The most perfect weather ever made for an amazing day of riding at Blackhawk Ski Club on Saturday, May 20. During a morning and afternoon event, female-identifying adults and kids gathered with experienced West Madison Mountain Bike Team and Driftless Mountain Bike Team coaches and student athletes to learn more about NICA/Wisconsin League mountain bike teams and gain new skills on bikes.

Small groups taught by coaches learned key skills like the A-B-C-D-Es of checking your bike out before you ride; how to stop effectively when riding; how to ride uphill with proper body positioning; how to ride downhill and over features like rollers and berms in the proper “ready position”; bike-body separation techniques; and other key skills. After practicing each important skill, small groups rode the trails at Blackhawk: The Pines, Roller Coaster, and Twist and Shout.

HUGE THANKS to all of our supporters and sponsors for the event! Dreambikes supplied a fleet of loaner bikes for riders without bikes to use; CORP provided support; and Blackhawk provided the venue. Thanks to Black Saddle Bike Shop, Trek, and other local bike shops for donating to our raffle. Thanks to the West Madison Mountain Bike Teams and Driftless Mountain Bikes teams for co-hosting with Blackhawk Ski Club, and thanks to the coaches and student athletes who volunteered their time to coach and ride with the participants! Thanks to NICA’s GRiT (Girls Riding Together) initiative and the Wisconsin Cycling League for their support of our teams. We continue to work to get more people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds on bikes, and providing a judgement-free, 100% supportive space in which to try out mountain biking is a key way we do that. Thank you again to everyone who helped make it happen and to all the folks who attended. See you on the trails!