Who am I you may ask? well let me tell you…

Ahh yes the dreaded about me page where we all bite our nails trying to decide what to write and what we actually want people to know about us. So I’ll try to keep this as short and simple as possible.

Hello, My name is Emma Schwab, an aspiring pro cyclist trying to start a graphic design business and a blog about cycling! But oddly enough cycling wasn’t always something I loved, when I was younger I almost despised the sport.

Northern Michigan trails aren’t the most technical, usually some twisty single tracks with tight trees, lots of sand, and an occasional root or rock. But even on trails as simple as that, when I was a kid I hated single tracks. They scared me, I was always hugging a tree, and I had no idea how my older sister actually enjoyed mountain biking. 

So what changed?

To be quite honest I really don’t know, one minute I was scared and wiping out in the simplest sandy spots, and the next I was excited and training for some very technical Mountain Bike National Races. Well maybe I have a little bit of an idea, I grew a passion for it. Even though I struggled with the technical trails, once I realized how much I loved it and how rewarding cycling was nothing could stop me. I wanted to learn anything and everything I could to get faster and better on my bike. 

This Passion for cycling led me a long way the first few years, Three years of Mountain Bike Nationals and then straight to an amazing collegiate cycling team at Brevard College, North Carolina. Let’s just say my skills drastically improved after a semester riding the most AMAZING trails in the Pisgah and Dupont National Forest. I miss those trails so much now that I’m back in Michigan and often try to look for anything technical I can ride locally.

The past few years here have felt a little different with my first collegiate road season being canceled and then trying to find any races in 2020. This year (2021) has definitely been more normal with races popping up over the season. But I will admit it’s difficult finding the same motivation when you’re unsure if a race will actually happen or not. It was strange this spring doing my first race in over a year, almost as if it felt foreign to prepare the night before and warm up before the start, yet at the same time it felt like I had part of the life I loved back.

With all that said you might be wondering why I decided to start a blog, so let me tell you. I’ve always enjoyed reading cyclists blogs. Someone’s personal experience can be very helpful in your progression in such a sport. I thought it would be great to write about my experiences as I continue my adventure in cycling. But not just my experiences, I want to cover many young ladies cycling experiences in the very sport I love.

And So The Adventure Begins