….and here is part 2! At the end of 2020, I joined a Facebook group called Hawesaholics Babes Ride On, or HBRO for short. HBRO is a VERY active ladies’ mountain bike group primarily based at the Hawes Trail System in east Mesa, but members are from all over the Phoenix area. HBRO is invested in supporting women’s mountain biking events and encouraging all women to ride bikes. One such event was the first annual Saguaro Soireé, which occurred in mid-November. Aravaipa Rides put on this event and it was an entire weekend dedicated to mountain biking at Usery Mountain: skills clinics for all levels, bike mechanic workshops, lunch and games, and a race. It was a really fun weekend and I know that everyone learned (or relearned) bike skills and challenged themselves to push a bit harder during the race. I think the thing I like most about women-only mountain bike events is the supportive atmosphere. I don’t mean that co-ed events aren’t supportive, but I’m finding that a lot of ladies I ride with start biking later in life and don’t have the same depth of background in riding as most guys who ride. We’re more similar in our (lack of) experience and approach to riding, so honestly, it’s more fun riding with other ladies. 🙂 The Soireé was a great time and it was fun to hang out with some of my biking friends. (For the record, I was not last in the race!)