Lebanon
After becoming certified guides last spring, Burdette and Gartner have led a series of beginner women’s clinics through the Hanover recreation department, where Burdette is assistant director.
The idea is to offer an inclusive environment for women who may have found the sport intimidating, and Burdette and Gartner are finding the demand for such programs to be as strong locally as what they’ve witnessed in their travels. All three clinics this month have filled to their cap of 10 riders, and they expect the same for a trip to the popular Kingdom Trails network in East Burke, Vt., this Saturday.
Increase in women’s riding has been evident at Mason Racing in Lebanon, where manager Jason Ouelette said sales in women’s apparel have grown significantly in recent years. Burdette feels the boom has coincided with the availability of women’s programming — a need she and Gartner have been thrilled to provide. The pair also led a series of five women’s beginner clinics last spring, as well as a number of informal social outings for women this summer.
“Mountain biking has traditionally been a male dominated sport with many barriers to participating,” Burdette wrote in an email. “(Women riders might think) ‘Am I good enough? Can I keep up? Where do I park? Is my bike good enough?’ With the rise of women’s clinics and rides, there is less pressure.”
That was on display Wednesday along trails within Lebanon’s Landmark/Boston Lot network, where the women spent an hour exploring single-track terrain together for the first time.
Before accessing the network via the Nature Walk Trailhead off of Mascoma Street Extension, the group got geared up and went over some of the basics in a grassy area of the parking lot.
“Keep your eyes forward, your pedals level and your hands ready to use the brakes,” Burdette instructed. “These are the ABCs, the main elements of riding.”
Burdette demonstrated transitioning from neutral to ready position, the former performed by standing upright on the pedals and the latter by crouching over the handlebars.
Burdette and Gartner then iterated some the ethical principles of mountain bike riding — attempting not to disturb wildlife and yielding to uphill-climbing riders among them — before leading the group into the woods.
They rode over a wooden bridge and reached a checkpoint, where they practiced accelerating while traversing roots on a narrow path.
“This is our first experience with single track, and it’s the real deal,” Gartner said. “You guys are truly mountain biking today, and you’re going to see a lot more of this next week (at Kingdom Trails).”
The group practiced angling tires correctly while accelerating over roots with little trouble, then proceeded to a short, steep hill with a pair of rock features just beyond its bottom. “For this I want your eyes forward, along with with your body,” Gartner said. “Lead with your heart.”
One by one, the ladies coursed down the hill and negotiated the pair of rocks, some avoiding both, others going up and over at least one. There were no spills, just a bit of unsteadiness.
“I was a little too wobbly,” Lisa O’Neil, of White River Junction, told Gartner. “I have to keep my weight forward a little better.” O’Neil, 52, was a road cyclist into her 30s. “Twenty years ago I stopped biking (and) raised my son,” she said. “After I turned 50 I told myself I would get back into riding. I’d never mountain biked, but this has been such a supportive group. It helps you feel not so self conscious. We’re all rooting for each other.”
Burdette, who emphasizes there is no shame in “bike hiking” — dismounting and carrying your bike over a precarious section — found a good example of where that might be appropriate along the network’s Zebra Trail, where the cusp of a steady incline blocked the view of its opposite side.
“If you don’t know what kind of adjustment you’ll have to make once you get to the top, walking it up might be a good idea,” Burdette said. “If it’s a one-foot drop, you’ll probably be OK, but it might be a three-foot drop and that could affect how fast you want to go into it, or you might not want to ride it at all, which is perfectly fine.”
The other side turned out to be quite manageable, and each of the women reached the pinnacle and descended, some after multiple runs or with a bit of a push from instructors.
With darkness approaching, the group completed its wooded loop and finished training back at the parking lot in the twilight of dusk, practicing maneuvers over wooden features such as ramps and plank beams.
For many who have participated in several of the outings, the improvements are measurable. Hartland resident Sue Esty, a recreational horse back rider, has joined for all of the sessions since the spring and said mountain biking has been a blast to get the hang of. “I definitely have much better balance now, and it’s a lot more fun,” she said. “At first I was kind of, like, ‘Why am I not just on my horse?’ but a great part about it is making new friends along with learning the skills.”
Amy Palmer, also of Hartland, was talked into joining by her daughter, Mariah, a member of the club mountain biking team at the University of Vermont.
Denmark natives Ulla Falkenberg and Pernille Dahl joined as a way to help become familiar with their new landscape, while Sophie Yanow is rediscovering mountain biking following a seven-year hiatus.
“When I was in college I tried it, but I went with some guys on these super advanced trails and didn’t really like it,” said Yanow, who teaches at the Center for Cartoon Studies. “Joining this group has made me excited about riding again.”
Burdette and Gartner have been equally excited to lead the group, especially after viewing its progress. “I’ve been really impressed with them,” Burdette said. “They’ve been willing to try anything and everything we’ve shown them.”
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.