Making Space in Mountain Biking
How Women Are Opening Doors to a Male-Dominated Sport
Caitrin Maloney, co-owner of The TrailHouse and Sustainable Trailworks, grew up riding trails in Vermont with her mother in the ‘90s. While she was one of only a handful of female mountain bikers at the time, Maloney’s mother was quite literally the only female rider on the same trails when she grew up there in the ‘70s.
The contemporary sport of mountain biking began as a fringe activity in the ’50s, and its popularity, trail networks, competitive opportunities, and awareness have changed a lot since then. Over the last few decades, though, the sport’s evolution for female and gender-expansive riders has been especially significant.
BikeAstra.com estimates that female participation in competitive events has tripled over the past decade. Today, it’s easy to find women-only clinics and festivals, as well as businesses and nonprofits focused on getting more women and gender-expansive riders into the sport. There’s even a women’s mountain biking category in the Summer Olympics.
People like Maloney are enthusiastically supporting this trend. “Starting to coach women in mountain biking was my way of growing the sport’s culture, especially for women, because there are some barriers to getting into mountain biking that are gender-based,” she says. “During the pandemic, we started hosting a weekend mountain biking camp for women. It was such a powerful experience.”
Despite this progress, a recent survey by ShredTrail.com found that male riders still outnumber females by two to one. This imbalance can make it difficult for women to break into the sport.
“Many women have tough introductions to mountain biking by trying to follow more experienced riders,” explains Nicole Freedman, executive director of the New England Mountain Biking Association (NEMBA). “And since mountain bikers are still mostly men if you’re new and one of the only women, it’s doubly hard.”
That’s why it’s so important that women have time to ride with other women and gender-expansive riders. NEMBA offers Elevate, a weekend of riding clinics and camaraderie. Hale coordinates Everwild, a celebration of International Women’s Mountain Biking Day. Like TrailHouse, it also offers MTB camps and clinics that create space for riders of various ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Since it can be easier to build confidence and have fun with riders who face similar barriers—which for women commonly include primary parenting responsibilities, financial limitations, and the intimidation of riding with more experienced male peers—opportunities like these are crucial.
“I think it’s so important for women to take some time for themselves and really connect with other women,” says Maloney. “There’s no competitiveness. We create a space that is very supportive. There are no dumb questions.”
While there are many male allies in the sport, women’s events have been an important stepping stone in diversifying it. More than 75 years in, New England’s extensive trail network, enthusiastic donors, and network of stewards are more focused than ever on making the sport more inclusive and welcoming.
“We’re creating spaces where we can be ourselves, build community, and push our boundaries,” says Everwild coordinator Jackie Ross. “And in the end, isn’t that what everyone is looking for in every sport?”
Photo Caption: Bikers ride through picturesque scenery while participating in NEMBA’s Elevate festival in Vermont. Photo courtesy of Gretchen Powers.
