More than just a bike shop, Straight Wheel Cycling has become the heart of Half Moon Bay’s cycling community. Founded on a passion for riding, inclusivity, and genuine human connection, owners Amy Thompson and Bart Draper have created a welcoming gathering place where riders of all ages and abilities feel at home. Through community involvement, mentorship, and a shared love of cycling, Straight Wheel Cycling continues to inspire the next generation of riders while strengthening the bonds that make Half Moon Bay unique.
JoinedNovember 29, 2024
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Liz Donahey is Northern California mountain biker focused on empowering personal and business growth through the transformative principles of mountain biking. She is also a member of Hella Mello Racing, the North Bay’s leading women’s cycling team. Liz is a professional coach and speaker who provides personal and business coaching, speaking engagements and collaboration opportunities. Liz inspires and engages her followers through her authentic and relatable content, focusing on travel, lifestyle, and personal growth.
Haley Dumke never expected mountain biking to transform her life. What began as casual rides through Colorado’s mountains slowly became the place where she learned to trust herself, embrace discomfort, and believe she belonged among elite athletes. Despite rapidly rising into professional-level racing, Haley openly struggled with imposter syndrome, balancing self-doubt alongside remarkable success. Her story is not just about endurance racing, but about resilience, identity, and learning to accept the strength others already see within you.
At California’s largest Enduro race, Marinduro once again delivered a defining moment as Gabby Huffman secured her second straight victory in the eMTB Women’s Expert/Pro category. With nearly 500 racers filling the trails, the atmosphere was electric—built on grit, support, and pure love for the sport. Huffman’s calm, controlled, and confident ride stood out across every stage, marking not just a win, but the continuation of a rising legacy in mountain biking history.
From surviving a life-threatening childhood crash to becoming one of the most recognizable faces in women’s gravity racing, Dani Johnson is redefining what strength looks like in mountain biking. Her honesty about fear, injuries, mental health, and resilience has made her a powerful role model for the next generation. As she heads to the GoPro Mountain Games, Dani represents far more than fearless riding — she represents authenticity, perseverance, and the evolution of women’s mountain biking.
Celebrate Memorial Day weekend in Sonoma County with craft beer, live music, outdoor fun, and a community raffle at Old Caz Beer in Rohnert Park, all supporting trail restoration and programs at Trione-Annadel State Park.
The Moore Creek Park Clinic near St. Helena is about more than mountain biking — it’s about confidence, community, and progression. Riders come together to challenge themselves, work through fear, and experience the joy of riding some of Napa County’s most beautiful trails while supporting the future of Moore Creek through Redwood Trails Alliance’s Pay the Piper trail project.
There are moments in life when everything begins to shift. After heartbreak, healing, and major life changes, I found myself returning to the same lesson mountain biking has taught me for years: you fall, you recover, and eventually you ride again. As I prepare for my first enduro race alone, I’m learning what it truly means to become my own partner, trust my own strength, and keep moving forward through every switchback life throws my way.
At the 2025 Marinduro in Marin County, Gabby Huffman won the Pro E-Bike category while also highlighting a bigger shift in mountain biking culture. Beyond racing, she works with NICA and Marin Trail Stewards to grow the sport and improve access, especially for women riders.
Rebecca Johnston wins the para downhill at her very first Sea Otter Classic, first rider down, a crash the day before, and still takes the top step, proving what’s possible when you go all in.
Join this weekend’s women’s MTB clinic for Marinduro & Sturdy Dirty prep on April 11–12, 2026 at China Camp. Build confidence, improve skills, and ride with a supportive women’s community.
A Morning Win in Fayetteville At 5:30 a.m., in the cold stillness of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Scout Wellmeier was already awake,...
MTB Girls Magazine Issue 13, The Art of the Ascent, by editor Liz Donahey is a powerful reflection on women, mountain biking, leadership, resilience, and the shared climb toward strength, joy, and becoming more.















