Women pave the way: Inclusivity in mountain biking, blazing the trail for women leaders

With the summer season bringing an entirely new set of outdoor recreation activities to Lake Tahoe, mountain biking is a highly frequented, adventurous activity that’s beloved by many Tahoe locals and visitors to the area alike. Like many action-based recreational activities, mountain biking is presumed by many as a male-dominated sport, but unlike the blanket assumption, women have been avidly making proactive strides in dominating Tahoe’s local mountain biking landscape. 

According to a study conducted in 2018 by the Outdoor Industry Association, 46% of bikers across the nation were female. While the male gender still encompasses over half the amount of bikers in the nation, when analyzing a smaller, highly-active area such as the communities around Lake Tahoe, the involvement from both genders is head-and-shoulders above other areas in the nation. 

Given the treacherous involvement, and hefty upfront investment, that getting into mountain biking brings to active participants, it can oftentimes be overwhelming being introduced into the sport – especially when factoring in being a woman in a statistically male-led industry. As Tahoe’s landscape of bike trails, organizations, and events in the mountain biking industry evolves, so does the landscape of female riders and leaders who are leading the pack towards further female involvement and growth in the industry. Here are some of the top groups in the local mountain biking scene who are actively discussing tips, meetups, and events for women — and men who support women leaders — to follow this upcoming mountain biking season. 

Women Adventurers of South Shore

The Women Adventurers of South Shore, also known as WASS, is a group of local women based in the South Lake Tahoe community for females to share their passion for adventure with other women. With the purpose of this online social group to be left open for members to actively engage and diversify local experiences they’ve shared, this community-led group is connecting female riders together virtually and physically in South Lake Tahoe city limits over their shared passion of outdoor recreation such as hiking, climbing, and mountain biking. 

With over 400 members, these women adventurers share their experiences, questions, upcoming events, and advice from other group members. Some recent events have included local screenings of female-created outdoor adventure films, upcoming events for local businesses to take advantage of, and even womens-based skills clinics and camps. While this social group includes information for all outdoor recreation activities, there are plenty of tips on mountain biking, local rider meetup events, and gear swaps; all with the underlying mission of local South Lake Tahoe women stepping up and showing out for other women. 

Dames of Dirt

“A space for women who rip,” Dames of Dirt is another online social group riding the trails and connecting women who share the same passion for mountain biking in the Reno-Tahoe area. With the goal of the group being to connect females that want to progress in mountain biking and inspire each other along the way, Dames of Dirt is an inclusive, welcoming environment for mountain bikers of all skill levels; creating a safe space online for women to ask questions, provide insight and feedback, and share local events in the area. 

Dames of Dirt is an interactive platform for all mountain biking women, and with over 600 members, the social group serves as a pivotal resource for many Reno-Tahoe-based ladies who are wanting to get into the sport. This group focuses on showcasing upcoming events, community rides, connecting riders with other riders of the same skillset, answering questions, and highlighting local businesses in the surrounding communities who are avidly working towards further diversifying the mountain biking industry. 

Tahoe Mountain Bike Girls

Tahoe Mountain Bike Girls is a North Lake Tahoe-based group of women who actively share their insight, knowledge, and experience in the mountain biking industry over interactive trail rides across North Lake Tahoe. Most recently, Tahoe Mountain Bike Girls has hosted community mountain bike rides for women at the Tahoe City XC Center, Alder Creek Adventure Center, the Emigrant Trail, and the Sawtooth Trailhead. 

The women behind Tahoe Mountain Bike Girls believe in the idea that mountain biking can “increase the pep in your step, your chipperness and your spunkiness,” all in just one of their communityled women’s rides. This group of females is blazing the trail towards connecting the local North Lake Tahoe community of women mountain bikers together over their shared passion for spending time on two wheels outside in the alpine air. Tahoe Mountain Bike Girls is one of the higher engagement groups in the area, typically hosting late afternoon/early evening rides for women to join in on a weekly basis during the summer season. 

While these social groups are inspiring females to join in on the sport of mountain biking, there are many local businesses and organizations in the Lake Tahoe Basin who are additionally serving as a reliable resource for female mountain bikers.  

Pacos Truckee

A family owned-and-operated business, Pacos is a premier bicycle shop with several locations across Northern California. Since 1979, Pacos has been bringing their A-game to the Truckee community with their elevated service and expertise, assisting community members and visitors in all their biking needs. However, in past years, Pacos has introduced a recurring event series of ladies rides, for women around the Tahoe Basin to ride together and support one another. 

SHoreline Tahoe

Shoreline Tahoe has been a South Lake Tahoe staple shop for mountain bike lovers for decades. Serving primarily as the central hub for all-things action sports in the South Lake Tahoe community, Shoreline can be a pivotal resource for females who are actively engaged in, or wanting to get involved in, the sport of mountain biking. From fully-assembled mountain bikes, to specific repairs, Shoreline is a great resource for women to stop in and gain knowledge on mountain biking culture, all the while making some like-minded friends along the way. 

Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA)

Originally founded in 1988, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, also known as TAMBA, was developed as a model program driven by local volunteers who helped assist in building trails and actively educating riders in the communities around Lake Tahoe. Initially being inspired by an International Mountain Biking Association meeting the trio attended in the late 1980’s, this small group of local mountain bike pioneers recognized the need for a unified voice for all mountain bikers to represent the passion and growth of the support. With momentous involvement from TAMBA gaining traction in Tahoe’s local communities, TAMBA rapidly grew as a legitimate user group working with land managers in the area; and by 1996, the organization had over 1,500 members.

In addition to supporting riders, TAMBA hosts many volunteer events.

The organization went quiet from the early 2000’s until 2011, where the new and improved TAMBA held its first meeting in close to a decade, with two of the seven new leaders leading the organization being women. Upon new leadership taking place, TAMBA tasked themselves with taking proactive steps to make mountain biking an inclusive sport, and work towards making it geographically and demographically accessible.

TAMBA is a highly engaged nonprofit organization in the Lake Tahoe community, supporting all mountain bike riders, of all backgrounds and skill sets, to enjoy the unique mountain biking experiences Lake Tahoe has to offer. TAMBA is a pivotal resource to all mountain bikers in the Tahoe region who are looking to gain insight on the mountain biking landscape. The organization hosts information on trail conditions, trail etiquette, mountain biking stewardship; as well as insight on projects the organization has been avidly working on, such as the Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project — the opportunity for 45 miles of potential new multi-use trails that will provide more choices, improved connectivity, and enhanced sustainable recreation options presented in the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Basin Wide Trail Analysis Program. 

In addition to supporting riders, TAMBA hosts many volunteer events.

Along with working on the future of mountain biking in the Lake Tahoe Basin, TAMBA hosts annual events, such as the Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival and the Rose to Toads, as well as recurring events that happen in communities across the Lake Tahoe Basin for women to show up and connect with other like-minded women in the sport. 

While mountain biking is statistically male-dominated in the nation, there are viable resources across Lake Tahoe communities for women who want to get involved in the mountain biking industry. Women in mountain biking are proactively standing up for themselves, and other women in the community, connecting together over their shared passion for the action sport; and rest assured ladies, you are in good hands when hopping on bike in Lake Tahoe.

Editor’s Note: While there are only six total groups, businesses, and organizations mentioned in this article, there are many other local businesses that serve as a local resource for women mountain bikers across the Lake Tahoe Basin.

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