Meet OAO First-Timer, Molly Fox!
Over And Out is an event for female riders of all levels, so while we’re always stoked to mark out some of the sickest trails for experienced riders, we will never forget what it’s like to be new to the sport or new to the OAO experience.
Every year there are girls who reach out to us directly for guidance on getting into riding off-road, and it’s just the coolest to see them go through that journey: getting prepared, braving uncertainty, showing up and launching into a new life of fun, friends and adventure.
This year, we were lucky to meet Molly Fox. She reached out to us early in the year and hung in through all the ups and downs of 2020 just to come ride dirt bikes at OAO. And, while we were there to help her figure out some details, she did it all SOLO!
Meet the newest member of our #FastFriends series, Molly Fox.
Molly Fox, 29 Hershey, PA
HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN RIDING DIRT BIKES?
I’ve been drawn to all kinds of bikes for as long as I can remember. A guy I used to hang out with in high school grew up racing, and I would always ask questions about it and we bonded over that. He got a new dirt bike once and I told him if he let me take it for a spin, I’d buy him a case of beer. 1 case of beer later I was ripping around his yard and absolutely hooked, but sadly I only got to ride one more time after that.
Since then I’ve spent a ton of time ogling at bikes for sale, watching videos on youtube, and following a ton of riding-inspired pages on Instagram. I just always allowed a lot of boring, lame excuses to stand in the way: “I don’t have anybody to ride with,” or, my favorite, “I’m too accident-prone.” All of that started to get really old, and I started asking myself, “If not now, when?”
I had a dream earlier this year that kind of solidified all of this. In the dream I had finally gotten a bike and my grandpa, who passed away about a year ago, was riding on the back, telling me to “Go faster!” I certainly wasn’t looking for a sign, but damn, that sure felt like one!
WHAT OPTIONS DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN?
I always convinced myself that I didn’t really have any options, mainly because I’m no longer surrounded by anyone who rides, or has any interest in riding at all. So, I took to social media to kind of live vicariously through a ton of inspiring content. That’s where I discovered Over And Out (@overandoutmoto) and knew this would be the perfect jumping off point for me.
OMG YOU WERE SO RIGHT! SO HOW DID YOU EXPLORE WHAT OAO HAD TO OFFER?
After reading the website and a bunch of blog posts, I reached out directly. I’m not necessarily the shy type, but I’ll admit it was a little uncomfortable reaching out to pretty much say, “Hey, I’m coming solo, I’ve only ridden twice in the past, I don’t have a bike, or any gear…but I’m jonesin’ to get at it!”
I’m glad I did, because immediately after getting a response and chatting back and forth I felt a lot more comfortable with everything. I’m pretty sure at some point in Kelly’s response she said something along the lines of, “No one at OAO would do anything but be stoked for you, and want to help you. We all start somewhere!”
I already knew I was coming and was excited, but this sure as hell was good to hear. Also, I knew I wanted to take lessons, but with my lack of experience I wasn’t even sure if I had any business being in one. Kelly assured me I’d be just fine – and I absolutely was!
HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT IT ALL BEFOREHAND?
Up front, it was all a lot to think about, but reaching out for some insight definitely boosted my confidence about stepping into something new, alone.
I felt slightly nervous, slightly intimidated, but overall just stoked as hell to get going. I’ve played ice hockey my whole life, and for the longest time, I only played with all guys. No matter how good I was, there was always an uncomfortable level of pressure to constantly prove myself. The first time I played in an all-female league it was entirely different, in the best way possible, so that was immediately what drew me to OAO. There’s just something to be said about being around a ton of other inspiring, encouraging, badass women.
HOW DID YOU PREPARE?
Well I love to camp, and I love to ride solo, so all of that was right up my alley. In terms of gear however, Over And Out had a blog post about an all-female gear rental company in Wyoming called Mountainist. Kelly recommended I reach out to them, and they set me up with a helmet, goggles, and boots for the weekend! I highly recommend Mountainist for gear rental – they were great to work with!
WHEN YOU FINALLY GOT THERE, WHAT WAS IT LIKE?!
The vibe was sick, right off the bat! Pretty much immediately after pulling in I got out of my truck and was greeted by my neighbors, Amy, Jess and later, Lauren. The instant camaraderie was pretty special, especially coming solo. Everybody is there for the same reasons – to ride and have a good time – and we sure as shit did.
Any lingering nervousness I had disappeared pretty quickly once I got there for sure - I definitely attribute that to the all-female vibe. I just introduced myself to as many people as possible, asked questions, and went with the flow. Everything is super laid back, so there was zero intimidation.
WHAT ABOUT GETTING GEARED UP AND ON A BIKE, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?!
Indescribable, actually! This is something I had been wanting to do for a hell of a long time, so to be finally doing it was a feeling I can’t really put into words. Friday I took an intro session with Mitch from NJ Off Road Riding School, which was great. It was a good way to get me back in the saddle and set up for Saturday’s full-day lesson with GPMX! I had to kinda restrain myself, because all I wanted to do was haul ass and start ripping around, but Mitch was there to remind me I needed to focus on some fundamentals first haha.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TAKING THE 6-HOUR CLASS WITH GPMX?
The 6-hour lesson with GPMX was perfect! I was a little nervous at first because I was one of the least experienced riders in the group, but it didn’t take long to start feeling comfortable. Marika and Frenchie were phenomenal! They were thorough and pushed me past what I thought would be my limits.
We focused on all the basic fundamentals, body position, braking, accelerating, making tight turns. I’d say the see-saw was probably my favorite part, but we also had a lot of fun trying pop-clutch wheelies. I felt super confident after 6 hours and some insanely fun grass track loops!
WHAT’S NEXT? WHAT FUTURE DIRT-BIKING PLANS ARE IN THE WORKS FOR YOU?
Well I pretty much knew right away that I’d be coming back again next year, and hopefully by then I’ll have my own bike. I’m officially in the market for an XT250! See you at the next Over and Out!
