Since 1988, IMBA has connected, mobilized, and created opportunities for #MoreTrailsCloseToHome; and throughout our history, we’ve been influenced, led, and powered by incredible female mountain bikers, trail builders, advocates, and professionals. From the early leadership of Jennifer Lamb, IMBA’s first Advocacy Director in the 1990s who worked to build clout for mountain biking in the halls of government; to Mountain Bike Hall of Famer and President & CEO of People for Bikes, Jen Dice, IMBA’s women have gone on as leaders in the fields of advocacy, outdoor recreation, trail building, and organizational leadership.

Today, almost 40% (38.1%, to be exact) of my colleagues at IMBA are women. IMBA is also proud that women make up 30% of our Board of Directors. In a field still dominated by men, IMBA is committed to equity-centric hiring practices and creating a culture where all perspectives are valued, internally and in our external partnerships.

Keep reading to learn about the women that power IMBA from the inside-out. 

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Why Does This Matter? 

IMBA thrives on the diverse perspectives that are shared, the lived experiences that influence skills and knowledge, and the multifunctional expertise of our people. In order to be effective in nationwide advocacy and in supporting diverse trails communities and organizations across the country, we have to understand what is happening on-the-ground, from sea to shining sea! In short, we need all sorts of different people, from all sorts of different places, with all sorts of different perspectives to accomplish our organizational goals.

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Participation

Women represent a little less than 50% of all those who participate in outdoor recreation. The most recent Outdoor Industry Association’s Outdoor Participation Report stated that for the first time ever in 2024, more than half of American women are participating in outdoor recreation: the female participation rate reached 51.9% in 2023, up from 50% in 2022.

There are more women than ever finding joy, wellness, and connections in the great outdoors, which means the audience for outdoor recreation gear, clothing, media, and advocacy has also increased. For outdoor nonprofit organizations like IMBA, knowing the profiles and use patterns of outdoor recreation participants serves as a cornerstone for gauging impact and need for programs and services, designing inclusive programs, fostering engagement among groups, and strategizing to advance outdoor recreation advocacy.

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Representation

From a representation perspective, people feel more connected to things when they can see themselves reflected in them. Seeing oneself reflected by female athletes like Kate Courtney, by advocates like Jen Dice, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s Jessical (Wahl) Turner can be validating and empowering for women who want to try riding, get better or more competitive, and or get active in their trails communities.

Representation by women and of women helps break down stereotypes and misconceptions about what women can and can’t do on mountain bikes, for trails, and in legislative advocacy. It matters for the riders of tomorrow: NICA’s GRiT program is blazing the trail for #MoreGirlsOnBikes and more female coaches with leadership from President Amanda Carey, Diana Allen and the powerhouse predominantly-female team at NICA. Representation in sports can help female athletes feel seen, supported, and celebrated; and inspire young riders to pursue their bike-based dreams.

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International Women's Mountain Biking Day

And so, to celebrate women on bikes, IMBA created Women’s Mountain Biking Day: the first Saturday of every May. The day of celebration originated from the 2018 IMBA UPRISING event—IMBA’s first-ever women’s conference. Attendees were asked to share their best ideas for engaging more women in mountain biking. A day dedicated to women enjoying mountain biking with each other and encouraging fellow women to join them was dreamed up by Andree Sanders of Trips for Kids Metro New York, and we rolled with it.

Every year, hundreds of mountain biking clubs and thousands of women around the country gather to ride: for fun, for connection, for fitness and health, and for the great pleasure of doing rad things with other people like them. So, celebrate the women you know who shred, on May 3rd 2025. Plan an event and tag it #WomensMTBDay. Get inspired with ideas and stories on imba.com/for-women. Get out with your gals and enjoy the magic of a ladies ride, or invite a friend to give mountain biking a try.

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Celebrating the Women of IMBA

Mountain biking mamas, lifelong learners, competitive riders, day trippers, mobile snack and first aid-bringers, and bikepacking aficionados… The women of IMBA represent a diversity of mountain biking skills, trails experiences, and riding preferences, and they all bring a unique perspective to why we do what we do, and why mountain bikes and trails matter.

Cheers to our Gals. May you find rad women to ride with on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025!

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