 Jenifer Kwasniewski, the itty bitty bike betty of the Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance and co-founder of the weekly Gurlz Rides out of Boulder.
OD: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you on the trail?
Jen: I was doing an endurance mountain bike race and I was racing in a riding skort - you know one of those skirts with bike shorts underneath. As I climbed up a long hill, I came up to two men working hard on the ascent. When I announced that I intended to pass, one of the guys said, "oh man, we're being passed by a girl". Then, when I passed them and he saw me, he shouted, "oh crap, we're being passed by a girl in a SKIRT"! It was pretty funny.
OD: What is your role with the Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance? Jen:
I am a member of BMA's Board and I also head up the Social Rides
committee, which includes the Gurlz Rides. These are women-only rides
held from April-ish through September (weather permitting) each
Thursday night. The rides provide a nurturing and supportive
environment in which women can improve their skills and fitness level
without the pressure to “keep up with the boys”, although many of these
women are seasoned racers who routinely finish with the top men.
Beginners can expect to improve their skills over the course of the
season and experienced riders gain personal satisfaction as they watch
other women get “hooked” on mountain biking. Everyone gets a good,
healthy workout and it's just plain fun meeting other like-minded
women. Over the course of several years, we have cultivated a community
of over 100 female mountain bikers.
OD: What if you’re new to mountain biking, can you still join the Gurlz Rides?
Jen:
Absolutely! We hold rides for all levels, typically alternating
beginner-friendly rides with more advanced rides. We also hold skills
clinics that riders of every level can get something out of. Rides are
announced several weeks in advance and you get information about them
through the BMA website - http://www.bma-mtb.org/-
just click on the "Thursday Night Gurlz Ride" under the weekly social
rides tab. We will be starting up our rides in the spring.
OD: How long have you been riding bikes?
Jen:
I have been riding mountain bikes since 1999. When I started riding in
Ohio, I was clueless and slow, but a group of advanced riders,
including three awesome female riders, took me under their wing. At
first, I couldn't keep up with them at all, but they patiently waited
on me at every trail intersection. As the riding season progressed, I
was able to actually 'see' some of the riders ahead of me and by the
fall, I was not the last person on our rides. I still fell off my bike
every ride though; it took about a year before I was able to ride
without crashing! I later raced expert level with those women as Team
Bad Betty, hence the nickname. Learning to ride with strong female
role models encouraged me to believe that I could be a good mountain
biker too.
OD: What is one random skill you have? (doesn’t have to be bike related)
Jen: I am a classically trained violinist. I can also independently roll one eye without moving the other (kind of freaky). OK - that's two!
OD: How you do remedy helmet hair?
Jen: I don't - I embrace the look as one earned from a good and fun workout! Oddly, we have a few ladies who do our rides on a regular basis who have perfectly coiffed hair after a hot, sweaty ride - I don't know how they do it!
OD: What was your first bike? Now how many do you have?
Jen: My first mountain bike was a heavy but much loved Specialized. I soon advanced past that bike to my first really good bike, a custom Fat Chance Yo Betty, which was a racing hard tail. Today I have 8 bikes, five of which are mountain bikes (I still have the Fat Chance).
OD: Where is your favorite place to ride?
Jen: Although there still are places mountain bikes are unfortunately not allowed to ride in Boulder County, we are lucky to have so much good riding right here in our own back yard. I love the Hall and Heil Ranch trail systems, especially the Picture Rock and Wild Turkey trails, which I helped build and continue to do maintenance on. I also love to ride up in the National Forest north of Boulder; you can ride all day up there, check out some local knowledge about those trails. As far as trails away from Boulder, I love all the technical trails in Fruita and Grand Junction. I have also recently gotten into the gravity scene and last year frequented the Down Hill parks at Winter Park and Keystone. | 
