Leah Fuller’s journey into mountain biking started by chance when she discovered a trail at George Wyth State Park in Waterloo during her childhood. Over 30 years later, she has become a key figure in Linn County, managing a Facebook group for women mountain bikers with over 300 members.
“I didn’t know much about mountain biking, but I knew I needed a bike that could handle the terrain,” Fuller recalled. “So, I bought one from Scheels and just went for it. There wasn’t any club or community at the time—I just enjoyed it.”
As a college student at the University of Northern Iowa, Fuller often rode the trails at George Wyth but wasn’t involved in the biking community. After graduating, getting married, and moving to Marion, she mostly stuck to riding her road bike on paved trails around Linn County. That changed when, around 2014 or 2015, she stumbled upon a mountain biking trail again.
“I enjoy outdoor activities, so I was riding the regular trails. Then, one day, I was at Wanatee Park near Marion, where there are horse trails. Out of nowhere, I found a single track trail. It felt like a déjà vu from 20 years ago,” she said.
Soon after rediscovering mountain biking in Linn County, Fuller met other cyclists and became involved with the Linn Area Mountain Bike Association (LAMBA), which manages the county’s single-track trails. While she enjoyed riding with the group, she noticed a lack of women participants.
“I thought, this is great, but I really wanted to ride with other women,” Fuller explained. “I knew a few women who enjoyed mountain biking, so I looked for a women’s group but couldn’t find one. I was surprised.”
Although she couldn’t find a local group, Fuller came across Fearless Women of Dirt, a women’s mountain biking community founded by blogger Josie Smith in Decorah. Smith had begun expanding the group across the Midwest and was recruiting ambassadors to lead new chapters. Fuller saw the perfect opportunity and reached out to Smith.
In late 2019, Fuller launched the Fearless Women of Dirt Cedar Rapids Facebook group and began organizing group rides for 2020. Little did she know, her timing was ideal as many people sought safe, outdoor activities during the early days of the pandemic.
“With everyone encouraged to be outdoors, I thought, why not? We’re outside, and I needed this,” Fuller said. “We started riding in 2020. At first, it was just me and one other person, but by the end of the season, we had five or six regular riders, and it just grew from there.”
