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.

Martha Hucker: Say It Fast

The Internet is a wonderful place. Through the magic of the interweb, the New Zealand blog-site Martha Hucker managed to find us. And we couldn't be more stoked to be connected to this awesome site, which is dedicated to women's riding. They put our blog to shame with their exclusive interviews and insights, but that's why we're telling you to check them out (and hey, we're busy trying to keep you stocked with super sweet riding kits). You'll definitely learn a thing or two about your favorite female riders from all over the world. We even found a sweet video of Colorado's Tammy Donahugh (see below). Thanks, Martha Hucker!

Speaking of all over the world, we're currently working to implement international shipping options on Freeride Foundation. We hope to have everything up and running by the middle of November!

2008 Collegiate National Mountain Bike Championships

The 2008 USA Cycling Collegiate National Mountain Bike Championships were held this weekend in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Hosted by Lees-McRae College, the Nationals consisted of dual slalom, short track, cross country, and downhill races for Division 1 and Division 2 schools. Fort Lewis dominated the Division 1 podiums. Emma Millar took home National Championship title in Division 1 Downhill, while Chloe Jackson from Lees-McRae won the Division 1 Dual Slalom. Robyn Embrey won the Division 2 Downhill, and Johanna Tuttle won the National Championship title in Division 2 Dual Slalom.

We found these results on CyclingNews.com and USACycling.org.

Downhill
Division 1
1. Emma Millar (Fort Lewis College)
2. Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College)
3. Alisha Gibson (Fort Lewis College)
4. Hannah Trimble (Lees-McRae College)
5. Soraya Khalje (University of Colorado-Boulder)
6. Eszter Horanyi (University of Colorado-Boulder)
7. Sabina Kraushaar (Fourt Lewis College)
8. Carla Swart (Lees-McRae College)
9. Chloe Jackson (Lees-McRae College)
10. Andrea Kelchlin (Northeastern University)
11. Heather McFadden (Chico State)
12. Jamie Dinkins (University of Tennessee)
13. Ally Stacher (Lees-McRae College)
14. Kristi Henne (Lees-McRae College)
15. Olivia Maurey (Lees-McRae College)
16. Abigail Caroll (University of Colorado-Boulder)
17. Brittany Engleking (University of Colorado-Boulder)
18. Margaret Sullivan (Northeastern University)
19. Sarah Lukas (Lindsey Wilson College)
20. Sara Hanson (Virginia Polytechnic)
21. Emily Benson (Lindsey Wilson College)

Division 2
1. Robyn Embrey (Sierra Nevada College)
2. Johanna Tuttle (Brevard College)
3. Christen Boyer (Colorado School of Mines)
4. Jamie Bourgo (Michigan Technological University)
5. Rebecca Tomszewski (Appalachian State University)
6. Naticia Slusher (Mesa State College)
7. Courtney Steen (Colorado School of Mines)
8. Lauren Parker (Warren Wilson College)
9. Sarah Sietz (Union College)
10. Julia Tellman (Brevard College)
11. Tallulah Winquist (Warren Wilson College)
12. Melissa Marts (Colorado School of Mines)
13. Hanna Waldman (Warren Wilson College)
14. Nina Otter (Warren Wilson College)
15. Ileana Anderson (Warren Wilson College)
16. Amanda Gilbert (Appalachian State University)
17. Amy Russell (Union College)
18. Rachel Millsop (Union College)
19. Sarah Roberts (Colorado School of Mines)

Dual Slalom
Division 1
1. Chloe Jackson (Lees-McRae College)
2. Emma Millar (Fort Lewis College)
3. Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College)
4. Neven Steinmetz (University of Colorado-Boulder)
5. Alisha Gibson (Fort Lewis College)
6. Hannah Trimble (Lees-McRae College)
7. Carla Swart (Lees-McRae College)
8. Ashley Grubb (Fort Lewis College)
9. Oliva Maurey (Lees-McRae College)
10. Sarah Lukas (Lindsey Wilson College)
11. Eszter Horanyi (University of Colorado-Boulder)
12. Sabina Kraushaar (Fort Lewis College)
13. Kristi Henne (Lees-McRae College)
14. Jamie Dinkins (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga)
15. Heather McFadden (Chico State)
16. Ally Stacher (Lees-McRae College)
17. Brittany Engleking (University of Colorado-Boulder)
18. Soraya Khalje (University of Colorado-Boulder)
19. Andrea Kelchlin (Northeastern University)
20. Emily Benon (Lindsey Wilson College)
21. Margaret Sullivan (Northeastern University)
22. Abigail Carroll (University of Colorado-Boulder)

Division 2
1. Johanna Tuttle (Brevard College)
2. Robyn Embrey
3. Jamie Bourgo (Michigan Technological University)
4. Christen Boyer (Colorado School of Mines)
5. Rachel Millsop (Union College)
6. Hanna Waldman (Warren Wilson College)
7. Rebecca Tomaszewski (Appalachian State University)
8. Courtney Steen (Colorado School of Mines)
9. Julia Tellman (Brevard College)
10. Vanessa Emery (Warren Wilson College)
11. Lauren Parker (Warren Wilson College)
12. Nina Otter (Warren Wilson College)
13. Melissa Marts (Colorado School of Mines)
14. Ileana Anderson (Warren Wilson College)
15. Sarah Seitz (Union College)
16.Naticia Slusher (Mesa Sate College)
17. Tallulah Winquist (Warren Wilson College)
18. Amy Russell (Union College)
19. Sarah Roberts (Colorado School of Mines)
20. Amanda Gilbert (Appalachian State University)

Jeep 48Straight Finale

Fionn Griffiths won the final race of the Jeep 48Straight Series in San Luis Obispo, CA today. She bested Melissa Buhl in the final round. Melissa maintained her overall points lead and walked away with the series title, a heap of cash, and a Jeep! Visit 48Straight.com for more info.

San Luis Obispo
1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Melissa Buhl
3. Kathy Pruitt
4. Lisa Myklak
5. Michelle Rivera
6. Stephanie Nychka
7. Joanna Petterson
8. Leslie Slagle

Race for Tara at Sand Hill Ranch

Sand Hill Ranch in Brentwood, CA is hosting their second Race for Tara on November 8, 2008. Tara Llanes will be there too! Allie and I raced this 4x fiesta last year and it was super fun. Lots of people came out and there was a huge raffle. It sounds like this year's event is going to be even bigger and better. Get out there and Race for Tara! Click here for more information.

Edit to Previous Faux Pas Post

I failed to mention the pros and cons of full face helmets without or without visors. It's commonly accepted that visor-less helmets are not only unsightly, but are a sure sign that someone's recently taken a major digger.
Well, don't take it from me that full face helmets need to have visors, take it from the UCI's list of 2009 World Cup rules:
"Protections in Downhill/4X:
An approved full-face helmet must be worn properly fastened both when racing and when training on the course. The helmet must be fitted with a visor. Open-face helmets may not be worn."
So there!

Avoiding Gravity Gear Faux Pas: From the Top

We want all riders to look and perform their best out there, and that's what this series is all about. It's a community service. The guidelines of fashion are dictated first foremost by safety. You may not violate any of the laws of gravity fashion, but maybe you know people who do. This series could be the intervention they need so that they can keep all of their teeth until they fall out from natural causes.

I briefly touched on helmets and eyewear in our last article, and there are a few things that need a bit of clarification. As long as you're wearing a helmet, it can be a cross country, skate-style, or full face. I definitely wouldn't recommend riding too much downhill gnar in your XC cap, but hey, it could still be the difference between a coherent you and a concussed you.

Allie brought another important point to my attention. Wearing a full face helmet can often prevent tooth, face, and brain injuries while riding dirt jumps, slalom, and BMX tracks. The mouth guard will often hit the dirt first, preventing your jaw from slapping the ground and resulting in the aforementioned tooth loss and/or concussion. We're no scientists here, but there's a reason why athletes who go big usually opt for the full-faces.

I'll stand by the my statement that for safety reasons, you should always wear goggles (not sunglasses) with your full-face or skate-style helmet when riding and racing downhill. When you're pushing 40mph on a fireroad on your downhill rig, nothing protects your baby blues from wind and grit like a pair of goggles. However, it can be a real pain in the rear for prescription wearers to find goggles that'll fit over their glasses, inside their helmets, and prevent fogging. My advice is to keep looking and keep trying on goggles. The last thing you want is to crash, have your $300 prescriptions go flying, and find yourself stranded in the woods with a bunch of big fuzzy brown blobs--any of which could be a tree, a bear, a moose, or a Sasquatch.

Finally, a word about goggles. There is a difference between snow and moto. Snow goggles are designed to insulated from the cold, while using that cold air to vent and prevent fogging. Moto and gravity goggles are meant to be worn in warm temperatures, and use even more venting to prevent fogging. You'll sweat less and be more comfortable when you wear moto-specific goggles. Also, snow goggles usually don't have the grippy rubber on the straps. The grippiness helps to keep your riding goggles from slipping off your helmet while you're po-go-ing down rock gardens and through breaking bumps.

Join us next time for an enthralling discussion about upper body armor.

Click here to read the first installment of Avoiding Gravity Gear Faux Pas.

NEMBA Wicked Ride of the East This Weekend

The New England Mountain Bike Association is hosting its annual Wicked Ride of the East this weekend at Harold Parker State Forest in North Andover, MA. Karen Eagan and the Vitamin Water team will be leading clinics, including a Women's Skills Clinic and Ride. This event is a great way to meet other riders and improve your riding. Visit the NEMBA website for more details.

Australian 4X Series

While the North American racing season winds down, the Australians and New Zealanders are just starting theirs. The first race of the Australian National 4x Series was held at the Sydney Olympic Park this weekend. Caroline Buchanan won the first race of the year for the Elite Women. Remember, she won a World Cup earlier this year, so she'll definitely be hard to beat.

Elite Women
1. Caroline Buchanan
2. Shannon Jobson
3. Danielle Beecroft
4. Sarsha Huntington
5. Vanessa Thompson

U19 Women
1. Tayla Barnes
2. Emma Tatum

U17 Women
1. Alice Minahan

We found these results on CyclingNews.com.

Just 3 Days Left to Register for the Final Jeep 48Straight Race!

Wednesday is the last day to register for the final Jeep 48Straight dual slalom race, happening on Friday and Saturday in San Luis Obispo, CA. This event is super fun, and if you can race next weekend, you definitely should! Click here to register!

bandana-rama! Photo Contest Winner: Lane's Gangstars

Congratulations to Lane Larsen and her crew for winning the Bandana-rama! Photo Contest. The group gets a $100 gift certificate to Freeride Foundation.
We're still posting Bandana-rama! photos on the site, so if you have a Freeride Foundation bandana, show off your own style and send your photo to bandana-rama@freeridefoundation.com.

Mongoose Hillbilly Bike Bash

Yes, this is the season that just keeps on giving. Don't hang up your helmets yet, ladies. After you hit the Moab Ho-Down next weekend, keep that Halloween costume handy (the one where you wear the tube top and the Daisy Dukes and well, you get the point) and head out to Vail Lake Resort, CA for the Hillbilly Bike Bash. Visit PCAMTB.com to see if you can handle the utter redneck-edness of this November 8-9 event. Now go show those toothless boys who knows how to ride a bike.