Sometimes, the whine flows freely at 6 p.m., the time you're supposed to meet with your biking buddies for a weekly ride. Ooh, it looks like it's going to rain. Ooh, it was a rough day at work. Ooh, I want to see Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings reach the $1 million mark. Ooh, everybody's a better biker than me anyway.

Karen Thompson knows the feeling. She mountain bikes most Monday evenings with the Helena Bicycle Club.

"Most days I happen to be the only woman there," Thompson said sadly. "And it's easy to talk myself out of it."

So, the vice president of the HBC decided to recruit some new female biking buddies by throwing the Pumps and Pedals Mountain Bike Poker Ride last Friday night.

"No one will judge you on what you ride or hike-a-bike," the Pumps to Pedals flyer read. "The goal of the ride is to provide fun and encouragement to all those women wishing to mountain bike."

Thoughts of shamelessly walking switchbacks, gasping for breath freely in the presence of other riders and descending a scary-to-you hill with squeaky brakes drew about 15 riders. The promise of dinner at the Mediterranean Grill and prizes upon finishing the seven-mile singletrack route added any extra inspiration needed.

"I wanted to encourage more women to get out there," Thompson said. "I wanted to show women they have the ability to ride singletrack."

Of course, some of the participants were no strangers to singletrack. For those so inclined, a "wild card" route, which tacked an extra mile or so onto the route was an option.

Seasoned road bikers Peggy Stringer and Peni Jones were eager to test themselves and their new mountain bikes on the South Hills trails. New Helena resident Tamara Solari was grateful to learn the trail system and some climbing techniques.

"You guys saved the ride for me," she told Greta Elston and Melinda Ross after they advised her to keep her weight forward going up hills and her weight back going down hills.

That's exactly the kind of environment Thompson was hoping for with the Pumps and Pedals poker ride - women helping women.

"We want you to come out and try a few things and then decide if you want to join the club," Thompson said.

HBC, which celebrates its 25th anniversary next year, has 88 paying members. That includes both individual memberships, which cost $15 per year, and family memberships, which cost $20 per year. The average age for members is about 35 to 40, but some members are in their 70s, Thompson said.

Next month, Oct. 2-3, club secretary Stringer is leading a trip along the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, which is a new 73-mile asphalt trail that spans the panhandle of Idaho.

But Friday was the first ever poker ride for the club.

"I just thought it was a draw, a novelty thing to do," Thompson said. "It gives you a chance to stop and an excuse to catch your breath. It's not a race; it's not about how quickly you ride."

It's also a good way to learn - perhaps, the hard way - that a full house beats a flush. Now, that's something else I can whine about.