Thanks to all the Hot Mama Mountain Bikers!

Thank you to all Hot Mama Mountain Bikers for an awesome clinic last Saturday!

Here is a picture with almost everyone... we took the picture at the end of the clinic after some of the hot mamas were already gone. :-( 

I have to share with you this very nice feedback I got from one of you:

"Hi celia, Saturday's clinic was so fun. Thank you for all you do to empower and strengthen women - in mind, body and spirit. I will be in touch within the week to schedule another one on one instruction. Have a great day!"

And Christina told me that one of you said to her:

"I am going to tell my husband to send you flowers 'cause I ended the day a more confident rider"

By the way, since several women weren't able to register because the clinic was full, we have decided to offer another Hot Mamas clinic just for women on June 19th, so spread the word!

Thank you!

Mountain Bike Events and Film

Marin Bike Fest in Marin

A great night of Film, Fashion, Food and Fun!

Saturday, June 5th - 8 a.m. - Mill Valley Bike Swap

Saturday June 5, 2010  6pm - Women of Dirt: The Film

Access4bikes and Bicycle Trails Council of Marin Present:

        Women of Dirt: The Celebration
         Fairfax Women's Club,
         46 Park Rd., Fairfax, CA, 94930 
    
Celebrating the mountain bike while celebrating the women who love them!

A special screening of Awesome Land: Women of Dirt. A Bicycle Fashion Show-featuring some of the best bike fashions in the west, by Sheila Moon Athletic Apparel, LUNA Sport clothing and My Alibi Clothing. Q & A with bike celebs, Marla Streb and Rachel Lloyd! Come on down and party, have a brew and wine, sponsored by Lagunitas and Peleton Cellars, and tasty food treats. Also, raffle-drawing and local live music! 

A party and fundraiser for Access4Bikes, your local voice for trail access in Marin.

$20-donation advance tickets $25- donation at the door.

For more information visit http://access4bikes.com/events.htm

Sunday June 6th - Tamarancho Dirt Classic

Mountain Biking Marin upcoming clinics.

Cross Country Mountain Bike Skill Clinic for Women

On Saturday, May 29th Mountain Biking Marin is offering a special Hot Mamas Women Only Cross Country Skill Clinic in Marin County.

The Hot Mama’s Skill Clinic is for women interested in improving their mountain biking skills whether they are beginner, intermediate or advanced riders. This fun event will offer a wide variety of techniques dependent upon registrants’ current individual skill and fitness levels.

Visit Mountain Biking Marin for more information.

Keeping in Shape While Minimizing Riding in Muddy Trails

Well, for those of you who care about your bikes getting muddy but want to stay in shape I have some suggestions that are working for me just as if I was riding my mountain bike every day:

1) Practice Yoga regularly: I try to get at least 3 or 4 yoga classes per week. In particular I think Vinyasa or Power Yoga combined with Bikram Yoga is a great combination to keep your core muscles in check. Plus I get my fix of warm weather with those type of Yoga practice where the room is kept at a warm temperature. With my Yoga practice, I have also developed my upper body (arms, shoulders, back) which I find it quite important for biking. Having a upper strong body facilitates bike handling, in particular the very heavy downhill bikes. Plus it keeps those extra pounds under control, in particular during the winter season.

2) Go to Tahoe and ski: I try to go to Tahoe one day a week. Yep, it is a long day driving both ways the same day, but it is not that bad if you get a friend to come with you. I recommend Sugar Bowl which is one of the closest ski areas to the Bay Area, right off the 80 hwy. Mountain biking and skiing have so many similarities! and you can be all day long outdoors without getting muddy or wet. This is me in Tahoe last summer flying with my DH bike:
And this is me in Tahoe this winter flying with my DH skis:
3) Get a single speed bike: I decided to make my hardtail gear bike into a single speed. I equipped it with fenders and take it everywhere. Since the bike has no gears and no suspension, then it has way less components and parts that get damaged with the mud. Plus this bike is helping me to build some more leg power. I know it is hard to do some of the very steep climbs in a single speed, but I just get ready to get off my bike and run up the hill to keep up with my friends riding geared bikes.

4) Danny Forer's bike and rain guide: Read the guide my friend wrote with many awesome tips to stay warm and dry during long rides under the rain. Click on this link.

5) Stay away from the muddy trails: Riding trails when they are muddy actually is not that good for the trails. So if I can avoid it, I don't ride bikes on muddy trails. I suggest riding the fire roads in Mt. Tam (Old Rail Road, Elderidge, etc..) or the fire roads in the Headlands (Coastal, Miwok). Although I do understand that fire road riding is quite boring.

Women's Downhill/Freeride Clinic - Fernie, Canada

Attention downhill, freeride and cross country women riders!!!!

There is an awesome week-long clinic at Fernie, Canada organized by Sacred Rides taught by women for women coming up the first week of August. This is a call to all intermediate and advance women riders that would like to improve their downhill/freeride skills including technical descend, dirt jumping, launching techniques, and elevated trails riding among other skills like teeter totters!!!! And your cross country skills will also improve! Downhill riding makes you a faster cross country rider!!!!

Shanti and Celia already signed up.

Friday July 31, 09 to Friday August 7, 2009. Click here for more information.

Let's get the Bay Area contingency together and have girl fun while improving our biking skills.
When you register be sure to tell them Celia referred you.

The ones that will open trails to mountain bikes

I wanted to share this video clip from ABC Channel about high school mountain bike teams and clubs in Marin County. These kids and their parents could be the ones that accelerate the impossible to stop process of legalizing singletracks (real trails) in Marin and in the US!!!!

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6525250

December Hot Mama Clinics

The Hot Mamas skill clinics are special events taught by women for women who want to excel in mountain biking while having fun and networking with other women riders. We are offering special small groups intensive clinics limited to only 4 women at a time on different technical levels from beginner to advance based on your skills and fitness.

Clinic levels and dates:

1. SKILL Level II - SATURDAY DEC 6th from 9-11 am at Tamarancho
2. SKILL Level TBD - SATURDAY DEC 20th from 9-11 am at TBD (based on who signs up)

These clinics will take advantage of the features trails and fire roads in Marin County offer to beginner, intermediate and advance riders that facilitate the teaching of balance, launching, dropping, switchbacks riding, cornering, climbing, descending and other techniques.

Two Steps to Register:

Registration fee is $85 per person. We will take registration on a first come first serve basis.

1) Fill out an assessment form to determine your appropriate clinic skill level. It gathers information about your technical ability, current fitness level, and riding preferences. Please click here to open the assessment form, you can print it, fill it up and fax it to 415-871-2241 or you can email it to celiag@mountainbikingmarin.com with your name and skill level you desire to be in.
2) If there is still space available you will receive a PayPal invoice and more details about the clinic.