Two Wheels, Mud & A Little Bit of Bravery

E-bikes, muddy trails and finding your confidence

I started the day on an e-bike, which has become my familiar friend over my three Desert Rose ladies experiences. The instructors were amazing at helping everyone get comfortable and build confidence, and we headed out for a basic skills ride through the fields.

After a ridiculously dry summer, this happened to be the day the heavens finally decided to open. The rain transformed the ground into an absolute slip and slide. What had probably been perfectly manageable terrain suddenly became a lesson in balance and trying very hard not to become part of the scenery.

Once we’d got through the basics, we headed out to explore the trails across the seventy acres of land available to Desert Rose.

This was probably one of my favourite parts of the day. There’s something completely different about learning to navigate trails yourself rather than simply watching someone else do it. You get to experiment, make mistakes, build confidence and, most importantly, have fun.

Then they gave me a petrol bike…

Having ridden an e-bike on my previous Desert Rose experiences, the instructors decided it was time for me to have a go on something completely different, a 2-stroke petrol bike.

Now, I thought I had a reasonable idea of what to expect…I did not.

Going from an e-bike to a petrol bike is a completely different experience. The controls, the sound, the feel and the way the bike responds all take some getting used to. Suddenly there was an engine making its presence very much known, and I had a whole new set of things to think about while trying to stay upright.

Having the opportunity to try something outside my comfort zone, with instructors around to guide me, gave me a little taste of what I could potentially get into next.

And I think I’ve officially caught the bug!

Next time, I’d definitely like to spend more time on the petrol bikes, build my confidence and start developing a bit more expertise. There’s clearly a whole new world of riding to explore.

It wasn’t all about riding

One of the things I really like about the Desert Rose x BRB days is that it isn’t simply “here’s a bike, off you go.”

There are loads of different elements to the day, which makes it feel much more like an experience than just a riding session.

First of all, the guys help you choose the gear you need and explain the different types of protection for the different types of bodies that come with the female physique.

We then learnt how to repair punctures, which is one of those skills you hope you won’t need but will be very glad you’ve learnt if you ever find yourself stuck somewhere with a flat tyre.

There was also a challenge involving a broken bike that needed to be brought back to life. Cue a group of women collectively trying to work out what was going on and get the thing running again.

It was a brilliant reminder that enduro isn’t just about riding, there’s a practical side to it too, and learning those skills gives you much more confidence when you’re out on the trails.

And then things got competitive…

Once we’d all had our fill of riding, learning and getting covered in copious amounts of mud, the instructors decided we clearly hadn’t had quite enough excitement.

So they set up a competition course.

Because apparently the correct way to finish an already action packed day is to introduce a little healthy competition.

The course was a relay style race with obstacles, with everyone taking their turn to get around the course before handing over to the next person.

I was the last person to take on the relay for my team.

No pressure…

Absolutely no pressure at all.

And unfortunately, I let the pressure get to me.

I got a little too trigger happy, the bike had other ideas, and before I knew it I was flying over the handlebars.

Not exactly the graceful enduro finale I had imagined.

Thankfully, I was okay! Although I did leave with a few bruises to tell the story.

And, if anything, the crash just summed up the whole day perfectly. Try something new, push yourself, laugh when it goes slightly wrong and get back up again.

From muddy trails to a wood-fired hot tub

After a day of riding, crashing, laughing and generally abusing muscles that probably hadn’t been used in quite some time, we had the perfect place to retreat to.

We stayed locally at a glamping site, which turned out to be the ideal base for the weekend.

And, more importantly, it had a wood fired hot tub.

Because nothing says “we’ve made some questionable decisions on two wheels today” quite like lowering yourself into a steaming hot tub. It was exactly what we needed to ease the aches and pains, swap stories from the day and properly relax after all the adrenaline.

The combination of an adventure filled day followed by a cosy evening at the glamping site made the whole experience feel like a proper little getaway, rather than simply turning up for a day’s riding and heading home.

Should you give it a go?

If you’ve been wondering whether a Desert Rose x BRB experience day is for you, my answer would be a definite YES.

And I say that as someone who, despite attending three of these events, has only ridden a bike three times!

You absolutely don’t need to turn up as an experienced rider. The whole point is to learn, have a go and build your confidence. The instructors are brilliant, the atmosphere is incredibly supportive and there’s something really special about spending the day surrounded by a group of women all willing to get stuck in, have a laugh and try something new.

You can ride, learn new skills, try different bikes, explore the trails, get muddy, challenge yourself and probably discover that you’re capable of more than you thought.

And if you’re anything like me, you might even leave with a few bruises.

But you’ll also leave with a massive grin on your face.