November's Featured Rider: Nadia Steinbrecher

By day, Nadia Steinbrecher is a home health care nurse, but when she’s not tending to those in need she’s quickly becoming one of the best female freeriders in the country. Nadia can also be found studying nutrition at Colorado State University or shredding skate parks and dirt jumps. Nadia has an affinity for Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park in Cleveland, OH, and she is always stoked to coach girls through tricks and stunts. Nadia didn’t start riding when she was 21, so we know she has plenty more tricks up her sleeves!--FF

Name: Nadia Steinbrecher
Home: Fort Collins/Boulder, CO
Age: 26
Favorite type of riding: Street/Park, Flowy singletrack, JUMPING!
Why you ride: It keeps me smiling, sane, and fit.
Sponsors: Black Market bikes, Girth, Deity components, Atomlab, Fox Shox, Kenda, 661

When I’m riding a trail, I don’t look for the fastest line--I look for the most fun one. Anyone who’s ever ridden behind me can tell you that I jump over everything I possibly can and wallride things that probably weren’t meant to be, well, wallridden.

With “freeride,” I feel like I get to express myself more on my bike. I’ve always been a creative person and I get so inspired watching BMX and Moto and I just enjoy doing tricks. I like showing the world that mountain biking involves more than spandex and dudes with shaved legs, and I hope I can inspire more girls to get their bikes off the ground and trying new things.

I ride because it clears my mind, I’ve made some amazing friends along the way, I get to travel, and I absolutely love it. I also like being able to do tricks that most boys don’t know how to do.

I’m such a girly-girl outside of riding. Before I got into bikes I was going to school for fashion design (I love to sew). My shoe and purse collection is embarrassingly huge! I’m also really into music (my vinyl collection rivals the shoe/purse assortment) and I play bass guitar. I’m working on my degree in nutrition right now, so I guess I’m interested in food too. I was never really much of an athlete before I started riding bikes, but this sport has brought out a side of me that I never knew existed.

Being able to relax and enjoy yourself while riding is key. I know personally that it can be very intimidating for girls (especially when you’re first starting out) to ride with guys (especially really good ones). I used to get so nervous before and during rides and just work myself up over nothing. I wasn’t having fun at all. Then one day I realized that riding bikes was not equivalent to root canals or a chemistry test and I started to enjoy myself so much more. Learning skills suddenly became fun and interesting.