A Question for the Ladies (and boyfriends/husbands)

[sAFETY]

Does anyone have experience with the different women only biking camps/courses around Vancouver?

Cost vs vibe vs convenience vs overall value - If you've been to one of the local courses (or share a bank account with someone who has), what was your impression?

Primarily, I'm looking at the Sugoi and Spokeswomen courses, but I want to hear about any for Vancouver women.

As for experience, my fiance has very limited offroad experience but LOVED cruising B-Line last season, and is a competent roadie.

[polytics]

My Girl Friend did "Women's Only" http://www.womensonly.com and absolutely loved it. We ride pretty regularly with a whole group of folks she met through there (seems most ladies that ride have/had a significant other that rides).

Cost/Benefit analysis says it was defiently worth it. One thing though. If your Fiance has ever been offroad on a bike sign up for intermediate 1 not begineer.

[IP FreeLee]

Sorry to reply as a man to your obvious cry for help from women but I have had a good deal of experience with the Sugoi series over the last 2 seasons. Sign up now, do not question just sign, whatever it costs is not even relevent to the experience she is going to have! I have seen these clinics and hitched a ride along on a couple as well as had some inside scoop and there is nothing like it.

Technical bike skills (Skills broken down into peices)
confidence
communication
commeradery
funn

Everything is taught to women by knowledgeable experienced skilled women riders, most of which have CMIC training (best in the land)

Ride On
Mangina

[CraigH]

This question was answered last year, so I posted my wife's and my thoughts on the Spokeswomen camps here:

http://bb.nsmb.com/newforum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38123&perpage=15&display=&pagenumber=2

If you want the short answer, highly recommended!

There are a couple of other comments in this MTBR thread:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=18326

[Johnie P]

try endlessbiking.com , they are doing lots of different camps and I'm sure they have womens specific. I know their coaches are very experienced and have cmic.

[Gidget@nsmb.com]

If you're in reasonable driving distance to the shore I'd highly recommend John Henry's Pedals n' Pints club. It's not totally focused on instruction, although all the leaders are trained CMIC instructors. But it runs all summer, it's tons of fun, and you learn alot by just being out there with the girls.

They have a really wide range of skill levels so noone ever has to feel like they're being pushed too hard (or getting bored).

[Lady Gravity]

i've done both womensonly and the dirt series (sugoi is just the sponsor) and highly recommend both. dirt series is an intense 2-day weekend, while the womensonly 8 week course is good because you can practice in between. as for what level to sign up for, the camp should be able to determine what skill level your wife is in, and they can move her to a different level if need be.

i have no experience with spokeswoman.

[cam@nsmb.com]

Don't forget the West Coast School of Mountain Biking (http://www.wcsmb.com) which is run by Joan Jones and has been for some time.

She's been a woman for a long time too. ;)

[stuart@nsmb.com]

Dirt Series, Dirt Series, Dirt Series. Can't say enough about Candace and the women she works with.

My girlfriend went (after some convincing from me), and loved the experience. She went from pretty much noob status to competent rider in the span of the weekend, and the kind of rider who was asking how long until Whistler opens.

She's looking at going back to the camp this summer to learn drops and skinnies.

There's also an article here - http://www.nsmb.com/trail_tales/sugoi_dirt_series.php

Send me a PM if you're interested in more details.

Stuart

[CraigH]

Interesting that there are so many good choice for women's camps, but I only know of one for guys, the Schley camp in Whistler.

[amg]

I took one of the dirt series camps, the one in Whistler. It was a great experience, and I really liked the instructors and the way it was set up. They do some co-ed camps.

I also took a one-day Shaums clinic through Corridor Club, that was great too. I think they offer a women's only weekend, but I'm not sure what it entails, you'd have to check the website.

[Putty]

Joan is good people. My gf did a camp with the tantalus boys and one at sunpeaks with a dude named Swammy. He was top notch, took extra runs with them and was a nice guy all around.

I think she learned from both camps.

[JSinclair]

My wife did the Spokes Women camp and loved it. Highly rated.

Katrina Strand offers a Women camp as well at the Corrador club, talented coaches to say the least.
no feedback as of yet. http://corridorclub.com/

[danny]

My girlfriend took the Sugoi dirt Series camp in Panorama last year, she was really dissppointed. She was looking to advance her skills and spent 4 hours of the first day being instructed on how to do a 2 inch wheelie drop in the parking lot (she was already capable of doing 5-6 foot drops). If the wife/GF is a noob to biking it would probably serve her well, is she's already a competent rider and looking to push to the next level you may want to look elsewhere...

[Lady Gravity]

Originally posted by danny
My girlfriend took the Sugoi dirt Series camp in Panorama last year, she was really dissppointed. She was looking to advance her skills and spent 4 hours of the first day being instructed on how to do a 2 inch wheelie drop in the parking lot (she was already capable of doing 5-6 foot drops). If the wife/GF is a noob to biking it would probably serve her well, is she's already a competent rider and looking to push to the next level you may want to look elsewhere...

well, i dont think safety's wife can do 5-6 foot drops, if she's barely ridden off trail.

however, you have a good point - these camps are great for beginner or intermediate riders, not for someone who wants to advance their skills into the expert area. in order to do that, i think you need to get one-on-one training. i'm pretty sure shaums does that, and possibly katrina.

[polytics]

Originally posted by cam@nsmb.com
Don't forget the West Coast School of Mountain Biking (http://www.wcsmb.com) which is run by Joan Jones and has been for some time.

She's been a woman for a long time too. ;)

I did a day camp with Joan when I was 14. She was totally awesome.

[heckler]

My wife's done both Women's Only and Dirt Series in NV (each at least twice). Props to both!

WO is definitely for learning the basics (braking, pedalling, getting out of your seat, shifting your weight etc).

DS is more focused on cleaning a trail of a given level. After a morning of practicing on a parking lot (riding 2x4 skinnies on the ground, swerving pilons, standing up to climb a steep hill), they spend the afternoon on a trail that you want to clean. And they session each section until you get it.

Her last DS weekend, her group did upper Boogyman (she was in the highest level) Other groups rode Pangor and Espresso and Crickum Crankum. It all depends on the level you're at, and what your goals are.

DS books up really fast, if that's an indicator.

[amg]

Originally posted by danny
My girlfriend took the Sugoi dirt Series camp in Panorama last year, she was really dissppointed. She was looking to advance her skills and spent 4 hours of the first day being instructed on how to do a 2 inch wheelie drop in the parking lot (she was already capable of doing 5-6 foot drops). If the wife/GF is a noob to biking it would probably serve her well, is she's already a competent rider and looking to push to the next level you may want to look elsewhere...

When I took the dirt series camp in Whistler they divided us up based on skill level. There were some who were at the big drop level, and some that weren't, some that rode in the bike park and some that rode the valley trails. It worked really well, but it was a huge camp, something like 30 people (it was the co-ed camp). Perhaps the Panorama camp was too small for this.

For any camp I'd recommend talking with the instructors before signing up to see if your goals and their teaching/clinic format match up.

[grj]

just a thought

most clinics advertise that they are CMIC certified right?
so why would anyone dispute that the teachers that teach the teacher's are the best. and that's joan joans.

IMO Dammo and joan are unquestionably the most skilled instructors in the land at any level man or woman

oh ya, it's my job to know

[danny]

Originally posted by Lady Gravity
well, i dont think safety's wife can do 5-6 foot drops, if she's barely ridden off trail.

however, you have a good point - these camps are great for beginner or intermediate riders, not for someone who wants to advance their skills into the expert area. in order to do that, i think you need to get one-on-one training. i'm pretty sure shaums does that, and possibly katrina.

I told her she's just going to have suffer with me as a coach.....
:D

Originally posted by amg
When I took the dirt series camp in Whistler they divided us up based on skill level. There were some who were at the big drop level, and some that weren't, some that rode in the bike park and some that rode the valley trails. It worked really well, but it was a huge camp, something like 30 people (it was the co-ed camp). Perhaps the Panorama camp was too small for this.

For any camp I'd recommend talking with the instructors before signing up to see if your goals and their teaching/clinic format match up.

They seperated into groups in Pano as well, just seemed like almost all the crowd was XC looking to start doing a bit of downhilling, while Whistler I would expect a more DH/jumping crowd. I guess that over 2 days they didn't get a lot runs either, but she did say that her coach that she had was pretty awesome.

[Gidget@nsmb.com]

I agree..Joan and Dammo are incredible - I learned tons in my CMIC course