Brooke Evans is an Another Rad NICA GRiT Girl!

February 29, 2020

12-year-old Brooke Evans is in seventh grade and races for Durham Stampede from North Carolina’s NICA league. I got to know her and 48 other rad young women last summer at Pennsylvania’s NICA GRiT camp and had a blast riding, practicing handstands, singing karaoke, making bad bike puns, talking about school, having scavenger hunts, and so much more fun stuff over the course of three days. If you’re a girl interested in MTB, definitely check out your local NICA program and ask about any GRiT (Girls Riding Together) events—even in neighboring states! Brooke was one of the four racers who made their way to PA from NC for this camp.

READ MORE: Riding Bikes Makes Me Feel…

What made you want to start riding?

I wanted to come to this camp to practice my mountain biking because I really like it. I started riding two years ago when my dad got me into it.
It was just really fun, I think.

Best thing you learned this week?

I learned how to wheelie this week, it’s pretty new for me. My best tip is to practice it!

Favorite part of mountain biking?

I love the downhills! Go into attack position, stay low so if you hit rocks and roots so you don’t go flying. Look ahead and keep your balance.

Least favorite part of mountain biking?

Really steep hills! With clipless pedals, it’s been a lot easier to pull up as I’m climbing, and I try to push my weight down and forward. I also stand up when I can, and make sure I’m in an easier gear.

Advice for making new friends?

Just put yourself out there right away. It’s a lot harder to do this later in the season, so do it earlier!

Best moment at GRiT camp?

Becoming friends with my cabin. We stole the Crow Cabin’s flag and replaced it with a bike tube!

Proudest moment in racing or riding so far?

I won the scavenger hunt with my cabin yesterday—and we started last! We had to read a map and ride. We had originally planned this whole route, but then right before we started to go, we decided to take a totally different approach and got a late start. But we went a way that was a lot faster, so we won!

What are your goals?

I want to get into the top 10 in races, and then the next year, I want to get into the top five.

Molly H