Lynn Wannop has always been athletic, but when it came to mountain biking she said the sport was a foreign concept. However, when she first arrived in Jasper more than eight years ago she was determined to give the two-wheeled hustle a shot.
鈥淭he first ride I ever went on I totally hated. It was supposed to be a chill evening ride, but it turned into a five hour thing,鈥� said Wannop adding that she cursed her friends the whole way through the trek. 鈥淚 was so upset and I said I would never get on a mountain bike again鈥攊t was really discouraging.鈥�
Despite her vows against the sport, a few weeks later Wannop begrudgingly found herself among a pack of local women that get together weekly to pedal through Jasper鈥檚 mountainous terrain.
About a year after that second attempt, Wannop became one of the people leading the weekly rides.
鈥淚t鈥檚 funny to think about that first ride because mountain biking is something that I love and something that I鈥檓 good at,鈥� Wannop said. 鈥淏y no means am I an elite athlete but I can do it and it makes me feel good.鈥�
Wannop said she probably wouldn鈥檛 have given the sport a second chance if she didn鈥檛 run into Freewheel Cycle owner Wendy Hall, who coaxed her into that first group ride many years ago.
After hearing numerous stories similar to Wannop鈥檚 first attempt, Hall started Jasper鈥檚 first and only weekly ride exclusively for women. That was back in 1998 and to this day familiar and new faces still line up outside Freewheel鈥檚 doors every Thursday at 7 p.m. to hit the trails with Hall, Wannop and other skilled women.
鈥淪ome ladies just don鈥檛 like biking with men鈥攊t鈥檚 as simple as that. Some women get intimidated or nervous even though a lot of them are probably stronger than most of the men here, but it happens,鈥� Hall said. 鈥淏eginners always get nervous about making people wait or being last, but on the ladies ride we don鈥檛 care about stuff like that.
鈥淲e just like hanging out on the trails and creating a really fun and relaxed atmosphere. It鈥檚 not competitive at all.鈥�
While the rides have been well received since their inception, Hall said it鈥檚 only been in the last five years that they鈥檝e really taken off, boasting anywhere from 10-40 women each week. Hall attributes women鈥檚 peaked interest in mountain biking to better technology.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just been in the past few years that companies started getting on board with creating better products for women,鈥� Hall said. 鈥淭en years ago companies would just shrink it and pink it, but now they鈥檙e actually redesigning the entire bike based on a woman鈥檚 body.
鈥淭hings have come a long way in a short amount of time.鈥�
The weekly ride is usually divided into three categories: beginner, intermediate and advanced. 聽For complete beginners both Hall and Wannop take the time to show wannabe riders how to get properly acquainted with their bikes; how to gear down, tackle sharp turns and how to hop over any obstacles along the trails.
鈥淎 lot of women are always amazed because they didn鈥檛 think they could ever do something like that and within a few minutes there they are doing the impossible,鈥� Wannop said.
For the past few years, Wannop has led the beginner ride.
鈥淚 was very adamant about teaching the beginner ride because I remember being there,鈥� Wannop said. 鈥淢y goal is to give people the tools to properly mountain bike ride and from there they can take it to whatever skill level they want.
鈥淚 just don鈥檛 want women to get discouraged if they鈥檝e had a negative first experience because mountain biking is something I love so much and I want other people to love it just as much.鈥�
For newbie Rachel Webb she said the ladies ride has been empowering.
鈥淚鈥檝e done the ride four times and I want to keep learning and challenging myself. I like the encouragement of it all. It feels nice to learn from other women,鈥� Webb said. 鈥淚 feel more like I鈥檓 part of pack that takes care of each other.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e tired or have to walk our bikes halfway up a hill then there鈥檚 no judgment. We know we鈥檒l keep improving and get it next time.鈥�
The Freewheel Cycle ladies ride meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. outside of the store on Patricia Street. For those who don鈥檛 have a bike, rentals are available.
Kayla Byrne
[email protected]
