School of rock x hope women

For so many women—including me—falling in love with gravel and mountain biking has been a journey paved with tears, misadventures, and a fair amount of swearing. And let’s be real, many of us got there via the long-suffering patience of a friend or romantic partner who meant well but had zero clue what it’s like to learn this stuff as an adult. No amount of goodwill can make up for the fact that they simply didn’t get how bumpy (literally and figuratively) my ride was. And I wasn’t alone—so many friends had the same stories. Lying in a gorse bush on Exmoor. Borrowing a ‘nice little route’ and rolling home six hours late after an extended hike-a-bike. A baptism of fire, rocks... or maybe just mud.

At the time, I was working in the bike industry, partnering with brands and events that talked a big game about inclusivity. Gravel was the shiny new thing—mixing lycra with baggy technicolor shirts and handlebar bags. Yet, every event had the same faces. The same people. The same barriers to entry. We can talk about making cycling more inclusive all we want, but without real pathways to get into it, nothing changes.

Enter School of Rocks.

It started as a community project in Bristol to help women break into off-road and adventure cycling—no grumpy boyfriends required. And it turns out, when you create the right space, word spreads. Now we’ve got Schools popping up all over the UK, Europe, the USA, and Canada.

So, what actually is the School of Rocks?

It’s three things:

1. A Community

At its heart, School of Rocks is a crew of women and underrepresented folks learning, riding, and figuring it out together. Some of us are badass cyclocross and MTB racers (we call them our ROCKstars), generously sharing their knowledge. Some of us are just here for the snacks and the laughs. For some, it’s about belonging—connecting with their local area and people in a way they never have before. For others, it’s about confidence—learning to trust their bodies, their instincts, maybe for the first time.

2. A Platform

Learning to ride off-road is complicated. It’s a mix of fitness, technique, body positioning, trail reading, route planning, and—let’s not forget—weather wrangling. And because the learning curve can be steep, we break it down. Our six-week ‘curriculum’ introduces skills gradually, so people get the wins they need to keep going instead of getting overwhelmed.

3. A Mindset

We stand for owning that beginner energy. You never ‘arrive’ as an off-road rider. Even the pros practice their skills. At School of Rocks, we celebrate ‘Graduation’ not because you’re suddenly done, but because you’re ready to take up space—to join rides, races, and events without waiting to feel ‘good enough.’ Newsflash: No one ever feels ready. So you might as well get stuck in now.

Why are we so excited to partner with HOPE WMN?

The HOPE Women’s Enduro was creating pathways into MTB way before it was trendy. We’re building a pathway at the other end of the spectrum, and we can’t wait to see what happens when we bring these two worlds together. Because let’s face it: women won’t magically appear in cycling just because we wish they would. We need to build the bridges, remove the gatekeeping, and make knowledge accessible.

The Challenges

Diversifying the outdoors is hard.

A big part of that is how risk is traditionally managed—historically, the outdoors has been about a single, experienced leader taking charge, making decisions for the group. It’s been very… ‘army general leading troops into battle’ energy. And that kind of leadership doesn’t always create space for newcomers to step in.

But let’s put it into perspective. Going for a gravel ride from a UK city? Statistically safer than walking home after a late shift. Yet, a lot of women hesitate to take that first step. At School of Rocks, we believe that the best leaders aren’t necessarily the fearless ones—they’re the relatable ones. The woman who’s still a nervous descender but does it anyway? That’s inspiring.

So we’re flipping the script on who gets to lead. We help people step up by connecting them with like-minded riders, giving them confidence (sometimes through executive coaching!), and handing them the School of Rocks brand and toolkit—so they have permission to just go for it.

Want to Get Involved?

We’re currently on the lookout for new ROCKstars—the awesome volunteers who lead our local schools. If that sounds like you, come ride with us.