We put women first in everything we do, every frame we build, every component we spec and every piece of gear we design. Liv is the cycling brand dedicated to women.  

Words and pictures by Melanie Chambers - Liv Ambassador

Winnipeg

Driving into downtown Winnipeg is a labyrinth of one way streets and construction detours – I swear we passed the same building three times before reaching our final destination. Pulling into Sergeant Taco Shop, the line-up goes outside the door and around the corner—must be good. We scoffed down pre-ride tacos (Hmm, refried beans... maybe not the best cuisine choice before riding?) and made our way to the ‘mountain.’

I emailed Emily from the Bikes and Beyond shop weeks ago. A fellow Liv ambassador, she created a beautiful poster for my arrival and rounded up some ladies of all levels. In the parking lot, Emily gravitated toward my pup Farley immediately; rolling around on the pavement with him, the two of them play like best friends. Emily is a gem--no wonder she can round up such a diverse group of riders. She exudes warmth.

mountain biker taking picture

"Emily is a gem--no wonder she can round up such a diverse group of riders. She exudes warmth."

The Bison Butte trails were created for the 2017 Canada Summer Games. Located on the Fort Whyte Alive Conservation area, the mountain, all 256 meters of it, and surrounding jumps, berms and trails, were man made.

Wow, that’s dedication—mountains won’t come to us, so we’re going to make a mountain! It’s actually the highest point in Winnipeg, and I can seek the peak from the parking lot. Without a tree or bush on top, it reminds me of the tabletop mountain in the movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

After I manage to untangle Emily from Farley, who is equally in love with her, we ride off, past the big box stores and onto the dusty trail heading for that big peak in the sky. The climb takes minutes to reach—remember, it’s under 300 meters, but it’s punchy. Peering down the mountain, Emily explains the lines on The Horn, a series of drops from smooth rolls, to a big rock drop off. I do the medium drop—the technical lines are surprisingly, well, technical. Never underestimate a trail.

skills park

"The climb takes minutes to reach—remember, it’s under 300 meters, but it’s punchy."

From there, we twist through forest that spews us out onto the base of the hill, er, mountain, but on the other side. This time it is punchy climbs up. Slabs of concrete have been strategically placed and it’s hard to find a line that is rideable. One of the ladies charges up, her chest over her handlebars, butt out of the saddle and clears it. Impressive. I complete about a third of the climb and bounce off. Don’t think you’re all that, Toronto girl!

Back down the mountain, the dry air is like a desert. Winnipeg hadn’t directly been hit by the wildfires, but you can smell the fire in the air. Rain hasn’t come for weeks and everyone is on tender hooks wondering what will happen.

Riding back to the parking lot, the entire mountain feels surreal--like one of those palm tree-islands in Dubai.

Back in the parking lot, Farley’s body twists and gyrates when he sees Emily again. Reunited! Any person that loves my dog so much is a-okay by me. After a brief stop at Dairy Queen and a shower, a handful of us head to the Trans Canada Brewing Company.

Mountain biker riding down rocks

"Slabs of concrete have been strategically placed and it’s hard to find a line that is rideable."

Over a mushroom pizza, and a flight of beers (blueberry is shockingly good), we skip the small talk and get down to some insightful and real talk—the kind of discussion that sticks with you the next day. One of the ladies is newly single, another is navigating children. Emily reveals her bike packing plans and wanderlust, sounds like a younger version of myself. As she talks, you can hear her enthusiasm for the future, for what she wants to do, and for where she wants to go. She speaks fast and furious about doing it all. On her Instagram, her tagline is the “prairie girl who dreams of mountains.”

A dog, a van and a bike—she already has so much figured out.

Ladies sitting and having a beer