The Best Festivals and Events for Women in Mountain Biking

Do you identify as a female, trans, or nonbinary rider? Are you looking to get into the cycling or mountain biking scene? We’ve pulled our favorite events, organizations, races, and resources working to make the sport of biking more equitable for women — and all.

Historically, mountain biking and cycling have been male-dominated sports. But many brands, industry leaders, and organizations are changing that, one event at a time.

For 2022, we’ve rounded up some of the best clinics, events, and festivals that are actively promoting women, girls, trans, and nonbinary riders in mountain biking.

We’ve listed events by season, date, and location so you can find the ones right for you! Don’t forget to also check out our list of resources below.

Women in MTB: Programs & Events

• April-October 2022: Dirt Series MTB Camps are for women and youth in 14 U.S. states and 11 cities across Canada
• April-October 2022: Ladies AllRide MTB Camps are for women and youth across six U.S. locations
• June-Summer 2022: GRiT Clinics at Mt. Bachelor Bike Park (group and private clinic options available)

MTB Festivals FTW!

Roam Fest

Roam Fest was the first-ever MTB festival catered to women, marginalized riders, and genderqueer femme folks. The festival aims to build community while riding in world-class bike destinations.

• May 13-15, 2022: Knoxville, Tenn.
• Sept. 23-25, 2022: Fruita, Colo.
• Nov. 4-6, 2022: Sedona, Ariz.

IMBA Women’s Mountain Biking Day

International Women’s Mountain Biking Day is celebrated annually on the first Saturday in May. Celebrate Women’s MTB Day wherever you live, wherever you ride.

• May 7, 2022: Group rides, skills clinics, trail building, and more (remote, multiple locations)

Thee Abundance Summit

Created by pro road cyclist Ayesha McGowan, the first African American female to become a professional road racer, Thee Abundance Summit is a virtual celebration of “Black and Brown joy in cycling and the outdoors.”

This is the second annual summit, which will include presentations, a keynote speaker, and workshops (plus virtual races!). The event (supported by Zwift, Liv, and SRAM) notes everyone is welcome and invited to attend.

• April 1-2, 2022: Online and free (captioning and accessibility accommodations available)

GRiT MTB Festival

GRiT MTB Festival is a 3-day event in Fayetteville, Ark., for trans, femmes, nonbinary, and women mountain bikers. The dates and details are currently TBD due to COVID-19.

• 2022: Fayetteville, Ark.

RIDELAB Festival 

RIDELAB — geared towards women riders and all things fun — is offering 4 nights of camping (optional for locals), 3 nights of guided rides, and a ton of workshops, demos, panels, films, raffles, swag, live music, and more. Located in Squamish, BC, it’s the area’s first mountain bike festival for women and female-identifying individuals.

RIDELAB will donate a portion from every paid participant to the Ride Like a Girl program, a BC not-for-profit that offers young female mountain bike athletes mentorship and community.

• May 15-18, 2023: Squamish, BC, Canada

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Resources for Femme, Trans, and Women Riders

• GRiT (Girls Riding Together): An NICA-supported program working to get women and girls/youth into biking (as participants, coaches, and leaders)
• Total Women’s Cycling: Various events throughout the year for cycling and mountain biking disciplines
• Bell Joy Ride Program: A free mountain biking group, with eight locations across the U.S. and Alberta and British Columbia, Canada — 2022 events are TBD
• Courtney Williams, The Brown Bike Girl, hosts events and classes as well as promotes equitable bike education and access for BIPOC individuals
• Black Girls Do Bike: A Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation operating through a fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund
• Queer Gravel (look for a group ride in March 2022!)
• Native Women Ride: A collective for and supporting Native/Indigenous femme, trans, women, and nonbinary riders
• All Bodies on Bikes: Co-founded by two women in 2020, this org strives to foster size-inclusive bike communities (look for Social Rides throughout the year)
• Outride: A nonprofit org dedicated to improving the lives of youth through cycling (i.e., getting kids and youth on bikes)
• Unbound Gravel: Has male, female, and, as of 2021, nonbinary rider categories
• Red Bull’s first gravel race, Rio Grand Gravel in Marfa, Texas (May 7, 2022)
• Diamondback’s “Eat My Dust” Gravel Scholarship 
• Pearl Izumi “We”: Empowering women in cycling and sport
• Liv Cycling Teams: Liv Racing, The Black Foxes, Liv Ladies AllRide
• Women’s-specific bike and bike apparel brands: Juliana, Liv, Wild Rye, Shredly, Machines for Freedom, Cycling Out Loud, Dirty Jane

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