From Hills to Heels, Nelson ladies leading the way!
When it comes to having fun in the outdoors, one country has always led the charge. Everyone knows that New Zealand has it all, awesome mountain playgrounds, epic views and a fun loving riding community, our globe-trotting shredder Rachael Gurney loved it so much – she moved there. Here she checks out the latest Hills to Heels ride in Nelson.
It can’t have escaped your notice that the number of women taking to two wheels is ever increasing. From participation in races over all disciplines to ladies only coaching, ride and demo days, there’s something to suit every taste. The manufacturers are catching on too, with women specific models on offer from most of the big names in bikes. Furthermore, it’s not just specific to one country, from the likes of the Hopetech Women’s Rides or Rachel Atherton’s Foxhunt in the UK, the Bell Joy Ride Programme in the USA or the Liv Ladies All Ride Tours in Canada, from grassroots to serious racing, it’s growing and growing fast. So what it is that women get from riding with other women? I went along to a women’s bike event, Hills to Heels in Nelson, New Zealand to see if I could find the answer.
I’m lucky enough to be living in this beautiful town on the South Island of New Zealand which has a thriving women’s scene. There are lady shredders hitting the trails everywhere, my name on the STRAVA leader board has never moved around so much! The women here know when they are onto a good thing and also know it really is a case of the more the merrier where riding bikes are concerned. With this in mind, Shanine and Suze took it upon themselves to create an event that got the girls together to ride, helped women meet new friends and encouraged more ladies to surf the dirt. ‘Hills to Heels’ was born, a women’s ride in the hills of Nelson that could be tailored specifically for the group involved with the added twist of getting glammed up post ride to hit the town in heels.
An instant success, with 50+ women regularly in attendance, the girls soon realised that the women wanted more! They threw the door open to anyone who wanted to organise an event under their ‘Hills to Heels’ banner. With weekend epics and post work shreds, as long as it’s got hills and heels the girls are happy. I’m told stories of anyone not hitting the town being obliged to carry their heels in their pack – let us not let the health and safety bods know about that one, ay!?
So, at the beginning of October, I joined the girls for my inaugural Hills to Heels ride. Uncharacteristically for sunny Nelson, the weather turned from dreary to downright dismal. With the favourite coffee shop unexpectedly closed on our arrival, things weren’t looking too bright. Never the less, 25 ladies donned waterproofs and took to the local trails just behind the town for some mega trains! The enthusiasm was palpable, smiles were infectious and support for those less confident in the slick conditions was amazing. It’s so refreshing to see women teaching each other to be strong and brave and adventurous rather than attractive and beautiful as the rest of our world’s media might pressure us to be. There is so much to be learnt from each other, whether that be physical skills or mental toughness, women are great at sharing, supporting and spurring each other on.
Some slippery hours later we called it quits and headed for the café, an open one this time! Food is universally a huge part of any biker’s life, there’s nothing like a good feed for a famished belly and us ladies are no different. The coffee flowed alongside a few stray beers for those opposed to coffee in the afternoon! It wasn’t all just consuming the finer things in life, a couple of the group had recently been on a coaching course and showed us a cool demo to really feel the importance of leaning the bike in corners – every day’s a school day!
After snapping a quick pic of muddy bums all round we all headed to our respective homes to get glammed up and somewhat unrecognisable from earlier in the day, time for heels, dinner and drinks with the rad ladies of Nelson. Over the day I’d found support, learning, laughter, selfies and competition with these ladies, nothing I don’t get from riding with guys but the day had a totally different vibe. Easy going without being soft, relaxed without being slow and fast without being intense. It all made for a sweet recipe of riding with a taste that I can’t put my finger on but definitely gets a thumbs up!
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Words & Photos: Rachael Gurney
