– Support People Who Support You –

Text & Photo by Rie Sawada

Every year, NW Trail Sisters hosts “International Women’s Mountain Bike Day” at Sandy Ridge Trail System and it was held on May 2nd this year. International Women’s MTB Day is held on the first Saturday of May each year, it was created by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) as a day for women to ride, connect, and celebrate mountain biking together.

I always missed the opportunity to participate, sometimes because of rain, other times because it overlapped with our SimWorks California Pop-Up events. But, I was finally able to get involved with this as SimWorks this year.

Carrie and Mamiko from NW Trail Sisters reached out to me and asked,
“Would SimWorks be interested in supporting the event in some way?”
I answered “Yes” immediately.

SimWorks is more associated with commuters, gravel bikes, and bikepacking culture, and I’ve always felt that we are still relatively unknown within the carbon and aluminum mountain bike community. So, I thought this was a great opportunity to share about SimWorks!

For me, mountain biking, and more broadly, spending time outdoors in nature has had a huge impact on my life. Especially riding trails by bike. That’s why being able to support and participate in such a meaningful community as SimWorks made me happy.

Why I Fell in Love with Mountain Biking

Here in Portland, Oregon, there is a volunteer-driven nonprofit mountain bike organization called NWTA (Northwest Trail Alliance). NWTA builds, maintains, and advocates for mountain bike trails throughout Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington, while also promoting responsible riding and trail access. One of my favorite trail, Rocky Point Trail is accessible via a mere 25-minute drive from SimWorks (the Chris King factory).

Rocky Point Trail. 25-minute drive from SimWorks (the Chris King factory)

The very first time I rode one of the trails maintained by NWTA, I immediately fell in love with mountain biking: You get to do 森林浴 Shin-Rin-Yoku (Forest Bathing). The feeling of riding through the forest. The smell of dirt. The crisp air. The sound of rivers. Mossy trees. Birdsong. Sometimes even spotting owls or other wildlife. Being immersed in nature constantly reminds me of how powerful and important the natural world truly is.

And above all, the trails NWTA maintains are incredible.
Every time I ride them, I think “Someone volunteered their time and energy to create this beautiful place for all of us to enjoy.” That thought always makes me want to contribute something in return. I’ve joined several trail work volunteer days myself, and every time, I learn something valuable.

At Chris King (where SimWorks is), Trail Builder in Chief (and GM) Kris Bedsaul also encourages employees to give back by organizing trail work days at the local Rocky Point Trails. Employees are even offered two additional paid volunteer days each year to support trail building or other nonprofit community work.

When I joined a volunteer Trail Work Day on “Fanny’s Yer Aunt” at Rocky Point
A trail designed and built by women.

The Comfort of a Women-Only Community

NW Trail Sisters — the women of Northwest Trail Alliance, committed to creating an inclusive community. Beyond trail work, they regularly organize:

・Group rides
・Bike maintenance clinics led by women
・Bikepacking events
・Nutrition workshops
・Riding skills lessons

and many other activities.

I’ve volunteered with both NWTA and NW Trail Sisters before, and both are wonderful communities. But honestly, I felt much more naturally comfortable within NW Trail Sisters. In mixed-gender communities, there were times when I felt intimidated by the pace or needed extra courage to fully join in. But in a women-only environment, I found myself simply thinking: “That was so fun.” “I want to come back.” “I want to learn more with these women.” I don’t think I’m the only woman who feels this way. Having a place where people can connect safely and comfortably is incredibly important for any community.

SimWorks Supported… Lunch
(Curry for 70 women!)

What SimWorks contributed to the event wasn’t money. It was lunch. And that lunch was… Japanese Curry & Rice! (with both chicken and vegan options)

For the three nights leading up to the event, I cooked and froze two large pots of curry every evening. I “shredded” A LOT! I mean I grated apples, carrots, ginger, and garlic by hand each night, slowly simmering the curry with lots of love.

I wanted as many people as possible to experience and enjoy it.

On the morning of International Women’s MTB Day event, participants split into four different groups based on their comfort and riding level and some of them went to trail work:

・Chill Ride
・Intermediate Ride
・Wrippers Spicy Ride
・Trail Work

Each group spent the morning riding trails and participating in trail work together. Whether someone was completely new to mountain biking, wanted to enjoy the trails at their own pace, or was looking for more challenge, the atmosphere made it feel welcoming and safe for everyone to participate in their own way.

Japanese Curry & Rice is actually the very first outdoor camp meal I learned to make as a child during school camping trips in Japan. In the U.S., many people don’t really know the difference between Japanese curry, Thai curry, or Indian curry, so honestly, I was a little nervous. Would people even want to eat it? But on the day of the event, people kept saying: “I was looking forward to the lunch today!” “If Rie made it, I want to try it!” “Where’s your food truck?!” “It was very delicious!” Hearing positive comments like that always makes me so happy. Almost everyone tried Japanese curry for the first time! Cooking curry for 70 people entirely by myself was definitely challenging, but hearing everyone’s positive reactions made it all worth it. It gave me confidence too.

“Support People Who Support You.”

Before the ride began, everyone gathered together in a large circle. That’s when Trail Stewardship Director Nancy Stone said something that really stayed with me:

“Support people who support you.”
“Eco system of love of the trail.”

I thought that’s exactly right. The people who build trails. Maintain them. Organize events. Welcome riders. Because of those people, we’re able to ride and enjoy these places. And then others support those people in return. It feels like a beautiful ecosystem built around love for the trails and for each other in this community.

Community Gives Us Strength to Live

I moved from Japan to Portland eight years ago. During my first few years here, I joined many different communities. Of course, not every community is the right fit for everyone. What matters most is finding connections that truly feel right for you, places where you feel safe, understood, inspired, and able to learn.

I’ve been fortunate to find several communities like that, and I’m deeply grateful for them. Through cycling and surfing, I’ve realized something important. Even if people speak different languages or come from different cultures and backgrounds, we can still connect. You can meet someone for the very first time, ride the same trail together, and suddenly feel like friends. I think that’s something very special.

The Kind of Place SimWorks Wants to Be

Participating in International Women’s MTB Day reminded me that what I’m ultimately trying to do is create community. Even if it’s small. A place where people feel safe, free, inspired, and able to learn from each other. A place where people help each other when someone is struggling. I want to continue creating spaces like that, little by little, in whatever ways I can.

To live better lives, I believe we need to think carefully about who we connect with and how we connect with each other. And I hope SimWorks can continue to be one of those places where people feel safe to connect.

Thank you again to everyone involved in International Women’s MTB Day, and to everyone who continues to support SimWorks as always.

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NWTA regularly hosts weekend events such as Dig Days, Beginner Rides, and Shuttle Rides that anyone including beginners and kids can join, so definitely check them out if you’re interested!