Penny's Mountain Bike Page

(updated 1/08)

A lot of years ago, Craig bought me a Giant hard tail, hoping I'd get into biking. He's a happy guy: frame dents, mud, dust, dirt, a riding partner and many scabs later, "into mountain biking" is just one way to put it. I retired the "tank" and upgraded to a Kona FS and I am a very happy rider. Now, the "Svelte Hawaiian" has been retired, and I just acquired "Stella", a Stumpjumper FSR Expert WSD. Whee, is this fun!! Thanks to John and Chris at Wheelsport East for hooking me and my husband up!!

There's some great riding around here: Riverside, High Drive; Beacon/Minnehaha to name a few. We have piney forests, aspen groves, basalt cliffs, exposed sidehills and twisty single track, and miles of it. If you want to take a little trip, the wilds of Idaho are just down the road, as are the steeps of British Columbia.

I love to explore mountain trails. I'm fortunate here in that there is an extensive trail system in wild mountains here, open to all users. One of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday is to load up the bikes, a FS map and a topo map, and a few of my pals and go explore a bit on a trail that someone has found.

I'm hugely involved in local trail advocacy. We've got open space projects cooking, a bike park in the works, and a great relationship with the local powers that be.

BIKE PAGES:

Bike club!! Fat Tire Trail Riders I am really proud to be one of the founders of this club, an IMBA affiliate for our area.

Photo Album: biking people and places

Another Album: miscellaneous photos of structures I've seen and ridden structures

riding tips!!

Women's Bike Camps

My Philosophy: You are never to old to have fun, and it's all about fun. Learn skills to get better. Push yourself but try not to get hurt. Climbing will not kill you. If you can't ride it, walk it - but don't alter the trail. Learn trail manners, and be an advocate for your sport. If you are skidding you are braking too hard, or in over your head. It's not a race, either. Have lots of fun out there!!! If the folks you ride with aren't fun, tell them to lighten up or find a new group to ride with. If you are frustrated, consider going to a skills camp to get some coaching. Not everyone can learn this stuff intuitively!! I know I couldn't.

More on trail manners at the IMBA site: Rules of the Trails

Women and riding:
I find that riding with other women has helped both my state of mind and my skill level. I have been very fortunate to be taken under the wing of some experienced fun loving gals who let me tag along and gave me great pointers. I think I spent two summers following my friend Shelly down the trail, just trying to keep her rear in my line of sight. She'd just smile and say, "follow me".

My goal was to get skilled enough to ride with my husband without feeling like I was holding him back. One thing I found out was that the more of a skill base I developed, the better rider I became and the more fun I was having. I invested in a women's - only skills camp and I have never regretted the time or money spent. Now, many years later, I'll ride with anyone, anywhere, but it wasn't always that way. When I hear of women who quit after their first ride, or wanted to throw their bike at their partner, I feel sad because it doesn't have to be that way. One of the greatest joys of my life has been spending almost every single weekend exploring many miles of singletrack in the region with my hubby. Second greatest joy is being off in the woods with a bunch of gals, scaring the beginner men. (just kidding!!)

Here are some of my favorite mountain bike links:

International Mountain Bike Association

Women's Lounge (mountain discussion)

Humor -Team Smack Challenge

Fat Tire Trail Riders -Spokane's mountain bike advocacy club

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