Lessons From An All-Women’s Mountain Bike Weekend

There’s no better time in Central Oregon than the fall. After hot and dry summers here in the high desert, rain returns, turning our dust bowl trail networks into tacky playgrounds for both trail running and riding. Daytime temps float in the 50s and 60s, perfect for hard workouts and casual outings alike. And the forests start to change color, a vibrant reminder of how precious these days can be.

Last weekend I took advantage of a good weather window, joining an all-ladies crew on a mountain bike adventure to the small and undiscovered town of Oakridge, tucked in the southern Cascades between Eugene and Bend. With a population of just 3,000 people, it’s a place that most have never heard of, despite having one of the best trail systems in the entire state.

Oakridge has a sleepy vibe with a few good coffee shops, one food truck for dinner, and hundreds of miles of pristine singletrack, dropping thousands of feet from the peaks above to the valley floor, where the Willamette River offers a refreshing way to cool off post-ride. The trails range from flowy and fun to gnarly and technical, where you have to be on your A-game. In a decade it might be the next mountain bike mecca, but for now we had it almost all to ourselves.

After riding many of the classic Oakridge trails, I sat down with two ladies, Abbi Hamlin, a sports nutritionist and athlete for Juliana Bicycles, and Jaclyn Walles, an ambassador for the Mt Bachelor bike park and Girl Get After It, an organization that helps women get into riding, to talk about their riding journeys, their “why,” and what the weekend meant to them.

Tell me about how you got started riding?

Abbi: When I was twelve my dad took me on my first mountain bike ride. I was borrowing a neighbor’s bike that was much too big for me and had a terrible experience. After running competitively in college, I started riding trails again, but it wasn't easy – I broke two bones in the first year, but still was hooked. Learning far later than most people was humbling, but always kept me coming back for more. I never had proper mountain bike lessons. I'd just try to keep the boys in sight, but riding with girls helped the most.

Jaclyn: I started riding during Covid. I vividly remember my first ride thinking you had to avoid riding over rocks for fear of popping the tires. At first I mostly rode with male friends who gave me all sorts of horrible (yet common) tips. It wasn’t until a few months later I met my first female riding friend and she invited me on a group ride with other ladies. Female support and encouragement was so fun, safe, and motivational.

What drives you to continue learning and pushing?

Abbi: Mountain biking is one of the only sports that brings me peace to my mind. I know ripping down scary trails doesn't sound very peaceful, but because you have to be so focused on the trail in front of you, there is no room to think about anything else. You are 100% present. It’s also a creative outlet, a craft you keep honing, and a search for your personal style, dancing with the trail.

Jaclyn: Riding bikes saved my life. I was in an unhealthy marriage, trapped with no freedom to make my own choices. Biking gave me an escape. It introduced me to a community of incredible people that made me feel safe and supported enough to leave that relationship. It gave me purpose. And it’s one of few things that genuinely makes me feel the joy of being a kid again. Being scared and overcoming that fear, failing and trying again, is one of the biggest ways we grow. It’s how we develop confidence and worth.

Tell me about the feeling of riding with other ladies?

Abbi: Riding with other women has been an absolute game changer for me. There's a unique energy that comes from being with people who just get how your brain works—an unspoken understanding and special kind of encouragement. While I’ve had incredible support from guys in the sport, riding with other women creates a next-level atmosphere of empowerment. Everyone becomes each other’s biggest cheerleader. When you see another woman tackle a feature or nail a tricky section, it feels more relatable. Like, if she can do it, so can I. There's magic in that shared experience.

Jaclyn: I agree with all of that. It’s a completely different experience from riding with men or with mixed groups. Women create a safe space to fail. There is no judgment or pressure, just pure support and encouragement. That allows us to try things and know we’ll have someone there to cheer us on no matter what. The progression I’ve seen with all women groups is unexplainable. When women see other women doing a feature, it encourages them to try it too.

Describe the vibe this weekend – what made it special?

Abbi: Camping, shredding trails, and following friends made it the perfect adventure. It was extra special because I got to ride with Eddie and Geneva, two lady friends who were there from the very beginning, when I first got into mountain biking, and one of my besties, Jaclyn, who has been a huge inspiration for me on the bike this year. One moment that really stood out was when I was at the back, watching all the girls absolutely shred. They were popping off different sections of the trail, whooping and hollering the whole way down. Seeing them ride with so much joy and confidence was a powerful reminder of how far we’ve all come together.

Jaclyn: No judgment or pressure to ride fast, ride a more advanced trail, or anything like that. Just ladies stoked to ride bikes and be outside together. The vibes were sendy and silly at the same time.