Shred Girls — And Sisters — Molly and Ella Dishong Talk All Things Cyclocross

It’s pretty great when you have built in Shred Girl friends—like sisters Molly (14 years old) and Ella (15 years old) Dishong do! While they were on vacation and prepping for cyclocross season, they shared the secrets to their training, racing, and how they avoid sibling rivalry (most of the time). Let’s dive in!

What made you want to try cyclocross?

Ella (pictured above): I first started racing cyclocross when I was about 8 years old. I wanted to try cyclocross because I grew up around cycling and I felt like there was a kind of energy around it that just drew me in. I can remember that most of the kids were taller than me—granted they still are, but my feet touch the peddles and that’s all that matters!

Molly: I originally wanted to try cross because I had grown up around bikes and at bike races because of my dad racing. I still have my first bike I ever raced on—it was a Redline BMX bike. I remember that the place I came in didn’t matter to me, I just wanted to race my bike and have fun.

Favorite part?

Ella: I think my favorite part of cyclocross is the people. This is because you can talk to about everyone from a junior racer to a master because you all share a common interest of cycling.

Molly (pictured above): I can’t choose a favorite part. I really love all of it—from the people, to the venues, even the heckling—It’s like we are all a big family.

Favorite race so far?

Ella: I think my favorite race so far has been Midnight Ride last year. I remember we had the night off from field hockey at high school because it was soooo hot so we hurried down to do the bike race! I really enjoyed this race because I loved racing against all of the 1/2/3/4/5 instead of just the juniors—and I was especially happy that I didn’t get lapped by the pro riders! I have raced at that venue before, but it seemed like a different race because it was later in the day and ran backwards than the races I have done there before.

Molly: My favorite race so far is Gloucester. It’s my favorite race because I love the venue and watching other races from on top of the big rock with friends.

What’s the hardest part?

Ella: For me I think the hardest part is not paying attention to the other riders around you and just focusing on my race. I think this is one of the hardest parts because it’s hard to stay concentrated on my own race when you see other athletes around you racing as well. Another hard part of cyclocross for me when I first started racing is learning how to recover and move on with the race after making a mistake.

Molly: The hardest party for me isn’t really with the racing, it is fitting riding and racing in with all my other activities (I play field hockey, lacrosse, mountain bike, and alpine ski race as well as cx racing). Sometimes my cx training is riding my bike to or from my other practices.

Best tip for new riders?

Ella: I think the best tip for new riders is to have fun with it and not worry what place you come in. Also, another tip is to practice. If you like racing and you want to get better at it you need to practice everything—run-ups, mounting and dismounting, barriers, off-camber—everything that might make you feel uncomfortable.

Molly: Just go out and have fun!

Everyone is always scared about the remount/dismount: any tips for getting more confident there?

Ella: The best way to get more confident in that area of to practice and maybe watch videos to see how other people teach it. I try not to overthink the barriers or else I end up messing up! I would love to learn how to bunny-hop the barriers, but I haven’t been brave enough to commit to that yet!

Molly: Practice, Practice, Practice!

(PS: there’s a great online ‘learn cyclocross remount and dismounts’ program here!)

You both raced Rasputitsa [a long gravel race] this past April—that’s a tough AND long race. How was it? Tips for how to handle long races?

Ella: The best tip for long races is eating properly leading up to the race and making sure you are well hydrated! Don’t go out of the start fast, instead focus on keeping a steady pace for the entire race. Eat at the rest areas (especially when Maple Syrup is involved) because you don’t want to run out of energy during the race. Most important though is to HAVE FUN!

Molly: The Rasputitsa was a hard race. It was very difficult and tiring and I loved every minute of it. I remember riding with my dad and he kept telling me the top of one of the hills was right around the corner—he was lying! A tip for handling long races is to not go super hard at first and try to keep a nice, steady tempo. Try to make the most of your ride—talk to the people around you (when you can breath). Go in with confidence, knowing you are going to make it, not doubting yourself.

Do you two train together? Ever fight about riding?

Ella: Most of the time we will train together but like most people we will have different plans for the day and do different things. We usually don’t fight about riding.

Molly: Ella and I do train together. We fight sometimes, but very rarely about riding.

Any tips for making friends in cycling?

Ella: Some tips for making friends in cycling are if you are racing talk to the people around you before the race and at the start. Also try to find group rides around you and talk to the people there.

Molly: Just go talk to people. Everyone in the cycling community is nice.

What do you wish you’d known when you started riding?

Ella: One thing I wish I knew before I started biking is how obsessed I would become with the sport. I love everything about every part of biking and dread when the season ends (although I do move immediately into ski racing) and look forward to cx season starting up again.