Limitlass 2024 Festival

Cait Checks Out This Women’s MTB Fest

Limitlass is a Scottish Mountain Bike Festival that’s all about female empowerment, with the aim of getting more women out on their bikes! From complete beginners to experienced riders, Limitlass is there for every lady to connect; empower; teach one another new skills, and push each other beyond their comfort zones. I was lucky enough to be invited along to experience the festival this year, and had an incredible time!

Friday

Friday kicked off the weekend with a warm welcome, inviting everyone to get set up for a few fun-filled days ahead. The evening featured an epic lineup of inspirational films that showcased women conquering the trails on their mountain bikes. After the films we gathered around the campfire to share stories and enjoy locally made pizza. New friendships began to form, setting the tone for an unforgettable weekend.

Saturday

Saturday kicked off with some festival-goers taking a refreshing wild swim, followed by some upbeat warm up sessions to get everyone energized and ready to hit the trails. There were coaching sessions that morning, which were accompanied by seventeen coaches. Thanks to so many coaches being present, there was something for everyone of all levels.

I joined an advanced riding coaching session led by a coach named Polly, where we tackled Dunkeld’s finest downhill trails. The coaching session was truly inspiring, bringing everyone together to challenge their limits and step out of their comfort zones. For me, it helped correct my knock knees. We all had an amazing time, learning to choose the right trail line, riding over the chunk on the trail, keeping our eyes up, and really maneuvering our bikes with confidence.

I noticed everyone in the group growing their confidence, trying lines they usually wouldn’t have attempted before. A big thanks has to go out to Polly for encouraging and pushing us beyond our limits!

Alongside the coaching sessions, a variety of workshops offered women hands-on experiences and practical knowledge on everything from suspension set up and gear indexing to tech talks, bunny hopping, and creative activities.

I attended Vittoria Tyre’s workshop led by Jake, where he guided us through the proper setup of our rims for tubeless tyres. He demonstrated how to tape the rims correctly; mount the tyre and seat it on the bead, while showcasing Vittoria’s cool sealant tool. Jake then got us hands on, encouraging us to set up our own tubeless tyres on a mock rim. He also showed us how to do trailside repairs, and highlighted the difference between the thickness of the walls of each Vittoria tyre and their benefits. It was a fun team-building experience, and I picked up some useful tips that will definitely come handy on the trail.

Next, I joined Madison clothing’s workshop with Steph, where she explored their latest clothing line and taught us about the fit of their products. We also had a blast and a wholesome time making friendship bracelets together.

The final workshop that I attended was with Shimano, where we were taught essential bike maintenance tips, starting with the M-formation check. I learned how to strip down my derailleur, service my clutch, adjust the b screw and keep my gears running smoothly.

We were then given the choice to either join a yoga session or go wild swimming with Pip Delamere-wright, a wild swimming coach and Britain’s first ever female commando. She shared some insightful health tips before we all took the plunge into Dunkeld’s The Hermitage. Afterwards we were invited to warm up in an on site sauna. It was bliss to get into the heat after a dip in some cool Scottish water.

The evening featured a panel discussion centered around resilience, featuring insights from Julia Maclean, the UCI World Series’ Pioneering female suspension technician; Kerry MacPhee, a champion XC athlete and 2024 HT550 winner; Pip Delamere-Wright, a wild swimming coach and Britain’s first ever female commando; and Claire Bennet, who serves as Sales and Events Manager at Hope Technology and leads Hope WMN.

Finally, the evening entertainment featured Atomic, the female-led band from Dundee who had us all dancing until the early hours. What a way to finish off the day!

Sunday

On the Sunday morning, riders set out on their bikes to explore Dunkeld’s trails, with guided rides that catered to everyone. There were options to go for a spin on everything from scenic, easygoing paths, to tough gnarly downhill tracks. No matter their skill level, everyone found something that suited them.

Even in the heat, we all encouraged each other to keep going and to ride features we thought we never could have done previously. The previous day’s coaching really came in handy here! I joined on the black graded trails, and rode with some super inspiring and seriously skilled women. I felt like I was able to tackle some of my own insecurities whilst on the trails, and at the end we all couldn’t stop talking about how much fun it was.

Some then went to cool off on another guided wild swim, whilst others chilled out in the sun, ate some good food, played bike games or got involved with some of the activities they didn’t get to see before.

I went to check out Endura’s swap shop; where you can trade some of your unused kit for someone else’s kit. It was awesome to have a wander around the event to check out stalls for Shred like a girl, Highland Bikes and the Hope Tech shop. Meg at Crankbrothers was on hand with a cleat shoe workshop, helping to educate on the correct setup to suit different rider preferences.

To end the festival, there was a raffle with some awesome prizes, and the all-important group photo to finish.

The She-Wolf’s Last Word

Limitlass Women’s festival was a weekend to remember, full of good times throughout. It’d absolutely be worth attending for anyone looking to meet new friends, get inspired by other riders and just have a good time. My riding progressed and my confidence and knowledge were elevated, and I think everyone who attended will have taken away something positive and useful for the next time they hit the trails.

Thank you to the Limitlass crew for having me, I’m already looking forward to next year!