All Hail the Lady Train: #WomensMTBDay recap

Lady trains came out in full force this Saturday to celebrate all things lady shred for the first-ever International Women’s Mountain Biking Day. The day designated by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) was initiated for men and women to encourage a greater female participation in the sport.

RELATED : May 5th is all About Lady Shred, IMBA Launches #WomensMTBDay

The premise surrounding the event was simple: Go ride and share your story. IMBA’s hope is that it will expand the narrative within the sport.

“I’ve worked for a time within media and I heard this sentiment all the time by women in regards to the sport— ‘I don’t see myself’. If you look at the majority of content—print, video, social media, or advertisements—it’s mostly men,” Katherine Fuller, IMBA’s marketing director explained to us. “Rad shredder dudes are great, but it narrows the spectrum. So we’re hoping that this visual content will show women that there’s actually a lot of women in this sport.”

With this event being so driven by social media, we decided to curate some of our favorite photographs shared from the day.

Juliana Bicycles not only makes solid women' specific bikes, but they also sponsor the first all-female enduro team in the industry. No surprise that the brand and its athletes were excited for the special occasion.

Sven Martin is one of the bike industry’s most acclaimed photographers. In honor of the day, he shared a few frames showcasing some of the incredible female athletes he’s photographed recently.

Fittingly for the occasion, the Basic Mountain Bike Club highlighted female racers Rachel Atherton, Emily Batty, and Cecile Ravanel. These three ladies are world-class athletes in their respective disciples: Atherton with more than 30 downhill wins, Batty a multiple Olympic Champion, and Ravanel a Multi EWS Champion. 

Women's Mountain Bike Day was celebrated worldwide. In Nelson, New Zealand, 40 ladies—groms to seasoned veterans—gathered together to ride.

For many ladies, the day was celebrated on the race course. This weekend was the kickoff of the Scott Enduro Cup in Moab, and lady shred was in full force for the competition.