Michigan Mountain Biking Association

The MMBA supports special programs that encourage greater female participation in mountain biking, including:

• The Dirl Grrrls Lounge: A place to discuss issues specific to women
• Becoming an Outdoors-Woman: Our annual women-specific riding clinic
• girlbike: Weekly rides for all levels throughout Southeast Michigan
• Got MTB: Girls-On-Trails group rides held at Stony Creek Metropark
• Velo Bella: A non-profit, grassroots, multidiscipline cycling team
  
  

The MMBA has teamed up with the Michigan DNR to hold an annual women's mountain biking clinic through their Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) initiative. Held at Stony Creek, sixty women attend sessions on riding skills, maintenance, nutrition, racing, and more. Year after year, this has been an extremely successful event due in large part to the many helpful volunteers and the spirited participants.

8th Annual Beyond BOW
WOMEN’S MOUNTAIN BIKING SYMPOSIUM
Saturday, June 21st, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
STONY CREEK METROPARK, SHELBY TWP, MICHIGAN

2008 BOW Application

BOW Sponsors
	Cycletherapy bike shop in Waterford. Sponsor of the Vella Bella Race Team.
	Thanks to the DNR for helping make this clinic possible
	The Luv2Mtb web site
	A special thanks to the Huron-Metropolitan Authority for the excellent park and trail facilities at Stony Creek

This active group of women lead women-only rides on a variety of mountain bike trails throughout Southeast Michigan. Their Monday evening rides are 6:30 PM at ever-popular Island Lake State Rec Area. Their weekly rides run from the beginning of May to the end of September. Riders of all skill levels are welcome and they promise not to drop anyone.

For more information, you'll want to join their email list and check the latest calendar of events. It's all on-line at http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/girlbike/

According to their web site, "Girls on Trails Mountain biking is here to offer a comfortable environment for women to experience mountain biking through a community of women as we come together to learn, share, make new friends and ride."

To date, the group has organized rides at Stony Creek for women of all levels. More information is available on their web site.

Velo Bella is a non-profit, grassroots, multidiscipline cycling team whose mission is "to encourage women to get out and ride a bike, race a bike, and to eventually grow the pool of talent and have a bit of fun along the way. While the core Velo Bella Team is a committed group of female racers, membership includes female cyclists interested in completing their first race, century, or even group ride."

Michigan is well-represented by Velo Bellas. Make sure you check out their regional web page. They also have a discussion forum at the luv2mtb.net web site as well as a Yahoo!Group.