We are delighted to launch our first feature-length documentary film, Camera Corner: Wende Cragg Documents the Birth of Mountain Biking. It profiles Wende’s work and its lasting impact on the cycling industry. Photographer Wende Cragg has been a pillar of the cycling community since she began documenting road, cyclocross, and the early days of mountain biking in Marin County, California, and throughout the United States over 50 years ago.
Today is Women-Led Wednesday, a new movement and annual holiday that encourages everyone to shop from women-led brands so there can be leveling of the playing field. It happens every year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Check out the Women-Led businesses in the bike industry by heading over to Women-Led Wednesday.
You’ll find mostly women’s apparel hanging on the racks at Boulder’s newest cycling shop, Cassiopeia. Opened in late September, the “female-forward” store features boutique brands like Ostroy, Jelenew, and Fingerscrossed, and doubles as a cycling café and Velospa. Hailey Moore takes a shop visit to Cassiopeia to chat with owner Diana Freeman about the store’s unique business concept, find out what exactly is a Velospa, the membership model, and more!
“It’s such a solo endeavor, but you have to have other people to be successful. You cannot do this alone.” – Ellen Campbell A meditation on sacrifice, ambition and unity, On the Up follows pro cyclists Sarah Sturm, Alexis Skarda and Ellen Campbell as they prepare for the 2024 Leadville Trail 100 MTB race in Colorado, one of the most formidable off-road events in the world.
Leadville – known as the Race Across the Sky – was established in 1983 and is ridden at extreme altitude. 2024 is the first year Leadville has had a separate women’s start, a historical moment captured by the film.
A candid insight into the unique worlds of Sturm, Skarda and Campbell, this short documentary explores the myriad emotional and physical oscillations of pro bike racing and the collective growth they’ve experienced.
Cyclists and first-time film filmmakers Grace Williams and Emily Segura Maze release the film “ZANA,” an ode to what it means to be a woman in sport. The film documents the history of the historic singlespeed bike race, the Little 500, as women went from racing on tricycles to bicycles. Williams, alumni of team Melanzana, found a story worth sharing within the camaraderie of her old team as they attempted a third win in a row – as a result, and with the support from State Bicycle Co., the film “ZANA” was born. Below, check out the “ZANA” film premiere, in addition to Grace’s behind-the-scenes account of the project with images from Sarah Qu!
The Little 500
The Little 500 is a historic, single-speed bike race in Bloomington, Indiana that takes place on a quarter mile cinder track. Teams of four riders compete one day in April for the famed Borg-Warner Trophy (a miniature replica of the Indianapolis 500 trophy) but the true purpose of the race is to raise money for Indiana University student scholarships. All riders are Indiana University undergraduates, but over 25,000 dedicated fans come from all over the world to watch.
For many, it is known as “the World’s Greatest College Weekend”. The women race 100 laps, and the men race 200. Tactics are up to each team, but the teams must each complete at least five exchanges between teammates during the entirety of the race for the women, and ten for the men.
Beginnings of “ZANA”
The men’s race started in 1951, but the women’s race didn’t start until 1988. This gap in time? We found it far too interesting to brush past. This is where we come in. Meet your directors: Emily Segura Maze and Grace Williams. We met at a media internship in Flagstaff in 2022, where we spent the summer camping, photographing athletes, and learning how to be in the media industry with a crew of amazing mentors.
Fast-forward a few years, and we found ourselves navigating the freelance industry on opposite sides of the country. In October of 2023, I sent an email to State Bicycle Co, (SBC) pitching a film to them on the Women’s Little 500. I didn’t know how to articulate the specifics of the film, but I knew the feeling and emotions I wanted to create. Incredibly, SBC said yes. I didn’t even own a video camera, so I called Emily, the one person I knew who might be down to figure this out with me. She was in.
In Production
After some brainstorming, we decided that my old team, Melanzana (Zana for short), would be the team to film. I am an alumni of the 2022 winning team, and we wanted to take advantage of the authentic stories and friendships I still have with my old teammates. The storyline checked out, too – they were about to attempt their third win in a row, a would-be a historic feat. So, we figured out how to get trademark approval through Indiana University, and we emailed with IU board members. We bought insurance, rented cameras, and booked plane tickets.
We found ourselves filming in March for race day qualifications, and in April; the race. Imposter syndrome was rampant, and we felt as though we were just barely making it; that we had somehow fooled everyone into believing that we were filmmakers. In fact, we still barely knew what the storyline of the film would become; what was the message? Were we accurately portraying the feelings we wanted to portray? Despite being unsure of how the film would develop, we decided to start, trusting that the process would take us there. We followed the feelings, we followed our guts, and the story slowly began to appear.
The Little 500 & Mini 500
ZANA initially takes the audience on a journey through the history of the Little 500. Although the men’s race started in 1951, the women were barred from the race and relegated to tricycles instead. They were used more as advertisements, trophies, and newspaper images than anything else.
In the article “The Mini 500: The Gendered History of a Forgotten Tradition”, the author writes, “By sewing uniforms, cheering on the men and decorating the pits, the Little 500 in the 1950s was another way for women to practice their domestic duties.” Yet, women still rallied to race on bikes. Starting in 1973, women’s bike teams began to come together and try to qualify for the men’s race after finally obtaining the right to even attempt qualifications in the first place.
Even so, no female teams were able to qualify. “The message is clear,” a sports columnist for the Indiana Daily Student wrote. “The big boys ride the bicycles in the Little 500. The little girls get to ride the tricycles in the Mini 500.”[11] He called for the “degrading, insulting and patronizing event” to be abolished. After years of pushing, the women were finally allowed to have their own race in 1988. The Mini 500 ended a few years later.
Then and Now
Since then, the women have continued to push the boundaries of sport and make history. Theta Cycling now has a historic total of 9 wins since 1988. Melanzana Cycling boldly attempted their third consecutive win in 2024. Not to mention so many other strong, incredible leaders, athletes, and women within Little 500. We wanted to document this power of community and support within the entirety of the women’s field.
As we interviewed and talked to Little 500 staff, as we surrounded ourselves with the words and experiences of the riders, we began to piece together the complexities that might intertwine to explain what we had felt and learned from being part of the Little 500 community. As we filmed, we learned. We learned how to ask better questions; we learned how to light a scene, we learned how to edit and produce, and review. We learned an immense amount during this past year, enough to proudly say: we’re filmmakers now.
“Sisterhood and Competition”
This film is both a documentation of women in sport, of sisterhood and competition – as well as an exploration into the unknown as first-time filmmakers. We found that as we told the story of women pushing the boundaries in the historically male-dominated space of cycling, we mirrored their story as female filmmakers in the similarly intimidating and male-dominated space of media.
We set out to do something we weren’t sure we could do, just like Zana, and whether or not we achieve it isn’t quite the point. What is it really about? The camaraderie, the joy, the lessons, the shared experiences. Perhaps most importantly, it’s about attempting things you are passionate about, things that scare you, because you might be the reason someone else is inspired to do the same.
The Little 500 community is special. Yet, this film is not just about Zana. This is not just about bikes. It’s about everything we feel when we come together to create something, push towards something, and inspire something. It’s sisterhood, it’s fierce competition, and it’s everything in between.
Works Cited: Harriet April 21st. (2017, April 17). The mini 500: The gendered history of a forgotten tradition:
Part 1. Voices from the IU Bicentennial.
https://blogs.iu.edu/bicentennialblogs/2017/04/17/the-mini-500-the-gendered-history-of-a-forgotten-traditio
n-part-1/
We’re excited to present the trailer to ZANA, the latest release from State Bicycle Company. Directed by Grace Williams and Emily Segura Maze, ZANA tells the story of Melanzana, a women’s Little 500 cycling team, and their pursuit of a historical three-peat. More than just a sports documentary, ZANA explores gender equality and female empowerment in the world of competitive cycling, and documents what it means to be a part of the powerful community of women in sport.
Streaming starts October 11th, exclusively on State Bicycle Co. and right here at The Radavist. Stay tuned!
After living out their horse girl Cheypie skort dreams for the past 3+ years, Blix has come to the conclusion that long-lasting clothing in the outdoor world doesn’t have to be the hyper technical-looking stuff we see advertised in most cycling spaces. You can have it all with the Cheypie Skort by Casa Verde. Check out the long-term review below.
Brooke’s preference for mountain bikes leans towards longer and slacker varieties. However, when the opportunity arose to test the all-new Liv Pique 29 Advanced, she couldn’t resist. There’s something to be said about a race-bred bike, no matter the terrain it’s intended for. The review of this cross-country race machine coincided with Brooke’s own training and participation in the Downieville Classic All-Mountain Championships, where light and lean Liv Pique proved to offer an edge.
And special thanks to Ryan Cleek for the stunning photoset!
124 days or less, that’s what it’ll take for Vedangi to break the Women’s around-the-world cycling record. This 25-year-old adventure lover is no stranger to big bikepacking challenges but this could be her toughest ride yet.
Vedangi’s trip will be at least 29,000km and she’ll tackle every one of these KM’s unsupported. This is not just a World Record attempt. This means more to Vedgani, it’s about inspiring others and breaking down barriers. Starting India. Vedangi’s Indian passport makes travel extremely complex. For this reason, the route will never be the most direct or the fastest.
For Vedangi, this only adds to the adventure. To read more about the record and follow her journey, roll on over to Tailfin’s blog.
We’ve been tuned into Montana-based Curious Creatures and were excited to see their summer colors and a new size range announcement in its Wild Weirdness of the West Lookbook…
After five years of service in the New Zealand Army, Robin Goomes was at a crossroads. She had to decide whether to continue her career as a heavy machinery operator or to make a massive bet on herself and pursue her dream of becoming a professional mountain biker. Robin had never competed outside of New Zealand, and it was rare for women to secure invites in a male-dominated sport. Despite these uncertainties and the ever-present risk of injury, she decided to roll the dice.
The Kokopelli trail runs 137 miles from Moab, UT to Loma, CO and the women’s time to beat is 13 hours and 7 minutes. For professional mountain bike racer Hannah Otto, failure is not a common occurrence. She’s constantly pushing the sport and finds herself toward the top of the podium during her race season on a regular basis.
Last year, Hannah had great success clocking the FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the ascent and descent of the Whole Enchilada trail. But this year, she had her sights set on a more challenging route. The Kokopelli trail is an unforgiving beast that most skilled riders would consider completely ludicrous to ride in one day.
Hannah’s hunt for the FKT drove her to extreme temperatures resulting in a frozen hydration pack, frostbitten fingers, hypothermia, and moments of failure—but that only added fuel to her internal fire.
After sleepless nights, early mornings scouting, and a failed attempt, Hannah Otto holds the fastest known time on the Kokopelli trail at 11 hours and 53 minutes.
During her review period with the Ibis Cycles Ripley, Hailey Moore attended the 2024 Rowdy Gowdy women’s mountain bike camp outside of Laramie, Wyoming, with hopes of gaining a better understanding of full-suspension fundamentals. In the age of internet tutorials and DIY culture, read on for a recap of what she learned in this directed and supportive setting.
In late December of 2023, Hannah joined Chumba’s production staff as a production assistant. She quickly grew her framebuilding skillset. This year she fabricated her Sendero Titanium MTB and Terlingua Steel gravel bikes.
First, she took on the AMR (Atlas MTN Race) in Morocco with the Sendero, coming in 3rd place over the 1300km race. Next up was Midsouth (3rd SS), the East TX Showdown 400 (1st place), DOOM 400 (2nd), and the inaugural Rule of Three 200. Later this year Hannah will be traveling to Kyrgyzstan to race the 1938km Silk Road Mountain Race!
Special thanks to Chumba ambassador Kody Gibson for editing and producing this video!
Wild Rye’s Planned Parenthood benefit tee is finally restocked after selling out after the April launch. The brand sold 350+ units of the RFRH shirt, raising just shy of $10,000 for Planned Parenthood.
In addition, Wild Rye hosted a Sun Valley, ID event with other local women-led fitness studios to offer Idaho residents a free workout with a suggested donation and raffle tickets. Another $2,900 was raised for the Center for Reproductive Rights, which initiates and funds the legal battles at the state level.
Pick up a Ride Fast, Raise Hell shirt at Wild Rye.