Megan Jaffe is a long-time endurance athlete and Freeplay Magazine writer. She began running at the age of 14, competing in both cross country and track and field throughout high school and college. After college she continued running while also adding both triathlon and mountain biking to her sports resume. Jaffe has almost 10 years of triathlon training and competing but now focuses most of her time training for off-road triathlon and XTerra. She continues to hone her biking and coaching skills by attending advanced MTB clinics so she can share her knowledge and passion with new riders. “I’m drawn to mountain biking because there is no room for negative thoughts,” says Megan, “you have to constantly be looking for the best path that will keep you moving forward.”

Asa Salas Shoemaker has been racing and riding mountain bikes for 26 years.  Cross Country, DH, Cyclocross and Road Racing have been her passion since she graduated from high school, and though she doesn’t race as much now, she rides constantly.  She has been coaching privately for the last 5 years and plans to base her career on coaching in the near future. There isn’t much that makes her happier than watching students master skills on a bike.  Last year she found BABOB, Bad Ass B*tchs on Bicycles, a cycling Facebook group for women to share and learn from each other.  Her mission is to empower women on their bicycles, by teaching them to ride with confidence, playfulness, and flow, and also by teaching them to understand their bikes in every way.

Originally from England, Sian Turner is now lucky enough to call Truckee, CA home. Sian is a cyclist and triathlete in summer, and XC skier, telemark skier and snowboarder in winter. She mainly plays on the dirt, racing mountain bike races of various distances, cyclocross, Xterra triathlon, and has even been seen at the odd trail run race. Sian is a 2-time (2014 and 2015) Age Group Xterra National Champion and has placed 4^th twice at the Xterra World championship. She is also a multi-time Leadville 100 finisher.

As a IMBA level 2 coach, she loves teaching others the skills to mountain bike with the confidence that allows maximum enjoyment of the sport. She is currently studying for a Masters degree in Nutrition, and also co-founded Bike Like a Girl – a non-profit with a vision of getting more girls and women on bikes.

Kim Larson picked up mountain biking over a decade ago when she moved to Tahoe. It didn’t take her long to fall in love with the sport. Whether it was the rush of going fast downhill over steep and rocky terrain or the challenge of a climb she was hooked. Soon after discovering mountain biking, Kim became involved with the Team LUNA Chix program. A non-profit program dedicated to inspiring women to get outdoors and try new things in a fun and supportive environment. A natural born teacher (she also instructs scuba diving, skiing & snowboarding), Kim with the help of some great friends and mountain bike riders has kept the program going in the Reno-Tahoe area (now called Tahoe Mountain Bike Girls). Being involved in this program has lead Kim to continue to improve on her skills and coaching techniques. These days you’ll likely find her fixing a chain on a remote trail, teaching mountain bike camps, organizing exciting Tahoe MTB events or encouraging new riders to challenge themselves in the sport. Kim is an International Mountain Bike Instructor (IMBA) and loves helping others improve their confidence and skills on the bike!

Paige Ramsey is an IMBA Certified Skills Instructor, USA Cycling Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, and Pilates/Group X Instructor. She has been coaching and teaching mountain biking for more than 10 years and has coached all levels and disciplines of mountain biking. Along with spending her summers coaching in the women’s program at Northstar, she has spent many years coaching and training middle and high school XC teams, aspiring downhillers, pro and amateur XC racers and 24 hr endurance riders. As a racer she spent years racing DH, DS at the pro and amateur level on the NORBA Circuit and traveling to World Cup events in the US and Canada. While she hasn’t spent as much time on an XC course, she has done my share of sweating it out as a cat 1 at XC venues.

More important than all of the training she has had – is the fact that she just LOVES riding mountain bikes! Her bike has opened the door to worlds of adventure and possibility where she found there is nothing better than sharing that love with people who really want to learn. To her, a bike offers freedom, accomplishment, exhilaration, friendship and countless other aspects to life. Paige loves more than anything watching a new rider discover all of those things and more when they start riding and accomplishing things they may have never even imagined possible.

Coral is in love with the Truckee/Tahoe area, and enjoys exploring the many, many trails around – no other place compares and there’s always a new route to learn! She started mountain biking over a decade ago. Since then, she has continued to improve her abilities by riding with some great friends, mentors, and coaches, as well as attending clinics and continually learning. She loves all things bicycle, and thanks to her fiancé, she has learned to enjoy road biking and urban commuting. She agrees that the correct number of bicycles is “N + 1”, and enjoys any time spent in the saddle, whether it’s on a dirt jumper at the pump track or biking to teach a yoga class. She is also passionate about the environment, and is working on a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering. Coral recently completed her IMBA ICP Level 1 certification and enjoys helping others improve their skills with a goal of having the maximum amount of fun! If you have questions about a particular skill, please let her know on one of our rides together, and she will be happy to help.