# Ladyfolks are just too damned cool...(buttload of pictures)



## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

This Saturday I held a MTB Skills Clinic for women. It was free and open to all skill levels, so we had quite a large turnout.

We had over 40 women ages 8 to over 60. (Let me know if the images done show)

We started off with introductions. Leah was an adventure racer who wanted to get better at mountain biking. Amy's husband loves to mountain bike. She brought her two daughters in hopes of turning it into an activity the whole family could enjoy (Amy's husband sat invisibly on the sidelines during the clinic - his smile was ear to ear watching his wife and little girls on their bikes). Barbie wanted to learn wheelie drops. Roni explained that she learned to unicycle when she was 40, motorcycle when she was 50, and since she just turned 60, she decided to pick up a mountain bike.










After teaching trackstands and ratcheting, they lined up for the famous "slow race". It almost took my breath away staring across the grounds with the women taking up the ENTIRE width of the field.










And, They're Off!


















The novices got comfortable riding a 6" board before heading over to the long curb. This is our youngest rider kicking ass and taking names.










The curb was the perfect next step. Six inches wide and about 30 feet long.










Of course, it was also the source of some pretty sweet 50/50's.










Once you can ride a balance beam, you can ride a teeter totter. Here's our youngest (8) and oldest (60+) riders learning to teeter. After explaining the "Oh Crap" moment (that's the inevitable moment when you swear that the teeter isn't going to totter), they both mastered the teeter totter.


















Then, you know it's time for wheelies!!!


























Stairs, Shmares!










And the ladies take to the trails...


















<In the rythm of "Wheels on the Bus"> This is how we climb the hill, climb the hill...


























I organized a pot luck style lunch to feast on after the long day. Mmmmm...Bean Tortilla salad, Totellini casserole, COOKIES!!!


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## screampint (Dec 10, 2001)

Thank you! That is inspirational! Looks like a great time and what a wonderful thing to do for the cycling community and the women, too!


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## Mtnbikenmama (Apr 1, 2004)

*That is so cool...*

did you have to build the obstacles or that a pre-existing park? That looks like so much fun!!! Great pixs.


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## mahgnillig (Mar 12, 2004)

Wow, I would love to do something like that!

My skills really need some work... I was going to practise on the curbs outside my house but our neighbours' kids play out there, and I wouldn't want to fall on my butt in front of a bunch of 7 year olds! I managed some clipless pedal assisted bunnyhops the other day, but my trackstands only last 5 seconds max and I just can't get the hang of a wheelie.

- Jen.


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

Mtnbikenmama said:


> did you have to build the obstacles or that a pre-existing park?


Pre-existing. Actually, they're all a part of the "Catzilla's Skills Lair". I built some of the obstacles and asked friends with mad construction skills to build others. Skills areas rock. The name started as a bit of a joke - then the park ended up making a 3' x 6' sign that says, "Catzilla's Skills Lair" on it in giant reflective letters.

But, obstacles are all around you. Long curbs are balance beams, parking curbs are logs, logs are...well...logs, you can find stairs anywhere, etc.

Granted, it's way more convenient when they are all in one confined area.


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

mahgnillig said:


> I was going to practise on the curbs outside my house but our neighbours' kids play out there, and I wouldn't want to fall on my butt in front of a bunch of 7 year olds!


If there's anyone who understands falling on their butts, it's a group of 7 year olds. Don't be afraid to show 'em that adults make goof ups too. And more importantly, that you aren't afraid to get back on your bike and try it again.



> But my trackstands only last 5 seconds...


Folks learning trackstands make a common mistake - they try to hold their trackstand as long as possible, and then tip over. This rocks as long as you are trying to learn how to trackstand and tip over. The key is to hold a trackstand for 1 second, and then roll out of it (before you tip over). Once you've mastered the 1 second trackstand, hold a trackstand for 2 seconds and then roll out. Keep increasing the time this way and you will be shooting past your five second mark in no time. Holding a trackstand for a shorter period of time and focussing on being able to roll out of it will allow you to spend more time practicing and less time getting reclipped in and re-setup.



> ...and I just can't get the hang of a wheelie.


Wheelies are nothing more than a series of steps. As long as you follow the steps you will be able to wheelie (or at least pop your front wheel up for a second to two).

First off - the biggest misconception by women - "Wheelies are all about upper body strength". This just ain't true at all. Folks can perform no-handed wheelies (I don't know how, but they do), so your hands are there to control your front wheel, not to yank it up.

Now, here's whatchya do:

1. If you have flat pedals use 'em, if you have clips, don't clip in.
2. Scootch back on your seat a little. You don't need to have your butt hanging off the back, you just want to scootch an inch or two back of where you normally sit. Keep your butt glued to the seat during the wheelie.
3. Figure out which foot is your power foot (usually, right for righthanded folks)
4. Put your bike into a very easy gear - say, the middle ring up front and the second to largest ring in the back. 
5. Roll along as S-L-O-W-L-Y as you possible can. I mean, super-duper-turtles-are-passing-you kind of slow.
6. Bring your power foot up to the 1 o'clock position while your are slowly rolling.
7. When you are ready, SLAM your power foot all the way down!!!

TA DA!!!

If it didn't work, make sure you aren't lifting your butt off the seat when you slam your power foot down. It's a very common mistake that people don't even realize they are doing.

It's like when a drag racing car guns the engine at the beginning of the race and you see the front end come up a bit. Except in the case of a wheelie, your legs are the engine. After slamming your power foot down, you'll see your front wheel pop up in the air. And that's a wheelie kick. To maintain the wheelie, you need to continue to pedal after that initial power stroke.

Caveat - Keep two fingers hovering over your rear brakes. If you feel that you are going to far backwards and you're about to crap your spandex, just touch the rear wheel and your front wheel will immediately come back down.

Since you likely won't be in your easiest gear and riding as slowly as possible in the trail, you'll need to experiment with different speeds and gears after you master this initial wheelie kick. What you'll find is that the faster you go, the more power you need to deliver in order to create the force to pop up that front wheel. To create the necessary power, you'll need to be in a harder gear and consequently pushing down harder with your leg.


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## springfever (Mar 7, 2005)

Hey could you explain to me what a trackstand is and what it is used for, I am totally in the dark! Thanks


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

springfever said:


> Hey could you explain to me what a trackstand is and what it is used for, I am totally in the dark! Thanks


Generally, riders rely on their speed and momentum to keep them upright (here's where Mr. Wizard comes and shows you that a wheel tied to a string at the axel can stay upright when it's spinning).

A trackstand forces you to maintain perfect control of your bicycle without the benefit of speed or momentum. It is where the bike is perfectly still and you are hovering above it using your own control to stay upright. On the trail, this skill will decrease "tipping" and decrease the number of times you have to unclip just because you had to stop for half a second. It will also give you the magic of time. If you are in an uber-rooty section, you can trackstand for a moment while you evaluate your line options. This is way easier on the rider than a) crashing because you couldn't unclip, b) unclipping because you weren't sure which was the best line, and c) picking a crappy line because it was the first one you saw.

I think I wrote out a way too long set of instructions for doing it. I'll see if I can still find 'em.


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

Found it on another message board...

=================================

Here are two tricks and one piece of advice that should guarentee your future as a trackstander extroidenairre.

*Advice:*
The bad news is that trackstands are very hard to learn. The good news is that no matter what, as long as you keep practicing, you are guarenteed to eventually master them.

*Trick #1*
Most folks try to hold a trackstand as long as they can until they finally tip over. Thing is, this only teaches you how to trackstand and then tip over. Start off by holding a trackstand for 1 second, then roll out. Once you have perfected the one second trackstand, hold it for 1.5 seconds, then roll out. Slowly but surely, the time you can maintain balance will creep its way up.

*Trick #2*
Smooshy ground = more room for error when trackstanding.

My first trackstand was in the sand, and it occurred to me that it was almost impossible not to hold a trackstand in the sand. Basically, when the ground has a little bit of give to it, it is almost like tiny little hands are holding on to your wheels to keep them stable. Thick grass is my preference. As you begin to advance, move to pavement.

*The Basics of Trackstanding:*

Many folks will banter about whether brakes are used during a true trackstand. I say, "Who gives a flying crap?". If you are not using brakes, you need a hill, which we ain't got in Floriduh.

A trackstand is when you hold the bike perfectly still. The balance and control you gain from learning this trick will immediately display itself while you are zipping around on the trails. Actually, when I began practicing trackstands, I noticed an immediate drop in my falls and an advancement in my technical skills.

The stability of a trackstand is gained from the torque on the pedals opposing the braking power up front. Ride along at a slow pace while standing, then use your front and rear brakes to bring you to a stop. When you stop, you will turn your front wheel almost 45 degrees, and your power foot should be in the 2 or 3 o'clock position. If your power foot drops below the 3 o'clock position, you will generally lose the trackstand, because you no longer have the torquing power. There is no "right" way to turn the front wheel. Some folks turn it towards their power foot, and others away. Just do what feels most natural.

Your body should be hovered above the bike, generally with more of your weight over the front of the bike. You then use your elbows, knees, feet, and your ability to sway the bike beneath you to maintain balance.

It can be frustrating, but just remember that with enough practice, YOU WILL MASTER IT!!!


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## springfever (Mar 7, 2005)

Hey thanks... I often do what you described waiting in traffic. I can see that it would be benificial to practice that and roll out into some kinda of obsticle. I might have to set something up in my back yard. That could be pretty entertaining with a few beers in the evening.


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## SpiderTaxi (Jan 20, 2004)

*What a great post!*

Thanks for something to look forward to, and a couple of great ideas I can work on in the backyard. Trackstanding has always alluded me, but now I realize I can trackstand, just not that long...heh. (The scars on my knees are too honest.)


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## Sabine (Jan 12, 2004)

Excellent.

I love the turn out. 

Even seasoned riders could spend a little time on these slow (or no) motion skills. I know I could. 

I love your write ups. If I ever get around to a tips section on our website, I would love to use them (with your permission and credit of course). I could send some kitty cat goodies your way in exchange.

Sabine


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

excellent! Looks like a great day. If you have ever done something like this, you know how great it is. If you haven't, well, get thee to Catzillas!!! Or something like it. 

Catzilla... was this through a club, or just you putting it on, ? I'm curious how you set it up.

Fomica.


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

WOW that is relaly inspirational! Kudos on a job well done. Look how happy those gals are too.


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## FreeRangeChicken (Jan 13, 2004)

Great pics and great write-up, Cat!



> They're Grrrrreat!!!
> --Tony the Tiger (another famous cat)


That's pretty good info you found on trackstands too. I discovered something when learning trackstands that improved my stability by leaps and bounds.

When trackstanding you are basically standing on your pedals so you're connected to the bike at the handlebars and the pedals with a whole lot of wobbly joints and muscles inbetween, Your body moves completely independently from the bike. This is really good when you're riding over technical terrain, but causes complications when trying to trackstand.

I found that if I anchor my my trailing leg against the top tube(or my seat) stability is greatly improved. This just creates a more firm, but not rigid, connection between your body and your bike leaving you to focus on the balance point of the system(bike and body together) and not the two independently.

I found that when I was learning I tended to make corrections too quickly and over correct. Anchoring my trailing leg against the bike got rid of alot of the gyrations, wobbles and twitches my body was going through trying to balance(...not because I'm a spaz. I am a spaz, but that's not why I was gyrating, wobbling and twitching).

Hope that makes sense!?

FRC


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## megarino (Jan 21, 2005)

Oh I love this thread! It is very informative, and greatly appreciated. I will have to go out and see if I can pretend to pull any of this stuff off. I wish I could find something like this in my area, anyone know of anything like it in northern ca? hah, so fun to see everyone having such a good time, Thanks!


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

Sabine said:


> I love your write ups.


Likewise, I'm sure.

(Sorry, just re-saw Best of Show and that line popped into my head. Your write ups and website routinely rock the kasbah as well - maybe we can split up the tip writing and put it on both our websites.)



> I could send some kitty cat goodies your way in exchange.


Mmmm...dead fish insides...


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

formica said:


> Catzilla... was this through a club, or just you putting it on, ? I'm curious how you set it up.


Well, both.

I'm a directoreno of ClubMud which is a trail maintenance, advocacy, and bacchanalia club in South Florida. The club formed a coupla' years ago when all of us lead trail maintenance volunteers from multiple parks joined together. I tend to do the events/promotion/volunteer coordinating side of things. So, we've got monthly group rides, and women's rides, and night rides, and trail parties where we get to hack at stuff with machetes. It's mainly just about getting the event off the ground - once you've got a core group that attends, it pretty much runs itself.

How did I set it up? Well, I just did. Sometimes it's hard getting other people to organize an event because they think they don't know what they're doing - but anyone can do it.

For a skills clinic, you just need to figure out what you want to cover and obstacles that will help reinforce the lessons. You can cover about 7 or 8 skills in a 3-4 hour clinic - you'd be surprised at how quickly the time flies. So, you don't have to cover every intricacy of mountain biking to fill a skills clinic. Also, you don't have to be Marla Streb to teach skills. Usually the riders who want to attend a clinic the most are the ones who are just entering the sport. It's good for them to see their instructors as peers and to know that at one point (maybe not so long ago) their instructors were exactly where they were. Make up flyers and give them out to every guy you see - either they know a woman that's getting into mountain biking, or they would love an excuse to talk to a woman about mountain biking. Arrange a bunch of swag, because folks love free crap. Save your bike shop stickers, get a few water bottles to hand out, and you've got some appreciative campers.

For the participants, half of the experience is learning new skills. But the other half is just being around other women who are enjoying the sport too.

And, that's all you have to do. If a local IMBA affiliated club wants to put their name on it, every participant is automatically covered by the IMBA insurance.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

excellent. I'm really familiar with the concept; this is my page here:

http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/penny/biking/camp.asp

I was just curious. 
 And if you have a regular deal going, I'd love to list you.

Also, can I use some of your tips on my skills page? I'd give Catzilla full credit ( or your real name if you prefer!!)

http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/penny/biking/ridetips.asp

thanks a lot!!
formica


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## Neen (Sep 27, 2004)

That is great to see SO many women out there mtn biking. Anyone know of anything like this on the east coast? I live in NJ and I've been looking for women's clinics.


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## Gnarlene (Jan 13, 2004)

*Cool!*

We held our monthly "Desert Wildflowers" women's ride last Saturday. We didn't focus too much on skills this time around, but did get a nice ride in, with lots of stops to smell the flowers along the way.


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## SueB (Mar 16, 2004)

Neen said:


> That is great to see SO many women out there mtn biking. Anyone know of anything like this on the east coast? I live in NJ and I've been looking for women's clinics.


Hi Neen, 
I'm in South Jersey. I just discovered and joined a women's clinic/ride thru my LBS. It is soooo great to finally have found some wimmen folk down here to ride with!! Join us! 
Here are the details:

Every second and forth Sunday, friends of the shop, Edith and Connie, lead a
"ladies only" (sorry guys) mountain bike ride. They are teaching the fine
art of mountain biking and making friends along the way. I met Connie back
when I was teaching the Betty Rides at GCC. She is an accomplished rider and
mechanic. The skills she can pass on to you are immeasurable and the fun you
will have on this ride will be unforgettable. Break away from your chores on
Sunday mornings and you'll laugh so hard your muscles will ache. The next
ride is Sunday, January 23rd at 10am at Parvin State Park. Park at the boat
ramp. Contact Connie at 856.825.4917 or Edith <[email protected]>
856.293.9439 for more info or to get on their newsletter mailing list.


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## mbmojo (Aug 9, 2004)

catzilla said:


> Stairs, Shmares!


Interesting photo because it appears to illustrate a body differences between men and women. When I first saw it, my first reaction was 'where's the next picture of the face plant'. Apparently there wasn't. Typically, a womans center of gravity is in the hips and for men it's typically in the shoulders (excepting the typical middle-aged man after 50,000 beers and big macs...). I think if that was a typical guy in the exact same position, with the shoulders right over the front axel and momentum going forward, a dirt tasting session would be milliseconds away!

I think a guy would have to position his hips further back going down those stairs though since men are typically longer in the torso, it's easier for them to do. This illustrates that why I don't see my wife or sister in law further back behind the saddle where I have to so I learned something today.

Looks like a pretty cool clinic. Wish there was something like it around here.


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

mbmojo said:


> Interesting photo because it appears to illustrate a body differences between men and women. When I first saw it, my first reaction was 'where's the next picture of the face plant'.


Actually, it was a bit sketchy this time around. She didn't get off of her seat as much her first time, and I think one of her feet is off the pedals in the picture.

But, she fricken' landed just fine. And I think you are correct, a fella with a lot of upper body mass would have a much higher lawndart potential. But, we had spent parts of the morning getting used to letting our arms and legs absorb an impact, so she was loose enough on the bike to recover. Just goes to show you that you can get a little sketchy using one skill, and then use others to recover and remain stable.

I think what you may be seeing in your wife is something I see in a lot of novices. Eventhough standing up with your arms loose and your butt behind the saddle is one of the safest positions to be in, novices feel VERY unnatural in that position. Their fear is telling them that they are most stable when attached to the bike, even if it ain't 100 percent true. I usually get new folks to spend some time practicing putting their butts as far behind the seats as they can. Let them know that this is an exagerrated version of what they may have to do on the trails. If you can get comfortable doing this on a flat surface, it won't feel so unnatural on rough terrain. Also, often women's bicycles will come with wider saddles, which can be good for comfort but bad when it comes to getting behind the saddle.

Here's a picture of some other riders keep their weight further back and consequently going down it like butta' (seriously, it was like they were riding down a clay hill it was so smooth).


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## mtbjen (Jan 31, 2004)

This thread reminds me...

Sometimes we turn our urban assault rides into mini-skills clinics.

We do small stairs, then big stairs, then we graduate to rip rap rocks.....

(please be patient...it's my first time trying to do photos)


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## mtbjen (Jan 31, 2004)

Also, I just remembered..

If anyone is in the Charlotte, NC area, the Dirt Divas are having a skills clinic TOMORROW, March 12 at N. Mecklenburg park!


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## pinkhuffy (Feb 13, 2005)

*Wow I want to go to the east coast to join ya'll*

All of these picture are so inspiring! 
Are there any events happening in Bay area in Californina?

Are there any female riders interested in biking in Mill Valley, CA? 

PS I want pink frosted cup cakes now too!

Pink Huffy.


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## pinkhuffy (Feb 13, 2005)

*That's so cool!*

Dear Catzila,
Thank you for sharing.
I was always afraid to try it but I am going to try a wheelie now, thanks to you! My husband doesn't know how to to one either so we are going to try it out together.

I was born in Miami Florida but brought up in Hollywood, FL.
My mom lives in Davie. I would love to join one of these events if I am in town visiting, it would be nice to meet you.
Thanks again!
Pinkhuffy


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## Lutarious (Feb 8, 2005)

*skills clinc*

Check in at Sunshine. there's a womens clinic there this summer/spring. Can't remeber the details, but it is for adults only. My daughters were too young for it....


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