Shine Santa Cruz Pump Track Clinic - May 10th

Shine's Monthly Santa Cruz Ride at the Chanticleer Pumptrack
All Photos by Clay Ryon

I've decided that if I have to be the only woman to get more women on the pump track, I will be that woman. I also lead rides in Santa Cruz for my team, Shine Riders. Shine Rider's mission statement is “to inspire and illuminate” women on bikes. 

The Shine Santa Cruz rides are designed for women to work on their bike-handling skills, regardless of their skill and fitness level. So, it seemed like a no-brainer to host a Shine ride at a pump track. I would get the women out there via my team outreach.

I chose the Chanticleer Pump track for this ride, as it's centrally located, and rumor has it that it's the best one.

Pump tracks are amazing for many reasons. 1. It's a great way to work on your bike-handling skills in a low-risk environment. 2. It's a great work out, as you usually go anaerobic in under 30 seconds—before you even finish your first lap. 3. It's a great way to meet your neighbors. 4. It's a great equalizer—everyone's gotta start somewhere! 5. You don't necessarily have to have an expensive bike to ride a pump track.

I advertised this ride as all-ages and co-ed, so I was pleased when more women than men showed up. This is a public track, though, so the men still outnumbered the women on the whole. Nonetheless, I did not feel like a minority, swimming solo in a sea of testosterone. 

Brittany Bolen, of Scotts Valley, was one of the women that showed up, and said, “It was a great experience for my girl friend and myself. We definitely enjoyed our time thanks to the great encouragement from everyone. Waiting to drop in can be intimidating but all the camaraderie helped take away that anxiety. I learned so much and I can't wait to improve my pump skills more!”

And that is my favorite aspect of any pump track—the fact that you're having so much fun on the track and with whomever shows up—that you don't realize you're acquiring skills until you ride your favorite singletrack. 

So, while the rumor didn't pan out, as each track has its own unique benefits, it's okay. Because the benefit this ride was that I got to ride—and have fun—with like-minded women and my community. 

Joh Rathbun is a Shine MTB Coach & RIde Guide, and Action Sports Rider & Columnist. To stay up to date on West Coast events, or to join her on a ride, like her Facebook page, or contact her at johrathbun.wix.com/freelancewriter. A version of this story was published on Dirt Rag.