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In Bright, tucked away in the heart of Victoria’s High Country, mountain biking is “so much a way of life, it’s hard to avoid it,” says Laura Gray, Alpine Cycling Club’s mountain bike coordinator.
With Mystic Mountain Bike Park and its endless trails right on Bright’s doorstep, there’s no shortage of terrain for riders of all abilities, as Gray quickly discovered when she moved to the town in 2018.
While she had first picked up mountain biking about 10 years ago, it wasn’t until she moved to the cycling mecca of Bright that she began riding with serious intent.
But for Gray, it was the friendships she formed and the local riding community that sparked her passion for the sport.
Laura Gray on the trails near Bright.
“I found a community of female MTB riders through Bright's Wednesday Night Women’s Ride, and that’s really when I fell in love with MTB. I loved the support and camaraderie (and the chats!) on these rides, and I really found my tribe,” says Gray, who is also a qualified MTB coach.
“I also love being able to do it with my family, including my seven-year-old daughter. She has grown up MTB riding in Bright and is absolutely flying, so it's really cool being able to hit some epic trails with her and watch her shredding.”
Now she is sharing her passion for the sport with other women, helping to drive programs that aim to increase female participation in mountain biking through Alpine Cycling Club.
Gray says she found her MTB 'tribe' in Bright.
One of those initiatives is the Ride Her Way Big MTB Day Out - a free one-day event organised and hosted by the club aimed to help beginner women and girls (aged 5+) discover the joy of mountain biking.
Last year’s inaugural event, funded through a Victorian Government Change Our Game grant, drew more than 60 participants and was such a success that the club is gearing up for another event this weekend.
“We have a strong core group of female leaders within our club who are committed to doing what we can to improve participation by female riders,” Gray said.
Last year's Ride Her Way MTB Day Out attracted more than 60 participants.
“Our main goal with Ride Her Way Big MTB Day Out was to create a fun, social and supportive place where women and girls could come, regardless of their MTB skill or experience level, to try out MTB riding in a safe environment - and hopefully fall in love with it.
“We had mothers and daughters, groups of friends, people who came solo and made new friends, old friends reconnecting - it was a beautiful day.”
The day covers a range of MTB skills.
The day covers all the essentials of riding, from bike setup with mechanics to basic MTB skills delivered by female instructors, followed by two sessions of guided rides exploring beginner trails and practicing new skills.
Alpine Cycling Club were overwhelmed by the response to the day
Following the bike sessions, the club provides a catered lunch, a rider raffle and giveaways and each participant receives a swag bag of gear from sponsors, as well as a custom name plate for their bike.
The local Alpine Shire Council has also come on board this year to provide some funding toward the program.
Gray said the program is one way the club was helping break down barriers to attracting more women to riding.
The club is hosting the second annual event this Sunday.
“At a club level, we have a very strong junior MTB program with around 100 kids riding in an organised program every week during summer. However, for years, we have noticed a huge drop-off in female participation past the age of about eight,” Gray said.
“We are constantly working to turn that around, with the implementation of all-girls groups, and more female ride leaders and coaches. So, this is another important aspect of trying to bridge that gap - to get more girls involved from the start!”
Find out more about the Ride Her Way Big MTB Day Out here.
Feature image: There was plenty of stoke at last year's Ride Her Way Big MTB Day Out in Bright.