36 AMBWOMEN’S MTB GROWTH
IN THE TROPICS
WORDS: Cameron McGavin PHOTOS: Phil WarringI
f you build it, they will come. Just ask the
TNQ Women’s Mountain Bike Group, which is
smashing through the wall of lagging female
cycling participation with a grass-roots
movement that’s transforming lives and adding
another layer to Cairns’ vibrant MTB scene.
The TNQ Women’s Mountain Bike Group
Facebook page has more than 300 followers and
more than 100 women proudly wear its jersey. The
group’s social rides can attract up to 40 riders and
last year it joined with the Cairns Mountain Bike
Club to establish a women’s enduro racing series
at Smithfield Mountain Bike Park. Members are
embarking on MTB-related businesses that are
feeding the love back into the group. Things are
snowballing.
“With a little bit of pushing it’s turned into
this amazing community of women,” says Cass
Abell, one of the group’s founders. “You’re at the
trailhead, you’ll see someone and then suddenly
there are 10 of you going out on this mission.
Everyone’s so keen.”
So where did the group start, what’s it all about
and what next? We met with Cass and two of
the group’s other key movers and shakers, Jade
Robinson and Jacinta Pink, to find out.MEETING UP
Jade: “When I moved here I had no girlfriends
whatsoever, so pretty much anyone I saw on the
trail who looked like a female I was like, ‘Let’s be
friends’. I can honestly say that 99.9 per cent of
my girlfriends here I’ve met through riding. And
these are two of my best friends.”
Jacinta: “I was riding by myself one day at a
race and so was Jade. She was like, ‘You should
do it with the girls!’ so – I dunno – I just decided to
start racing.”
Cass: “I was the mum who rolled onto thetracks in a set of lycra pants that I’d cut off
myself.”
Jacinta: “I remember when I met you!”
Jade: “She was wearing a leopard-print singlet,
knee pads, short cut-off lycra...”
Jacinta: “I’m like, ‘Who is this chick?’”
Cass: “I’d never ridden with girls before. I
started off riding with all the boys and I’d heard
about a couple of the girls riding, so I friended
them on Facebook saying, ‘Can we catch up and
ride?’. When we met they were like goddesses and
I’m this dork... it took one ride before I went to the
mountain bike shop and got cool!”STARTING THE GROUP
Cass: “There were maybe three or four of us and
there were other girls around who rode but no-
one was really doing anything together.”
Jade: “So we were like, ‘Let’s go on more
adventures!’. I’d ridden some amazing trails
with boys and I think that’s how it really started.
I thought, ‘I want to take 12 girls on this amazing
trail I rode’.
Jacinta: “Because usually it’s the boys and one
girl.”
Jade: “And the girl gets, not left behind, but...”