Brooke Goudy on the Get Stoked Girls Podcast
- Rhianna Walzer
- Nov 12
- 8 min read
A conversation about bikepacking, mountain biking, and empowering women of color.
Meet Brooke "Rowdy" Goudy — mountain biker, bikepacker, nurse, entrepreneur, community builder, and champion for representation in the outdoors.
We met Brooke at Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park, Colorado — the very place where she first learned to mountain bike. Brooke shares her journey from discovering her love for mountain biking, to tackling the Great Divide Mountain Biking Route (GDMBR), and founding Rowdy Goudy to create inclusive, supportive spaces for women and BIPOC riders. We dive into the challenges she’s faced on and off the trail, the power of representation, and how she’s working to break down barriers in mountain sports. Brooke also reflects on the lessons she’s learned from her adventures, how her experiences in the outdoors translate into leadership and advocacy, and her vision for a future where everyone can confidently show up.
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Finding Joy, Community & Confidence on the Trails
Rhi: How did your love for mountain biking begin?
Brooke: I got into mountain biking because I fell in love with a guy who loved his bike. He helped me get one, and pretty quickly I fell in love with it too — then I ditched him and kept the bike. That’s when I really started figuring out how to navigate the mountain biking community. About five years later, I’m still hooked. I love being outside, pushing my body, and feeling that mix of fear and excitement that comes with every ride.
Rhi: What about your mountain biking journey made you want to give back and share it with others?
Brooke: When you find something that brings you real joy, you just want to share it. I’d look around and wonder, “Where is everyone? This is the place to be!” That’s what drives me — to spread that excitement and invite others in. Riding gives me so much joy, through the good days and the hard ones, and I want to bring that same feeling to people who might not see themselves out there yet.
Rhi: For someone who’s new to mountain biking and maybe a little intimidated, what advice would you give? Where’s a good place to start?
Brooke: Right now there are so many great opportunities for women to try mountain biking in safe, supportive spaces where you can learn the basics and build from there. My biggest advice is to find a women’s or femme community where you feel comfortable. Go to the clinics, use the scholarships that are often available, especially for underrepresented riders, and just show up. Learning those fundamentals builds real confidence. Having people around who won’t judge you for being a beginner makes all the difference. Here in Colorado the women’s mountain biking community is so special because it is truly supportive at every level from first-timers to pros. I love that in this sport everyone shares the same trails and lifts each other up. It is a small but powerful community, especially for femme riders and riders of color, and that support and encouragement come naturally.
The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
Rhi: What about bikepacking? How did it come into your life, and what exactly is it?
Brooke: I got into bikepacking through my community. I started leading Black Girls Do Bike Denver, and Stephanie Puello, the Colorado leader, had biked across the U.S. She encouraged me to try it, and eventually I tackled the Great Divide from north to south. I resisted at first, but after my second IPA, I was in. Having a supportive community made all the difference because bikepacking is intense.
Bikepacking is basically backpacking on a bike. You pack up, ride, unpack when you stop, then pack again the next morning. Trips can be overnight, a few nights, or even months, relying on yourself and embracing every challenge along the way.
Rhi: Can you tell us more about your experience on the Great Divide?
Brooke: That ride was the full length of the U.S. along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR), which is widely considered the most recognized off-pavement cycling route in the country and the birthplace of bikepacking as a sport. The route follows the Continental Divide for about 2,700 miles, with roughly 90% off-pavement on high-quality dirt roads, gravel roads, trails, and a few short sections of unmaintained tracks. My ride took about 50 days. I hadn’t trained specifically, so I built most of my fitness on the trail. I did it early in my cycling journey and thought, why not? There are always barriers, but you figure out how to get past them. I had two partners with me, my partner at the time and Stephanie’s husband. Their support made a huge difference. We weren’t always together, which let me and my partner slow down and really take in the ride. That encouragement made it possible to take on such a massive challenge.
Rhi: Was there a low point on the trail when you thought you might not be able to finish?
Brooke: About four days into Montana, I called my parents crying. The climbing was brutal, and I felt like I couldn’t keep going. My sister listened and told me to keep going, and I did. The next low came in Colorado when I was tired and thinking about stopping. In a bike shop, I saw a magazine cover with Devin Cowan, a Black woman bikepacker. Seeing her reminded me that we are powerful and there is space for our success. I took a photo of that cover and used it for inspiration whenever I felt down. After finishing the Divide, I met Devin and later we led a bikepacking trip together in Wisconsin. That moment of seeing representation come full circle was incredibly powerful and reminded me why pushing through the lows is so worth it.
Rhi: What was it like carrying everything you needed for bikepacking and being completely self-sufficient? Did you practice beforehand, and how did that experience shape you?
Brooke: I went on a few smaller trips before, but I wish I had practiced more. At first I packed everything just in case, but I quickly realized I didn’t need it all. Bikepacking taught me to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and to trust that I can handle more than I think. The skills and confidence I gain on the trail carry over into life, and having a supportive community makes all the difference. With Rowdy Goudy I focus on building that kind of welcoming, encouraging space for women and underrepresented riders to get outside and thrive.
Rhi: Looking back on the Great Divide, did that journey give you what you were hoping for? How would you summarize the experience?
Brooke: I got something really powerful from that journey. I’m not sure I went looking for anything specific, but it changed my life in so many ways. I’m a more confident person now. I know I can do hard things and come up with a plan. I also realized that while trauma has been passed down to us, so has resilience, strength, and joy. On the trail, I was able to call on my ancestors and tap into their resilience and joy in a way I never had before.
Cultivating Inclusion in the Outdoors
Rhi: When did you start Rowdy Goudy, and what inspired you to create it?
Brooke: I founded Rowdy Goudy about three years ago. At the time, I was co-leading Black Girls Do Bike Denver and was really passionate about getting Black women on bikes. The leader of Black Girls Do Bike had done an amazing job bringing Black women together around cycling, but it was about more than riding. Half the time was spent building community, sharing experiences, and creating space to just be with people who have a similar lived experience. That’s really powerful. I wanted to take what I know and create something similar, but focused on being in the dirt, maybe a bit rowdier and a lot dirtier—that’s how Rowdy Goudy was born.
Rhi: What kind of events does Rowdy Goudy put on, and what can people expect if they’re curious to get involved?
Brooke: We’ve done bikepacking trips, gravel and mountain biking festivals, and big clinics where I can bring lessons from my mentor back to the community. This year our focus is Roam Mountain Biking Fest, and it will be the last one, so it’s going to be a big celebration. When I first started going to that festival, there were maybe six people of color. Last year there were hundreds, and we even did a BIPOC ride. The growth comes from the women who show up, even when it feels intimidating. With Rowdy Goudy, I want to keep creating supportive spaces where people can feel welcome and empowered to ride.
Rhi: In addition to representation, what are some of the other challenges that make getting into mountain biking and the outdoors difficult, and how are you working to break them down?
Brooke: Cost can be a barrier for some people, but for me one of the biggest challenges is the culture in mountain biking. There’s still gatekeeping, a lack of representation, and a lack of commitment from brands to support Black women the way they do middle-aged white men. That makes it harder for women to feel like they belong in the community.
It’s not just about money or access to bikes and clinics, it’s about the culture shift that needs to happen. Women, especially Black women, often shrink themselves because they feel like they don’t fit what others expect. But we need to encourage each other to show up as our full, authentic selves, to take up space, and to keep going. Privileged members of the community also play a role by standing up for those just starting out, saying yes, you belong here, and supporting them as they find their place in the sport.
Rhi: What’s your vision for Rowdy Goudy? Where do you hope it goes in the next few years, and what do you want to achieve?
Brooke: My dream is that one day Rowdy Goudy won’t need to exist because there will be opportunities for younger people and those with different experiences to create their own programs and spaces. The ultimate goal is to make the community so inclusive and supportive that these efforts are built into the culture. In the meantime, I hope to keep creating opportunities and encouraging others to step in and lead as I step back.
Rhi: I want to hear about some of your other work because you really do it all. You work in the school system, and do you still serve on the Denver Mayor’s advisory board?
Brooke: The Parks and Rec board I sat on is finished, but I’m still on the Mayor’s Advisory Bicycle Board. For the boards that are done, we gave our input, set the table, and now the city takes it from there.
I got into this kind of systems work because it’s about having a seat at the table. Often that table is locked to a certain group of people, and we have to offer unique perspectives and make change from within. Sitting on these boards in Denver lets me do that literally and metaphorically while sharing experiences that might not otherwise be represented.
I’ve also worked in the school system. I coached the mountain biking team at Boulder High School, which has over 100 riders, many of whom go on to state championships or professional careers. Coaching there was powerful because it gave students, mostly white males in an affluent community, a chance to see a Black woman leading in a sport they love. Representation isn’t just important for Black and Brown folks; it matters for everyone. When students see people like me in these roles, it shifts their perspective and helps them challenge assumptions about who belongs and who can lead.
Rhi: What gives you hope for the future of women and BIPOC women in mountain sports, mountain biking, and beyond?
Brooke: I don’t know exactly where it comes from. It feels like an eternal flame inside me. I can’t point to one example or say, look at all the progress we’ve made. Maybe it comes from my ancestors, maybe it’s a universal power, maybe it’s God. I can’t fully explain it, but I do know there is hope. Even if we take a step back at times, ultimately we will keep moving forward.
Get Stoked Girls
Rhi: What advice do you have to get girls stoked?
Brooke: My advice is simple. Just do it. Don’t overthink it, just start. And bring people with you, your mom, your sister, your brother. Share the joy and the journey. That is the best part, finding something you love and then giving it back to others.
