Written by Allie Hurtgen, Certified Mountain Bike Coach
The Trail Sisters cannot get enough of Fanny’s Yer Aunt!
On Sunday, July 24th, we got together for an intermediate/advanced skills clinic at Rocky Point. We started the morning working on skills that the trails at Rocky Point command: braking, steep descending, ratcheting, and low ready position.
It didn’t take long before this group was ready to take their skills to the trail. Coach Elaine provided helpful insight on switchbacks, which we practiced on our climb up Wind Up. This trail is perfect for sessioning uphill switchbacks! We lost count of the exact number of corners, but it has to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 (…OK we might be exaggerating a little here). The climb through the trees was a nice reprieve from the summer heat.
Once to the top, we practiced our small circles before playing a quick game of Foot Down. For those who’ve never played, Foot Down is a game where everyone slowly rides around in a circle, and the last person to put their foot down wins. It’s a fun way to practice slow bike handling skills like trackstands. Congratulations to our Trackstand Queen, Sara, for winning!
Finally, it was time to ride Fanny’s Yer Aunt. We sessioned three key features on the trail, two of the steep descents and the log feature called The Landing Strip. These ladies crushed it! They handled the steep descents with full control and smiles. They courageously attempted the Landing Strip, and for many of them, this was their first time hitting this feature!
After the ride, stoke was high and the message was clear, Fanny’s ROCKS! This group absolutely loved the steep descents, fast speeds, rhythmic corners, and optional features. They loved it so much, half the group went back up for a second lap.
We are humbled by the support and encouragement the participants offered to one another. This is what riding is all about!
This clinic was made possible with the help of our volunteers and sponsors. THANK YOU to:
· Head Coach: Elaine Bothe with Elaine B. Bikes
· Assistant Coach: Allie Hurtgen
· Ride Lead: Jaime Reed
· NWTA Photographer: Sean Benesh
· Hopworks (our post-ride refreshments provider)
We have so many more fun events coming your way! Be sure to follow us on Instagram: @nwtrailsisters for the latest news!