OPINION PHOTO BY TIM WILKEY


Above: All Terre Retro MTB Ride PHOTO BY CERI BELSHAW


more long-term resilience for the sport. But none of that happens if women continue to feel that they are entering spaces that were designed around somebody else. I also think it is important to say that building spaces


for women makes those spaces better for everyone. Communication improves, the atmosphere improves, and the whole culture becomes less performative and more human. That benefits everyone.


The same applies in guide training. When I train mountain


bike guides, technical competence and safety are obviously critical. But so are empathy, adaptability, communication and the ability to read a group well. Those are not soft extras; they are central to making riders feel supported and capable. If we want more women to stay in off-road cycling, those human skills matter enormously. What I would love to see in 2026 is more confidence from the industry to move from intention to action. Not perfection or one magic solution, just action. Because the truth is, none of the work I’ve done in this space has come from sitting back and hoping things would even out on their own. It has come from noticing where women are being left out, asking why, and then changing something. You cannot just tell women they are welcome in spaces that still do not feel built for them. You have to make it easier for them to see themselves there. And in my experience, that is where real change starts. 


www.bikebiz.com April 2026 | 19


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68