My wife went to the dirt series camp in Bend last summer.
She is a very basic beginner rider.
There were 45 women divided into 7 skill groups.
My wife was in the 2nd to lowest group and my friends wife, whom rides a lot for was in a middle group.
They all spent some time together and at other times they would go on group rides with their skill group
One of the ladies helping was April Laywer ex world and usa champ
Anyway by the end of the camp she was riding better and did a 2 foot drop and rode a teter toter (sp?)
My company Oregon Adventures also offers women rides, contact me for details.
Mt Bike Oregon(MBO) will have womens rides and clinic. It is great place to ride and enjoy the trails in a non stressful way, plus there are lots of demo bikes to try out.
Last July MBO there were 40 women on the ride
www.mtbikeoregon.com
Take care
Randy Dreiling
----- Original Message ----
From: Carrie Barton
To: Ron and Dorothy Strasser ; obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Tuesday, June 3, 2008 10:34:28 AM
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] ladies MTB
Ron,
The link to the statesmen article must have gotten cut off. Here is
the full link, and the group that is running the clinic:
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/
OUTDOORS/805170330/1034/SPORTS
http://www.cogwild.com/Womens-Tours/default.aspx
Upon closer inspection, the group is actually out of Bend, but
advertising in the Salem paper. My bad. There are still two dates
available. I haven't been to any of these clinics I posted about, so
I can't endorse them from first hand experience. But, I know several
people who have gone to the dirt series camps, and know a hand full
of the instructors. I have heard great things from many camp
attendees. They have really figured out how to set up a comfortable
environment that every one can take something away from.
Carrie
On Jun 3, 2008, at 10:09 AM, Ron and Dorothy Strasser wrote:
> Thanks Carrie. I had heard about the dirt series, but could not
> get the statesman site to open. Is it a local group doing a
> clinic? Either way any chance for women or men to have opportunity
> to learn how to ride their mountain bikes if positive for our
> sport. I guess I would just like to see more locally grown
> opportunities. I know that John Joy of the PUMP club did a
> mountain biking 101 group ride a few Sundays last year out at
> Scappoose. I do not know how the turnout was, but he is very mellow
> and makes folks feel comfortable. The only way I knew that took
> place is because I saw it on the PUMP website. I commend any
> effort to get ladies comfortable and on mountain bikes, but just
> hope the message of opportunity gets beyond the bicycle world to
> the mother who just returned from vacation where she had so much
> fun riding her mountain bike or the commuter. The bikes just go
> into the garage until the next vacation or commute instead of being
> the conduit of a great new adventure and view of life!
> Thanks for your efforts.
> ron
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carrie Barton"
>
> To: "Ron and Dorothy Strasser"
> Cc: "Lindsay Kandra" ;
> Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 8:13 AM
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] ladies MTB
>
>
>> These opportunities are out there. A 5 second google search yielded
>> four different women's specific camp opportunities in Oregon. One
>> in Bend, Hood River, Corvallis, and Salem.
>>
>> http://www.dirtseries.com/
>> http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/
>> OUTDOORS/805170330/1034/SPORTS
>>
>>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------
>
>
>>
>> On Jun 2, 2008, at 9:35 PM, Ron and Dorothy Strasser wrote:
>>
>>> A quick rant from an old "Sport" mountain bike racer. Yes another
>>> one from
>>> ron.
>>> If I am way out of line you can tar&feather me or just lecture me
>>> at will...
>>>
>>> I do not feel qualified to show anyone (man or woman) how to race a
>>> mountain
>>> bike, but it just seems that if some riders that did have the
>>> skills (men or
>>> women) and were willing to take the time to show women or men some
>>> of the
>>> skills that it would help provide the confidence needed to try some
>>> races.
>>> There are places right here in Portland (and I am sure in other
>>> locals) to
>>> do some clinics. A city park with some hills (even grassy) would
>>> be a place
>>> to show riders technique for descending or climbing. More
>>> technical terrain
>>> could be taken on as the group advanced. I am amazed at how
>>> supportive
>>> racers are of each other in the mountain bike world. Women support
>>> each
>>> other so well in sports so I would think if newbie's showed up to
>>> clinics or
>>> races they would find how positive the environment is for their
>>> growth. I
>>> think time is a huge part of if people feel they can give of
>>> themselves (as
>>> teachers) or give of themselves (as students). There is only so
>>> much time
>>> in a day and it sure seems to go by quickly. Do the teams out
>>> there offer
>>> this type of learning opportunity to newbie's on their teams? Or
>>> do they
>>> now do some clinic like teaching for entry level riders that are
>>> not on
>>> teams? Is the teaching of new riders or team members based on
>>> the new
>>> person showing talent and desire? If they have both that is very
>>> good. But
>>> what if they just have the desire part and just a lot of fear maybe
>>> hiding
>>> the talent part... Do teams help them through this? I believe
>>> there is a
>>> huge gap between people that like to ride bikes and what they
>>> believe bike
>>> racing is like (road or mtb). Most of the publicity racing gets
>>> covers the
>>> top tier level and thus regular people see it as something they
>>> have no
>>> chance at enjoying much less being a part. Cyclocross gets about
>>> as close
>>> to reaching out to the masses as cycling has ever gotten in the
>>> good ol'
>>> USof A. Portland is a huge part of that open door policy. I see
>>> "Platinum"
>>> as getting that door open even wider for Track, Road and MTB
>>> racing. I
>>> would help out, but I believe well qualified people in the cycling
>>> world
>>> need to make these training sessions happen. I know they do
>>> sessions at
>>> Alpenrose and PIR for track, cyclocross and road, but one sure does
>>> not hear
>>> much if anything about MTB racing. I think the public image of MTB
>>> racing
>>> is lots of wrecks, thus a general fear of pain from falling off the
>>> bike.
>>> There are probably more crashes on the road. I am not
>>> complaining. New
>>> people need to come from the masses, not specific picked out
>>> individuals
>>> known through a friend etc. For example, regular people need to
>>> see an
>>> opportunity on a flyer in a coffee shop or grocery store as well as
>>> bike
>>> shops or hearing from a friend. The flyer/poster needs to perk
>>> interest.
>>> If the clinic is run well, the new women or men will pick it up and
>>> go with
>>> it. People can learn and accept new ideas and challenges when they
>>> feel
>>> supported. Even people that seem as if they would never be able to
>>> race a
>>> bike, might become much more than perceived if nurtured. So if
>>> someone puts
>>> something together (hey you teams or bike shops!) I will be a
>>> gopher and
>>> help out. I will be a spoke in the wheel. I have nothing but time
>>> and will
>>> let all my other responsibilities fall to the wayside (even to the
>>> point of
>>> homeless and begging for food)... or at least work the volunteering
>>> into my
>>> schedule.
>>> rant over
>>> ron
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Lindsay Kandra"
>>> To:
>>> Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 7:27 PM
>>> Subject: [OBRA Chat] ladies MTB
>>>
>>>
>>>> What keeps me from the MTB race scene is the lack of practice. I
>>>> really
>>>> don't like going out with more intermediate or advanced riders and
>>>> holding
>>>> the whole show up, so I get lazy and don't go at all. There are a
>>>> lot of
>>>> ladies doing CX because of the camaraderie in the women's fields
>>>> and maybe
>>>> more women would come to race MTB if there were more opportunities
>>>> to do
>>>> clinics and rides with a group of other race-curious slowpokes.
>>>> Maybe
>>>> those are already out there and I just haven't looked hard
>>>> enough...
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>
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