Catrin
06-10-2012, 05:09 PM
This is my second year attending this event, and as good as last year's Clinic was, it was even better this time!
This year we were divided into small groups of no more than 6 students. There was a main instructor for each group and also a tail gunner to assist the instructor. I was in the beginner group, one level up from last year. Our instructor was a woman who happened to be a retired down-hill racer and she rocked! This year we stayed in the same portion of the park for all activities, so there was never a need to actually go anywhere. That made for a very relaxed atmosphere and we could all focus on what we needed to do.
While no actual rides were scheduled for yesterday, and we did do drills on the grass all morning, we went for a ride on Limekiln yesterday. That was the trail that got me last October and kept me off the bike until recently. I am not accustomed to being on the trail with so many riders, but it was great and I found the trail much easier than I remembered! Apparently all the work I've been doing on the road and at the gym has really helped me out. I was also pleased to note that my old "fear of the edge" did not return after being off the mountain bike for so long.
Today I went with a riding buddy to a trail I've not ridden before and had a great time. I was tired at the end of the ride, but it was all good. No falls at all....controlled stops don't count. Actually that was the coolest part - outside of cleaning some pretty significant rooty sections (to me) - when I DID have to stop quickly to keep from hitting a tree :eek: I simply stopped :cool: The clinic really did help me with all of our drills on stopping and braking.
There is something very special about a women's mountain bike clinic. Not only do we learn new skills and improve upon old, but we get to network and make new friends and deepen old friendships.
This year we were divided into small groups of no more than 6 students. There was a main instructor for each group and also a tail gunner to assist the instructor. I was in the beginner group, one level up from last year. Our instructor was a woman who happened to be a retired down-hill racer and she rocked! This year we stayed in the same portion of the park for all activities, so there was never a need to actually go anywhere. That made for a very relaxed atmosphere and we could all focus on what we needed to do.
While no actual rides were scheduled for yesterday, and we did do drills on the grass all morning, we went for a ride on Limekiln yesterday. That was the trail that got me last October and kept me off the bike until recently. I am not accustomed to being on the trail with so many riders, but it was great and I found the trail much easier than I remembered! Apparently all the work I've been doing on the road and at the gym has really helped me out. I was also pleased to note that my old "fear of the edge" did not return after being off the mountain bike for so long.
Today I went with a riding buddy to a trail I've not ridden before and had a great time. I was tired at the end of the ride, but it was all good. No falls at all....controlled stops don't count. Actually that was the coolest part - outside of cleaning some pretty significant rooty sections (to me) - when I DID have to stop quickly to keep from hitting a tree :eek: I simply stopped :cool: The clinic really did help me with all of our drills on stopping and braking.
There is something very special about a women's mountain bike clinic. Not only do we learn new skills and improve upon old, but we get to network and make new friends and deepen old friendships.