Author: Coach Katie

Join the East Madison Mountain Bike Team for their GRiT Try It Out event on June 7. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/girls-riding-together-grit-mtb-try-it-out-tickets-334683014907

Our team was featured on Channel 3000 on May 17! Check out this page for three segments featuring interviews with coaches and athletes + some fun footage of us riding at Quarry Park!

NICA’s GRiT initiative aims to recruit and retain more female-identifying riders and coaches in co-ed NICA programs.  Please invite any female-identifying friends who are interested in trying out a mountain bike to join us at Blackhawk for some instruction, games, beginner rides, and prizes!

We asked and the City of Madison responded. The City of Madison Parks Division is considering the construction of a one-mile single track trail around the perimeter of Walnut Grove Park, near Memorial HS, with construction beginning late 2022 or 2023. For more info, see the Project Webpage. Our team requested more trails in Madison, so let’s show up for the meetings!  Please save the date and attend this May 5  New Trail Virtual Public Meeting to comment and show your support. 

Need a bike?                  

• Bikes are still in short supply. Please shop NOW if your athlete needs a new bike! Local bike shops can help guide you towards which bike to purchase but delivery times vary and can be long. In some cases, local bike shops can offer discounts for NICA athletes.
• We generally suggest a bike with hydraulic disc brakes, which are easier for small hands to pull. A front suspension shock is highly recommended; full suspension is not necessary for the trails that we ride and the style of riding that we do.
• We hope to include a buy/ sell/ trade page within TeamSnap where team members can list and search for bikes and team gear. DreamBikes and the WI NICA League Buy/Sell Facebook group can be good sources of second hand bikes. DreamBikes is sometimes able to rent bikes based on their supply.

Blackhawk is looking for youth mountain bike instructor volunteers for their weeknight summer and fall sessions. Previous instructor experience isn’t required; training is included. Email Kelley Linnan for more information and to volunteer. 

Sunday, June 6 was our second annual Try-it-Out Event for our GRiT/NICA program. It was an AMAZING day! We had over 50 girls participating. We ran 2 sessions that included learning basic skills, riding Roller Coaster and Twist and Shout, and a fun raffle. Thank you to Blackhawk for all their support and for opening their trails to us! Shout out to Erik’s, Machinery Row, Budget, West Madison MTB Team, and Coach Mindy for providing raffle prizes! And shout out to Dreambikes and Matt Martinez for bringing his fleet of rental bikes for us to loan out to girls who needed a bike! HUGE power clap to Coach Kristin for her awesome organizational skills, her outreach, and most of all her energy for making this event happen! Thank you, Kristin!! Tons of coach help made this day successful: Thanks to Coach Stella, Coach Nikki, Coach Nancy, Coach Michelle, Coach Melissa, Coach Grace, Coach Brooke, Coach Mindy, Coach BJ, Coach Heidi, and Coach Patty. Thanks also to our inspiring riders who make all the difference: Opal, Sarah, Maddie W, Maddie S, Emily, Lily, Anja, and Tess.  YOU GIRLS ROCK!! Here’s a link to the coverage from Channel 3 News: ‘GRiT’ event gives Dane County girls a chance to learn mountain biking skills.

You may be ready to ride, but is your bike?  NICA coaches and Dreambikes staff will be at the Quarry Ridge Shelter to do quick bike checks and small repairs.  Sign up here for a time slot to get your athlete’s bike looked over before the season begins.  Suggested donation per bike is $5-10.  All proceeds will go to Dreambikes.  New riders to the team are highly encouraged to get their bikes checked either at this event or at a local bike shop prior to practice starting.

• Join us June 6 at Blackhawk from 12-2pm OR 2:30-4:30pm for a GRiT try-it-out event!

Do you have a female-identifying friend who is interested in joining the team, but may be new to MTB and wants to try it out first?  We welcome new and current female-identifying coaches and riders to join us! New riders, please use this sign up link. No need to sign up if you are already on the team and have a Blackhawk membership.

Join the Wisconsin League’s GRiT Ride on Sunday, May 16, at Hartman Creek! The ride is FREE and open to all female-identifying riders and coaches!  Angela Brooks, our new WI GRiT coordinator, has posted an eventbrite sign-up for the Sunday ride and is asking interested girls to sign up, so that she knows she has enough coaches to lead and sweep rides that day.

Sign up and get more information here!