Women cyclists united

BELLINGHAM — Kae Moe couldn’t have been more gratified to see more than 30 tired but still enthused women gathering in her bicycle shop Saturday evening.

These weren’t necessarily new customers for Kulshan Cycles, which is co-owned by Moe and her husband, Eric.

These women had just finished the first all-female Rocky Mountain Dirt Series mountain biking camp held in Whatcom County, and the buzz was palpable.

The women didn’t want the day to end. Or, more to the point, they couldn’t wait for the second day of the camp, which focused on morning instructional sessions and afternoon rides around Lake Padden and on challenging Galbraith Mountain courses.

They came from British Columbia and Alberta plus several Washington counties. The women considered this a special opportunity to learn from high-level coaches recruited by Candace Shadley, the series director.

In fact, only 13 of the 34 participants came from Whatcom County.

Only one woman came away bruised the first day, but her mishap didn’t prevent her from vowing to return for the second day.

“I’m essentially a beginner in mountain biking, although I was born into a cycling family,” said Jennifer Artim, 29, of Lake Stevens. “I was at the back of the pack, going down a trail, when I went off a dropoff and hit the brake at the wrong time, so I went over the bars.

“I let out a blood-curdling yell that must have woke up bears in Alaska,” she said. “I knocked the wind out of myself and I bruised my ribs and wrist. But I got back on my bike and finished the ride.”

Seattle’s Courtney Nash, 33, one of six coaches at the clinic, was worried — but only briefly.

“I didn’t see her go over (the bars), but I heard her, and I’ve never run up a trail so fast,” Nash said. “But Jennifer is a real trooper. I found her on the ground, but she never cried. We sat and took some deep breaths, and I could tell she was going to be OK.”

The Bellingham event was one of 18 camps in the series, which will include gatherings in North Vancouver, B.C., July 14-15 and in Whistler, B.C. Aug 4-5. Camps are held not only in Canada and Washington, but in Oregon, California and Utah.

“I saw great improvement today from so many women,” said Nash, a member of the LUNA Chix mountain biking team. “The level of progress at these camps is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s really impressive, and the camaraderie is great.”

Artim said that, despite her mishap, she came away with more confidence.

“I learned a lot about my confidence,” she said. “I’ll not only come back and ride (Sunday), but I’ll come back next year.”

Shadley was inspired by how well the first Bellingham camp went.

“There’s so much camaraderie on the trail,” she said. “Women tend to be a bit more analytical, wanting to minimize the risk and maximize the chance for success.”

Shadley was especially impressed with Lake Padden and Galbraith Mountain.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said. “We’d love to come back and do it again.”

Kae Moe, a fourth-grade teacher at Ten Mile Creek Elementary in the Meridian District, said she won’t forget how educational the event was and how well it was received.

“It went really well and I saw a lot of smiles out there,” she said. “I had hoped it would go this way. People worked really hard to improve and our rides in the afternoon went really well.”

Bellingham’s Laurie Barrett, a 30-year-old beginner, loved the all-women format. She even refused to let a bout with bronchitis interfere with her day.

“I think I feel better now than I did when the day started. Mountain biking is so challenging,” said Barrett, the mother of a 2-year-old son. “I love competing against myself. I learned literally dozens of new things today, lots of technical things plus (basics such as) balance and weight placement on my bike.

“Having the all-women format made things less intimidating,” she said. “It was worth every penny (of the $250 fee). Now I’m thinking of doing one of the (two) coeds camps with my husband.”

Bellingham’s Jenny Hoover, a 28-year-old intermediate rider, said learning how to mountain bike with flat pedals meant a lot to her.

“The coaches taught us the right way to put our feet on the pedals, so we learned how not to let them fly off,” she said. “I loved how the coaches were really supportive of all of us. And it’s easier to try new stuff when it’s an all-women group.”

Katie Brennan, 30, came from Victoria to meet a friend from Vermont to participate. They especially enjoyed learning more about braking and descending properly, with both efficiency and safety in mind.

“I played lacrosse in college all four years at Wellesley (Massachusetts), so I came late to biking,” she said. “But it’s a great sport for all ages. What I especially love about mountain biking is that there’s always a new trick to learn that will make your day.”

Kelly Schmidt, 42, said the trip from Woodinville was well worth it.

“These coaches are real pros,” she said. “I learned so many technical things that nobody had ever told me about, just as the correct way to pull your bike up over a log. I’ll come back for the next camp, because there’s always more to learn in this sport. It’s a great challenge and you can have an hour and a half go by, and never even realize it.”