The Bonebell » Julia Goolia

Women of Dirt

Julia Goolia — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:13:15 +0000

The last two weekends were full of mountain bike opportunities for women. June 3rd marked the monthly Chicago Women’s Dirt Day and the following weekend of June 11-12 Brown County State Park played stomping grounds for the annual Midwest Women’s Mountain Bike Clinic. I was lucky enough to be in attendance at both events.

Rolling into the parking lot on the morning of June 3rd I was a bit nervous about what our turnout would be like. The previous ride in April did not draw many riders and I was hoping for a big turn around. To my relief and excitement the Wolf Road Lot was full of cars and women! I knew the day was going to be fun. With almost 30 women in attendance it was necessary for us to split into groups for the ride. We divided up into groups of mixed skill levels so that those with less experience would have the benefit of watching and talking to the more advanced riders. Interestingly, many members of my group commented that when they ride with men there is often reluctance to stop on the trails to try something again (or for the first time). In my group we did stop at several points along the ride to talk about different skills. Specifically, how to navigate logs and the infamous “Three Ravines.” At the end of the day everyone felt more confident and had a big smile on their face. Mission accomplished!

The following weekend I headed down to Brown County State Park in Nashville, Indiana. Ever since I started mountain biking more seriously I have heard nothing but wonderful things about this trail system and so I was psyched to finally have the chance to ride here. The clinic took on a new format this year with the intermediate and advanced riders getting an extra 1/2 day of instruction on Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning would be another 1/2 day of skills work with a trail ride to cap off the day in the afternoon. The beginners clinic took the same format with the exception of the Saturday afternoon session. I left Chicago at 7 am sharp with my friend and fellow mountain biker Becky and we arrived in Nashville 4 hours later ready to get on our bikes. Before the afternoon session began we met up with fellow Chicagoans Rachael and Michelle and headed over the the clinic.

The clinic kicked off with a brief introduction from the coaching staff and the riders splitting into groups based on skill level…sort of. The clinic advertises that a “skills assessment” would take place so that riders could be appropriately placed into groups. To our surprise there was no formal assessment, rather the coaches instructed us to split ourselves up according to our own self-assessment. I headed over to the advanced group with Rachael and about 10 other women. As it turned out, our coach for the weekend would be none other than freeride phenom Tammy Donahugh (!) Before I say anything else about this event I will say that working with Tammy was a lot of fun. She was laid back, kind and patient with everyone. Very approachable…and really frickin’ fast! At the end of Saturday afternoon we rode the trails back to our campground with Tammy leading the way. It was a fun and unique experience to ride with a pro. Back-tracking to the Saturday afternoon session, we covered many basic skills, some of which I myself was not practicing until now…like using one finger to brake. Oops! We went over neutral and ready positions on the bike and turning skills. Over the course of the session it became apparent that many of the riders in our group were at different skill levels and this ended up being one of the disappointments of the weekend for me, as the main reason I had wanted to attend the clinic was to improve on more technical skills and learning to navigate larger trail obstacles. Nevertheless, on the whole the weekend was a success, thanks in large part to my wonderful company. Saturday night was full of lively conversation around the picnic table and the Sunday morning skills session covered some of the more technical skills I was hoping to improve on. The afternoon trail ride also proved to be a great time as the trails in Brown County are just as good as everything you have heard about them. My other big regret about the weekend is that we didn’t spend more time on them. Unfortunately, I have no photos to show for the weekend (Thanks, Becky, for the one below!) so if you want a better photographic flavor of the weekend check out the Two Pedals Photography gallery here.

Our next women’s ride in Chicago is just around the corner on July 2nd. Check out our facebook page by searching “Chicago Women’s Dirt Days”!

Chicago Women’s Dirt Days 2011

Julia Goolia — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:19:52 +0000

Spring is in the air and that means it is almost time to hit the trails! Johnny Sprockets and Half-Acre are partnering with your favorite local MTB advocacy organization CAMBr to bring you another series of mountain bike rides for women and transgendered individuals. This year we are getting more organized and have our calendar planned out for the entire year with dates listed below. These rides are open to women of all experience levels, from the newbie interested in trying out mountain biking for the first time to the seasoned racer looking to meet more women to ride with. There are many great reasons that we have teamed up with CAMBr this year, not least of all because they will graciously be providing a free entry to the Palos Meltdown race on August 14th for all women who attend 3 or more of our rides this year!

As we all know spring in Chicago can be a tumultuous time for the trails, so we decided to guarantee that we won’t get rained (or snowed) out and are going to kick off the first ride at Ray’s MTB park in Milwaukee! Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to make it up to Ray’s myself yet, but have heard nothing but good things from my fellow dirt bags (in case you missed it, fellow Bonebeller Amy Weik wrote up an extensive review of Ray’s here). We are still ironing out the details, but for now the plan will be to meet locally by neighborhood and carpool up to Milwaukee for a day of riding. Details up here, on Facebook and the CAMBr website by the end of this week. Hope to see you there!

April 2nd – Ray’s MTB Park in Milwaukee

April 30th – Location TBD

June 4th – Location TBD

July 2nd – Location TBD

August 6th – Palos Forest Preserve

Questions? Email me!

Lady Dirtbag Spotlight: Holly Klug

Julia Goolia — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:36:04 +0000

Winter is here and unfortunately that means ‘cross season is almost at a close. With the state championships this weekend and Afterglow in two weeks, the time for cowbells and hand-ups is quickly waning. With that said, I didn’t want to let the opportunity to interview one of the strongest women ‘cross riders in Chicago pass. Holly Klug has been a force to be reckoned with on both the cross and mountain scenes for several years. She holds a category 1 license and rides for Twin Six/Killjoy for the mountain season and represents Pony Shop for cyclocross season as a category 2 rider and UCI license holder. I caught up with her over email to find out more about her thoughts on riding and racing.

I would like to see everyone WANT to be in a higher category both women and men. Racing should be fun but it should be challenging. It’s racing not riding.

How long have you been and how did you start mountain biking? Racing mountain bikes? Racing ‘cross?

My husband, Kevin, had been racing mountain for several years while I did marathons. I would go to the WORS races to be the water girl and do the trail runs. I was in awe of the ladies riding mountain bikes but it was something I was sure I would never do. Then Kevin bought me a pink Titus Racer X for Christmas of 2004. He knew I would feel guilty if I didn’t ride it so his plan worked. I started racing WORS 2005. I was 35 and afraid of crashing. I raced citizen for 5 races and then sport for the remaining. After that year I moved to elite. Ive been very successful with my mountain bike racing. Always learning as I still have fears especially logs and skinny bridges. I am a great climber but float like a feather down hill. When it comes to braking I’m an expert!

I actually started cyclocross racing before mountain biking. I started in 2004. I did 2 races as a C. My first race was at Jackson Park and I learned how to dismount the night before, problem was I hadn’t learned how to remount yet. My 2nd race was in Wisconsin at Washington Park. That was the 1st cross race I won. The next year they switched it to categories. I was cat 3 but upgraded to a 2 after two races. I’m still a Cat 2. There really is no need for me to be Cat 1 as it is the same race. Cat 1 for cross are the pros like Compton, Gould and Nash. I might be racing “with” them but I’m not a cat 1. I do have an UCI license so I can do the elite races and prefer those over the masters or 2/3 races that they offer.

Why did you decide to start racing?

I always did some type of racing running, triathlon & duathalons as I like the discipline in a training schedule. I am also very competitive. It’s also too hard to just watch now that I know how. The atmosphere at cross and mountain bike races simply are the best. I’ve met some of my good friends through racing. It also helps to have a husband that does it, too.

How many races will you do in a typical mountain biking season? Cross races? How much do you travel for races?

Usually I will do 4 or 5 mountain bike races and about 20 cross races. This year I did 3 mountain bike races but cross is looking like 22-23 races. I tried doing a full season of mountain (12 races) and a full cross season one year and it was just too much. Talk about burn out. My main focus is cross racing. Mountain biking is more for pleasure with a few of my favorite races thrown in. I do a mix of WI races and CCC races for cross, plus a few UCI/USGP races. I traveled to Bend last year for Nats with my husband Kevin, but we are skipping it this year because it is just really far.

What do you do for work? How you balance working and racing?

I am a Chicago Public School teacher and have been teaching for 14 years. Work and racing/ training is pretty easy for me since I have set days and hours for work. My school is super close to my house so I have time to train after work.

What do you like most about racing? Least?

My favorite part of racing is seeing 1 to go! Also after the race is over and hanging and talking about it with everyone. There is some sense of accomplishment and adrenaline that still pumps through you after. My least favorite is about 30 minutes before the start. I am always worried about if I got a warm up in, tire choice, pressure, going to the bathroom and nerves. I am always super nervous.

What is it like to race at an elite level in cyclocross? How big is the gap between racing in a 1/2/3 race in a local series like the Chicago Cross Cup and a UCI level race like the USGP series?

Usually right after I register for an elite race I start to doubt myself as not worthy to race with the pros. Then I get over it because it is such a cool experience and opportunity. In UCI or USGP races there is usually “your” race within it. The pros are fast and super aggressive. Everything is fair when it comes to racing. It has taken me a while to figure that out. Starts are fast, blocking is key, and using your head is a must. The gap is pretty big comparing it to a CCC 1/2/3 race. I think it is the mix of having the 3s since they can be such a huge range of ability. The gap doesn’t seem as big in WI but maybe that’s because they have a seperate 3s race. I wish the women CCC racers would race in Wisconsin and vice versa.

How do you feel about the current state of women’s mountain bike racing? Women’s ‘cross racing? What disparities do you see between the women’s and men’s fields?

We are lucky to have WORS so close. I think Don has done an excellent job in promoting racing for everyone. Even Palos Meltdown seemed to fully embrace the women except we didn’t have many expert ladies. Women are reaching out to other women and if seems to be much more welcoming. ‘Cross in Chicago seems to be growing huge for women but it seems like no one really cares to speak up for us like race times, payouts, seperating races from juniors, start times. Last year I sent a ton of emails in order to get us to start in front of the other groups. It really should not have been necessary if the promoter respected cat 1/2 women the way they do the men. We train and put in our all just like the men but we still get slighted. Since I have been doing the series we have been a second thought which is sad bit we have so much turnover in the 1/2/3s that most women don’t know how bad it has been so they don’t say anything.

What about women’s racing would you like to see change?

I would love to see a separate series or separate race for the cat 3 women like in Wisconsin. I would love for CCC racers to race against WI racers. We need the competition to make us faster. I would love it if the premiere races were the 1/2s instead of promoting the cat 4 races. I would like to see everyone WANT to be in a higher category both women and men. Racing should be fun but it should be challenging. It’s racing not riding. I’d also like to know what happens to the women because every year we have a bunch of cat 4 women but the 1/2/3s never get bigger. It’s a mystery I’d loved solved.

What is your favorite mountain bike that you have owned? Cross bike?

My favorite and so dearly loved mountain bike is my ti Eriksen. I love it so much I had Kent Eriksen make me a ti cross bike which I also love.

What advice do you have for women who are just starting out in their racing careers?

Advice for newbies would be to have fun, ask questions and enjoy the ride. Find a friend that will be willing to teach you when riding. I got lucky with my friend Tom. Kevin would just take off on the trails and Tom would hang with me and show me how to ride things. Also always be willing to take advice and learn. Rachael gave me some great advice a fee weeks ago when riding logs that the guys just assumed I knew.

Anything else you would like to add?

Other quick note, I don’t know much about mechanics. I can change a flat, Stan’s a wheel, and lube a chain. I’m lucky my husband knows what to do. I clean the bikes he wrenches.

I have been super lucky to have a husband that cheers me on when racing. He never heckles me or tries to coach me from the sidelines. I need to learn to do that for him when he is racing.

Not only is Rachael Gatto a good friend, I aspire to ride singletrack like her. She’s my idol!

Special thanks to Holly for taking the time to talk with me. Look out for her dragging me and the rest of the women’s 1/2/3 field around the course on Sunday at Montrose!

Lady Dirtbag Spotlight: Rachael Gatto

Julia Goolia — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:07:27 +0000

Off road riders in Chicago are blessed with great trails and a great community. More than a handful of the riders and racers that make the Chicago scene great are women who can rip it up on the trails or over the barriers in ‘cross races. We here at The Bonebell are instituting a regular interview column to highlight some of these awesome ladies and their accomplishments and spread the word that Chicago produces great riders and racers of all genders.

Rachael Gatto rides for Twin Six, works for SRAM, and is a well-known figure in the MTB scene here in Chicago. I had the pleasure of meeting her for the first time when she came out to the first Ladies’ Dirt Ride at Waterfall Glen in April. Last Monday I rode some real trails with Rachael at Palos for the third ladies’ ride and was super impressed with not just her skills on the bike but also the courtesy and respect she showed all trail users we encountered. Any root, rock or log that crossed Rachael’s path she deftly maneuvered up and over. Any hiker or cyclist got a smile and “hello.” I caught up with her over email to talk about riding and racing.

I am a huge fan of midwest singletrack.

How long have you been mountain biking? How did you get started?
I’ve been mountain biking since fall of 1994. I was down at EIU that spring and saw this guy with a Cannondale mountain bike. I knew I just had to have one. I found a Specialized Stumpjumper shortly after on close out and put it on lay-a-way. I’ve been hooked since.

Why did you decide to start racing?
I started racing mostly to hang out with my boyfriend, who is now my husband. It’s now turned into weekends of hanging out with my friends and kids. I also found it an easy way to explore new trails that I possibly wouldn’t ride otherwise

How long have you been racing? How is your season going this year? How has it been making the step up to category 1?
I’m not sure how long I’ve been racing. I’ve entered a race or two here and there since 2000. It wasn’t til 2005 that I was actually consistently racing more than once or twice a season. My season this year has been fun. I stepped up to CAT 1 because I felt like I had outgrown sport even though I wasn’t killing it. I moved up knowing it was going to be painful, and it is. I mostly race to ride and push myself on trails in a way I wouldn’t necessarily push myself just riding. Making the step up is hard. It seems like there is such a huge gap in fitness/speed or whatever between Cat 2 and Cat 1, especially for the women. I don’t necessarily train really, which if you want to do well in CAT 1 you need to do. Right now with kids, work, etc. I simply don’t want to sacrifice and make the time. I’m having fun doing what I’m doing now.

What do you like most about racing? Least?
I like the scene the most, the people. What I like least is sometimes competitiveness can make some people act like real jerks.

How do you feel about the current state of women’s mountain biking? Do you feel like women’s races get the same priority as men’s? If not, what would you like to see change?
As it relates to racing, I’ve done mostly WORS in the past few years. Up til this year, I’d probably say that the current state is fantastic. However racing in other series this year I’ve found that the women’s fields are quite small. Because of this the organizers don’t give the women racers the same choices as the men’s. In my small little world ideally I’d like to see that all mountain bike races have at least three categories, Cat 3 (beginner), Cat 2 (sport) and Cat 1/Elite (Expert/Pro). I’ve raced in women’s open before where they combine both sport and expert women. In the past I’ve been the sport women racing against the expert and now vice versa. It’s not fair for either racer. I’ve also seen organizers start Cat 1 or Elite women behind Cat 2 men. They seem to not want to acknowledge that some women are very talented and deserve to start ahead of the other categories. I’ve heard organizers say well we didn’t think the women would want to get passed by all the men.
As far as riding, I guess I’ve noticed that more women are starting to get out there. I didn’t realize how exciting this was until I witnessed it at the first Ladies’ Dirt Ride at Waterfall Glen earlier in the year.

What do you know now about riding/racing that you wish you knew when you first started?
This is a tough question. I guess, for me, climbing isn’t that terrible. It’s a huge mental game. If you start by dreading it, it will be dreadful. So I try to go into climbs with a more positive attitude and they aren’t so painful. I guess it’s a life lesson as well, haha.

How does having children affect your ability to ride/race?
I have a full-time job and a pretty hefty commute, so I don’t have a lot of time to ride. I don’t want to sacrifice my time with my kids, either. Instead, I choose to have fun when I do get out, but that means I’m really not prepared to do well in a race. I guess we all want to ride more. I wouldn’t change anything, really . Even though I complain at times I feel I am very lucky.

What is your favorite bike of all time (that you have owned)? Why?
My favorite bike of all time is my custom Kent Eriksen ti hardtail. It fits me like a glove; I feel like it made me a better rider. I just got a new FORM 29er and it may take that title some day, but for right now I can hop on the Eriksen and know exactly how it’s going to react. It’s like an extension of my body. I’m also shallow and think they look killer.

What is your favorite on-the-bike snack?
I really like granola bars. They are easy to carry in my pack or pocket and I know they digest well in my stomach. I also like the kids Sharkies.

What is your favorite trail system?
Brown County. I’m a huge fan of midwest singletrack. I’m probably biased because it’s what I ride all the time, but I haven’t ridden anywhere else and thought, “I want to move here.” I guess I like the rolling hills and constant pedaling.

Special thanks to Rachael for taking the time to chat. More interviews with awesome women from the Chicago dirt scene coming soon…

Ladies’ Dirt Ride 3

Julia Goolia — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:47:16 +0000

It’s that time again! Please join us for our third off-road ride of the season next Saturday, August 21st. As a reminder, this is a ride for women and transgender cyclists of all ability levels who are interested in trying out mountain biking or looking for a way to meet new folks to ride with. We will be riding at Palos Forest Preserve again. Meet at the Wolf Road Woods parking lot at 9 am. If the weather is suspect, please check the CAMBr website. If Palos is red, consider the ride canceled. Links to the location of the parking lot and CAMBr website can be found on the Half Acre website.

If you would like to attend but need to borrow a bike, please contact Julia Goolia (julia.dahergmail.com). Johnny Sprockets has graciously offered to loan out bikes and Julia has the scoop.

And don’t forget the Palos Meltdown the next day! This is a great opportunity to try out racing for the first time and support CAMBr’s efforts to keep mountain biking in Chicago alive and well. Online registration is now closed but day of registration is still available for $10.00 more. Several of our ride leaders for next Saturday will be racing the Meltdown and can offer helpful tips and advice for those who are interested in trying out a race.

Ripping It Up…and Off?

Julia Goolia — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:41:57 +0000

I’m fired up. I did my own ripping, literally, last Monday on the first day of vacation. I was out west in Utah and within the first hour of the ride managed to navigate onto a trail beyond my capabilities. Soon thereafter, wham! Knee v. Rock. A trip to the ER and nine stitches later I was relegated to hiking the rest of my time out west. Rock: 1, Knee: 0.

After returning to Chicago, the disappointment continued when I found the following video online. This little teaser is a preview of a DVD coming out this fall that chronicles the making of the CYCLEPASSION calendar, featuring two prominent and successful professional US racers, Heather Irmiger and Willow Koerber. I hesitate to post the video lest more people view it, but here it is:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now, let’s clarify that Heather Irmiger and Willow Koerber are adults and have the right to make their own choices. But why was this the decision?? “Select group of elite women cyclists,” “Slip into something a little more comfortable”?? Please. As a woman, I am always disappointed when I see other women choosing to objectify themselves in this way. But the fact that these women are professional mountain bikers is even more disappointing. What type of message does this send to amateur women mountain bikers (and other cyclists for that matter), particularly young ones? I’ve heard the argument before that dressing like a stripper is “empowering” for women. I must be missing something, because last time I checked this objectification of women is exactly the type of thing feminists have been fighting against since well before the women in this video (and myself) were born. Do we see male cyclists posing in provocative calendars? No, of course not. Because for men, being athletic is sexy. The two are not mutually exclusive. How would we know that the women in these photos were professional cyclists, were it not for the token bicycle in some of the photos? We wouldn’t. And that is precisely why this calendar and DVD are so insulting to female cyclists.

If you aren’t convinced, please check out Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture, by Ariel Levy. You might also consider your mothers, sisters, friends, partners and daughters who ride (or don’t) and whether or not you would support them representing themselves in this way.

Ladie’s Ride Part Deux…Oh Yeah!

Julia Goolia — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 04:48:01 +0000

This past Saturday marked the second in the series of ladies’ rides that myself and Half Acre have hosted. Miraculously, Palos was freshly dried out from those pesky thunderstorms we’ve been dealing with all spring. Given the holiday weekend, we weren’t sure what kind of turn out to expect. I rolled up at 9:30 to find a few women had already arrived-yes! By 10:30 we had a stellar turnout of 27 women. The morning began with brief introductions and a straw poll of everyone’s ability level. We split into two intermediate groups and one beginner group and hit the trails. I led the beginner group with my co-organizer/partner in crime Jen for their first (for most) taste of singletrack. Everyone rode well, but I must say I was most impressed with the youngest member of our group, who was 9 years old! Yes, folks, you’re reading that number correctly, 9. This particular young lady stuck to my wheel during the time I was leading our group. Apparently she was fresh off of riding up in Michigan the previous weekend, racking up 19 miles of trails while she was there. What an all-star!

After regrouping with everyone 2 hours later, our crew enjoyed a nice picnic lunch and some conversation to get to know each other better. On the whole a great day. A few snapshots of our event below. If you couldn’t make it out for this ride, we hope to see you on the next one!

Dirty Tuesday News

Julia Goolia — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:00:57 +0000

Ladies’ Ride Part Deux

The great turnout at our first ride in April has us excited to hit the trails again!

Our next ride will be Saturday May 29th. We will meet at 10:00AM at the Wolf Road Woods parking lot in the Palos forest reserve (see Map link below). Palos is home to Chicago’s best singletrack and has a wide variety of trails to suit every skill level. Riders of all ability levels are welcome. We will have experienced riders with us to help those who are looking to improve their skills. It is our hope that these rides will help more women get involved in mountain biking and build community and confidence among female and transgender cyclists in Chicago.

Energy bars and drinks will be provided courtesy of CAMBr.

Bring a lunch and we’ll picnic together after the ride!

Please note that riding trail when it is wet destroys the trails and the hard work of volunteers. Please check the CAMBr website (http://cambr.org/SMF/index.php?action=home) to make sure Palos is open for riding before you come out. If the light is RED, consider the ride canceled. We’ll also post up here the night before if weather means the ride will have to be canceled. Fingers crossed for sunshine!

PS: Don’t forget your helmet!

Questions? Email Julia: julia.daher@gmail.com

Map

Awesome Land (No, I’m not talking about Palos)

Julia Goolia — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:49:41 +0000

Spring has sprung! We’ve had some cool and rainy days along the way, one of which happened to be April 3^rd, the first off-road ride of a series for women that I am sponsoring with Half-Acre. Despite the dismal conditions, we had an awesome turnout of about thirty women. Everyone was smiling before and, more importantly, after the ride, so I think I can safely say we had a successful first event (details on the next one coming soon!). I originally intended to write my first post a lot sooner, but wanted to share more than just a ride recap with all you Bonebell folk. After a lot of hemming and hawing, El Maya’s recent post about the “Follow Me” premiere inspired me to share a trailer for another MTB film that came out in February. This one happens to have a female slant to it. I can’t quite remember how I came across “Awesome Land: Women of Dirt,” but I’m pretty sure Facebook had something to do with it. I haven’t seen the complete DVD myself, but by the looks of the trailer it will be worth the coin. The website (http://www.womenofdirt.com) also lists some large screening events taking place, but unfortunately nothing slated for Chicago. So ladies (and gentleman, for that matter), if you’ve ever watched a mountain biking film and wondered, “Where are all the women?” Look no further.

Click here to view the embedded video.