I like fast women, don't you?

Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. You’re back home now, right?

Yeah, I am.

How is that?

It’s good! It seems weird that it was only a week ago. But I went to another race last weekend that was close by here, so yeah, I’m kind of in and out, but that’s how my life is.

It seems as if you’re used to that kind of thing with all of the traveling that you’ve done.

Yeah, but I love coming home here, it’s a great place to come home to.

Yeah, in all the interviews I’ve read with you, I keep thinking that I want to come visit Ketchum.

Where do you live?

I’m from Alaska but have been spending this year in Bellingham and Vancouver BC.

Oh, nice.

Yeah, a little break from the cold. So, just in conversing with you over Twitter a couple of times, and reading your blogs and other interviews that you’ve done you’ve given me some great tips on how to get better as a biker…

Good!

I think the biggest one was, strangely enough, to get on a road bike more often. I never expected that to make such a big difference but it really really does, so I wanted to thank you for that.

Cool.

It’s really fun to see a woman of my generation out there kicking ass and living life really big and bold and you have a really rare job, as a professional female athlete and a well known one at that.

It is a rare job, yeah, I kind of laugh about it all the time, especially now that I’m turning 42 this week, I just keep thinking…oh my god. For a bike racer…I was watching football last night and they were saying “oh, Brett Farve, he’s 40 and in the NFL” and I just thought “he’s younger than I am!” But I don’t get hit, I don’t get beaten up like football players do.

You don’t, even on a mountain bike?

Well, at least I don’t have people trying to hit me on purpose.

True.

It’s really cool to have been able to have extended my career like this and to be able to do stuff I love to do. It’s a blast.

Do you see yourself as an unusual person?

It’s not unusual for me, because my life has always been a little bit, um, not by the books. But when I look around or go to my high school reunions or what have you, and hear “oh ,you’re so lucky” – I just think that it’s not “lucky”, it’s choice! I know I have an unusual job, but I’ve just kind of followed my heart and things have fallen into place. I never set out to be a professional athlete, and I never set out to be a bike racer, and all these things just kind of fell into place because I was open to opportunities. So it’s been cool (laughs).

Yeah, to say the least, that’s very cool. It reminds me of being out riding a bike and getting comments on the trails about how unusual it is to see a woman on a mountain bike. For me, I know a lot of women that ride, so why do you think so many people are still surprised to see women on bikes?

You know, I’m kind of blown away by it too, because where I’m from, you all get beaten in a race by a 60 year old woman or whatever. It’s normal here to look at the race results from ski races or whatever and you’ll see a 25 year old girl, a 60 year old guy, all in the top three – a 14 year old ski race kid – every type of person. Here it’s not unusual to see everyone and their parents and the kids and the wife all participating in sports, but I guess when you go to places that aren’t super heavy resort towns or just aren’t outdoorsy then you start to realize that there still is a little bit of discrepancy. Like the number for Leadville; there were 1500 racers and only 250 of them were women. So I think wow, really? So there is this disparity that exists.

Somebody asked me in an interview “are men rude to you when you pass them?” and I say absolutely not, they’re used to seeing fast women. So I definitely think it’s changing. This year there were a couple first ever in the US women’s only bike races that I read about, so I definitely think it’s changing which is very cool to witness. I love to teach women’s clinics and to encourage women to get out there so it’s changing for sure – but we’re still a little bit in the minority.

Do you think that the numbers in the races are reflective of the numbers of women that are riding? Do you think women are a little reluctant to race?

Go ahead, pass her. She'll just catch you later.

Yeah, I definitely think that to a lot of women, and a lot of people, that race is a four letter word. A lot of women are out there riding just to have fun, and the idea of a race – lining up and being timed and having a whole bunch of people around is intimidating. I mean, it’s intimidating for anyone but I think even more so for women. A lot of women don’t want to measure themselves against other people, it’s not why they do it. But I really try to encourage women to race because you are measuring yourself against yourself. You are putting yourself out there on the line to get outside of your comfort zone, and whether you are first or last I think it’s a really valuable experience. So I really try to encourage women to get out there and race, not because you need to beat anybody, or be in front of anybody but to push themselves. It’s intimidating you know, with a bunch of guys, you think, “oh god I’m going to be plowed over,” and it takes years to learn how to hold your own. That’s why I think the women’s races are great – and now they separate out the short track races so that all the women race together, and that’s gotten more people involved, because they’re not afraid to line up and lead the way.

Yeah, we’ve all had that experience with guys trying to kill themselves going up a hill to avoid getting passed by a woman, right?

Right, and I just think “all right, go ahead, I’ll pass you later.” (laughs)

There was an article that came out in a newspaper in Alaska last summer, stating that many male racers have the single goal to just not get “chicked” and I thought “Really? Still?”

I should come to Alaska and do a race then. (laughs)

Yeah, I really think you should. I think that would be great. Not that they don’t already get chicked sometimes up there.

I guess in the weird male sort of way, it’s a compliment, they’re like “aw, I don’t want to get beat by a girl”, but they’re thinking about it “oh, maybe I’m gonna get beat by a girl!” So I guess it’s an offhanded compliment.

That’s one way to look at it. I like the positive spin. Men don’t grow up hearing that getting beaten by a man is shameful but they grow up hearing that getting beat by a woman is shameful for whatever reason, so…

..or someone older, or whatever, you know, there are always those extremes…you know, a 60 year old woman beats you then – then she’s stronger than you are.

And that’s the reality, right?

Exactly.

So you started getting serious about mountain biking at around the same time you started your EMT/Firefighting work, correct?

Actually yeah, it was about the same time.

Nothing stops a woman with a chop saw. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Rusch.

Are there any parallels there or was that just a coincidence?

No, I think it was just a coincidence. I’ve always been interested in fire service and I went through some training in LA when I was there, and I had a bunch of friends I was palling with – women that were firefighters – and that was years ago, but I thought “wow, these women are super strong and this is really cool, and I’ve always been interested in that job. And the beauty of being in a small town is that you can do it part time. They won’t take just anybody, but they’ll take people who are fit, and interested. When I am home I have a really open schedule so it actually worked out really great. It’s a nice diversion for me to do something else that is still athletic and motivating. Every day is different, it’s not all bike racing all the time, and I can give back to my community. And I’ve met a whole new group of friends as well, a bunch of them are cyclists, but some of them are hunters – all these different groups of people that maybe I never would have hung out with if I was just hanging out with my little bike clique.

That’s a good point, you’d think that bike racers and firefighters might be a bit different, but actually in your town it sounds as if everyone has their hands in a few different things.

Yeah, it’s probably a lot like Alaska, everyone does a little bit of everything here. Firefighting is a blast. Not that I hope for fires, but when the pager goes off I think …yeah!

So you once said that you were a lousy cyclist…

..well yeah!

…and I think you turned out to be the fastest woman in the first race you entered, I believe, so why did you think you were lousy and was it winning that convince you otherwise?

Well, I would still say that technically I am way behind someone like Sue Haywood or someone who has been a cyclist since they were a kid. The reason I’ve been able to win races is more fitness, you know, I can go uphill pretty well but I’ve really had to work on the downhill, and learning how to pedal efficiently. That comes back to the road biking as well. I’ve gotten better but I’ve put a lot of time in to try to ride better technically. I am still for sure a late bloomer, behind some of the women who have been riding since they were kids. It’s harder as an adult to make up for lost time with the technical skills. So I put a lot of attention into that. But I’m still not, you know, a really ripping descender, but I’m working on it.

An article in 2008 in Mountain Bike magazine was entitled “Winning Ugly” –

(laughs) uh huh!

– and it cited your lack of technical skill in the ‘ 07 24 Hours of Adrenalin race. So when you read that, how did it make you feel and what made you rise to meet that challenge rather than backing down?

You know, I wasn’t insulted when I read that, because it was true. That was the first race where – and I’ve mentioned Sue Haywood’s name already – when I was riding behind her on one of the laps and was just blown away by how smooth and beautiful she was riding on the technical stuff and it was like this light bulb went off in my head, that oh my gosh, I’m wasting so much energy. And watching Sue, and then riding the same speed as her, but I’m burning way more calories because I’m overcorrecting and oversteering and overbraking, and if you watch her, she’s just like water, like a river flowing over rocks, and I definitely wasn’t (laughs). Because I was like this beach ball, just bouncing through them, instead. It was this really visual illustration of wow, that is the way it’s supposed to be done. And I did want to rise to the occasion because there’s nothing worse than passing someone on the uphill and then having them pass you on the downhill, those parts when you’re supposed to be resting. I was just working way too hard and I didn’t want to give up time there any more. So I entered Super D races recently, and short track races, and cyclocross; all those are ways for me to try to work on my technical skills. My boyfriend Greg helped me out a bunch, and I got more of a downhill bike that I played with, and it’s making me more of a complete cyclist. And it’s fun to get better at something, it’s fun to see your skills change and be able to ride something you couldn’t ride before.

For someone like me, who is very strong, but is not as strong with technical skills, it’s a constant frustration for me. So what is the number one thing that I should be doing to improve?

You know, I really think that for me, it was getting out of my element. When I go on a ride, instead of working on my strength, which was going uphill – which sounds like you, with the fitness – I spent a few days riding up the chairlift at Baldy and just riding down a few times. And entering cyclocross races which I think are great bike handling sessions. So for me it was just getting out of my element, trying new things, you know, if I didn’t ride over something, instead of getting mad and moving on, it’s more like “okay, I’m going to go back and try that.” And just kind of working yourself, kind of take your medicine. (laughs)

Does that sometimes come with some bumps and bruises and frustration?

It does, but I also think that there are learning atmospheres that are more supportive than others. I’m actually considering going up to Whistler this fall and taking a women’s class, and doing stuff like that, which will be really fun. And all these lift access places – Keystone’s really fun for that, and Winter Park – there a bunch of places where if you can take a lift up and take a few downhill runs, it’s a lot faster learning curve than having to go out for a normal XC ride and maybe only do one technical section. I think the repetitive nature of it is really important. And there’s tons of women’s classes and ways to start small. I also think the bike makes a big difference, you know, getting off the cross country race bike and getting on a squishier bike that is more forgiving and makes you think “oh! I can go over that.” (laughs) Hopefully then that transfers to your cross country riding.

That’s really interesting that you mention that because up at Crankworx last weekend I spent some time demo-ing the Specialized bikes. I took out some of their women’s bikes and I thought that the suspension design was by far the most noticeable difference.

Uh huh. Which bikes did you take out?

I took out the Safire –

-oh, nice, that’s a great bike.

Uh huh, it’s a great bike. I took out a few other ones too, but to me the suspension difference was very very noticeable, and I’ve read some comments from you about it as well. So how important has that difference been for you?

Two ways, the suspension on my race bikes, you know, with all the Brain technology, which is awesome – you can have full suspension but basically it rides like a hardtail. But like you said, in working on technical stuff, getting on something like the Safire that has a slacker head tube, more suspension, it’s more forgiving, but you can also pedal it uphill, that makes a big difference because the bike is built to go over more things than perhaps the Era might be. But even when I first got the Era, I rode over things I could never ride before, and that’s the suspension, 100%.

The Era is a 29er, correct?

No, not yet. The Era is the women’s version of the Epic, and for 2011 they have a 29er Epic but they don’t have a 29er Era; the Era is 26. So for more technical races, cross-country type races, I’ll ride the Era, and then for Leadville I rode the 29er hardtail because it’s not a technical race, it’s a little more of a roadie race.

I found a really big difference when I rode a 29er; I’m really excited to get one now. But it’s been a little difficult busting through that resistance in shops; I’m not a tall person and the assumption is that I shouldn’t be riding one, but I know a lot of women racers ride them.

Yeah, and it’s like you said, you’re demo-ing them and trying them out, it’s the only way to tell if it’s right for you. A lot of people ask me about it – I’m just barely 5’7” and I’m sold on the 29 wheels for someone of my size; I think it’s fine. And the bikes have gotten so much lighter now that there’s not really a weight penalty to it. Initially I would have said that if you’re small and it’s that much heavier, maybe it’s not worth it, but now there’s not that weight penalty anymore.

I decided to try one because of all the things you were saying about it in interviews I was reading.

Yeah, you gotta try, it’s the only way, and that’s what’s so cool about the demo program. I even went to Crankworx Colorado last year because I wanted to demo a whole bunch of bikes, and try some of the downhill bikes – it’s just such an awesome way to work on skills and try new bikes. You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes without trying them on, yet people will buy bikes without demo-ing them, which I don’t really understand. (laughs)

So I read another quote from you, that “people are more used to seeing fast women.” We talked about that already a bit, but do you think we are going to be seeing more fast women?

Reba digs deep on her way to a new course record at Leadville. Photo: Todd Meier.

Absolutely. If you look around, like at our local pump track that we have right here next to my house, and you see all the little girls on their bikes, and they’re ripping it up. It’s definitely going to be the trickle effect; when those kids are 15, 16, they’re going to be so good at whatever sport they chose whether it’s skiing or cycling, and those opportunities are available for girls, now, in riding. There’s the whole high school league that’s taking off, are you aware of that?

No, tell me more!

Oh my gosh. Well it started as California high school league, and northern and southern California, and it’s like a normal sport like basketball or track, and it’s been so successful that now there’s a national high school league called NICA – National Interscholastic Cycling Association – and it’s spreading to Colorado, Oregon, there are new chapters everywhere around the country this year and it’s super exciting. In talking to the guy that runs the whole program and started the California one, he said that last year he had to separate out all the girls classes because they had too many female racers. It’s just growing and growing and growing so all these kids are getting the opportunity in high school to race bikes as their sport, and stuff like that is just going to make it all take off. It’s pretty cool.

So are you taking any steps to bring along new women riders?

Well, Specialized is a sponsor of the high school league, and hopefully I’m going to be signed up for some clinics in 2011. I do some local stuff here with the women’s group but I definitely want to get more involved in the high school league for sure, and as my racing slows down hopefully I’ll have more time to be doing clinics. I took the Leadville movie around and showed that as a fundraiser last year, and there were a bunch of girls and a bunch of young people at the show, which is really cool. Hopefully what I’m doing is inspiring other people.

I can speak for myself, it’s definitely inspiring. You seem to be having a great time with the Ask Reba contest, and fans seem to really love conversing with you. You’ve been called the “most accessible elite level athlete of any stripe.” Is this something you consciously strive to develop?

You know it’s kind of twofold. Selfishly, I keep up the web site and all that because I want to keep doing my job because I like what I do for a living, and sponsors definitely want that kind of communication. But I also do it because I really like it. And I spend the time answering the questions myself for Ask Reba, and I do it because I want to be an approachable athlete, and I want to share my knowledge – I have a master’s or a PhD or whatever in endurance racing and if I can share that with somebody else, I’m all for it. It’s a ton of time and effort to keep up with blogging, and Twittering, and everything (laughs) and some days it’s a little overwhelming. But it’s also really cool, for instance, to chat with you and hear from you “oh, you gave me advice on Twitter” – that to me is super rewarding, and if people are actually reading it, and it’s going somewhere and it’s not just my mom reading it…

(I crack up because that’s sometimes what I think about my own web site at times)

…and if it helps then that’s awesome.

Well it definitely helps and I definitely notice that you’re willing to talk to people and talk to fans and I think that’s great.

Cool, thanks.

So I was curious about another thing I read about you. I read that last year you were put on warning for riding a race along with Greg, and I was curious about that – were you both put on warning?

Yeah, we were actually. It was the 24 Hour World Championships last year. He and I were put on warning during about 6 hours into the race, our crew was notified and all this hubbub was created because Greg and I were riding too close together. We were accused of helping each other, but I thought, you know, hmmm….what is the official amount that we can be together? Because we train together all the time we finish close together in almost every race – we’re about the same speed, so it’s a coin toss as to who will be in front of the other in most races. What was weird about that is that he’s racing single speed, he’s the defending 24 hour world champion, I’m the two time defending 24 hour world champion, so Greg and I are thinking “well, if we’re cheating, then who’s the domestique?” We’re both going for the win, so who is sacrificing their race to help the other person? And, I don’t know – it was kind of a bogus call. It’s a very technical singletrack course, so there’s no draft, so how can you help each other?

So it was a pretty unfortunate situation and it soured a little bit of the race for both of us because our crew was being accosted, and Greg and I were thinking, you know, “I don’t understand – what are we doing wrong?” Being accused of cheating, when it’s not like we came out of nowhere, and [it’s not as if] we’d never won a race before – so yeah, it was kind of hurtful and the race director and I had words about it afterwards. And I said that if there is an official protest then we all should sit down and talk about who is protesting and what the problem is. It wasn’t great communication and we never got a straight answer about what we were doing wrong. So what happened in the end is that my crew actually sat me down and said “you don’t talk to Greg during this race” and they held me for half an hour, and I stayed in the pit to put enough of a gap between myself and Greg so that we didn’t see each other the rest of the race, just to be safe. I trained all year for that race, I’m not about to get disqualified. So I sat for a half an hour and we didn’t see each other the rest of the race and we didn’t speak to each other. So it ended up being fine, we weren’t disqualified and we both won and got the titles, but it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth for sure. I’m not that type of an athlete, I would never cheat. If someone is accusing me that’s fine, but come right to my face and tell me what I did wrong, and I’ll correct it. So it was a little weird.

If you had caught up with him do you think there would have been additional problems?

I don’t know! And that’s what was so confusing is that I just didn’t understand what we were doing wrong, because we weren’t right together – he’s on a single speed and I’m on a geared bike, so the way that it was working out I’d see him throughout the course; on the climbs he’d be faster, on the flats I would catch back up. So it was kind of ebb and flow, but we’d always end up coming through the aid station within a couple minutes of each other, even if I hadn’t seen him the whole lap. So that’s why I wondered “how are we cheating if we’re not even seeing each other?” So I don’t know. I have sort of let it go, water off the duck’s back or whatever, but I was frustrated for that race. But I guess it provided Greg a lot more motivation and I think he went a lot faster because he was mad. (we both laugh) So I don’t think I could have caught him if I wanted to. But the result ended up fine and everything was fine, but at the end I was just sort of “hmmmmm….I’m not a cheater!”

Well that sounds frustrating.

It was frustrating, especially having put my heart and soul into that race, it was my peak event of the year and a big goal of mine, and if I had been disqualified, especially for something I wasn’t doing, I can’t imagine a worse outcome. But luckily that didn’t happen and it all turned out okay. But I guess I learned….well I don’t know what lesson I learned.

That’s unfortunate because it’s got to be usually a good experience going through a race like that supporting each other.

Well it’s definitely nice, you’re all alone out there in the middle of the night to then see somebody that you know and just say “oh hey how’s it going?” and just exchange a few words, it’s definitely a nice little bit of motivation. But like I said it turned out okay and everybody’s recovered from it (laughs).

Well good, I didn’t mean to drag up old issues then.

Oh (laughs) it’s okay, no problem.

So how does it feel to have a backpack, the Gregory Arreba, named after you?

You know, that was really fun. That was an old project from adventure racing days. With any sponsor it’s really fun when they get the athletes involved and want our feedback, and ask us about products and let us try prototypes. It’s definitely one of my favorite things and when they are using their athletes in that way, I think it’s great. I don’t know – is the Arreba still in production, or is that long gone?

I think it’s gone at this point. (I try to speak with authority having just met with Gregory at ORSM to go over their 2011 line.) I still think it’s neat, and I wondered what else you might want to have named after you at this point?

Well, Light in Motion did a light for me a couple years ago called the Rusch, they did a limited edition of their Stella and called it the Rusch, and made it orange which is my favorite color. It’s definitely fun, and I keep one of each – I have an Arreba and I kept one Rusch – I keep one of each of those little items. But it’s cool, it’s an honor that someone wants to name something after me and ask for my input – it’s great.

Do you see a Reba or a Rusch bike in the future?

Oh man, I don’t know, you know Specialized doesn’t really name their bikes after people so, I don’t know…it’d be very cool, I’d be honored, but I can’t call them up and say “hey, you should name a bike after me!” (we both laugh)

You can always try, the Specialized folks are pretty fun.

It would be cool. People always ask me if the Rox Shox Reba fork is named after me, which it’s not…it’s actually named after a dog, who’s now dead, but somebody’s dog was named Reba, so the fork got that name. People always say “your name’s on your fork!” and I have to say “no, it’s not really named after me…”

Is that a conversation stopper when you say “no, it’s someone’s dead dog?”

No, I don’t always say that, it depends on the person. Mostly I just say it’s named after a dog. I never met the dog.

(I resist cracking some Indiana-Jones-named-after-the-dog joke) So in a more general sense, what do you think is the biggest obstacle for women mountain bikers – recreational riders, racers, and women who just want to get into it right now?

I think probably finding a group or learning from other women, because I definitely see that women will sign up for, or find it more encouraging to sign up for a women’s class, or ride in a women’s group, or do a women’s race – it’s not as intimidating. And while those things are out there, they’re not as prevalent as, say, the Wednesday night group ride that’s mostly men, or whatever. We have a local women’s mountain bike group, and I think most communities are starting to get that, but I think it’s super important for women to seek out other women to ride with. It’s a different experience, it’s an easier learning curve, it’s a little bit more encouraging – not that guys aren’t encouraging, but they’re just different than girls. If you see your girlfriend riding over something you’ll think “oh, she did that, I’m going to try it!” when a lot of times when you see a guy do it you’ll think “oh, well he’s a guy” or “oh, he’s been riding longer than I have” and you might not try to ride it. I do think that it’s important, whether you’re starting out, or whether you’re getting into racing, or whether you’re like me, a pro, it’s still important to seek out the girlfriend opportunities and make sure you’re not always riding with the guys.

After we just talked about how common it is to have women out there riding, we’re now talking about how tough it is to find women to ride with!

Yeah, they’re out there, but finding the right group, finding the people who motivate you, who are about your same speed – you know, that’s hard for guys too. But that would be my biggest advice, to start a little group or club, or find one near you, or go to Whistler and take a women’s class, or – you know there’s a Dirt Series that’s all-woman mountain bike clinics and they do stuff in Canada and in the U.S. So the stuff is out there, it’s just a little more research. Or start your own group, you know, your own little posse of girlfriends that you ride with. I have a few training buddies that are all women who I rely on pretty heavily. Even though they are slower than me, they’re willing to go out and do whatever training day I have on the roster.

That’s got to be a challenge, to come out and try and keep up with you during one of your training days.

Well we just kind of circle back, or I’ll do intervals, or we’ll meet up during the down times, and we just kind of make it work. But for me it’s really motivating, and way better to have someone out there with me – we do the warm up together then do the hard work on our own, then meet back up and it’s just so much easier for me to have another person there than to go out all by myself and do that alone.

On that note, with all the training that you’re doing, and I know that you have no plans on stopping anytime soon, do you think you’re at the top of your game, or do you think there is more to come?

I don’t know, you know, every time I think I’m at the top of my game – you know, for Leadville I thought there’s no way I can go faster than last year and then something else works out, and I was 30 minutes faster than last year, so I just learned a lot more about resting and recovery and nutrition and training, so I still think there is room to grow, for sure. Especially in races like Super D races and stuff like that, where I have more technical skills to learn, for sure.

Your Leadville race was so much faster than last year but you also said this was one of the hardest, biggest sufferfests you’ve ever had.

Yeah, I went pretty deep. I worked really, really hard. It was interesting, in his pre-race speech the night before, the race director Ken mentioned something about how all of you out there who think it’s easy for the winners and those at the front of the pack, they suffer just as much as you do if not more. I definitely agree with him. Someone who’s last, they might think “oh it’s so easy for somebody at the front,” but whether you’re first or last – I’m giving 110%. So it definitely wasn’t easy for me in any way. I went super hard and had the course record in my mind, but that’s what it’s like to be a competitor I guess. You are digging super deep. Yeah, Leadville was hard. Even though my time was much faster, it was much harder than it was last time.

So when you think about next year’s Leadville, do you kind of look forward to the pain, do you dread it, or is it just part of the job?

Yes and no, I have mixed feelings about it, I mean I just won this race and everybody’s already asking me about next year, and I just think “ahhh, can’t I just enjoy this win for a couple months?”

(I feel guilty for asking the question)

But the competitor in me is already thinking about next year, and, oh, I know the course…so it’s a little bit of both. Part of me wants to just sit on my butt and rest on my laurels a little bit, and part of me can’t.

This has to be a good feeling after all that suffering! Photo: Todd Meier

…sometimes I feel like I do! (laughs) But races are really motivating for me. I went to a race this weekend, not because I needed to tick off another race, but it was a really fun course and it was close to home, and I’m much better lining up and doing something like that than I am at going out and pushing myself for five hours by myself. So I really like to use racing for training, it’s fun – but not everybody’s like that.

Yeah. I admit to being one of the people who is a little intimidated about racing and I’ve never tried it, because I got into mountain biking a little later in life. It’s been hard to convince myself to take that step.

Have you considered signing up for a women’s only mountain bike race rather than a mixed one?

I’m actually signed up to do a mountain bike leg in an adventure race, so we’ll see how it goes.

Oh, nice. Right on.

So I’ll remember the lessons I learned from you in this interview.

Sometimes the hardest part is just signing up. Once the gun goes off and you’re actually in it you just sort of deal, you just get through it.

Yeah, I guess at that point you have little choice.

You’re there, you gotta – you either quit or get to the finish, so figure it out.

Way to break it down and simplify it – either quit or get to the finish!

Yep, those are the options!

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me.

Well that was a great interview, you’ve done your research.

(I just included that part so that you all could read that Reba thought it was a great interview)

Thanks again to Rebecca Rusch for taking so much time to chat with me. 45 minutes! That was a LOT to transcribe, believe me. More than once I was remembering Reba’s words “either quit, or get to the finish….”

So if you’re as tired of reading as I am of transcribing, have a look at this video from Specialized, featuring Reba’s awesome record breaking performance at Leadville. Then put your reading glasses back on and check out Reba’s blog post about her Leadville experience.

If you are a manufacturer or represent a manufacturer, and you like what I’ve written and want to use it in print media, catalogs, or other such in-entirety-or-significant-portion-thereof productions, you will be happy to know that you can buy permission to utilize my copy. Of course, what is already here is free for the reading and for the linking. It is my little service to you. But if you want to use larger portions of my writing, I am afraid you must pay. You can also hire me to create new copy for you. The world is your oyster! Or at least, there are a lot of possibilities for you here. Why waste time writing blurbs for a catalog when I can do it for you? Believe me, I have plenty of sassy one-liners stored up in my brain’s RAM.

You might also be interested in my travel writing talents, adventure documentation stories, general editorial, and/or photos. I mostly write for fun or to fulfill some sort of existing interest that I already have; travel and gear being pretty prominent on the list. But I can be persuaded to write for profit. I’m a jill-of-all-trades (ha!) freelancer who is just dying to be sent on assignment. Not that being on assignment is a new thing for me; it’s just that I usually send myself which is not quite as romantic. So please, contact me with your story idea, assignment, or copy-purchasing proposal. You can reach me at jill@geargals.net or just leave a comment here – no matter what happens, stay alive! I will find you!

I don’t even like road biking that much. I just do it for the fitness benefits, which are considerable and overshadow the negatives, which are: my road bike is uncomfortable and I get scared by traffic (thanks, 18-wheeler that felt the need to pass me with literally six inches between the side of your trailer and my handlebars! And a special shout-out to you, Sudden Valley-living, Land-Rover-driving blonde woman whose late afternoon errand was so urgent that you had to run a stop sign and make me brake hard to avoid, well, dying), and I can think of other fitness-based activities that are more fun. But the benefits of two hard hours on the road bike cannot be denied. So I do it.

But here’s the thing. I rode 44 miles in just a couple of hours, that is a lot of miles to my MTB-oriented senses. Prior to yesterday, my best was 25 road miles. This was a big jump and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. But I won’t be satisfied with that, now, no: I am going to have to do 50 miles the next time. And 50 more after that. Seventy-five at some point. And not too long after that, break the 100 mile barrier. IN ONE GO. You sick road biking freaks! Look what you have done to me. I was solidly a mountain biker but now that I am effortlessly ten pounds lighter with a blast-furnace metabolism, I can’t possibly stop doing this. And I have to do more, and more, and more as time goes on! Where will I find the time to ride 100 miles in one day? I have things to do, you know!

So this is just a dramatic way for me to brag that I rode 44 miles in two hours on my first try.

Mostly I was very happy with how much women’s gear has improved in the few years I’ve been involved in the industry. Everywhere I looked I saw great women’s specific product, particularly from the established companies and manufacturers. New companies that weren’t making ONLY women’s product tended to be a bit behind the curve, still, but they’re working on that Euro method of dumping the men’s product out, seeing if it does OK, THEN making a women’s version. I personally think they could be missing out on some serious money making by not putting out good women’s versions from the get-go, but it’s their bottom line so let them do it their way.

Women’s packs have taken big strides, with Gregory and Mammut’s offerings taking top honors from me. I’m keen to give those packs a try so look for them in the lineup soon. I was happy to see that the too-big Petzl ELIA sample helmet I had been testing was just a goofed-up prototype and the real ELIA fits just fine. SCARPA gets a big thumbs-up for jettisoning the hackneyed Diva name from their ski boot line and coming up with the Shaka and Gea as well. I’ve never been disappointed with a pair of SCARPA ski boots so I’m excited to see what the new versions have to offer. Ortovox was a lot of fun to meet with and seem to be very keen on improving the women’s line, though their current women’s packs are already in the front of the line in my gear room. All of my wheel-squeaking paid off with RAB, which has finally released the women’s version of the Alpine Trek Pants. I was so excited about the pants that I absconded with them to the changing room to try them on, and they fit and look great so I’m stoked to get my hands on a pair to try in the real world. Because no, the RAB fitting room at OR is not the real world.

Footwear companies seem to be catching on to the fact that women have feet, too, with Tecnica and La Sportiva presenting an impressive array of women’s specific footwear. As you all know I am convinced that La Sportiva can do no wrong, but I’ve never tried Tecnica and I have to love their blatant casting aside of the minimalist trend as they bring forward some maximalist running shoes. Again, real world experience is needed so just stay tuned.

Skirt Sports and Isis were outstanding with their women’s apparel as usual, and I was impressed by my first meeting ever with Carve Designs, a company making surf and swimwear as well as beach lifestyle apparel exclusively for women. I love the photography in their catalog and on their web site, which portrays women as surfers and athletes, not just “models”.

Buff stole my idea for cutting Buffs in half to make them fit better under a helmet, but then they gave me two more Buffs so I forgive them. They also plan to make more of their Buffs with insect shield, which really really works. That too was my idea but if they give me another insect shield Buff I will forgive them for that too. Buff can really get away with a lot because I love Buffs. I can be bought with Buffs, yes – but only by Buff itself. The rest of you have to come up with something else.

At this point I was tired but the new watermelon flavored Chomps from Gu gave me a little pick-me-up. That was pretty much the sum total of my lunch that day so the fact that I’m not lying on the show floor dead of hunger is probably a good endorsement for Gu.

Lafuma and Millet were brand new to me but I was really impressed by their stuff. I currently have a Millet pack to test but I liked the clothing as well so hopefully I’ll have some details for you on their stuff later. Mountain Hardwear, a perennial favorite, was fantastic as usual and it was great to see the familiar faces again after spending a few days with them testing packs last year. I made fantastic new friends at the Columbia booth and was happy to see that my feedback on the Ravenous running shoe had been heard loud and clear and that another, stiffer version of the Ravenous is coming to the market.

I got some SUPER EXCITING news for women from Patagonia, but I can’t tell you what it is because they specifically asked me not to tell. If you are familiar with the Patagonia line and you can think of a great product that is currently not available in a women’s version, you will be very, very happy when this news becomes public.

My visit to the Icebreaker booth was just a drop by but the very personable and entertaining Nick won me over by filling my swag bag with socks and a dress. A dress! I love dresses ergo I love Icebreaker. I have used the socks already and can tell you now that Icebreaker makes great socks. I was really digging on their line of cycling apparel and their general vibe and great product. I had a fun time at the Polarmax booth with Don Watkins checking out the base layers and the new undies with “Scent Prevent”. I warned Don ahead of time that I was going to have some fun with that one and I think he may have blushed a bit.

Mountain Khakis has some great new stuff and were good fun to visit as always. I hope all you media types took advantage of their great pre-order offer which benefited the Conservation Alliance as well as whoever bought Mountain Khaki pants for that cheap. Even if you didn’t, MK is fantastic and even the full price pants are a good buy.

Dog gear was out on full force as well. Every year it just gets better and better. I guess I have to disclose that my dog is a sponsored D-Fa athlete so we get to try all of their great stuff. D for dogs, said with a New Zealand accent, D-Fa, get it? This year we got a new D-Fa DFD dog PFD to keep the furry little guy safe in the water, and a danger orange reflective Moon Walker raincoat to keep him safe on the dark, rainy streets of Vancouver. He’s really looking forward to using his Puff Doggy coat this winter in the cold weather, and he just generally likes going to D-Fa because the folks there are so great to hang out with. He always gets a full session of belly rubs and head scratches, and probably more ego-boosting comments about how gorgeous he is than he really should get. Don’t want him to get a big head or anything.

Geardog kept his strength up with new treats from Zukes and PeakWaggers. I usually don’t give him any treats because he is highly allergic to many dog foods and treats. However, I felt bad for him having to hike the show floor so much, so I let him have tons of treats and he didn’t have a reaction to any of them. He was INSANE for the Zuke’s treats at the Verde PR media event, and was always happy to go to the Bark Park where a basket of Peak Waggers waited to give his blood sugar a boost.

He and I were also highly impressed by Ruff Wear which has a GREAT new product on the market; winter booties for dogs that have built-in gaiters as well as protection from cuts from ski edges. Geardog even got a new Lunker toy which he was VERY happy with, and got to rest for a while on the new Highlands bed which he liked very much. Usually we go for the winter stuff to keep him warm during his avalanche duties, but in Salt Lake City we would have been happy to try the Swamp Cooler cooling jacket too.

Whew! What a wrap up! That’s really only about half of what we saw. Tons of good stuff this year, a great vibe, and all around a great show. Look for details on the new products in the reviews section over the next few months, and let me know if there is anything I missed, because the show is just so big that I’m sure I missed a lot.

This is Monday of the Big To-Do List so I’m just going to cut to the chase. My first thought is that I was beyond disappointed to see women in thongs with their asses hanging out at a booth in the show, promoting “technical lingerie” or something like that. When I walked by I was on my way to an appointment so I didn’t have much time to react, but I sure wish I’d had taken a minute to stop by and tell the booth minders what I thought of their attention getting technique. I didn’t, though, so I’ll tell you. I think it is really disrespectful and inappropriate. People like me and countless others have worked hard to build respect for women into the industry and along comes a bunch of dumbasses (pun intended?) who think that OR is equivalent to some sort of car show and that mostly-nude “spokesmodels” are the way to go. I got out of the fitness industry because there is no role for women other than as sex objects there. I see this type of thing in the bike industry as well and that is why I don’t go to Interbike very often. I have no problem with the human body, really I don’t. But I do have a problem with objectifying women in order to garner attention at a trade show, and shame on OR for allowing it to happen. What’s next, “technical breast implants?”

I’ve taken other well-known industry powerhouses to task behind the scenes for making objectifying comments on their blogs (such as the “woo hoo, trade show, free beer and hot women!” type of thing) so this type of thing is nothing terribly new in the industry, but I’ve been in a glowing bubble of denial, thinking that the industry has taken great steps in the last few years alone to improve its treatment of women. Yes, I know that half the schmucks walking the trade show floor and manning the booths have nothing better to do than blatantly ogle the women walking by (I know this because my male writers and photographers tell me about it when we go to the show) which I find to be just kind of pathetic on a personal level, but I really had thought the outdoor industry was getting past this kind of thing. The ski industry and bike industry are still crawling out of the ocean on this one, so to speak, but the outdoor industry as a whole seemed to be improving. This booth was a huge step backwards, or maybe it was just blatant confirmation that I’m wrong about the industry’s personal growth. Yes, I am talking about you, company at OR whose name I was not able to suss out, I am offended by your marketing techniques. I am a woman, a human being, not a mannequin or a piece of eye candy for you to utilize as an attention getter, and neither are the women you dressed up in thongs to parade their bare butts around a professional industry event. Perhaps they don’t know that yet so they went along with it, but I do, so I’m speaking up to tell you that you should take it to the adult industry, not the outdoor industry. And OR – how about I not have to see that type of thing at the next show, OK?

I got to try this pack on a Mountain Hardwear-sponsored hiking trip for a group of us media types. We each got to try a pack from the 2009 line, and since our hike was to take us softies to 10,000 feet, there was a bit of a skirmish for the smaller packs. I lost that battle, but ended up winning in the end because I got to try out the Nalu, which is one of the best-fitting women’s packs I’ve worn. Admittedly I was too much of a sea-level dweller to actually put a lot of weight in the pack for a hike at altitude, but I was impressed with how well the pack fit so I wore it despite it being nearly empty.

The simple hook closure makes fooling with your stuff quick and easy, so sandbaggers might be disappointed with how little time they can waste fiddling with pack closures. As a matter of fact the lack of insane straps all over the damn place makes this pack streamlined and functional, and you don’t feel like a total noob with pack straps flapping everywhere. We’ve all had that experience with a pack, trying to figure out what goes where and how to stash the strap ends somewhere, and why in hell doesn’t this clip fit into this other clip exactly opposite from it, and who needs to strap that much stuff onto their pack anyway? No, the Nalu is designed for things to be carried IN it, not ON it, which is my preference anyway.

My only issue with the pack was that the lumbar pad was made from a non-breathable fabric and therefore led to some serious under-pack sweat issues in that area. The MHW pack designer said that the nonbreathable panel was there for strength and structure in the pack, and that had I bothered to wear proper (technical) clothing fabrics on the hike I may not have had that problem. Still, he agreed to think it over and maybe make some changes to the design in future. If I weren’t from Alaska and dealing with temperatures that day that before I’ve only experienced in the tanning bed or on the beach in Mexico, it probably really wouldn’t have been a problem, and I wouldn’t hesitate to wear the pack again in a climate I’m more used to.

It was able to compress down pretty well, for a gigantic pack carrying only a banana and some water, and I really didn’t have any issues with the fit even with the light load. Despite my begging, I wasn’t able to take the pack home to load it up in an oxygen-rich environment to test it further, but honestly if I needed to carry a big load, I would reach for the Nalu because of how well it fits. It makes a big difference when carrying a load to have it sit on your back properly, and MHW has done an exceptional job engineering this piece to fit a woman’s body.

Donec vitae nisi sed nulla dignissim malesuada. Suspendisse aliquet nunc quis dui volutpat adipiscing. Pellentesque ultricies ornare auctor. Integer dignissim, nisl ut vestibulum pulvinar, massa lacus suscipit erat, vel malesuada risus elit at dolor. Etiam egestas euismod enim, vel pharetra lectus interdum sit amet. Proin et risus lectus, vitae pharetra lacus. Quisque gravida massa sit amet erat tristique posuere. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Sed lacus nunc, suscipit ac porttitor sed, sollicitudin eu nisl. Cras euismod massa nisi. Morbi at ante sed elit tincidunt auctor quis sed lectus. Sed convallis mauris vehicula augue rutrum quis sagittis ipsum mattis. Donec sem mauris, porttitor in pretium vel, sollicitudin eu lectus. Duis sit amet metus mi. Maecenas at ultricies orci. Praesent elit velit, gravida lobortis porta vitae, cursus ac enim. Nulla facilisi. Quisque vestibulum turpis quis lorem feugiat imperdiet.

Hey, it is my first video review! And my first time directing a movie. Summer blockbuster, here I come!

If you didn’t get the point from that incredibly informative video, I will sum up: I wasn’t sure about these shoes at the beginning. If you are going to get in the water, surely go for sandals, yes? So I had to kind of make myself try them. Wouldn’t you know it, I really like them. I have worn them in the water (see above), sockless on short hikes, and with thin socks on longer hikes. In all scenarios they have been comfortable, no rubbing and no blisters. I love wearing shoes without socks so I greatly appreciate this. Yes, your feet will get dirty, because these shoes are made of mesh, but if you just walk through the water, they will get clean again. It’s like magic. I like how close they fit at the ankle; it keeps the gravel out and also looks cute.

I have found that on very loose, uneven ground, the highish heel makes it slightly more likely to turn an ankle, so watch your step on that type of ground. On well worn trail or in the water, you’re gold.

I really intended to stop with the dress thing for a while, but then this little number arrived for a spot of pre-Outdoor Retailer coverage so, you know, I’m obligated. That was pretty much my thought process when I opened the Horny Toad package. I am the first to tell you that I’m over 35 so “cute” “strappy” and “short” are not really things I tend to look for in a dress. When I pulled the Gia out of the package in all honesty I thought I’d try it out, wear it a few times because that’s my job, and then give it to a member of the younger set that didn’t mind their bra straps showing. Boy oh boy was I just WRONG. Not about the bra straps thing – just bear with me, I’ll come back to that.

I have this method; a process, if you will, of trying things on that have any sort of appearance/fashion component. If it’s not a super technical piece of gear that pretty much means that I use this process on everything. Yes, I care how I look in the clothes I am wearing even if I am contractually or by implication obligated to wear them, so sue me. Hm, perhaps using the words “sue me” and “contractually” in the same sentence is not really the best policy. Anyway, my trying-on process. Here’s the thing: usually when people try things on, they look in the mirror while they are putting them on, then tug and turn and gaze and peer at themselves before they finally decide whether they like the item or not. No, people, NO. That is the wrong way to do it. Do it this way: put the item on without even looking in the mirror, ESPECIALLY not while you are actually IN THE PROCESS of putting the clothes on. Clothes coming off looks sexy and nice, clothes going on looks awkward and unfortunate. You will not like ANY clothes if you watch yourself putting them on. Think I’m kidding? Go put on a tube top while watching in the mirror.

OK, so put the item on, then walk away from the mirror without looking. If you’re at home (I can’t be the only Internet shopper out there), go do something else. If you are at a store, I dunno, go do a lap. Give up your dressing room, it’s OK. Then in a few minutes, casually walk by the mirror and steal a glance at yourself as you walk by. If you think “Hey! Look at that fine thing, there!” your clothing item is a winner. If you still think “hum, hmm, not sure, maybe it’s too tight in the ass?” or what have you, then no, the item is not for you. Stay with this process and you can’t go wrong.

So I put this dress on, with its sheer cottony feel and relaxed lines and kind of ruched, frilly little straps on without looking in the mirror. I really loved the way it felt and thought it would the perfect swimsuit cover up, which is funny because I’ve never needed a swimsuit cover up in my life. Swim suits in Alaska are also known as dry suits so you don’t need to cover them up, and when I go to Mexico I pretty much live in my bikini so this thing known as a “cover up” is a new concept to me. But this dress just begs to be slipped on over a bikini after a day at the lake. It’s soft, light, pretty (the process! I’m not supposed to be looking yet), and comfortable.

My mirror drive-by revealed that this dress is also really, really flattering. I am not just saying that because I am full of myself. In this dress, yes, I am full of myself, but that’s the cause-effect thing. The Gia is adorable. I know this not only because I like what I see in the mirror, but because my Gearguy came home and said “wow, that’s really cute.” He’s not given to observations about my appearance so this was a big deal, everyone.

Now, back to the bra strap thing: skinny straps are usually bad news, especially when paired with a lightweight dress. There are people who are (I accidentally just typed “whoare” which you may choose to take as a Freudian slip if you are so inclined) comfortable with that level of personal anatomy display, but I am not one of them. I find bra-wearing to be highly appropriate in most situations. So I was stunned and quite thrilled to find that the cute little ruched Gia straps are pretty much bra-friendly! Someone is really doing the math, here. Bra straps can’t be seen at all from the front. AT ALL. From the back and side, you can see them a little bit depending on the style of bra you are wearing. That is forgivable for this dress, believe me. I don’t own any strappy dresses because of the bra strap issue, but now I see the error of my ways. There are strappy dresses that can be worn in a tasteful manner and this is one of them.

At 5′5″ the length falls about an inch above my knees; very nice for summer weather. My sample is a flattering, summery melon color but I believe the dress comes in darker colors as well.

It’s a shaped, fitted dress with enough movement to make you look relaxed and elegant. I asked for a size up because of my trend towards more relaxed dress-fit, but if you want a tighter look, get your regular size; it won’t be TOO tight. To be honest with my readers, I think the price point on this dress is a little high at $63, but you can get it on sale for fifty-something which is completely worth it.  It’s one of the most comfortable pieces of the summer so I highly recommend it. It truly is a great swim cover up and would be presentable at all but the snootiest of restaurants (because they don’t allow anything that even LOOKS like it might be made of cotton).

And just to add to the already kind of ludicrous length of this dress post, the official product description says the dress is made of “slubbed” fabric, whatever the hell that is. Maybe that refers to the kind of multi-shade textury feel and look of the fabric, but there you go. It’s slubbed. Have at it and enjoy!

Now, if you know anything about the gear testing gig, you know it’s pretty simple in a lot of ways. You take the gear, you use it like you normally would, you see what you think of it. Sometimes you get gear to test that isn’t what you usually wouldn’t think to use, though. Case in point: the shoes in the pic below. Crossover water shoe things…eh…I had to make myself try them. I would never have thought to buy such a thing. Usually I wear water sandals, so water shoes were kind of a new thing for me. And now I love them. And I have the side benefit of having a fun time at the lake and getting these great pics taken.

So my new favorite product to test is water shoes, because testing them gives us days like this one. In a few months I’m sure I’ll be back to liking skis the best, because of the days I get to have while trying them out.