Ellies Birthday in New Zealand

Ellie blows out the candles! 11 years old!

Mama Jen and Mama Kate in the hot-tube

Ellie and friends at bottom of water slides

moana pool fun

sweet Anna and Kelly

Ride Your Bike Girls! Advice to get out and get dirty!

Jen ready to conquer world on Buskin Track above sandfly Beach, Dunedin NZ

There are a number of methods mountain bikers use to get over logs and rocks on the trail. Depending on the size of the obstacle, here are some approaches to consider:

1. Pop a wheelie: This is the easiest way to get started and it works best for small logs or rocks. As you approach the obstacle, lift up your front wheel just before you get to it. It may take some practice to get your timing right but practice makes perfect! While this method gets your front tire over the log smoothly, it does nothing to lessen the impact on your rear wheel. Watch your chain ring as well, larger logs and rocks tend to get caught here and can send you into an endo if you’re not careful.
 
2. The bunny hop: Clipping in to your pedals (with either toe clips or clipless pedals) make this a whole lot easier. Make sure you have lots of speed as you approach the obstacle. Just before impact, jump up, carrying your entire bike with you (front and rear wheels) to clear the obstacle. This is risky since if you jump too soon or if you don’t have enough speed you may come down on the log or rock with your rear wheel creating a nasty “taco” out of your rim.

3. The speed hoop: This takes the most skill by far but it’s far more versatile than the other methods and can get you over much larger obstacles.

Sometimes avoiding obstacles doesn't work...


If you’re looking for a new group to ride with this season but don’t know where to start, here are a few ideas!

Head out to the local trail! This is the easiest way to find mountain bikers with similar interests and abilities and definitely the most fun way to do it. Hit up the trailhead on a Saturday morning (or whenever things get busy) and ask folks if you can ride with them. Nine times out of ten they’ll say yes and you can get to know them as you ride. If things go well, ask for contact info afterward and try to schedule another time to meet up.

Join your local MTB club. Mountain bike clubs exist for a number of reasons, not the least of which is for socializing. Pay your dues and show up at the next group meeting or work party and introduce yourself. Many clubs also host group rides at the local trails so check you local club’s website / Facebook group to get the deets. Women That Mountian Bike


Sign up for a race or MTB festival. Some races can be pretty competitive so try to find one that attracts beginners and folks looking to have fun. During warm ups and after the race is a great time to introduce yourself (don’t try to do this during the race – you might get some dirty looks).

Get active online. While some mountain bikers would like to have an automated tool that randomly connects them with similar riders, we think there’s a lot of value in developing friendships online first. What does this look like? For starters, post a bit about yourself and where you like to ride on a web forum where folks from your area tend to hang out. Chat back and forth a bit before asking to meet up for a ride – some people may be uncomfortable with getting together before they feel like they know you.

 Jen and her bike (no those are not tattoos!) but my sweet new arm warmers for cold days.


Pop into your local bike shop. 
Some bike shops host their own group rides and they’re always a great resource for learning about the local scene. Chat up the employees and they should be able to help you find ways to get connected.
The great thing about all these methods is that once you meet one or two mountain bikers they’ll introduce you to their friends and friends of friends. Before you know it you’ll have a network of riders you can call up at a moment’s notice to meet up at the trail. Over time you’ll narrow in on those with similar skill levels and riding styles and you’ll forget what it was like riding by yourself. Get out there and network now so you’ll have a crew to ride with this summer!

Bardsley's go to Austraila!

 Click here for our Youtube channel featuring our latest trip to Australia, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u6Uz_-B504&feature=channel_video_title

Ellie with koala bear - YES! A real Koala!

Adventures with Nanna (Dunedin to Golden Bay, New Zealand) Film

Click here our new film featuring our amazing road trip with Nanna! Adventures with Nanna film

Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand

Road trip to Golden Bay! On our first stop, we had fun at The Moeraki Boulders just one hour north of Dunedin. Mom and geeked out on the impressive geology at low tide.

Ellie and Nanna Karen loving up the Moeraki Boulders

Moeraki Yoga

Alex on top!

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Bardsley family, April 2011

Alex's Surf Party

Alex turned 14 in New Zealand. His current obsesion is surfing. In fact, he wants a ukulele. Every birthday, I try to bake a cake that translates his favorite activity. He wanted a surf dude in a half pipe. Luckly, Alex already fashioned a surf board in woodshop class and he found the Avatar action figure. Good on ya!

Nanna in New Zealand!

My Mom arrived on April 8th after 4 flights and two days of traveling. She braved nearly 24 hours of flight travel to come all the way down to see our lives in New Zealand. We were super excited to have her here with us for almost 20 days. My mom is an amazing traveler. Super fun to explore new places with. She is very flexible and willing to do just about anything!  



Jen and Mom at St Clair - First day in New Zealand!

 

Alex and Nanna Karen at the Otago Museum with Kiwi Bird

Jen and Mom at Waikawitii Beach for Alex's Surfing Birthday party





 

Ellie and Nanna Karen at the Dunedin Train Station

  

Nanna Karen and Ellie at the Botanical Garden down the street from our house in Dunedin.



So begins our adventure tour of the south island. Mom and I drove all the way too Milford Sound to explore the glow worm cave, Southern Alps, Fjiordland National Park, Queenstown and central Otago.

We saved our pennies for the excursions and camped in a tent for 4 days. Mom was super tough to sleep on the ground with me (Did you know that NZ is really really expensive!!!)

The Milford Sound boat cruise was really amazing. Glacier carved rocks with waterfalls flowing down into Fjiord. We went on a 3 hour ride all the way to the Tasman Ocean and then went down 40 feet below in an underwater conservatory to witness the beauty under.

Mom at Lake Te Anau with a gorgeous rainbow touching down.

Getting ready to board on our cruise down the Fjords at Milford Sound.

Milford Sound

Mom enjoying a Fall day in Queenstown, NZ

Mom and Jen in Paradise Valley in the Southern Alps near the Glacier fed "Dart River"

Me up front for our jet boat adventure - Mom in back with hood over her head. She did not want to get wet, but probably got the most wet! Awesome ride up the Dart River - this boat only needed 3 inches of water to Zoom up the the river. It was insane!

Dart River and Southern Alps in the distance. Gorgeous!

Mom was cool as a cucumber on the jet boat - must have been all those years snow-mobiling in Montana!

Chinese food + Wine + Queenstown = Awesome!

Great view and night in Queenstown!

My mom and me!

Castle in Dunedin, The only castle in New Zealand Click here for castle website