Ride Like A Girl 2018 Recap!

On January 13, 2018 The Wheel Mill was packed with 73 female cyclists and six coaches. We came together for the Ride Like A Girl Weekend with a common goal to get more women on bikes. Each coach taught fundamental classes as well as specialized lessons on different areas of the park. The park was closed to the public so the riders can have full focus without distractions and never feel they are in the way. The energy was great, starting off Saturday morning getting riders’ bikes dialed in. Once the coaches introduced themselves and got everyone pumped for the lessons, we broke out into groups. We separated the fundamental classes by New to MTB\BMX, Beginner Fundamentals and Advanced Fundamentals. For a large group event like this, it is important to make sure riders understand basic fundamentals before having them ride the park. Then after the fundamental classes the coaches broke off into areas of the park to work on specific skills.

This was the third year for this event and this year was the best yet! Thanks to all the amazing coaches and sponsors who came together to make this event possible. There are many women’s events all around the US–why is this one so unique? Having the park closed to the public for two days on a busy January weekend is extremely helpful. Many women feel intimidated at bike parks when it’s crowded. This creates a fear barrier and can make it unsafe to ride. We eliminate the fear with clear coaching and constantly keeping riders within their skill level to decrease chance of injury. We also have coaches dedicated as a whole in making the scene better for women from both MTB and BMX backgrounds. Special thanks to the owner of The Wheel Mill and the staff for believing in the mission to get more women on bikes, we truly could not enjoy the same experience without the park being closed.

Sunday we had 59 riders attend, and with a similar schedule from the day prior, ladies worked on making sure all their goals were met before the weekend was over. Another day filled with coaching, rooms being filled with laughter or cheers from a rider completing something they have been working up the courage to do. The best times are spent at the end of each coaching day in the lounge as a group. Each rider was encouraged to speak out loud to the group about their experience and what they have learned or overcome. The room was filled with emotions as each rider shared the best moment of their day. Tears were shed, hugs were exchanged, and stories that made everyone laugh is why this weekend is so special. For some this is the start of something new in their life and for others it is the start of a successful season now they are riding confident instead of in fear.

We will be having a Summer Ride Like A Girl Women’s Weekend June 9th-10th with coaches Carley Young and Karen Brooks. This event will be indoors on Saturday and outdoors on Sunday. Karen Brooks takes MTB riders to Frick Park and Carley Young takes riders to the Westmoreland BMX Track.

Thanks to coaches who made this event possible: Carley Young, Karen Brooks, Cory Coffey, Hillary Marques, Nina Buitrago, and Kathi Krause.

Thanks to all the sponsors who make this event possible:

The Wheel Mill, Ride Like A Girl, Ink Division, Aero Tech Designs, Fischer Nutrition, Dirt Rag, Pro Bikes, Hammer Nutrition, S&M Bicycles, Shadow Conspiracy, One Feather Press, Etnies, 343 Graphix, Dans Comp, Bike Pittsburgh, Specialized, Pedros, DC Designs, Kink, Deluxe, G-Form, BMX Training, Over the Bar Café, Empire, No Wear, Fit Bicycles, Subrosa, Jaunt.

Words by: Carley Young and Karen Brooks
Photos by: Murphy Moschetta