uses black bike chain rollers in between the chain link plates.  I really like the contrast of the black and silver which makes each part stand out and together, well, it just works.  The toggle clasp is a complementary gunmetal color and makes getting the bracelet on and off easy with your single opposing hand.

The fact that this bracelet has a really simple and unique design using recycled bike chains make this one of my favorite everyday pieces to wear.  I got complements the first time I wore this bracelet to work and I’m proud to wear it most casual Fridays. It also goes great with the little black dress

Just like the little black dress, every girl that rides mountain bikes needs bike part jewelry.  You can order the jewelry on Jodey’s website, www.designsbyjodey.com.  And guys, when you’re buying bike jewelry for your lady friends you can also check out men’s bike part necklaces and bracelets for yourself too!