One thing I’ve learned about mountain bikers since starting in the sport, and especially since starting TrailTapes a year ago, is that we are a tight community. We get together at club rides and hang out after for a coffee or beer. We come together from around the country, and indeed from around the world, when a competitor and comrade is in need.

I was forwarded an email from Joe Polk, who runs the MTBCast Podcast, about a petition to reinstate missing womens age classes in the National Mountain Bike Series. Here’s the text of the message and the link to the online petition for you to sign.

My friend Jane Finsterwald, who is a cancer survivor, three time National MTB champion and the current World Champion for 45-49 X country, has started an online petition to add a 50+ expert women’s class and 10 year age groups to the Women’s sport and beginner categories for the 2007 NMBS series.  The text of the petition and the link is below.

Recently, USA Cycling, and the National Mountain Bike Series, eliminated many of the age classes for women in the National Mountain Bike Series.

• No women’s age categories for Beginner and Sport Women Cross Country races
• Expert Women will have three categories 19-29; 30-39 and 40+
• There will be no designation over 40+ in any category

If you believe, as we do, that women athletes should have equal opportunity to race against their peers ,  please join us in signing this petition to get age classes reinstated in the National Mountain Bike Series!