Yesterday was the second Women of Steel Ride Out, but Hannah's first! After missing out on the first one due to illness I (Hannah) was very keen to get out and enjoy this one. Ambassador Kelly Jayne has been so excited to show us around her local trails, where she regularly goes to build and maintain the trails. It was somewhere new to ride for many of us, and Kelly Jayne made the perfect guide as she knew the woods so well.

Starting the ride with quite a sudden warm up uphill to Black Rocks, if you've been before you know what I'll mean! We were relieved to make it to the top and enjoyed the sunshine and views across the valley. The first couple of climbs and descents were fantastic, rocky boulders and techy in places. We chatted up the climbs and cheered eachother on down the descents.

We then made our way back down the hill on some challenging trails, so different to what I normally ride - in a good way! The sun continued to shine, and we only came across this one puddle...

We headed back in the search of cake and went to Lea Gardens. If you haven't visited the Rhododendron gardens before I can highly recommend, the food, drink and cake were lovely and it's run by local mountain bikers who had some great tips and knowledge of the trails.

We then headed out to Bow Woods for more fantastic trails. I had a little 'lay down' and got a nettle sting to the eyelid(?!). I really loved these new-to-me trails and riding with these friendly, supportive women. It's all about getting out, meeting up and enjoying the outdoors. If you'd like to join in on our women's rides then join our Facebook group and look out for the next event.