Female bike

[[email protected]]

Rent a fitted bike for a few rides and go from there.

 

[[email protected]]

Paul R wrote:
>
>

[snip of whiney retort]

OK, let me get this straight - it's OK for you to make a snarky reply,
but if someone does it to you, it's not?

You gots some big growin' up to do, kiddo.

E.P.

 

[Paul R]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Paul R wrote:
> >
> >
>
> [snip of whiney retort]
>
> OK, let me get this straight - it's OK for you to make a snarky reply,
> but if someone does it to you, it's not?
>
> You gots some big growin' up to do, kiddo.
>
> E.P.


another illiterate...

 

[[email protected]]

Paul R wrote:
>
> another illiterate...

It's quite obvious that you do not know the meaning of the word.

Just because *you* draw some distinction doesn't imply such a
distinction actually exists.

Keep wishing for it - I'm sure that someone might recognize it,
eventually.

Or not.

E.P.

 

[Bill Sornson]

Paul R wrote:

> another illiterate...

And I quote: "Then, if the new rider decide their keen, then they can
easily re-sell the
used bike and spend a little more money on a bike they know they'll ride."

OK, so who's illiterate?!?

(Otherwise, your advice in this thread haven't been /too/ bloody dreadful.
For you. :-D )

 

[Paul Reinis]

Bill Sornson wrote:
> Paul R wrote:
>
>
>>another illiterate...
>
>
> And I quote: "Then, if the new rider decide their keen, then they can
> easily re-sell the
> used bike and spend a little more money on a bike they know they'll ride."
>
> OK, so who's illiterate?!?
>
> (Otherwise, your advice in this thread haven't been /too/ bloody dreadful.
> For you. :-D )
>
>

heh heh,

you got me. When using that ol' usenet accusation, one should always
check their posts before sending.

I cringed when I re-read that post.

nevertheless, I wasn't talking about typos or they're/their (I often get
those words mixed up when i type for some reason) - I welcomed criticism
in my earlier reply. I'm not "whining" about being criticised - I'm
criticising the criticism.

In my opinion, if you're gonna take the time to comment, there should at
least be some connection to the OP as opposed to a knee jerk
simple-minded attack on an unpopular poster.

cheers, and again, that's the last I'll say on it,

Paul

 

[MTBlood]

This is all really good advice on things I'd never even considered. I'd
already guessed on getting a cheap used hardtail to start her out on, ride
some fire roads and see how she likes it. This was all her idea anyway,
although I totally approve, I've never had the girl riding partner fantasy.
It is more fun to ride with someone as opposed to alone all the time, even
though alone is fun at times too.

 

[MTBlood]

What happens if she likes it more
> than you do? What happens if she keeps seeing this bike outside of your
> relationship? Can you handle her stepping out with the bike when you're
> not there?

lose one to a bike dude? sounds like some pretty deep scars....

 

[p e t e f a g e r l i n]

Paul Reinis wrote:

> In my opinion, if you're gonna take the time to comment, there should at
> least be some connection to the OP as opposed to a knee jerk
> simple-minded attack on an unpopular poster.

That's so brilliant and I've taken your wishes to
heart.

You clueless, smarmy douche bag.

 

[small change]

Paul Reinis wrote:
> In my opinion, if you're gonna take the time to comment, there should
> at least be some connection to the OP as opposed to a knee jerk
> simple-minded attack on an unpopular poster.
>
> cheers, and again, that's the last I'll say on it,
>
> Paul


wow, is there some new rule here that all posts must have a connection to
the OP? Man, is that ever gonna screw things up around here...

ps

 

[[email protected]]

Paul Reinis wrote:
>
> In my opinion, if you're gonna take the time to comment, there should at
> least be some connection to the OP as opposed to a knee jerk
> simple-minded attack on an unpopular poster.
>

In my opinion, if you're going to take the time to comment, make sure
that your post doesn't paint you as a completely smug asshole.

HTH, Paul Penis.

E.P.

 

[Monique Y. Mudama]

On 2005-07-21, Paul R penned:
>
> "Monique Y. Mudama" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> On 2005-07-21, Paul R penned:
>> >
>> > Is she proficient on the bicycle? As you well know, mtb'ing is
>> > very different. Can she hop up a curb? Do a wheelie? If she
>> > can't, teaching her a few basic skills before you hit the
>> > singletrack might make her experience more fun.
>>
>> This isn't a bad idea, but I don't think it's necessary and might
>> freak her out a bit.
>
> Heh heh, shows me! I guess, as I've been a cyclist for not much less
> time than I've been a walker, I didn't realize that these skills may
> be relatively advanced for some.

*nod*

If the OP's gf spent her youth doing BMX-type stuff or is an
experienced cyclist, of course, that's a different story. But most
women I know who are new to mountain biking don't have a huge
background of cycling experiences on which to draw. Wheelies,
hopping -- all that stuff requires a good deal of balance and "feel"
for the bike.

> Anyway, the point I wanted to make is that it should be fun for the
> new rider. As such, I think it's a good idea to spend a bit of time
> on grass or something learning some basics before hitting the trail.

I absolutely agree it should be fun. The specifics will depend on the
individual. I tend to be impatient, so when my husband tried to get
me to practice things in anticipation of riding, I just got
frustrated. For me, it's more fun to just go ride; I ask questions as
the need arises. For other beginners, being prepared and practicing
first is a better approach. I don't think there's a one size fits all
solution, but hopefully the OP knows his girlfriend well enough to at
least take an educated guess at the right way to handle it.

> All it takes is one nasty wipe out at the wrong time for a beginner
> to give up on mtb'ing alltogether.

Again, this is individual. I mean, maybe if you broke your collarbone
the first time ever or something, but if you're taking a beginner to
appropriate trails, the chances of that happening should be extremely
slight.

Some people get really freaked out by pain. Others don't. I have a
penchant for potentially injurious sports; bruises, scrapes, and
swelling are just part of the deal to me. Actually, if that kind of
thing is really scary to a person, I would question the wisdom of
taking them mountain biking.

That being said, back to the appropriate trails thing. You can always
tackle harder trails if the current one is too tame; if a person is
extremely frightened by a tough trail, though, it's hard to erase that
memory. Unless the person is a gonzo fearless type, I would recommend
starting as easy as possible -- just a dirt road, for example -- and
then easing into slightly harder trails as gradually as possible.

I can't tell you the number of times I've encountered two riders, one
of whom has reached their limit. It's mental, not physical; you can
see it in your eyes. So far it's always been the female partner of a
male rider, and you just get this sense that the guy didn't exercise
any sort of good judgement in choosing a beginner trail.


> Every keen male mountain biker has fantasized about having a mtb'ing
> partner. But we have to keep in mind that it's not a sport for
> everyone and there is a rather sharp and scary learning curve, most
> especially for people who aren't cyclists in their day to day life.

Absolutely true. There's a sharp and scary learning curve even if it
*is* the kind of sport that appeals to you.

A little bit of consideration goes a long way in making a newbie
comfortable. For example:

Don't ride out of sight or earshot. What if they fall or have
mechanical trouble? Be patient.

Be patient, especially at stops where they may be far more winded than
you are. Best of all is if you don't ask them if they're ready, but
rather just wait for them to volunteer that info.

Expect for the ride to be much slower and shorter than your solo
rides, and budget time accordingly. Be patient.

Try to answer their questions. If they ask you how to approach
something, try to think of a useful suggestion; don't just tell them
to "just do it." It may take them a while to build up the confidence
to ride something, or even to decide to walk it. Be patient.

Hrm, there's a theme in there somewhere ...

> That's why I always recommend trying out a used non-suspension
> hardtail for beginners. Much cheaper, lighter and it forces you to
> learn technical skills right away. I think it makes for a better
> experience in the long run. (Of course, that's the kind of bike I
> taught myself to ride on, so my opinion is biased).

I've only ridden full suspension mountain bikes, so I can't really
compare. I suspect it depends on your goal. I'm sure you're right that
less suspension requires you to have better technique, but full
suspension may make it easier to get to the point where you care about
improving technique. The first few rides, there's an awful lot to
learn. Cheaper and lighter is true, but I suspect that downhills are
much scarier to a newbie on a hardtail. And some people are willing
to spend more money than others.

> Then, if the new rider decide their keen, then they can easily
> re-sell the used bike and spend a little more money on a bike they
> know they'll ride.

Maybe. I wouldn't imagine they could resell it for much.

>> In fact, the one thing I wish I'd been told when I started out is,
>> "it's okay to walk something if you don't think you can ride it."
>> My first two rides, I had this idea that once I was on the bike, I
>> was committed and couldn't bail no matter what. Silly, I know, but
>> somehow that's what I thought.
>
> re: silly idea - definitely and it probably made your rides much
> less fun. Any idea where you got that idea?

Certainly no one told me that. I'm kind of ... okay, I'm really
stubborn. On my first ride, I followed my aunt and husband. Eventually
I got into trouble and ended up with my head in an empty creekbed
(having tried unsuccessfully to ride between two narrowly-spaced large
rocks). A bit later my husband rode back and helped me up. He
commented that "Yeah, that's a bit advanced for you; you probably
should have just walked it." At that point a little light went on --
you mean you have the option of walking things when mountain biking?
We headed back; there had been a spot on the way up where I'd had to
ride straight up a one-foot rise and then immediately turn sharply
right. I guess my husband had assumed I'd walked that, too, but no,
I'd ridden it -- because I had no idea you could just walk things. At
some point in there, they realized one of them probably should have
hung back and led by example, walking the tough stuff. Then again,
because they didn't, I made it through some surprising sections.

Before that first ride, I'd never seen mountain biking footage, never
read about mountain biking, nothing. I had no idea how tough this
trail was compared to anything. I just assumed they'd taken me to the
easiest trail one could possibly find, and as such it must be a trail
that anybody should be able to ride. To put it differently -- I knew
so little about mountain biking, or even bikes in general, that I
didn't know what should be difficult and what shouldn't. That may
sound silly, but it was true.

--
monique

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live."
-- Mark Twain

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per [email protected]:
>In my opinion, if you're going to take the time to comment, make sure
>that your post doesn't paint you as a completely smug asshole.

A lady I used to work with said that every keyboard should have an "Oh ****!"
key that, when pressed, recalls the last message sent.
--
PeteCresswell

 

[Paul R]

"Monique Y. Mudama" <[email protected]> wrote in message

> >> In fact, the one thing I wish I'd been told when I started out is,
> >> "it's okay to walk something if you don't think you can ride it."
> >> My first two rides, I had this idea that once I was on the bike, I
> >> was committed and couldn't bail no matter what. Silly, I know, but
> >> somehow that's what I thought.
> >
> > re: silly idea - definitely and it probably made your rides much
> > less fun. Any idea where you got that idea?
>
> Certainly no one told me that. I'm kind of ... okay, I'm really
> stubborn. On my first ride, I followed my aunt and husband. Eventually
> I got into trouble and ended up with my head in an empty creekbed
> (having tried unsuccessfully to ride between two narrowly-spaced large
> rocks).

> Before that first ride, I'd never seen mountain biking footage, never
> read about mountain biking, nothing. I had no idea how tough this
> trail was compared to anything. I just assumed they'd taken me to the
> easiest trail one could possibly find, and as such it must be a trail
> that anybody should be able to ride. To put it differently -- I knew
> so little about mountain biking, or even bikes in general, that I
> didn't know what should be difficult and what shouldn't. That may
> sound silly, but it was true.

What an excellent post!! Lot's of great recommendations for beginners.

re: head in creek bed - yikes!! I recall a ride with a friend who's as
strong as an ox (worked in the mines during high school summers) and his
girlfriend, who was a petite, "girly" beginner rider.

In one section there was about a 10 ft long rock garden followed by a
roughly 2 ft. drop into a mud "pond". We made it over and then turned to
watch the beginner - she made it over the rock garden, but went over her
bars, face first into the mud. As we collectively held our breath, she
popped up, covered head to toe with stinky black mud and sporting a great
bright white smile!! phew!

re: knowing what's difficult - one of the things I enjoyed most about the
first few years of my mtb'ing career was the constant feeling of
revelation - "wow, a bike can go up that?!?" followed by "wow, I can go up
that!".

re: little light - heh heh I had a somewhat similar epiphany recently. I'm a
big electronic music listener and one day decided that, because so much
elec. music out there is ****, i'd try to make my own, thinking I'd pick up
a sequencer and just up and make some beats. I found that I was just not
having fun, even though I was finding inspiration everywhere and had lots of
ideas.

When I thought about it, I realized I was trying to create perfection. I was
getting bogged down in details and feeling discouraged when my results
sucked (and, believe me, almost all my results so far have sucked!).

I realized that it didn't matter if what I made sucked - what mattered was
the process, not the result. From then on, I've always enjoyed my sessions
and actually have started to improve.

Cheers,

Paul