Little Bellas is introducing six (!) new chapters for 2022! More than any other year, these chapters help redefine "mountain biking" in order to get more girls on bikes, read on!

When opportunity knocks, you answer, right? That only works when there’s opportunity to do the knocking. So hello there Chequamegon area, Wisconsin, Little Bellas is coming knocking this May! Tireless efforts by local mountain bikers have made the Chequamegon area a go-to destination for mountain bikers nationwide, now those same mountain bikers have a selfless reason for bringing Little Bellas to northern Wisconsin.

Why Chequamegon?

“We have a strong group of women riders up here and being able to mentor girls on bikes gets all of us excited,” said Amanda Mann, who will lead the Chequamegon Little Bellas. “Most of us started riding in our twenties and thirties, we didn’t have an opportunity like Little Bellas when we were younger.”

Little Bellas mentors are the strength of the program. They are volunteers who show up each week to ride with the girls and work on a mountain bike skills progression through different activities, rides, and adventures. The goal is to get girls outside, out on trails, and out with other girls to reinforce common bonds and build confidence, all while progressively building mountain bike skills. Amanda and her team of mentors will take advantage of two area trails systems to give the girls healthy challenges in a friendly, fun environment. The Chequamegon area program – like all Little Bellas’ programs – is for riding and promoting a love for mountain biking and is not focused on competition.

“The Chequemagon area is unique, we have about 135 miles of single track,” Amanda said. “The trails are mostly on national forest and county land; they are diverse and there’s something for everyone from the beginner to the expert. They were built and are maintained by Chequemagon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) as well as many dedicated volunteers.”

Amanda has been involved in trail advocacy and development for more than 17 years and puts as much effort into building the community as she does into building trails. She participates in many women’s events, such as group rides and ride clinics to get more women on bikes, and she assists with youth activities related to cycling. She’s quick to respond when opportunity knocks and she’s equally at home with creating opportunity when she sees it.

Registration for the Little Bellas Chequamegon Area chapter opens on Feb. 1, 2022. Learn more about the program and how to register here.