Meet Tracy Reed and Wendy Palmer – in addition to running the Chile Pepper Bike Shop in Moab, UT these ladies are huge advocates for the new Moab Bike Park – Tracy is the Chairman! They have been working diligently to get the bike park improved upon as well as adding more features. Wendy and Tracy have raised most of the money to fun it themselves through events like the annual Moab Ho-Down MTB Festival held in October. This year they raised $8,000 for the park!  Because of their hard work Moab now has some sweet new dirt jumps, a new bmx track, and are on schedule to build a pump track, skill building area, and flow trail by fall of 2013! These ladies are the catalyst for change!
Plus, these gals attend their local Trail Mix Committee meetings, an organization that works hand and hand with our local land agencies to get more trail approved and open. Moab has put a lot more trail on ground in the last few years and the response from visitors to the area has been amazing.
If all that weren’t enough Tracy and Wendy run the Chile Pepper Bike Shop! Female run bike shop! Woot!
These ladies are definitely making RAD things happen! We were fortunate enough to get to know these 2 women a little better in an interview with them below:
MB: Where are you from?
Tracy: Neosho, Missouri
Wendy: Gig Harbor, WA (home town) – Moab, UT (home)
MB: What is your day-job these days?
Tracy: I own a bike shop in Moab, UT
Wendy: Buyer @ Chile Pepper Bike Shop
MB: When did you start riding?
Tracy: Actual mtb riding – not until I was 30! Wish I would have started at an earlier age.
Wendy: 2002
MB: What is your riding Style these days?
Tracy: All-mountain, longer epic rides and DH riding – which I need to make a point of doing more this next summer by riding more chairlifts
Wendy: Downhill, Trail Riding, Slalom, Dirt Jumping… general shredding.
MB: Current Bike(s)?
Tracy: Giant Reign 1 with a 160mm Fox Talas and an I-Nine wheel set
Wendy: Giant Reign, Transition TR250, Transition Double, Black Market Contraband
MB: Any racing Highlights?
Tracy: I’ve only done one race and it was 24 hours of Moab in 2001
Wendy: 2012 racing highlights= 8th Sea Otter Classic DH, 6th Sea Otter Classic Slalom; 1st Mountain States Cup Angelfire, NM; 1st MSC Crested Butte, CO; 1st MSC Snowmass, CO; 10th Crankworx Garbonzo DH; 1st Ranchstyle Super Slalom; 1st Moab Ho Down DH; 1st Moab Ho Down Super D; 2nd Bell-Wasatch Enduro
MB: Favorite race course?
Tracy: Not a racer, just love to ride trail
Wendy: Mount Saint Anne, Quebec
MB: This question is for Wendy – I hear you are a fairly new coach, How long have you been coaching for?
Wendy: 2 years officially, unofficially quite a while. 😉
MB: Any coaching highlights?
Wendy: Co-Owner Moab Mountain Bike Instruction. Check here for more information and 2012 camp dates!
MB: Describe your best biking day?
Tracy: Morning shuttle to ride a Burro to town – awesome trail, killer views and always good riding companions to make it that much more fun. Beers in a cooler waiting at the bottom is always nice!
Wendy: There is nothing like riding The Whole Enchilada (Moab) in September right after a rain… Tack dirt, perfect temps, changing leaves, and every terrain that you could want. Trail riding perfection.
MB: What has biking taught you?
Tracy: That if you’re having a bad day or week, go ride your bike – you’ll feel better!
Wendy:Â Biking is, in my opinion, the best way to stay happy, fit, and young. There is nothing more satisfying or fun than getting out on your bike, shredding and feeling wasted tired afterwards. That is what life is all about.
MB: Biggest hurdle overcome when riding?
Tracy: Better cornering – still working on it too
Wendy: For my first couple of years riding DH I had a lot of trouble with gap jumps and large drops. I would say that hitting large features was the largest mental hurdle that I faced.
MB: Fav place to ride and why?
Tracy: Moab is hard to beat – best ride is Burro to Town (whole enchilada). I also like to ride in the Durango, CO area in the summers to see all of the wild flowers in bloom in the high country. I have ridden in a lot of different places in the U.S., Canada and New Zealand and it is always fun to ride new trail.
Wendy: Moab and Whistler of course! The meccas! Moab for amazing unique and epic trail riding, and Whistler for the best downhill! AHHH perfection!
MB: Fav people to ride with?
Tracy: I really love to ride with other ladies, it’s usually more fun than just riding with a bunch of dudes
Wendy: Everyone! But especially all the shredder ladies! I just love getting out there and rallying trails!
MB: Headphones or no headphones when you ride?
Tracy: No headphones
Wendy: No headphones… I need to hear the trail, and what is going on with my bike. If I can’t hear my surroundings I feel disconnected.
MB: Other sports and activities?
Tracy: Hiking, skiing and roab biking
Wendy: Snowboarding, Cooking, Painting, Hiking, Knitting, and mostly just getting rad as much as possible. 😉
MB: iPhone, Blackberry, or Android?
Tracy: Android
Wendy: Android!
MB: Cats or Dogs?
Tracy: 2 kitties and 1 super cute dog – he’s the shop dog – his name is Oso
Wendy: Dogs! I have the best weimaraner! His name is Scout and he is the perfect trail buddy!
MB: Clipped in or Flats?
Tracy: Flats
Wendy: Clipped in. No question.
MB: Shuttle or Climb?
Tracy: Both, just depends on the ride, most rides in Moab require you to pedal!
Wendy: Shuttle! Yes Please! Up hill, Shmup hill.
More info on these RAD women and what they do can be found here, here and here.
A hug thanks to Tracy and Wendy for sitting down and letting us get to know you two better!
The Muddbunnies encourage and welcome female riders of all experience and skill levels to join them in getting down and dirty. Come on, ride like a girl!
