Betasso Thursday 9/3

This Thursday's ride (September 3) will be an All Levels ride at Betasso Preserve, starting at the West trail head of the Canyon Loop Trail. We will ride 2-3 loops, depending on daylight and motivation. We may split into more than one group depending on skill and the number of ladies who come out. This ride is suitable for confident beginners; it has some exposure and short rocky sections. All obstacles can be safely walked.

Please try to carpool! Parking is especially limited at this trailhead. To carpool, meet at Boulder County Justice Center at 6th and Canyon at 5:30 or meet at the trail head by 5:45 pm. We will start riding promptly at 6:00 pm. The "Link" trail is currently closed for pipeline reconstruction and I recommend against biking Boulder Canyon to the trailhead and back.

Dinner and drinks will follow at the Rio.

Important Info about the Rides:

1. All riders MUST wear a helmet, bring water, and have a trail-ready bike.
2. Riders should also carry the usual basics: spare tube(s), a pump, tire levers, a chain tool, and basic allen wrenches.
   
3. All riders ride at their own risk, group leaders take no responsibility for rider safety/injury. Riders must sign a liability waiver once during the season. If this is your first ride of the season, please bring a signed waiver with you or be prepared to complete one at the meeting spot.
   
4. Rides launch at 6:00 pm so be at the trail head by 5:45 pm, dressed and ready to roll by 6 pm.
   
5. If the weather is questionable (as it has been lately) make sure to check the blog after 3:00 pm on Thursdays for updated info.
   
6. For permitting and planning purposes, please post your name in the comment field if you plan to join us. The comment field is also great for planning carpools, etc.
   
   

Send us an email if you have any questions – bmagirls.rideleader @ gmail.com

Please don't be shy about coming out - all of us love biking and would like to hang out with girls that are interested in biking.

Hope to see you Thursday!

Elizabeth

Heil Ranch Recap

12 strong riders turned out for our last ride in August - a jaunt up and down Heil Ranch. We broke into two fairly well matched groups and rode up the Wapiti Trail. At the juncture of Ponderosa Trail, the first group headed up to make a loop on super fun Wild Turkey. I believe the second group rode up and back down on Ponderosa.

Most of the ladies regrouping at the Wapiti/Ponderosa Intersection (photo cred Jenifer)

Rachel and Liz getting ready to take off again (Photo cred Karen)

Another Rachel! (photo cred Karen)

Miraculously, both groups ended up at the bottom of the Wapiti Trail at the same time! Everyone looked like they had a great time! In fact, one gurl, who hadn't been on her mountain bike in years, could not stop proclaiming enthusiastically how much FUN she was having! The weather was perfect and we managed to make it up and down well before dark, although I had to stuff my sunglasses in my jog bra toward the bottom of the descent, as it was getting darker in the woods.

Please note - it's getting dark earlier and earlier every night, and therefore difficult to complete a ride without lights. Consequently, we will be hosting only two more rides this season - September 3rd and September 10th (more info soon). We'll celebrate a long season of fantastic riding with an end of year party TBA soon!

Heil Valley Ranch Ride Thursday August 27th

This Thursday's ride (August 27th) will be an Intermediate ride at Heil Ranch, starting at the main trail head off Left Hand Canyon and Greer Canyon Road. We will ride up the Wapiti Trail and then sample either the Ponderosa Trail or the Wild Turkey Trail before coming back down the Wapiti Trail. The trail is suitable for intermediate and advanced riders who are comfortable with chunky rocks and some climbing. We may split into more than one group depending on skill and the number of ladies who come out.

Please try to carpool! To carpool, meet at 28^th and Iris – SE corner next to Sol Azteca at 5:25 pm or meet at the trail head by 5:45 pm. We will start riding at 6:00 pm prompt.

Dinner and drinks will follow, probably at Sol Azteca (we'll be right there). Or, we can go somewhere else quicker like Tokyo Joe's or Larkburger (both on Arapahoe).

Important Info about the Rides:

1. All riders MUST wear a helmet, bring water, and have a trail-ready bike.
2. Riders should also carry the usual basics: spare tube(s), a pump, tire levers, a chain tool, and basic allen wrenches.
   
3. All riders ride at their own risk, group leaders take no responsibility for rider safety/injury. Riders must sign a liability waiver once during the season. If this is your first ride of the season, please bring a signed waiver with you or be prepared to complete one at the meeting spot.
   
4. Rides launch at 6:00 pm so be at the trail head by 5:45 pm, dressed and ready to roll by 6 pm.
   
5. If the weather is iffy (as it has been lately) make sure to check the blog after 3:00 pm on Thursdays for updated info.
   
6. For permitting and planning purposes, please post your name in the comment field if you plan to join us. The comment field is also great for planning carpools, etc.
   
   

Send us an email if you have any questions – bmagirls.rideleader @ gmail.com

Please don't be shy about coming out - all of us love biking and would like to hang out with girls that are interested in biking.

Hope to see you Thursday!
-Jenifer

Lyon's Bike Park Recap

Wow! what a night! We had a group of over 20 ladies working on technical skills with Lee McCormack!!

Lee, the lone man for the evening, dolling out instructional advice (photo cred Tracy Emmanuel)

Lee surrounded by over 20 very attentive women (photo cred Jamie Costa)

We worked on some basic, but very important, weight transfer technique on flat ground, then moved to braking and finally on to terrain pumping, with a little instruction on ascending and descending technical terrain.

Lee showing us how to lower our posteriors the right way (Photo cred Jenifer Kwasniewski)

All us gurlz lowering our hips the right way - Utkatasana-style (photo cred Jamie Costa)

Practicing proper fore and aft body position (photo cred Jenifer Kwasniewski)

Practicing braking at high speed (photo cred Jamie Costa)


We played on the rocks, incorporating proper body position, good arm position and braking (photo cred Jenifer Kwasniewski)

With Lee's insightful instruction all the ladies came away with added confidence as well as some great exercises to work on!

We finally concluded the evening's session when we started running out of daylight, even though we all wanted to go on! (photo cred Jenifer Kwasniewski)

If any of you ladies are interested in taking part in a smaller, more focused clinic with Lee, please email bmagirls.rideleader@gmail.com, because we will be working with Lee to set up a series of technical sessions.

Click here for a whole lot more pics from the evening!

Aug. 20 - Skills Night at Lyons Bike Park with Lee McCormack!!

The last skills session at the Lyons Bike Park was such a good time, that we want to do it again, but this time, the master of the pump track will be on hand to give us some words of wisdom!!

We will be breaking the girls-only rule this week, because we have invited Lee McCormack, designer and builder of the Lyons Bike Park, to come out and join us for some pump track goodness! Lee is the co-author of Mastering Mountain Bike Skills and author of Welcome to Pump Track Nation. He offers private and group skills clinics for all types of riding styles. I can personally attest to his fantastic teaching style - he has a way of breaking down technique into progressional steps that make a lot of sense, and will improve your riding immediately! More information about Lee can be found here.

The session on Thursday will be FREE and open to ALL levels!! We will be working on pump track skills, which includes, but is not limited to, high-speed cornering, floating over terrain, and you'll learn how to build momentum without pedaling, allowing you to fly up climbs with less effort and generally pick up speed whenever you want. The beauty of a pump track is that beginners, intermediates, and experts can all be challenged, learn and realize something awesome.

Please try to carpool! To carpool, meet at 28^th and Iris – SE corner next to Sol Azteca at 5:15PM or meet at Sandstone Park by 5:45PM; we will ride over to the bike park together, as it is located out in the middle of a field, the location of which is difficult to describe. If you know where the bike park is, feel free to show up there ready to ride at 6PM. Click here for a map of the bike park; bike park located in the middle of the field west of the High School. Additional parking can be found in Lyons around Sandstone Park (between 3rd and 4th on Railroad Ave).

Dinner and drinks will follow at Oskar Blues in Lyons. We will be setting up a reservation for dinner, to try and minimize the wait time... PLEASE make a comment on the blog letting us know that you will be coming to the clinic and if you will be staying for dinner! THANKS!

Important Info about the Rides:

1. All riders MUST wear a helmet, bring water, and have a trail-ready bike. Riders should also carry the usual basics: spare tube(s), a pump, tire levers, a chain tool, and basic allen wrenches.

2. All riders ride at their own risk, group leaders take no responsibility for rider safety/injury.

3. Riders must sign a liability waiver once during the season. If this is your first ride of the season, please bring a signed waiver with you or be prepared to complete one at the meeting spot.

4. Rides launch at 6:00 p.m. so be at the trail head by 5:45 p.m., dressed and ready to roll by 6 p.m.

5. If the weather is iffy (as it has been lately) make sure to check the blog after 3:00 p.m. on Thursdays for updated info.

6. Please don't be shy about coming out - all of us love biking and would like to hang out with girls that are interested in biking.

7. For permitting and planning purposes, please post your name in the comment field if you plan to join us. The comment field is also great for planning carpools, etc.

Send us an eamil if you have any questions – bmagirls.rideleader @ gmail.com

Hope to see you Thursday!

-Tracy

August 13th Hall Ranch Recap

Ten strong riders turned out for the Hall Ranch/Bitterbrush Intermediate ride on August 13th.

One rider had to turn back after a close encounter with a cactus (ouch!), but the remaining 9 hammered up to the top and banged out a Nelson Loop. On the way up, we stopped to session a few tricky sections:

Tracy nailing the the steep Rock Nemesis (photo cred Liz)

Jen finding the right line to crank it up the Rock Nemesis (photo cred Liz)

Susan explaining "something" important (photo cred Liz)

It was cloudy and coolish for a change (although humid); nice temps to ride in and hardly any other people on the trial! More pics can be found here.

August 13th Intermediate Ride at Hall Ranch

This Thursday we are riding Hall Ranch, going up the Bitterbrush side. This is an intermediate to advanced ride. Next Thursday's ride, an outstanding clinic with the legendary Lee McCormack as instructor, will be suitable for beginners.

To carpool, meet at 28th and Iris – SE corner next to Sol Azteca at 5:15PM or meet at the Hall Ranch Bitterbrush trail head by 5:45PM, and ready to ride at 6PM. To get to the trail head, take 36 north from Boulder to Lyons, go through Lyons, take a left on U.S. 7; the trailhead is about 1.5 miles on your right (there is a second parking area up a little ways next to the bathrooms).

Dinner and drinks will follow at Oskar Blues.

Important Info about the Rides:

1. All riders MUST wear a helmet, bring water, and have a trail-ready bike. Riders should also carry the usual basics: spare tube(s), a pump, tire levers, a chain tool, and basic allen wrenches.

2. All riders ride at their own risk, group leaders take no responsibility for rider safety/injury.

3. Riders must sign a liability waiver once during the season. If this is your first ride of the season, please bring a signed waiver with you or be prepared to complete one at the meeting spot.

4. Rides launch at 6:00 p.m. so be at the trail head by 5:45 p.m., dressed and ready to roll by 6 p.m.

5. If the weather is iffy, make sure to check the blog after 3:00 p.m. on Thursdays for updated info.

6. Please don't be shy about coming out - all of us love biking and would like to hang out with girls that are interested in biking.

7. For permitting and planning purposes, please post your name in the comment field if you plan to join us. The comment field is also great for planning carpools, etc. If you can not access the blog post, let us know you'll be there by emailing us at bmagirls.rideleader@gmail.com.

Hope to see you on Thursday!

Email me if you have any questions – bmagirls.rideleader @ gmail.com

Thanks - Jenifer

Switzerland Trail Recap

Even though nasty thunderstorms rolled through the Boulder area in the late afternoon, by ride time, the weather couldn't have been better for a nice ride on the Switzerland Trail. Only a few of the ladies made it out for the ride... but we had a great mellow ride with lots of good chit-chat.

Lori, Amy, Megan, Tracy

Beautiful views!

Even found some yummy treats along the way!

Beautiful dusk light.

And we followed it up with a quick, yummy dinner at Tokyo Joes.

Just a few more pics here.
Megan's pics here.

Aug 6 Ride - Switzerland Trail

This Thursday we are riding the Switzerland Trail, which is a great beginner trail! Even if you are an advanced rider, you will love the Switzerland trail's scenic aspen glades and mountain views. Not to mention, it will be a whole lot cooler up on the trail then down in town!

The Switzerland Trail, off of Sugarloaf Road, winds it's way through the forest along an abandoned narrow-gauge railroad bed. The trail is fairly smooth with some rocks to keep you paying attention, but is a gradual non-technical trail. We will ride out as far as we want and then return via the same route. If you are just starting to mountain bike this is the ride for you!!

To carpool, meet at the Justice Center in Boulder, 1777 6th St, Boulder, just off of Canyon. From there we will head up Canyon to Sugarloaf Rd. Be at the carpool spot around 5:05, we'll be leaving at 5:15.

To get to the trail head, turn right on Sugarloaf and climb approx 5 miles to Sugarloaf Mountain Road. Turn right and climb about 1 mile to a parking area at the junction of the Switzerland trail, at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain. Please try to carpool, because the parking area will fill quickly. It takes 25-30 minutes to get to the trailhead.

Dinner and drinks will follow at Tokyo Joes on Arapahoe.

Important Info about the Rides:

1. All riders MUST wear a helmet, bring water, and have a trail-ready bike. Riders should also carry the usual basics: spare tube(s), a pump, tire levers, a chain tool, and basic allen wrenches.

2. All riders ride at their own risk, group leaders take no responsibility for rider safety/injury.

3. Riders must sign a liability waiver once during the season. If this is your first ride of the season, please bring a signed waiver with you or be prepared to complete one at the meeting spot.

4. Rides launch at 6:00 p.m. so be at the trail head by 5:45 p.m., dressed and ready to roll by 6 p.m.

5. If the weather is iffy (as it has been lately) make sure to check the blog after 3:00 p.m. on Thursdays for updated info.

6. Please don't be shy about coming out - all of us love biking and would like to hang out with girls that are interested in biking.

7. For permitting and planning purposes, please post your name in the comment field if you plan to join us. The comment field is also great for planning carpools, etc. If you can not access the blog post, let us know you'll be there by emailing us at bmagirls.rideleader@gmail.com.

Hope to see you on Thursday!

Email me if you have any questions – bmagirls.rideleader @ gmail.com

-Tracy