Why More Women Should Mountain Bike with Ladies AllRide Ep 16

Yes, this sport is intimidating and it can be scary, but that is why it's an important sport for women, because it really shows your true colors. It helps you see what you're capable of. It helps you understand the importance of thinking things through and learning how to do something and not letting fear stand in your way.

Welcome to the Find Your Edge podcast. Get ready to dive into all things training, nutrition, recovery, and more. Whether you're a new or experienced endurance athlete, a weekend warrior, or someone who just wants to improve your health and fitness, this podcast is for you. I'm Kris Newport, founder, head coach, registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, and certified personal trainer with the Endurance Edge and the Fueling Edge. With more than 20 years experience in the fitness industry, 18 years in multi-sport, and over 10 years as a sports nutritionist, I'm speaking with athletes and experts about key actionable steps you can take to reach and sustain peak performance and and health. Let's do it. All right. Welcome back to the Find Your Edge podcast. I am your host, Kristen Newport, and I am here today with Lindsay Richter, mountain biking queen. Welcome to the show.

Thanks, Chris. Thanks for having me.

So, uh, I love mountain biking. I got into it after getting hit by a car on the road. And said, screw this. I am going in the woods where if I run into a tree, it's my fault. And the tree did not run into me. And several years ago, we had you come out and do a clinic for our mountain biking club. So tell it, tell us a little bit about how you got into the sport. And then of course, uh, ladies all ride.

Yeah. Well, uh, my dad bought me a mountain bike in high school. Kind of at the end of high school as just a gift to— because he loved taking me on little fire road rides, but also as my college transportation. That was my college transportation. And I was an athlete in high school, you know, I really, I really excelled at soccer and basketball and track and field. And it's kind of how I identified myself, breaking records and getting praise for being an athlete. It was just a huge part of my life. My brother and I were both athletes and, and we're constantly moving and running around. And when I went to college, University of Arizona, which was a huge school, I didn't do anything. I decided to focus on school and a social life, and I joined a sorority, and I did it all wrong for who I am. But I didn't really know any better because my whole family took school very seriously and the social aspect of it very seriously. And in retrospect, I probably should have stuck to playing sports. So I really lost myself in college. I lost my fitness. I gained a lot of weight. I didn't know how to eat because I was eating for an athlete who wasn't doing sports anymore. And then I graduated and went right into the working world, into sports marketing and advertising, and really wanted to prove myself in, in this aspect of life. And again, didn't know how to get my fitness back. I tried the gym, I tried step aerobics, I tried spin classes, and spin classes really resonated with me. There was something about them that I really loved. And I looked at that mountain bike that was my college transportation and thought, maybe I should race mountain bikes. And that's literally how I got into it. I went from fire road riding with my dad to throwing myself into cross-country races in my early 20s. Damn, that was my start right into racing.

That, that's awesome. How, how many other women were there at the time?

Oh, hardly any, hardly any, probably 5 in each category. Maybe they had a hard time even making categories. So we would all be on the start line with the men. And I really feel like that's where I got my drive back for sport and for competition was I was just racing men. And I did okay at it. And so it, it, it brought me back to life, but not only did it bring me back to life, I started feeling like for the first time in my life, truly in my mid-20s, I was, I was meeting people who were my people, people I felt like I really fit in with. It didn't really matter that I was racing the guys. There was a camaraderie there amongst all of us that was really palpable and really contagious. It was really awesome.

Have you ridden any other type of bikes or been in any other type of racing, or is mountain bike racing pretty much the only thing that you've played with?

Yeah. I mean, after, you know, running races, which is what I did before college, that's really it. That's the only competitive sport I jumped back into and just fell in love with it. I loved that I had to go to spin class at 6:00 in the morning before work, because I had to keep my fitness up for the races on the weekends. Like that was really the motivating factor for me was. If I want to do well in races, I have to keep my fitness up during the week, no matter what that takes. And prior to that, exercise just seems so mundane and pointless to me. And racing mountain bikes, I watched my body change without a lot of effort. I started gaining my muscle back. I started feeling that, that just sense of pride in working hard at something. And I just don't know that I would have had that motivation without a competitive sport to focus on.

So with such a small women's field, then what do you think was the barrier for women to get into it then? And do you think that continues to be a barrier now?

Yeah. I mean, this was in the mid-'90s when I was getting into this, and I definitely think there weren't— there just wasn't a lot of publicity around mountain biking and any publicity that there was around mountain biking. It was labeled as an extreme sport. And that's very intimidating, especially if you haven't been a competitive athlete before. Maybe you're a runner who has knee issues and wants to get into biking, but why would I get into an extreme sport if I'm trying to keep myself safe? So I think that was a big, a big roadblock for women was that the, just the, the image of mountain biking was gnarly and extreme action sports. And yes, I think that still is a misconception amongst people. However, it's getting a lot better. You know, I started Ladies All Ride because I spent a decade traveling the country racing. I married a pro downhiller and I experienced firsthand going from this happy-go-lucky sport class racer. You know, I never had aspirations of being a super pro, but once I started traveling amongst a bunch of pro racers and seeing the real competitive side of the sport, I suddenly felt intimidated by this sport that had, that had brought me back to life. And I realized, wow, if someone like me who loves this sport suddenly feels intimidated because I'm around really extreme people who are gnarly and I'm seeing a different side of the sport, then that must be why there aren't many women in this sport. They're all feeling the way I feel where I'm not keeping up with people. I'm riding these steep technical trails that I'm scared of. So I was running down a lot of them. People weren't really giving me any real advice. You know, I was hearing things like, just go faster, just lay off your brakes. Um, you've got this, your bike knows what to do. And these were just very kind of blanket statements. Like, I don't think my bike does know what to do though. You know? And so over the years, right?

Does it though?

That's one of the One of the first things I say in my lessons is you might have been told your bike knows what to do, but I am here to tell you it does not have a brain or eyes. No, I don't think it does know what to do. I think you need to do it.

Yeah, that's— my husband taught me how to ride. The very first time he took me out, he was like, just relax. I was like, I don't know what that means.

Exactly. Just relax. Just, just stay loose.

Yeah. Like, what? And I think that's where you guys have really filled a gap in making this sport less intimidating. So tell us more about Ladies All Ride.

Yeah, you know, I came up with Ladies All Ride. Um, my, my husband at the time, who's now my ex-husband, he actually came up with the word All Ride because he was a racer who raced downhill, dual slalom, cross-country. He raced it all. And he wanted to be known as someone who rode all the bikes. So his version of the word All Ride meant I ride everything. Over time, I started imagining more women in this sport and I kind of came up with, man, if I could just get more women so we could all ride together, because that was kind of my mission after racing became a little too intense for me. And I just wanted to learn the sport. I wanted to learn how to ride really well and stop crashing and getting hurt. I wanted to find more women to ride with. And that was kind of my motivation at first was if I start a company called Ladies All Ride and really promote mountain biking almost from an emotional perspective. Like, I wanted— I saw these ads, and, and, you know, that was my job with my ex-husband, was to promote him and market his life and get him press coverage. And all this press coverage was giant road gaps and big tricks on the bike. And if you're going back to the extreme part of it, back to the extreme part of it, and I thought, you know what, women need to hear Yes, this sport is intimidating and it can be scary, but that is why it's an important sport for women because it really shows your true colors. It helps you see what you're capable of. It helps you understand the importance of thinking things through and learning how to do something and not letting fear stand in your way. There are so many things mountain biking did for me personally as a human and just helping me understand how fear holds us back, how negative thinking can be such a debilitating way to live. And on a mountain bike, I started learning if I'm thinking about hitting my face on that rock, I, I'm going to go right into that rock. If I'm staring at that tree saying, I don't want to hit that tree, I don't want to hit that tree. That's all negative thinking. And on a mountain bike, I really started to learn I am in control of my thoughts. And if I think thoughts that help keep my wheels rolling forward, keep my focus on where I'm heading and where I need to go, I'm gonna get through it. And so I just had this brilliant idea about 12 years ago, maybe if more women heard this side of the sport, that it can actually be really beneficial to you as a human, they'll be more interested in trying it.

Okay, so you've, you've got to be a little bit more detailed in that because when I never rode a mountain bike, I was like, well, what you're saying hypothetically sounds neat. Sure. I want to address my fears, but tell us a little bit more about actually physically being on the bike and what that means. Like, is it going up a hill, down a hill, looking at rocks, looking at trees? Like how, how can you kind of guide us on what that The bike and the body and the mental piece and the actual, you know, terrain. How does that all come together?

Yeah. You know, it all starts with, with the basics, with the fundamentals, just like anything in life. You know, as babies, we learn to, to flip ourselves over. Then we learn to crawl. Then we learn to walk. Then we learn words. Then we learn, you know, we learn letters. Then we learn words. Then we learn sentences and we learn paragraphs. It's very similar. It's, it's breaking it down from the very beginning, getting someone on a bike and getting them comfortable in a grass field, which is how we do our, our camps, getting them to understand how to move the bike around, how to be a commanding pilot of the bike and not a passive passenger. I think a lot of people grew up riding bikes on pavement or, you know, just on paths where it was pretty easy. So I think there is a misconception that, oh, it's just riding a bike. I don't need a lesson. But mountain biking is a whole different ballgame. When the terrain gets rocky and steep up or down, there's technique involved. And so much like learning to crawl, walk, words, read words, learning the basics, learning how to ride from your feet, learning what you are capable of above the bike in a grass field where you can build confidence in baby steps is the key to getting people comfortable on a mountain bike. Plus, once you start getting comfortable with balance and moving the bike around and learning all the controls, the shifting, the braking, learning really good technique helps those fears dissipate because people start gaining confidence in their own abilities. And so whether it's climbing technical or going fast downhill, all the fundamentals relate, learning how to find balance, learning how to move your body around so that you stay in a centered position over your bike. In a way that you can control what your bike does underneath you helps build confidence and understanding. And then practice. You know, there's, there's not a lot of things I think as adults that we actually practice. And I think this is a new, a new age of mindfulness. And, you know, a lot of people are going through kind of a rebirth, people who are realizing that their pasts or the way they were raised has really affected who they've, who they've become as humans. But there is a way to move beyond your circumstances. And it has to do with practicing the way you think, the way your brain functions. So I just love how that all integrates together, how learning to be, to slow down, go through the process of learning, practicing, and getting better at something like mountain biking. It's exciting, it's fun. It's, it puts you back to being a kid, feeling the wind in your face, picking up a little speed, getting over a rock you didn't think you could get over. Like it all just adds up to these little moments of accomplishments, which I also— it's helped me with my mental health. It's a big reason I promote this is because I have learned how strong I am, especially after going through divorce and being with someone for 15 years and glued to their sides and starting a company with them. It was really scary to go out in the world on my own and continue on this path. I really had to dig deep to find confidence. And looking back at what I've accomplished on a bike and all the processes and procedures I've let myself go to get better at mountain biking has just helped me on this path of growth as a person.

Wow. That's awesome. So you're talking about how you have grown through this sport. What are some of the experiences or the perhaps shedding of fears that you've seen in your camps and any stories you want to share with us?

You know, I really think that's why I do this is because when I see women show up nervous and intimidated, the first thing I do is I make a big speech at the beginning of the camp and I tell them my own journey and how, how I have used mountain biking as a catalyst for growth and change in my life and how we're all here to just celebrate riding bikes together. I sort of see the shoulders relax. I see tears in the crowd. I just know that these women show up intimidated and a little unsure. And then to watch them say things like, no, I can never pop a wheelie, I'm never gonna do that. And then to see them go through the process and then actually do it and the excitement and the joy and the celebration they have with the other women in the group, there's nothing like it. You see these aha moments in women where they really truly don't think they can do things. And our camps are an older crowd. We're not getting 20-somethings. We're getting 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, you know, and I'm, I'm 46. And whenever I hear people say, oh, I'm in my 40s, I'm too old to start mountain biking, like, you're talking to the wrong person. Like, I'm 46 and I'm watching 65-year-olds crush it on a mountain bike. And so just witnessing those aha moments and those moments of, oh my gosh, I have been telling myself I can't do this for so long. And I just did it. There's a moment where you look at these women and go, yeah, what else do you tell yourself you can't do? And what else do you hold yourself back from that you're fully capable of doing? Whether it's getting out of that unhealthy marriage, leaving that job that doesn't fuel your soul. There's a lot of things that we hold ourselves back from in life. And I love how mountain biking gives women that perception of, oh shit, maybe I do hold myself back and I don't need to.

Okay. So I'm sold. I mean, I'm already sold, but I'm like, yes, I want to go ride my mountain bike right now. So how, how can we get more women started? Like mountain biking might seem like a little intimidating. You've broken that down a little bit. So where do we start? I feel like a lot of women don't even know where to get a mountain bike. And you just told us that there's a lot of different types of mountain bikes out there too. So what are your tips on getting started?

Yeah, I know it can be intimidating and there is— I do grapple with the expense of this sport. You know, it's not a cheap sport to get into to start, but it is one of those sports that once you do make the investment, the bike will last a really long time. You don't have to buy the fanciest bike. I think going to a local bike shop is a great place to start. Hopefully these bike shops are— they're hiring more women. They're understanding the need to be a little more gentle and compassionate. I used to be terrified to walk into a bike shop because it was always just a group of, you know, kind of bro-bros who didn't really know how to answer the questions that a beginner who was terrified and didn't know anything had. More and more bike shops are being trained in how to work with people psychologically, because when you walk into something and you're already intimidated, you don't want to feel dumb asking a question. So I believe that shops are hiring more women and they're doing more trainings to make sure that they're very welcoming and that they can hold your hand through the process. There's forums online, you know, not necessarily— it's kind of funny because they're still kind of male-dominated on the internet. So you just email us at Ladies All Ride and we'll talk you through it. But really, I think step one is just finding that courage to walk into a shop and be vulnerable and say, I'm new to this. I don't know where to start. I need help. Demoing bikes, getting out and playing on a couple different bikes to see what feels good. And at first you may not know what feels good, you know, but I'm a believer that if you just make the purchase, even buying a used bike online to just get started and having the essential equipment, buying a nice helmet that you can have for a long time, some gloves to protect the hands, um, some knee pads, like there is an initial investment to keep you Safe and comfortable. But like I said, hopefully that stuff will last a really long time and you don't have to— it's not like skiing where you have to go pay $200 every time you want to go hit the ski slopes. You know, once you have all the equipment, you're good to go.

Very cool. I think those are some great tips. So if— okay, so we've got the, we've got the gear and we're excited to learn. How do we learn from you?

Oh, you've come to one of our camps. Well, you can find us at Ladies All Ride.

Your Instagram's really got some great videos, like how-to videos on it too. I will have to say that. I watched your one on how to set up shocks, which I feel like it can be very intimidating, but yes. Tell us about your camps.

Yes. So, you know, on Instagram, we're Ladies All Ride. It's also my name, Lindsay Richter. Ladies All Ride everywhere on the web, you know, our website, Facebook. And we do, I do post some scenarios on a bike. I'm not, I don't want to be an online coach because it is the kind of sport that I really feel like it's important to learn in person. So someone can have eyes on you and really help you make sure you're doing it right. But I put videos up there to just give people a deeper understanding that there is a method to the madness. And I just show scenarios that I'm in and what I did. I don't necessarily say this is how to do this, you know, but there are a lot of videos online to help people get started. You can go to YouTube and type in beginner mountain biker, and you're going to find all kinds of videos. And that might help just relieve the initial intimidation to go out into a grass field by yourself, practice some of those basic moves. But I'm a big believer that especially if you're a woman coming to a camp where there's other women who are in the same boat as you, new to the sport, intimidated by it, there's just this feeling of camaraderie and this over— this kind of, I don't even know how to put it into words, "If she can do it, I can do it" kind of attitude, you know? It's like, when you're sitting there and you're scared and you realize that everyone else in your group is just as scared and doesn't think they can do it, and then you see them go for it and try it, there's just this, I don't know, like I said before, this contagious energy of being with a group of women who all feel the same way, all progressing together, and celebrating together. There is a magic in women lifting each other up. And so I'm a believer that sure, you can learn online and go practice in a field by yourself, but there's nothing like taking a clinic, especially one of ours, I think, where there's this genuine bonding over bikes and this celebration when you do things you didn't think you could do.

Yes, I would totally agree with that. And I found it perhaps a little bit relieving that other— that there's women who are all different shapes, sizes. I mean, sometimes I feel like because I have kids, it's a little bit more difficult and it is, it's, it's legitimately more difficult to get on my bike, but there's other women who are doing the same thing and they just want to be involved and part of it. And I think another great part of y'all's camps is you guys have the best sayings that will never leave my brain. Like talking about, okay, boobs to the bar. I'm like, okay, I taught that to my child, to my daughter. She was like, what, Mommy? I'm like, just say it out loud. It'll make you feel empowered.

Yeah. Everyone has boobs. Even boys have boobs. Um, yeah, I love it. And that's kind of what our shtick is, is we, we know it's intimidating, so we try to make it light. We're a bunch of goofy women who aren't super gnarly pros. We're just regular women who love bikes and want to share it with other people. So we've found really clever, funny ways to, A, make it less intimidating and add a little fun to it, but also sayings that you're never going to forget. You know, if you're climbing up a hill and that front wheel's kind of rearing up on you and you feel like gravity's pulling you backwards, you're going to remember, oh, if I just get my boobs up over the bars and get a little more forward, that's the position I need to be in. It's not so technical when you do it that way. You know, wipe your butt on the berm, look for your friend around the corner. You know, we just try to make it really fun and accessible. So it's not like, oh, but you have to do this, this, and this, this, and this. Like, that's too much information. But boobs over the bars, I got it.

Yeah, check. That's great. So again, I'm sold. Are you guys coming to the East Coast anytime soon?

You know, we were coming to Florida and North Carolina, but the Florida camp, it just became harder to fill. So we stopped going there. And then North Carolina, we lost our venue. They had this great venue in—

Lindsay, I'm gonna have to do some work for ya. I know, I know.

So we would love to come back to the Southeast for sure. We do go to Bentonville, Arkansas. So that's, you know, in the South. And we go to Vermont. Those are kind of our two other side of the, of the country camps.

Yeah. And if somebody wanted to travel to the West Coast, you guys are in Oregon and where else?

Yeah, we're in Oregon, Montana, Wyoming. Arizona, Sedona, Arizona is a great one.

Yeah.

So we, we do want to add some more locations over on the East Coast. It's just, we got to find the perfect venue to accommodate, you know, our needs.

Yeah. What's your favorite place to ride?

Oh, that's a loaded question.

You know, you've ridden all over the world, right?

I have. I've ridden a lot of places. I feel very, very fortunate the places my bike has taken me and I will say that one of the things that I'm noticing with all my travels over the last 20 years is how many communities are building great trails. I mean, almost every state in this country is pushing for more trails and getting really good trail builders in to build trails for all levels of riders. And, you know, it just kind of depends on my mood. I love Sedona, Arizona because it's just, it's unlike anywhere in the world, the red rock and the vortexes and the technical aspect of it. Super fun. But you come where I live in Bend, Oregon, it's more fitness-based, lots of pedaling, lots going fast and on flowy trails. I love Montana, the, the rocks and the steepness. I, you know, I, I could go, I could tell you every state and what I love about every state, but I will say that Whistler, Canada, of all places, is probably the Disneyland of mountain biking. Find everything you want, but I really like technical riding. So give me some chunky rocks and roots and I'm pretty excited. Very cool.

So we always like to end every episode with a couple of tips for women to walk away with for perhaps it's improving their health or performance or getting on a mountain bike. What would be those couple of things, 2 or 3 things that you would have women walk away with?

Well, I hope to have women walk away with the understanding that they are in control of their bikes, that they are the pilot, not the passenger. And that relates to life as well. I think a lot of times we just kind of float through life and go through our daily routine without a lot of thought. And I just love how mountain biking kind of changes that. You have to be, you have to think on your toes. You have to really think about what you're doing. What else? Just how mountain biking relates to life. I really love— I can't emphasize enough how so many women I know have said as they progress on the bike, how they see themselves grow. A lot of them have come to us and said, I'm calmer, I'm more thoughtful in my life. So I really want people to walk away with that understanding that the more effort they put into taking care of themselves physically, using mountain biking as a tool, the better they're going to get mentally and emotionally, because it just, it all relates, you know, you feel good about your accomplishments on a bike. You're going to kind of walk away with a little extra spring in your step. And so I think one of my takeaways is I want them to be mindful of that. I want them to really see how they feel when they accomplish things on a bike or get through a long ride, or even just climb up that hill that they never were able to climb before, but today they got up it. Like the little accomplishments on the bike and in life should be celebrated. And I really liked that takeaway.

I would say if I can add a third is the way that you build women up, you know, like that's, that's huge is that we, if we can work together and we can celebrate each other, we're going to go so much further. And that, that's what I've gleaned from your camps. So thanks.

You know, and I, a lot of that has to do with my own personal experience. I feel like That's a really big part of our camps and why people maybe choose our camps over other camps is because we're genuinely living what we preach. Mountain biking has saved my life. It has helped me emotionally and mentally. It's, it's given me strength that I didn't know I had. And I just want that for more women. I know personally, I held myself back a lot because of insecurities and I've dealt with some mental health issues with depression my whole life. And mountain biking is something that I can tap into anytime I feel myself sinking. I can think back to that, that ride I did last summer that made me feel so strong and capable. And I just want that for more women.

That's awesome. So Lindsay, one more time, how can people get ahold of you and Ladies All Ride? Yeah.

Ladies All Ride on Instagram, on Facebook, on, you know, our website is ladiesallride.com. I'm Lindsay at ladiesallride.com. I think you just type in Ladies All Ride and it's easy to remember because ladies should all ride together.

Yeah.

Um, we'll help you find us.

Fantastic. Well, Lindsay Ritter, thank you so much for joining us and we hope to be riding with you soon.