The Origins Of StokedMTB
Mel’s Journey Into Stoke
“When I bought my first mountain bike in 2006, I didn’t know anyone else in the sport, so I took to the trails I used to ride on horseback. Although I was thrilled with this new pastime, I was inhibited by my inexperience and fear of getting hurt out in the forest. In 2008, I plucked up my nerve and joined a group ride. And it changed my life. Right from that very first group ride, my interest sparked into passion, quickly fanned into an obsession before becoming an full-blown and fulfilling addiction to a life on two wheels.
I have never forgotten that pivotal first ride with peers; how nervous I felt, afraid of holding up the group, the adrenaline rush from riding the trails and the joy of sharing that camaraderie with others that felt the same way.
That feeling, that stoke, has always been at the core of my riding. Over the following years, I’ve had the opportunity to sample many facets of mountain biking; from fast and flowy cross country to rocky technical trail riding, dabbling in enduro racing, the thrill of downhill and even sampling some dirtjumping. Lacking a competitive spirit, i would enter races just for fun, referring to them as ‘bike events’ instead of races. When asked why I entered races, I would answer, ‘I just like being surrounded by so many people with a common interest: mountain biking!’
In 2015, I began leading a weekly women’s mtb group ride for Freewheel Cycle and found a whole new way to share this sport that means so much to me. Pairing up with Mari Evans, the woman that lead my pivotal first group ride, we have cultivated a thriving women’s mountain bike group called the Freewheel Dirt Girls, an inclusive mountain bike culture and community for women. This opened up a whole new level of my passion and stoke; empowering others to fall in love with mountain biking too.
When I became a Trek Women’s Advocate in 2017, I was inspired to make my passion my profession, leaving behind a career in administration to pursue my passion for mountain bike instruction and spreading the mtb culture. I earned my instructors’ certification from Professional Mountain Bike Instructors Association in 2017 and haven’t looked back. Through several seasons of teaching with Freewheel Cycle and Kelso MTB School, I was experienced and ready to launch StokedMTB in January 2020 and begin instructing full time.
Starting a business just before the onset of a global pandemic presented some interesting challenges but I have been able to learn from every experience and grown in wonderful ways. Through the Norco Dirt Series, I was able to elevate my instructing capabilities and spread the stoke from Windsor to Ottawa and Niagara to Sault Ste Marie and beyond. Working with high level instructors in Colorado and California gave me new insights that I can’t wait to pass on to each and every one of StokedMTB’s students.
Through my travelling across Ontario, I have met and made many friends. I have curated a top team of experienced instructors that share my passion and student-centric approach to instruction.
Whether you’re exploring this sport for the very first time, or looking to dial in your finesse on advanced maneuvers, I am so excited to have StokedMTB guide you to those successes!”
