By Andrea Faas
I didn’t think of Nebraska as a place for mountain biking since we don’t have mountains. However, Nebraska isn’t completely flat — it’s like a waffle with lots of hills and water-carved valleys and canyons that are good locations for trails and skill development. One group taking advantage of this landscape is The Women’s Mountain Bike Alliance of Nebraska, which hosts events at trail systems in Nebraska state parks and others. Their goal is to introduce women to a variety of trails and build confidence, so that women, like me, can feel comfortable going out on our own or with new friends.
On July 7, 2025, I met with a group of about 20 women for an evening bike ride at Area 7 at Branched Oak State Recreation Area near Raymond. We split into three groups based on skill level and comfort.
I rode with the group that had some experience. With a leader in the front and a sweeper in the back, we rode through the grassland to the trails in the trees. The pace was reasonable. We stayed together and stopped as needed to take breaks.
The Branched Oak trail is a 5-mile, one-way trail meant for beginners. The trail starts from the hill tops in the park, weaves through the grassland, then rolls downhill to the lake followed by climbs back to the start. In the trees, the trail got more technical with features like jumps, chutes and drops. Most, if not all, of the features have an option to ride around them. There were frequent check-ins to make sure the group was comfortable and to prepare us for upcoming challenges.
My group did 1.5 laps, cutting out a section since we were running out of time and energy. It was humid with no wind in the trees, but we made our own breeze on the flats and downhills. The advanced group completed two or more laps in the 60-90 minutes of ride time.
Back at the trailhead, we met with the new rider group that rode sections through the grassland and near the finish, avoiding going all the way down to the lake and up again. They developed their skills by repeating a section of trail to get comfortable with bike handling and trail conditions.
Some people borrowed bikes or brought bikes that hadn’t been ridden in a while. I forgot my helmet and borrowed a full-face helmet for the night. No one judged how well you could ride or the equipment you brought. It was a night to meet people who like to ride bikes and want to do more. It was a night of fun, building community and confidence.
I have enjoyed cycling since I was a kid. I started riding around the neighborhood, and then expanded to biking across the state of Iowa. In college, I mostly biked for transportation until I met my husband and got more into bicycle touring and gravel racing. Mountain biking is a new skill that I find intimidating. So, Women’s Mountain Bike Alliance events are great opportunities for me and others to learn in a supportive environment.
Plus, great snacks after a challenging ride with fun people is the best!