Bonnie has always loved being outdoors and being active. She got turned on to a Stumpjumper in 1983 to ride dirt in Santa Fe. Back then there were no designated mountain bike trails. On her move to Taos in 1990, Mark Gates who started Gearing Up helped her upgrade her ride, while her friend, Debra Ledford was pro-racing and taught her all the best skills. Over the years her riding and her bikes have continued to get better.
Bonnie says there’s a myth that old people don’t ride mountain bikes or singletrack. “Taos is full of old people and a lot of us are riding We TMBA people are working hard to provide safe, challenging, and well-maintained trails so we can keep riding, keep healthy and keep moving”. As an older rider, Bonnie admits that she’s taken her game down a few notches, but she still rides year-round with her Specialized Fat-Boy on snow and ice; come spring, summer, and fall she’s hitting the dirt. Grunting uphill, knowing there’s a downhill. If you pass her riding, she’s the one who looks like that smile emoji cause that’s what mountain biking does for her.