Zanna Logar is a Shred Girl Across Disciplines!

Often, I hear stories about how girls got into cycling because of a dad or a brother, so when I heard about the Logar sisters, who came to cycling together when MTB legend Sue Haywood was doing some practice sessions in their area, I knew I HAD to chat with them! Check out Zanna’s interview and then head over to read about her sister Raina here.

Which cycling disciplines do you race?

I am currently racing with Gravity Academy for downhill, and I am racing other disciplines for the Miller School of Albemarle Endurance team. For bikes, I have the Process X Kona for DH, and Specialized bikes for XC, CX and road.

What’s it like training as sisters? Are you competitive with each other or more like a team?

My sister and I got into cycling at around the same time. We got into cycling by riding trails for fun with friends after school and on weekends, I would get lessons with [MTB legend!] Sue Haywood, and there was a kids ride with friends and parents every Thursday at 4:30. As I got older, my friends and I would ride more often and would occasionally race in the local race series, West Virginia Mountain Bike Association (WVMBA). When I was in 6th grade I raced in our local WV NICA series, that is when I really got into racing and training. From there, my love for the sport just grew.

I’d say we are a team, but super competitive teammates. Training as sisters is one of the coolest things about biking for me. We are very competitive, which is super helpful, we are always there to push each other. I always have my built in training buddy with me.

When my sister has a good race and I don’t (or her time is faster than mine), although I am usually disappointed, I still try to be positive and a good older sister.

What about cycling got you hooked?

I love the technical part of MTB, as well as the physical part. I love being in the woods, whether that is by myself or with other people. When it comes to which I like better, it is a tough choice, I’d say that I like them the same amount for now.

I love the way riding my bike makes me feel, the way my body feels after a hard XC race/training ride, or at the end of a fun family/friend ride, the end to the adrenaline rush after a DH run, sending it off big drops, finally nailing a line through a technical piece of trail, going fast on the road, the way the dirt feels under my tires, or even just the feel of my legs while on the trainer. The list of things I love about riding my bike just goes on and on! It is hard to put the way I feel on the bike into real words.

What’s the best cycling advice you’ve gotten?

The two main pieces of advice that I have gotten, that have really stuck with me and helped me are:

1: “It’s not what you did during the bad race/run, it’s about what you do after.” This was said to me after a race last year when my sister had a much faster time in a DH race.

2: “Fear is the enemy of progression.” We were skiing in Vermont when my dad, sister, and I saw an old building with these words spray painted on them. It has been an inspirational saying to me ever since.

Proudest moment on the bike?

I don’t have one specific proudest moment, but there are definitely times that I have felt proud of my accomplishments, such as hitting a drop for the first time, beating my goal for a race, or getting a line through a tech section of trail.

Least favorite part of riding? And how do you cope with setbacks on the bike?

My least favorite part of riding my bike (besides washing my bike) is probably the bad rides, the rides when your body just does not have the energy to push through the workout, or the rides where your head just “isn’t in it”, when you just don’t feel right. But it is important to have those rides, I think, it helps you strengthen your mind and body, mentally and physically. And it makes those good rides just that much better!

Setbacks are obviously tough, when I have a bad race I am usually upset with myself. But that never gets me anywhere so I always try to think of it as a learning experience. I try to find the positive out of the negative, like if I wasn’t well rested and was tired during the race – then I know for next time to get more sleep the night before, or if I hold back in a DH race, I’ll know for next time not to.

Any tips for making friends with other cyclists?

Everybody is usually very kind and approachable. It is always fun to make friends with girls/women that ride. My sister is very talkative and likes to ask questions, so usually she breaks the ice for me.

What do you do outside of cycling?

My hobbies outside of cycling include skiing, unicycling, and hanging out with friends!

Follow Zanna on Instagram: z_logar and radgirlswv