Who’s a Dirt Diva?
If you’re a woman or a girl and you ride a mountain bike, then you’re a Dirt Diva!
Manawatū Dirt Divas is a sub-group of the Manawatū Mountain Bike Club, developed especially for women and girls in Manawatū and surrounding areas who are already (or want to get) into mountain biking.
The mission is simple
To get more women and girls riding mountain bikes
Dirt Divas facilitate
Frocks on Shocks
Every year, on the first Saturday in May, the Dirt Divas join women mountain bikers from around the world to celebrate International Women’s Mountain Bike Day through Frocks on Shocks. The theme changes each year, but the idea is always the same: individually, as a pair or as a team, see how many laps of a Grade 2 course you can complete in three hours. Win prizes not only for the most laps completed but for the best costume and other random divisions. There’s even a category for mother-daughter teams.
Ridin’ Rotorua
What’s the most important event in the mountain bike calendar? The weekend in mid-September when the Dirt Divas head to Rotorua for three days of riding and camaraderie, of course!
Friday sees riders dribbling in and riding as their schedules allow; Saturday is a day of cross-country riding in the Whakarewarewa Forest in groups of similar abilities and interest; and Sunday the Divas fill as many private shuttles as available and spend three hours going downhill.
The weekend is self-catered and riders are responsible for their own transportation (carpooling is strongly encouraged). Riders need to be confident on Grade 3 trails.
Young Divas
One of the goals of the Dirt Divas is to encourage and support young female riders. There are opportunities for training, coaching and mentoring. The Dirt Divas would love to hear from you if you’re a non-riding parent/caregiver of a girl who wants to ride in the dirt! Contact the Divas at [email protected].
Sharpen those skills
Dirt Divas love learning new skills and improving the ones they already have. They also know that having a strong foundation in the basics is the secret to good riding.
Each winter the Divas organise a weekly series of skills sessions under lights where they practice things like cornering, track stands and bunny hops. In the summer, they gather weekly at Arapuke to put those skills to the test – and to learn more.
Don’t miss out! Join the Dirt Divas Facebook Group and sign up for the All the Dirt newsletter (link below).
Weekly rides
Fancy a ride to Linton? How about sessioning some trails at Arapuke? Never ridden the Mangaone Stream track? Looking for some hill climbing practice at Mangahao Dams? Almost every week the Dirt Divas will announce the weekly rides on their Facebook Group.
How to join Dirt Divas
When you register for MMBC, be sure to tick the box asking to join Dirt Divas (it’s free!). Please also join the Dirt Divas Facebook Group where you’ll find heaps of information about what we do.
Want to know more about our rides and events? Keep an eye on this page for registration, join the Dirt Divas Facebook Group, and sign up for our All The Dirt newsletter