Teammates
Lindsey Richter & Meredith Brandt
Lindsey is the founder and lead inspirer and Meredith keeps everything rolling forward
Mountain biking changed our lives and we want to share it with as many people as possible.
The partnership between Lindsey Richter and Meredith Brandt was developed from their combined passion for getting more women into mountain biking. With Meredith's attention to detail and ability to handle all sorts of chaos, and Lindsey's GO FOR IT attitude and deep passion, the two are quite the dynamic duo.
Fueled by a passion to grow the presence of women in mountain biking.
“We bring women of all skill levels together to improve their mountain biking skills, while we also inspire them to see how mountain biking can enhance their lives.” From this passion has grown a team of dedicated women behind the scenes and coaches who have joined in their efforts to create fun and inspiring skills camps as part of a movement to share the joys of mountain biking with more people who identify as women in this world!
“We see firsthand how mountain biking can help women overcome fears, believe in themselves and realize what they’re capable of. It's magical to witness a woman accomplish more than she thought possible and we are determined to help more women find that confidence on and off their bikes. The fact that we get to do this in some of the coolest riding destinations around tops it off!”
— Lindsey Richter
Lindsey Richter
Director of Inspiration
Since 2010, the founder of Ladies AllRide has been on a mission: “Change women's lives with two wheels and some dirt.” Of all her wild life experiences (like being a Reality TV star on the CBS show: Survivor) it was mountain biking that taught Lindsey life is about CREATING yourself, not finding yourself. Now as a world-renowned leader in the women's mountain bike movement, Lindsey spreads her passion for mountain biking across the globe through innovative and inspirational skills camps. Lindsey knows firsthand how mountain biking can change lives and she is a true ambassador for the sport! Her student, Marilyn sums her up best: "Not only is she experienced and knowledgeable, she is able to convey that knowledge in a way that makes you understand why you're doing what you're doing. Lindsey is someone who truly enjoys teaching and her energy and enthusiasm for the sport is infectious. The fact that she shreds on a bike, is tireless, funny and fun is just a bonus."
Her storyAfter years of mental health struggles, then losing sight of her fitness in college, Lindsey felt lost and didn’t know how to get a handle on her mental health or get her fitness back. The gym did not inspire her so she began racing Cross-Country mountain bikes in 1996 and was hooked. She has since raced Downhill, Super-D and Enduro. But her story goes way beyond racing...
THE ALLRIDE TOUR 2003-2014After already dealing with depression much of her life, Reality TV thrust Lindsey into the spotlight, where public ridicule contributed to a massive dip in her self-esteem and confidence. But things changed when she met and married pro downhill mountain bike racer Kirt Voreis and learned how mountain biking can become a lifestyle. For over a decade, she traveled North America alongside her (now ex) husband promoting mountain biking as brand ambassadors, racers and skills instructors. Over the years they ran the Fox Racing AllRide Tour, The Santa Cruz Syndicate AllRide Tour and The Specialized AllRide Tour together. They also ran the AllRide Academy kids race and freeride program where they sponsored and mentored kids to give them life experiences and opportunities on the road and in the bike industry. In 2010 she became a certified mountain bike skills coach through PMBIA and ICP and her life took another turn for the better. She has since continued her coaching education through PMBIA.
Fun FactLindsey “barely survived” the TV show Survivor: Africa in 2001. She’s happy to tell stories to those curious about her experiences on and after the show. She walked red carpets, was in an Eminem music video, appeared on Hollywood Squares, David Letterman, Regis and Kelly and The Howard Stern Show, to name a few. However, Survivor contributed to a long bout of low self-esteem. Mountain biking got her through, and she wants to pay it forward.
LINDSEY DEVELOPED LADIES ALLRIDE IN 2010 As a "movement"During her travels with Kirt, Lindsey noticed a distinct void in women’s participation in mountain biking. She knew from experience how intimidating it can be to go beyond your comfort zone and feel left behind. In 2010 she became determined to find ways to be a voice of encouragement to invite more women into the sport. Her first attempt was through her spoof infomercial video BIG BALLS. HA! Then she began realizing through her own experiences on the bike that mountain biking is a lot like life with ups and downs, finding balance, overcoming challenges and so much more. Once she learned that accomplishments on the bike related to life and self-esteem, this inspired her to educate more women about the beauty of the sport, which led to the Ladies AllRide movement. She is one of the first to publicly promote the EMOTIONAL side of mountain biking as a way to help women feel less intimidated by the sport. She has creatively applied that knowledge to her teaching and has a unique way of breaking down skills in an easy to understand, positive and entertaining way. She believes everyone should take a lesson no matter how many years they've been riding. Lindsey says, “I teach people how to give their bikes life and help them develop a deeper relationship with the mountain bike lifestyle. I know firsthand how mountain biking can enrich women's lives and bring so much joy and happiness into their worlds! I want more women to know this lifestyle exists for them!!”
Meredith Brandt
Chief of Everything Officer
Meredith is a PMBIA certified mountain bike instructor who started Grit Clinics in Bend, Oregon in 2011. Her vision was to provide women a way to learn mountain biking skills in a fun, structured and supportive environment. She wanted to eliminate the struggles she faced when she was learning to ride “by trial and error” and give women a leg up on a tricky sport. She has over a decade of mountain biking and event planning experience and is excited about the new direction Grit Clinics is taking. With some of the biggest names in coaching on her roster, Meredith has been swamped setting up custom mountain bike lessons and clinics for men, women and kids all over the world through Grit Clinics.
As the Director of Operations for the Ladies AllRide series, Meredith creates amazing weekend experiences on bikes for both participants and coaches alike. Not only is she an awesome coach (the wheelie specialist), she is also a joy to work with and the events are well-oiled machines. Meredith is the complete package.