Bright, VIC: Alpine Cycling Club Fuels Surge in Women’s Mountain Biking Participation
BRIGHT, VIC – The Alpine Cycling Club is actively working too reverse a long-standing trend of declining female participation in mountain biking, with initiatives like the upcoming “Ride Her Way Big MTB Day Out” demonstrating significant early success. The club’s efforts are focused on creating a welcoming and supportive environment for women and girls to discover and embrace the sport.
Laura Gray, a passionate mountain biker and member of Alpine Cycling Club, is spearheading the drive to increase female involvement. After finding her own “tribe” in Bright, she’s now dedicated to sharing her love of the sport and helping to build a stronger female riding community.
“We have a strong core group of female leaders within our club who are committed to doing what we can to improve participation by female riders,” Gray stated.
The cornerstone of this effort is the Ride Her Way Big MTB Day Out – a free, one-day event designed for beginner women and girls aged 5 and up. The inaugural event last year, funded by a Victorian Government Change Our Game grant, attracted over 60 participants and proved so popular that the club is hosting a second event this weekend.
The day provides a comprehensive introduction to mountain biking, covering everything from bike setup with mechanics to fundamental skills instruction delivered by female instructors. Participants then engage in two guided ride sessions, exploring beginner trails and putting their new skills into practice.
Beyond the riding, the event fosters a sense of community with a catered lunch, raffle, giveaways, and a swag bag of gear from sponsors, including a custom name plate for each bike. the Alpine Shire Council has also contributed funding to this year’s program.
Gray highlighted the importance of addressing barriers to entry for women.”Our main goal with Ride Her Way Big MTB Day Out was to create a fun, social and supportive place where women and girls could come, regardless of their MTB skill or experience level, to try out MTB riding in a safe environment – and hopefully fall in love with it.” She described last year’s event as ”a beautiful day” filled with mothers and daughters, friends reconnecting, and new friendships blossoming.
The club has observed a significant drop-off in female participation around the age of eight within its established junior MTB program,which currently boasts around 100 children.To combat this,Alpine Cycling Club is implementing all-girls groups and increasing the number of female ride leaders and coaches.
“We are constantly working to turn that around… So, this is another crucial aspect of trying to bridge that gap – to get more girls involved from the start!” Gray explained.
Those interested in learning more about the Ride Her Way Big MTB Day Out can find details at https://alpinecyclingclub.com.au/rideherway/.
