 Stonefire Grill will be donating gift certificates to our Rocktober Raffle! Stone Fire Grill is “Fast Casual Dining” that is “Freshly Prepared, Simply Delicious.” A favorite of mine is their spinach salad topped off with their to die for breadsticks. For a location near you, check it out here: www.stonefiregrill.com/locations   Liv has been supporting the GGR Rocktober events right from the start! Liv was the very 1st bike company to bring their incredible line of demo bikes to the Rocktober event and continues to support this magnificent women's mountain bike event every single year! I am so very grateful they are so community driven! For this year's Rocktober event, Liv is presenting items from their 2016 beautiful line of clothes for the GGR big raffle! We thank Liv for all their support and generosity! Please support Liv! www.giant-bicycles.com  Helen's Cycles will be one of the Rocktober supporters contributing gift cards to our famous raffle! Just check out some of the services Helen's offers! Everything you'll ever need to take care of your bike can be completed by our experienced service departments. Found in each of Helen's six stores, keeping your bike in tip-top shape has never been so easy. Please call ahead www.helenscycles.com/storelocator to the location that you would like to visit for any questions or to schedule an appointment. New Bicycle Tune-Up: FREE Thanks again on the purchase of your new bike from Helen's Cycles! Within the first year after you receive your bicycle, you are entitled to free basic bicycle tune-ups. In this time, your new bicycle will experience a "break-in" period where all of the cables will stretch and the bearing assemblies will settle in. You may notice that the gears begin to skip and the bicycle generally loosens up slightly. We will perform a basic tune-up free of charge to get your bike back in perfect running order. Basic Tune-Up: $75 If you're just bringing your bike out of winter storage for the spring or are a hardcore rider prepping for a race, Helen's basic tune-up will get you rolling. This tune-up includes adjustments to the brakes (disc brake bleed add $30 per brake), gears, headset, bottom bracket, and hubs. Our mechanics will also spot true your wheels and lube the chain and cables for smooth operation. Parts and accessories installation is additional. Ultra Tune-Up: $135 This tune-up takes the basic service a couple of steps further. Included are inspection of your frame and components for wear, the removal of your chain, cassette, and crankset for cleaning in a solvent tank, cleaning of components, and cleaning and polishing of your frame. We also check the suspension components on mountain bikes. Parts and accessories installation is additional. Complete Overhaul: $225 To get your old bike running like new! Complete disassembly of bike down to frame, clean and inspect all parts, full detail clean of frame, and overhaul of headset, hubs, and bottom bracket. Plus we put it all back together again! Cables, housing, and shock overhauls are additional. If you have questions or would like to make an appointment for one of these tune-ups, just call our service department at your nearest Helen's Cycles. We tend to get pretty busy in the summer months, appointments are recommended!   GGR is absolutely STOKED to welcome Rocky Mountain Bikes and their demo fleet to this year's ROCKTOBER event October 18th at Malibu Creek State Park! Registration goes up August 31st! FOR 33 YEARS, ROCKY MOUNTAIN BICYCLES HAS BEEN DESIGNING, DEVELOPING, AND PERFECTING MOUNTAIN BIKES IN AND AROUND THE NORTH SHORE OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA. This diverse playground has offered us the ideal proving grounds for all types of riding. Whether you’re looking for the ultimate race machine, an all-mountain bike, or a trusty all-rounder for weekend thrills, we build exceptional bicycles to fit your riding style. THE FOUNDATION OF ANY BICYCLE IS ITS FRAME. At Rocky Mountain we obsess over perfecting frame geometry and optimising suspension to achieve the legendary ride quality we are famous for. AS RIDERS OURSELVES, WE STRIVE TO BUILD THE BEST BIKES IN THE WORLD. From epic adventures to World Cup racing, our bikes are designed for people who Love the Ride. For more info on Rocky Mountain Bikes, check out their line of bikes here: www.bikes.com/en/bikes  Want to be an exhibitor at the largest all female mountain bike event in the US? Want to get your product in front of this enormous community? It's easy! Email [email protected] to find out how!
  GGR proudly welcomes Moto Solutions to this year's GGR Rocktober event as a supporter! Moto Solutions will be donating their incredible FOGTECH product to be found in each and every goodie bag handed out at sign in the day of the event!
MotoSolutions was established in 2003 and is headquartered in Rodeo, California, USA which is about 20 miles north east of San Francisco. Originally the company was dedicated to improving the motorcycling experience. But it quickly became clear that other sports participants and industrial employees are affected by vision problems caused by water or fog on their protective eye wear. These vision problems can slow performance, reduce safety, injure workers and cost money. Our first product was Fogtech Advanced One Step Anti-Fog which was introduced in mid-2003. We believe that it is the best anti-fog (anti-mist) on the market. Fogtech is a topical anti-fog that is self spreading and requires no rubbing. Each application can last for days—three to five days is typical. While sports enthusiasts originally adopted our product, it is Industrial Safety that is our major market. It turns out that a major objection to wearing safety eye wear is fogging. In 2008, we are introducing Raincoat Advanced Water Repellent Coating. Raincoat works by shedding water off plastic lenses so drops will not distort your vision. At the same time Raincoat keeps eye wear and plastic shields/windows cleaner and can reduce ice and snow build up. Raincoat is easy to apply and is completely transparent, yet lasts for days even in heavy downpours.  For those of you that don’t know about BULLS Bikes let me start by introducing the brand. BULLS Bikes is a German premium bicycle brand that has been around since 1994. BULLS has constantly been innovating and growing. Today, BULLS is one of the most respected brands in Europe. The brand has enjoyed notable success and widespread popularity throughout the European market as well as Asia and Latin America. In 2007 we launched our first ever professional cycling team, _. That same year the team won several of the world’s most important races such as the Absa Cape Epic, Trans Germany, and the Trans Alp. Today, Team BULLS enjoys a very respectable reputation with many international victories. In April 2015, we began operations in the United States under Bulls Bikes USA: www.bullsbikesusa.com and are excited to finally be able to bring our long-awaited bikes into the U.S. market. BULLS Bikes have already been featured in some of the most important bicycle magazines since we started. Here is some of the media attention that BULLS has already received….. www.bikerumor.com/2015/04/28/soc15-bulls-bikes-charges-into-united-states www.outsideonline.com/1975096/best-mountain-bikes-2015 www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/news/you-can-now-buy-bulls-bike www.grindtv.com/gear/score-summer-gear-cheap/#JPHzrAMic57j3hyL.97 www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/the-best-road-bikes-you-can-buy-under-1-000 BULLS BIKES USA is currently selling BULLS bikes solely through e-Commerce via our website . Consumer-direct allows us to offer the best possible prices on our premium bicycles while remaining very close to our customers through a direct relationship. BULLS holds a very diverse selection of bicycles, although this year we have mainly focused on Mountain and Road. Our mountain bike selection is primarily driven by XC (cross-country) bikes and all-mountain as well. Price range of our bikes vary anywhere from 650 to 5900 USD. Our mission is to bring quality bicycles with reliable components as close to wholesale price to the consumer. When we ship the bikes out to the consumer the bike will arrive 99% assembled. Before the bikes leave our warehouse we calibrate the gears, brakes, suspension, and torque everything down to spec. We are also preparing to offer our full catalog by the middle of 2016 which will include more road selection as well as hybrids. If you have any questions/concerns/suggestions/comments feel free to contact us either via our website or by phone 844-44-BULLS.  Congrats to Susie Murphy! The NEW Executive Director - San Diego Mountain Biking Association7/10/2015
 GGR is so very proud to announce one of our own as the new Executive Director of the San Diego Mountain Biking Association! Susie, a native San Diegan, grew up backpacking and hiking on the county’s trails and began mountain biking on some of those very same trails in the mid-1990’s. This life long love of San Diego County’s wild places led her to volunteer for organizations, such as the Mountain Bike Assistance Unit at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, which helps educate, protect and steward these precious resources. She has been active in the local cycling community for over 20 years, progressing from a recreational rider to an amateur racer, competing in cross country and Super D formats from 1996 to 2005. Susie raced cross country and Super D with Team Go Girl, Trek Women's Cycling Team and Mission Cyclery. She semi-retired in 2005 after winning the California State Super D Championship for her age group. Her fondest memories revolve around being able to ride, race, and travel with her family. Susie is currently on the leadership teams of the San Diego Chapter of Girlz Gone Riding and the Wheel Women of San Diego, which promote getting women out riding mountain and road bikes. She also enjoys coaching for the Eastlake High School Mountain Bike Team, part of the quickly growing SoCal League. Susie’s background in education, volunteer leadership and event planning, as well as a knowledge of non-profit development and fundraising, will help SDMBA reach a new level of commitment, advocacy, and representation for San Diego County mountain bikers. “I am committed to the members and volunteers of the San Diego Mountain Biking Association and their dedication to our amazing sport. I am excited by the momentum that has been generated by SDMBA’s community activities and advocacy efforts. The relationships that are being developed with local, state, and federal land management agencies are going to improve the trails in the county for generations to come and I am excited to be a part of it!” Susie, a SDSU graduate has been a teacher for the last 10 years, but a desire to follow her passion for mountain biking and non-profit management has led her to this point. Susie and her husband Sean enjoy riding in Chula Vista where they live, as well as other trails near and far. They have enjoyed adventuring with their two children, Kiera, 22, and Shane, 18. Susie MurphyExecutive Director - San Diego Mountain Biking Association www.sdmba.com    GGR proudly welcomes Floravelo as an exhibitor at this year's Rocktober event October 18th at Malibu Creek State Park. www.floravelo.com FloraVelo is a family owned San Diego company designing women's performance cyclewear. Our jerseys are designed to be different. We’ve created fun, flattering women’s cyclewear made from comfortable, technical performance fabrics with a focus on comfort, fit and style. Our unique colorful designs and the fit and feel of our jerseys, along with our signature cell phone and secure key/ID pocket, make our jerseys stand out. And they’re made in the USA!
If you are interested in exhibiting at the GGR Rocktober event, please contact us at: [email protected]
What: Second Annual Sturdy Dirty Enduro When: Saturday, June 13, 2015 Where: Tiger Mountain, Issaquah, WA Race Website: Second Annual Sturdy Dirty Enduro 2015 Pink Bike Race Recap by Colin Meagher: PB - The Sturdy Dirty Enduro Bike I raced: Pivot Mach 6 Carbon Acknowledgments: Thank you so much to my amazing supporters who help me indulge in the simple pleasure of riding a bike: Incycle Bicycles, Pivot Cycles, Troy Lee Designs, Smith Optics, ODI Grips and Camelbak. My bike has taken me to some beautiful places, I have had amazing experiences and have met even more incredible people. I want to be able to share that with others, so let me know if you have any questions or if I can help in any way. Follow your passion, be spontaneous, have fun and capitalize on opportunities as tomorrow is not a guarantee. I live in Orange County and Glendora, and I work full time at the University of California Irvine as a Compliance Analyst. It's not easy but it is possible to have a career and race competitively! Introduction and Background Enduro! I am sure that quite a few people are tired of hearing about it, but I promise you that this enduro race is unlike any other. I first heard about the Sturdy Dirty Enduro last year when scanning through some Pink Bike articles and one of the race report pictures had a woman riding her bike and was being handed a strip of bacon. You had me at bacon… The Sturdy Dirty Enduro is the fruition of hard work and an ultimate goal of having fun by an amazing team of women known as The Sturdy Bitches (more about The Sturdy Bitch Team here: About Sturdy Bitch Racing). This year the Sturdys collaborated with Liv and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance to make one heck of a party, I mean race. All the detail were set. The Second Annual Sturdy Dirty would be held on June 13, 2015 at Tiger Mountain, one of Seattle’s oldest trail systems. Registration would be limited 215 racers. The best part, WOMEN ONLY! Well, dudes are more than welcome to be part of the volunteer team. And this is where my story begins…  Ready, set, register! Or not. I told myself last year that I would do this race, but when registration time rolled around I found myself trying to find an excuse not to go. The race is far away, I would have to fly with my bike, no one else from Southern California is going, I already have a full race schedule, will I have to rent a car, where will I stay, do I want to burn some of my allotted vacation time at work, can I afford it, and the list goes on. Out of curiosity, I checked the list of women who were entered and out of all the names, I recognized one, Andi Zolton. I met Andi two years ago at the Oregon Enduro Series and we have kept in contact via Facebook. I sent her a message saying hello and briefly explaining my situation and immediately got a response telling me to register and that she would help me in any way possible. With a new sense of “I can do this,” I went to the registration page and… SOLD OUT. With all my hemming and hawing, the event filled up. The next day there was a waitlist option, so I signed up for the waitlist and was about 17 people down on the list. Let the waiting game begin… About two weeks before the race, I got the email confirmation that I had been moved from the waitlist to the registered category. The next few weeks were filled with figuring out the travel logistics and I was stoked for the adventure ahead. Journey to the Great State of Washington The race was on Saturday and I wanted a chance to check out the courses on Friday since I had never been to Tiger Mountain, so I booked a flight leaving Thursday evening after work. Since I booked my airline tickets at the last minute, there were limited flights available and I was stuck flying out of LAX. At work, I rushed all day to get my tasks done and the day went by fast. I signed out of my work computer, hopped in the car and started the drive in traffic from Orange County to LAX. Traffic was moving pretty well so it was not long before I was pushing my bike box and dragging my gear bag through the airport terminal. A quick stop at oversize luggage to drop off my bike and kiss it goodbye (crossed my fingers that it would survive the journey), and then off to the gate to board the plane. It was about a two hour flight to Seattle and the plane landed just as the sun had set. Everyone was shuffled off the plane and I went to the baggage claim to rescue my precious cargo, which appeared to come out unscathed. Then it was more pushing and dragging out to the hectic pickup area where vehicles were bumper to bumper, horns were honking and the police were yelling at people that the zone is for loading and unloading only. Got to love airports. After a short wait, I saw Andi making her way through the traffic and she pulled up to the curb. We hucked the bike box and gear bag into her car and hit the road. We then drove to the house I was staying at with some other rad ladies that drove down from Canada for the race. The rest of the evening consisted of making food, unpacking gear, putting my bike back together and finally sleeping. Pre-ride Day Friday morning included making breakfast and enjoyed the view out on the balcony. Andi and I headed over to Tiger Mountain to pre-ride the stages. I am a big fan of pre-riding so that you know what to expect on race day and it enables you to get a feel for the trails. At the venue we met up with Andi’s friend, Adam Andrade (Liv Giant Bicycles) and the Liv For A Day contest winner, Stephanie Brunnemann from Salt Lake City, UT. This was Stephanie’s first enduro so we took our time, cruised through the stages and stopped to check out challenging sections. Tiger Mountain is amazing! It has a great mix of flow, rocks, roots, jumps and turns. We rode Stages 1-3 and returned the main venue area. Stage 4, a new in-progress trail named Eastbound and Down, was opened just for the Sturdy Dirty Enduro. The pro and expert categories were allowed a practice run on it and we even got shuttled to the top, thank you! Stage 4 was by far the most challenging and enjoyable. We left the venue and headed back to the house, looking forward to the race the next day. Race Day The morning of a race is always a flurry of activity. Everyone arrived at the venue and went to registration to sign the waiver, pick up a number plate and timing chip. Numbers were quickly zip tied to the bikes. The timing chip was a little smaller than a credit card and was on a band that you wore on your left wrist. Next was the rider meeting with a brief overview of the rules, safety information and schedule for the day. Soon all the pros were lined and we were off on the transfer to Stage 1. · TRANSITION 1 (T1) - From Upper Parking Lot, ride up the road to E Tiger Summit Trail · STAGE 1 (S1) - E Tiger Summit Trail to start of Preston RR Trail (finish at start of Preston RR Trail) The climb to E Tiger Summit Trail is a 4 mile gradual grind up a gravel road with a few steep pitches. It was warm and dry, which was great coming from Southern California. Rain would have shaken things up a bit with slippery rocks and off camber roots. When we reached Tiger Summit Liv Giant had quite the setup with party music playing, and pancakes and bacon on the grill. I had a quick snack, pulled on my knee pads and got in line to start Stage 1. The start timers gave the countdown and I started the stage when I heard the beep of the timing chip being scanned. Stage 1 was about six minutes long and consisted of fast, flowy sections with swoopy turns. At the end of the stage we were greeted by the finish timer, Elvis. From there it was back up the road to Tiger Summit. · TRANSITION 2 (T2) - Top of Preston RR Trail then out to the road and back to E Tiger Summit Trail · STAGE 2 (S2) - E Tiger Summit Trail to Off-The-Grid (finish at road crossing) The steep final push to Tiger Summit was a little more challenging the second time as it continued to heat up. By the time we got to the summit again, the sport and beginner racers were lined up and waiting to start Stage 1, which was the same start as Stage 2. The pros and experts formed a second line and the race organizers interspersed us with the sport riders as the two stages only shared the first short segment of trail. Within 10 minutes, I was on course on Stage 2. Stage 2 was eleven minutes for the fastest racers and a mix of terrain. The top had many rock and roots sections, midway was a long meandering climb that challenged tiring legs, and the end was wide open with some jumps. There was a fairy and a cow at the end of Stage 2 to scan the timing chip and record a backup time. A leprechaun escorted racers to an aid station stocked full of water, cookies, fruit and Jell-O shots for some liquid encouragement. · TRANSITION 3 (T3) - Not really a transition. Just a short wait on the road. · STAGE 3 (S3) - Fully Rigid to Joyride (finish at road crossing) There was no wait for Stage 3, so I dropped in after a short recovery from Stage 2. Stage 3 was seven and a half minutes for the fastest racers and kept everyone on their toes. There were tight turns, narrow trees to thread in-between, rocks and blind corners. It was important to keep your speed up to conserve energy as tapping the brakes just meant more pedaling to get back up to speed. At the bottom of Joyride, we ended on a road where finish timers were waiting. The aid station, I mean the fiesta, consisted of guacamole, salsa and all the goodies to go with it, including Tequila shots! Pros and experts still had the grind back up to Stage 4, so I decided not to indulge. There was also a kickball and limbo contest that racers could participate in. Talk about a party. I could have stayed there all day. · TRANSITION 4 (T4) - Enjoy a nice ride back to Upper Parking Lot via NW Timber Trail. Pro and Expert continue to ride NW Timber Trail and up the road back to the Summit · STAGE 4 – Eastbound and Down (Pro and Expert Only) For the pros and experts, it was the long haul back up the gravel road to Stage 4, which included a steep hike-a-bike section to reach the start. A friend of mine has always said that very good ride has a hike-a-bike, and this was no exception. As we climbed to the top, we saw the banner welcoming us to Stage 4 aka Prom. We stopped for a photo op and then got ready to race the final stage of the day. I had been looking forward to this stage all day and it did not disappoint. Stage 4, Eastbound and Down, was opened for the Sturdy Dirty Enduro and is not available to the public yet. The trail is about a mile and a half in length and drops 1200 vertical feet. Compared to the other trails, it is much more natural and rugged and AWESOME. All sections are roll-able, but at high speed it got rowdy real quick. The end of the trail has a really fun steep roller down some rocks, but the trail builders created a go-around for those not willing to ride it. At the bottom, the timers were waiting as usual and then it was a casual cruise down the gravel road and to the party. Back at the venue area, we returned our timing chips and received a printout of timing for each stage and our overall ranking. There was a big monitor which displayed the current results and as each rider checked in the rankings would update. Then it was on to the delicious food that was waiting. Rider after rider was returning to the venue with a smile on her face. There was plenty of shade to sit under and share stories of the day. From pro to first-time racers, everyone I spoke to talked about how much fun they had and that they cannot wait for the next one. Personally, it was not my best race but I was thrilled to finish in the top 10. I had some mistakes and crashes, and was competing against some super-fast ladies. However, I had so much fun riding my bike on beautiful trails with some amazing people, and I consider that better than winning. After all the racers had return, there was an incredible raffle and awards were presented. Congratulations to everyone on a great race and an even better experience. Always be sure to thank your race organizers and volunteers. Without their hard work, an incredible event like this would not be possible. Returning Home After the race, it was back to the house to pack all my gear and get my bike boxed up. Sunday morning I had one of the first flights out to get back home. Andi was so gracious to be my chauffeur one last time and we drove to the airport at 5am Sunday morning. I am very grateful to have such amazing friends. Just as the plane took off, the sun was rising over the horizon in SeaTac. What a way to end an incredible race.  Next Year One thing is for sure, I will be there next year as long as I do not have a scheduling conflict. I recommend this event to anyone who is looking for an amazing experience in a welcoming environment. Do not get me wrong, it is not for the faint of heart, there is varying terrain of difficulty and the climbs are substantial. Many sections are challenging, there is no shame in walking features and there will be plenty of women out there to lend a helping hand to those in need of some guidance and encouragement. Hope to see everyone out there next year. Keep an eye out on the website for 2016 details. Thank you to the Sturdy Bitches, Liv, Evergreen and all the volunteers for a great race. A huge thank you and congrats to Pro Enduro rider Liz Miller. Thank you for sharing your wonderful story with us and being July's guest blogger! If you have a great riding adventure to share, please contact us to be a guest blogger: [email protected]
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Do you have great women's specific mountain bike story and want to contribute to the GGR blog? ? Email Wendy at: [email protected]
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