Elaine Bothe

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Coach Elaine is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and ready for in-person coaching and lessons with appropriate precautions.

Bring on the gnar! Associate Coach Elaine Bothe of Portland, Oregon loves dirt, rocks, mud, corners, steeps, drops, air time and going fast — uphill and especially down. As a serious racer and passionate coach in mountain biking and cyclocross, her enthusiasm and skills-teaching experience builds confidence in her clients, helping them establish and meet goals for their skills, fitness or racing.

Elaine mentors at regional races as well as coaches a popular MTB skills clinic with a Portland XC short track series. She’s helped produce strong Cat 1 and 2 racers of all ages who have fun and win races. Past mentor-ees include National Championship medalists in MTB XC and Single Speed XC, regional endurance MTB XC, Enduro and DH winners, and OBRA State Champions, as well as people who have more fun on their regular rides because they can train efficiently, choose lines, descend, corner, brake and climb faster and with confidence.

Elaine bolsters her natural teaching instincts with an International Mountain Bike Instructor Level 2 Certification as well as certification in Simon Lawton’s FLUIDRIDE Instructor Training (FIT) Level 2. She is also a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. Building fitness and strength alongside technical confidence, step by step, is Elaine’s approach for both racers and people who just want to enjoy the ride. She instills solid skills basics such as balance, body position and speed control as second nature in her clients. Aspects such as logs, muddy traverses, rock gardens, drops, cyclocross barriers, punchy hills, jumps, gaps, high speed corners, berms and tight switchbacks become fun playgrounds rather than scary obstacles.

Elaine’s experience working full time alongside her own training and racing gives her insight into helping others navigate their own busy lives and trying to make time for exercise. Her attention to detail and race experience translates to helping her clients make informed decisions about race preparations and strategy. And as a reviewer of cyclocross and mountain bicycles and gear, Elaine’s mechanical and technical knowledge helps educate her clients about equipment decisions and set up.

Elaine has been riding for decades, highlighting her national racing career with gold and silver medals in her age group during the 2015 USAC MTB National Enduro and Downhill championships, a top 10 age group finish at the 2015 USAC Cyclocross National Championships, an age-group medal in the 2011 USAC National MTB Cross Country Championships, a first place podium in the 2014 Sea Otter Classic open 3 / 4 cyclocross and several top-10 Category 1 age-group finishes at Sea Otter XC and Enduro, and the USAC National Super D Championships. She races competitively in DH and podiums regularly in regional Expert Open category Enduro.

Additional regional and national level race efforts resulted in multiple podiums as a Pro/Cat1 Portland MTB XC Short Track Series and two season overall podiums, a 2nd place finish as a Semi-Pro in the 2016 Sugar Showdown slopestyle competition, and Oregon State Championship open Category 1 wins and podiums in XC and Short Track. Road and cyclocross accomplishments include multiple masters women race wins and podiums. Endurance activities include the Seattle to Portland Ride in one day and the Test of Endurance 50 MTB XC race as well as gruelingly fun multi-day Enduro races such as the 2016 Trans Cascadia.

Elaine also enjoys hiking, cross country skiing and motorsports. She gardens and cooks, always finding new and tasty ways of fueling her race-driven appetite. Elaine also enjoys art, architecture and writing. She is a regular contributor of several online cycling websites including RyanLeech.com and is currently ghost writing books and articles for magazines and newspapers on interior design.

Events: Cyclocross, Downhill MTB, Endurance Mountain Biking, Enduro MTB, Gravel Grinders, Learn to Ride, Mountain Bike Racing

Services: Clinics/Camps, Consultation, Learn to Ride, Skills Training, Training Programs

Specialties: Beginning Racing, Beginning Riding, Dirt Skills, General Fitness, Master Athletes, Return from Illness, Return from Injury, Return from Overtraining, Road Skills, Working Athletes

"I went out and practiced in the late afternoon after our lesson. I was able to successfully ride from my house to the nearby elementary school and practice turning and everything else on the large playground area behind the school, and by turning off and then back on to the sidewalk by the playground. And then I rode home!!! Light years of improvement from one lesson!! I can’t thank you enough." ~ Elizabeth, age 70

"Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to train Mason. He was really impressed with the experience. It was an eye opener to him to see how complex urban biking is….and how there’s a hundred things to be processing at once. If he remembers one thing you taught him that helps keep him safe it’s worth it!" ~Chris

“Just wanted to say big thanks for a fantastic service. Elaine did a great job. My son is so happy now he can finally ride a bike, after 2 lessons, something I failed to teach him for years! We will for sure come back to you if we need more help and will not hesitate to recommend your service. Can’t thank you enough.” ~ Dr H. Hadi

"That was so much fun! You are such a gifted coach - I love your pace and your focus on the details - helps me feel confident as we progress. Thank you!" Eric C.

"I wanted to reach out and say thank you for everything! I learned so much during your cross clinic. Your method of teaching is very methodical and beginner appropriate. I was also impressed by your ability to adapt to the different rider experience levels that showed up every time!"
Amy E.

"Thank you again for the fantastic clinic over the last two weekends. I set PRs for nearly every downhill section I ran after class (Rock Drop -> Quid Pro Flow -> 338 -> Two Turntables -> Hide & Seek). I cleared "wrist sprain drop" no problem up on QPF -- all about the fore/aft balance. After I got to the bottom, I realized I didn't stick my foot out once "just in case". A huge thank you for leveling up my skills. You are a fantastic teacher -- tell you, show you, coach you."
~ J. Boelter

“Your [cyclocross] clinic must have worked some crazy magic... and your suggestion to keep road racing if I was targeting early cross races was spot on. My first four cross races of the season have been first places for me. I am thrilled that cross seems to be "sticking." I'm feeling very comfortable in turns, powering through sections I would have been hesitant about last year. ... An upgrade is imminent..." K. Mathers

"Thanks again! I had a great time and feel 1000000000000 x more confident in my turning. It can only get better from here. I’ll be in touch about future coaching." ~ Roger

"Thank you so much for taking the effort to work with all of us. You were so wonderful! The skills were fantastic and excellent building blocks. You might be one of THE most patient persons I have ever met:) I really appreciated that you broke everything down into simple achievable steps, and even though you are a bad-ass rider, never made us feel that we were less-than for being scared or newbies to the sport. Very encouraging. Cheers!" —Leah

"Working out at this level really does something to your whole life. It seems to make me so much more productive and sharp at work, even though it takes time to work out, I am more focused and alert, and in a better mental space, It's hard to explain to someone that is not doing it! All of my priorities have changed, and I am so focused on keeping this machine in top working order. I'm looking and feeling better at age 54 than I have in my entire life. People much younger than I (including my own daughter age 30) tell me any women would be envious of my physical condition/appearance. ...And I just wanted to ride a century in less than 8 hours (my original goal when I started with Wenzel!) Once in a while I may be tired, but then I will listen to my body, take a rest, and come back STRONGER! Thanks Elaine! You're awesome, and your support means so much!!!" ~ Lisa Walker

"Elaine has a natural teaching ability that makes learning a positive experience. She's very methodical in her thinking even when it pertains to a activity that is physically demanding. I find that when she's explaining something, whether it be how to corner on gravel downhill or finding the best line to follow, that something that seemed obscure to me now seems elementary. She will break things down into steps rather than try to explain everything at once and overwhelm me. ... Elaine is also one of those people who makes you feel comfortable asking any kind of question no matter how simple the answer may seem to someone with more experience. To me, that's what makes the learning process enjoyable. A person can have a lot of knowledge to share but if they don't make you feel comfortable enough to ask the "simple" questions then what's the point." ~Trish

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Are you Enduro curious? Or want to know more about cross country, short track, downhill or freeride? Or a triathlete needing MTB skills for your adventure races? Get a jump on your mountain bike season! Whether you’re interested in riding or racing at any level, solid skills build a strong foundation for fun and safety. Associate Coach Elaine Bothe’s approach to teaching corners, technical skills, drops, pumping and jumping, as well as basics such as visual skills, balance, body position and speed control is step by step, guaranteed to help you improve your confidence and speed regardless of your riding goals.

For any level rider, especially beginners to intermediates, Elaine’s emphasis on safety and basic trail skills will give you tools to more confidently enjoy riding. Elaine also teaches progressive skills such as how to pace yourself, listening to your body and your mind to find your limits, reading the terrain, obstacle decision-making, and bail-out techniques.

For advanced riders wanting to get even faster, Elaine will help you fine tune your corners, braking techniques, advanced visual skills, negotiating technical terrain, drops, jumps, pumping, race strategy and more.

• Elaine is an IMBA certified Level 2 Instructor and has studied extensively with Simon Lawton, completing his Level 2 FLUIDRIDE Instructor Training (FIT) program. She is also a guest instructor at The Lumberyard Bike Park in Portland, Oregon.
• Team Camps
• Small Groups
• Individual Lessons
• Guided Rides
• Advanced Terrain
• Beginner Skills and Trail Strategies
• Race Preparation, Training & Strategy
• Womens’ Camps
• Training programs

Events:

• Enduro
• Downhill
• Cross Country
• Short Track
• Cyclocross
• Freeride
• Road

Skills:

• Skills and race strategy for MTB, all disciplines, and cyclocross
• Beginning to advanced bike handling for road and cyclocross
• Race strategy for MTB and cyclocross
• Body position and braking
• Visual skills
• Corners, including flowy & fast to tight switchbacks
• Technical Terrain
• Descending
• Climbing
• Pumping, Jumping and Drops
• Cyclocross mounts and dismounts
• Riding in sand, mud, off cambers, and more
• Race starts, any event

“Yesterday I raced in my first MTB event, Bear Sprint XC. A couple of different coaches advised me not to do this one because it is pretty technical for a beginning mountain biker. I did it anyway, figuring it would be good experience and there would be no pressure since I had a few perfect excuses ready for doing poorly. I ended up coming in first overall in cat 3 by almost 2 minutes. There was only one rock drop that I had to walk. It was technical but I felt much faster and more confident after taking the Wenzel clinic with Elaine. Thanks!” – Ben

“Thanks Elaine! It was such a great clinic. All the ladies were commenting on how you are such a great demonstrator and explainer 🙂 I definitely think there may be an interest in doing a follow up clinic – I was really bummed that I couldn’t join you for the remainder of the clinic as it was really the stuff that I need a lot of help on!” – K.

“Thank you so much, again, for running such a great clinic. I left on a high, great last lesson on that corner. Can’t wait to get back out and practice! Ride safely out there, hope to see you again soon. Cheers” ~ Krista