Missed Part 1 or Part 2? Well, read ’em!
Shopping for the lady rider in your life? Here’s what I run every time I’m headed out into Vermont’s outdoor playground. Yup, I’m a girl. Yes I ride, a lot. And yes I’m just as picky about my gear as I am about my jeans. So here are a few ideas if you’re cramming in some last minute shopping, or just want an excuse to visit the local bike shop and pick up some nice new gear!
ISIS Rim Rock Shorts
I wear the ISIS Rim Rock Shorts (a company with roots in VT) on almost every ride I go on. These shorts have withstood hundreds of washes and thousands of miles of riding and they’re still my favorite. Why? They come half way down my thighs, they’re neither so tight that they synch up in your hips, nor are they so loose or long that they catch on pesky things like bike saddles. They’re just right. I throw them over any chamois I find in the drawer and pedal. Oh and they come in fun colors like Mulberry and Ocean which don’t make your butt look big. ISIS
Women’s Fox Reflex Gel Gloves
Is it too much to ask for full-finger, form fitting, padded on the heel of your hands and palms, made for women gloves? Sometimes it seems this way. That is until I found the Women’s Fox Reflex Gel gloves. I was so excited about them I bought two pairs. I have worn them on every ride this season and couldn’t have been happier. Although they do not provide a “nutrient-rich long lasting moisture treatment” with an “all-natural recipe fortified with multi-vitamins and healing vegetable butters and oils to repair, moisturize, and strengthen hard-working hands”, these gloves will keep your lady paws comfortable and lookin’ good while on the trails. Fox
WTB Speed She Saddle
If there’s one thing you don’t ever want to comment on or let your walk (or waddle) do the talking for you the next day, it’s your saddle. The biggest compliment that I can give this women’s specific saddle, is that I don’t notice it, and that is a beautiful thing. A quick hour loop with the pooch or a 3+ hour ride through the Stowe Townloops, up into Sterling Valley, over to Adams Camp, and back and I still don’t notice it. Ladies, grab this saddle off the wall of your local bike shop and never have to worry about bike battered buns again! WTB
Nuun Hydration Tablets
You’re two-thirds into your 3+ hour ride. It’s hot. It’s humid. Your legs are starting to feel that unwelcome sensation. You need a boost. Drop a Nuun Hydration Tablet into your Camelbak (or keep a special water bottle so you don’t have to worry about figuring out what that strange flavor coming through the tube is three months from now), and you’re back in action. They come in delicious flavors like tri-berry, fruit punch, and orange; and are packaged in compact, portable canisters. Start droppin’ tabs on your next ride! Nuun
Dakine Pick-up Pad
Tired of tip-toeing precariously trying to hold your bike above your head and lining up your fork, all while your rear tire is refusing to stay in its darn tray? Get yourself a pick-up pad for the big rig this year. No fuss. Throw your bike over the pad, let the front wheel hang over, and the bumpy VT roads will do the rest, snugging the bike right in there. If you’re a shorty like me, your days of calf cramps, near disasters, and un-characteristic cursing are over. Plus, if your hubby drives a wimpy little compact truck, a couple bikes hanging off the back make it look a whole lot cooler 🙂 Dakine
Highland Mountain Bike Park’s “Find Your Ride” Package
DH Bike + pads + lift ticket + one hour lesson = $99
Getting comfortable riding at highway speeds, through rock gardens, and hucking drops = Priceless
(OK let’s be real here, with some trepidation, but loads of enthusiasm!)
Highland’s “Find Your Ride” is a great way to try out lift-access downhill mountain biking. And a fantastic way to hone-in your all-mountain riding skills. By the end of the day you’ll probably be shredding harder than your honey over technical terrain. Highland Mountain Bike Park FYR
