Meet Bike n Bean Female MTB Sponsored Riders- Kylie & Rachael

Kylie & Rachael initially applied for the Bike n Bean Female Cycling Ambassador but were not succesful. However we were very impressed with their team and individual race results over the last few years that we wanted to help the young ladies achieve at a higher level.

Kylie writes:
I love my hard-tail cross-country mountain bike, but after a couple of years of participating in cross-country enduros, I found myself with a severe case of 'dually' envy.

Enter Paul and Nicola from Bike'n'Bean, who've set me up with a Specialized Era Comp (Carbon!). It weighs a tiny 11.3 kilos, the geometry and set-up are female-specific and best of all it's black - stealth warrior black! I couldn't wait to try it out.

Conveniently, I was heading to Canberra for a weekend of riding just after the bike arrived, so its first outing was to Bruce Ridge. It took me a little while to get used to the rear suspension, the 2 x 10 gears and the wider handlebars, but by the time we arrived at Mt Stromlo for the afternoon, I couldn't stop smiling. The bike is in its element on rocky climbs and descents, and its so easy to ride that I felt a little bit like I was cheating! On Sunday we headed out to East Kowen Forest, where the fun continued. After two days and almost 60km on the bike, everything was still running silently and smoothly, and I grinned all the way back to Melbourne.


Rachael writes:
I walked into Bike n Bean as a mountain biker but somehow managed to walk out with a shiny new Specialized Amira roadbike. Hmmm...still not sure how that happened! Anyway I was keen to take it for a spin as soon as I got home.

The initial pedal strokes felt a little bit wobbly - trying to get used to the new forward position and super skinny tyres - but once I got going it felt great. The carbon frame made for a smooth ride and I felt like I was flying along the boulevard.

Last weekend I headed to Forrest and rode my Amira to Colac. Apart from the headwinds it was a lovely ride. We had lunch at a nice cafe before returning to Forrest via quiet country roads. I think this is when I finally began to start understanding the attraction of road cycling. I was really quite enjoying it. Although, having said that, my Specialized Safire is still my #1 bike - nothing beats the adrenalin rush of steep descents, weaving through trees and negotiating obstacles at high speed!