What we’re about
Have you ever been the slowest person in the group ride? Or maybe you've been left behind? Wheezy Riders is for you! Maybe you're asthmatic, have a disability, are injured or recovering, are out of shape, you're not into intense rides, or maybe you're new to mountain biking Bend and are looking for an easy introduction to the local trails. No matter your reason, Wheezy Riders is THE mountain biking group for people who love spending time on two wheels and are looking for a group they can ride with... and not die!
We stop at hilltops to catch our breath and hydrate. We walk up hills or around obstacles because we don't have anything to prove. We have sweeps so no one gets left behind. We have fun and encourage each other! We welcome all ages, shapes, and identities. We will cancel or reschedule rides if smoke AQI is 100 or above.
This group is active May to October/November. We have weekday evening rides and weekend rides. Anyone is welcome to host a ride– just message Emily and we'll put it on the calendar! Expect rides at Phil's Trail, Horse Butte, Peterson Ridge, Maston, and local canal trails.
This group is free to join but tips are appreciated to help with costs for Meetup.com and stickers ($200/yr). If you want to tip, you can donate via Pledge, or to the founder's venmo: @emilyamills - Please put Wheezy Riders as the memo!
From the founder, Emily Mills: I moved to Bend in summer 2022 and was eager to get back into mountain biking after a years-long break... but I quickly realized my exercise-induced asthma put me not only in the slow groups, but the very back of the slow groups. I even got left behind on a ride! I REALLY wanted to participate and make MTB friends, but it was very apparent that I couldn't keep up with the normies even though groups advertised "all skill levels welcome." I just knew there had to be other people who felt the same way as I did, so I founded Wheezy Riders to be a slower-paced group that took breaks and made sure no one would be left behind.
