[Mike37]

So my girl, after seeing how much I like riding on the trails, is thinking about doing it with me sometime. She has to work up to it since she's as out of shape as I was when I started and hasn't been on a bike in about 15 years. She's going to borrow her sister's dept. store bike for the time being to see if she likes the sport.

The fact remains that she needs to work her way up to trail riding. We don't have too many decent paved trails around here, so my question is how can I keep her interested and working towards trail riding?

If she starts riding trails too early, she'll think it's too tough and quit. If she keeps practicing on the limited paved trails, she'll find it boring and quit.

Any suggestions? Maybe after she gets used to riding again, take her on a really easy section of doubletrack?

 

[mrrisotto]

Tell her how beautiful she looks riding a bike before and after every ride. :thumbsup:

So my girl, after seeing how much I like riding on the trails, is thinking about doing it with me sometime. She has to work up to it since she's as out of shape as I was when I started and hasn't been on a bike in about 15 years. She's going to borrow her sister's dept. store bike for the time being to see if she likes the sport.

The fact remains that she needs to work her way up to trail riding. We don't have too many decent paved trails around here, so my question is how can I keep her interested and working towards trail riding?

If she starts riding trails too early, she'll think it's too tough and quit. If she keeps practicing on the limited paved trails, she'll find it boring and quit.

Any suggestions? Maybe after she gets used to riding again, take her on a really easy section of doubletrack?

 

[MrMook]

My girlfriend and I ride together all the time. She's really starting to crave singletrack now. She used to have a really heavy Huffy "girl" bike (with a crappy step-through frame), but we got her a Cannondale hardtail (maybe F400?) from a local shop who was selling their fleet of rental bikes. The new bike has opened new horizons, but we still did a lot of flat/smooth trails before that.

My advice for starting out, and keeping interest is to ride together a lot. We even just ride into town together, or down to the river. Super casual stuff, but it definitely encourages biking. Start out on the dpt. store bike, and then one day, maybe go to your favorite beginner trail, and rent or borrow a decent bike in her size, so she can really get a good feel for riding on a quality bike with really good brakes on a fun trail.

Again, the key is to do it together, and keep it light and fun. If she gets frustrated with a hard trail, or a fussy, heavy bike, then back off a bit and find a more appropriate trail. Let her find her own way, and she'll be hooked.

 

[NC Medic]

Always encourage her that she is making progress and that you are having a blast riding with her.

My wife and i recently purchased two bikes and have really enjoyed riding together. We always ride to the mall so she can shop LOL!!!!!! The only problem with that is your girlfriend/ wife spends all your money for upgrading your bike.:eekster:

 

[4slomo]

Make sure some of those rides you take together are to your LBS. That way, she can try riding some of their bikes and start learning what bikes feel best to her.

 

[Mike37]

Thanks for the help. I dusted off her sister's bike and gave it a once over to make sure it was working properly. I showed her how to check the brakes and a couple other different things, how/when to shift, how not to cross chain, how to use both brakes together, etc. The basics, pretty much. She seems to be looking forward to a ride tomorrow if it isn't too rainy. Hopefully it'll stick and she'll be chasing me through the single track.

 

[callmeCrash]

As a female rider who just hated, HATED biking before my hubby encouraged me to try I can't say enough how much patience, encouragement and sometimes just plain silence helped.

Pick some nice easy fire roads with nice scenery, make it an outing to spend time together instead of having the destination be the focus/goal. Initially I started riding with hubby just to get to spend nice quality time together, and now I am in love with MTB. I even have a downhill bike

Tell her to visit our Women's lounge, we have a good time there, and start putting away some extra money. If you do it right she will be hooked and you'll have to get her a new bike of her own!!

 

[gettnback]

So my girl, after seeing how much I like riding ........, is thinking about doing it with me sometime. ......................

so my question is how can I keep her interested and ...............?

..............she'll think it's too tough and quit......................she'll find it boring and quit.

Any suggestions? Maybe after she gets used to riding again, QUOTE]

Sorry, I can't help it. The innuendo's are just limitless.:lol: :smilewinkgrin:

 

[kapusta]

So my girl, after seeing how much I like riding ........, is thinking about doing it with me sometime. ......................

so my question is how can I keep her interested and ...............?

..............she'll think it's too tough and quit......................she'll find it boring and quit.

Any suggestions? Maybe after she gets used to riding again, QUOTE]

Sorry, I can't help it. The innuendo's are just limitless.:lol: :smilewinkgrin:

School's out

 

[gettnback]

Yeah, school is out......

Funny, you gave me the same eye-roll that I see from both my wife and my 3 year old so nothing new.

I can't be serious 100% of the time- just no fun.

 

[Boulder Pilot]

As a few posters have already mentioned, in the beginning, keep it simple and fun. And when I say simple, I mean not what YOU may consider simple and easy, but what a true novice rider would consider easy.

It took me two years to get my wife back out on a bike after I took her on an easy(Too me) trail. I had to haul her bike up a ravine (She didn't fall in the ravine, she threw the bike down into it), carry her bike back 1-1/2 miles, and the worst part, listen to her yelling at me the whole drive home.:incazzato:

It was all my fault, I now realize. I'm still trying to get her to use the front brake.:yikes:

 

[Dgage]

Keep it short, no more than a half a hour, no hills, no technical stuff, and always give her the option of shortening the ride. Make sure the bike works and explain the brakes and gears.
A friend of mine who rides single speed decided his girl friend was going to learn how to mountain bike. So he got her a single speed. He said she might as well learn the right way. They are no longer together!