[Debaser]

My fiancee and I headed to the Winter Park (CO) yesterday, and I managed to convince her to ride with me on a couple of trails instead of just tooling around on the bike paths up there. Here she is on Serenity and Twin Bridges.

She thanked me several times afterwards for taking the time to ride at her pace and show her some "real" trails up there. Apparently, I'm learning how to approach riding with her, because she felt a lot better after yesterday's ride than the other we've been on recently.

 

[AZtortoise]

very cool.

glad you both enjoyed it. what is your secret? i would like to get my husband riding.

Rita

 

[Shannon-UT]

she looks like a pro! i hope she continues to ride with you and enjoy every minute!

 

[ibmkidIII]

Riding one handed with a railing close on both sides. Skillz B, she's got skills. Lucky bastage!

 

[TimE]

Just like dating

I got my 'was then' girl friend into riding by starting slow and
acting liek it was a date...carrying a picnic lunch, stopping to pick
flowers....5 years later she's an animal and my wife. She still rides
slower then I would like to, but now together we can hit epic
multi hour rides together...It's great.

It took about 8 rides beofer she started to really have fun. SO there
is definately a conditioning aspect to having fun.

As for the woman trying to get her guy to ride, just
do what you would do on a date. Bring some beer or something
as a carrot, play hard to get, etc, etc.... he'll go.

 

[Debaser]

I got my 'was then' girl friend into riding by starting slow and
acting liek it was a date...carrying a picnic lunch, stopping to pick
flowers....5 years later she's an animal and my wife. She still rides
slower then I would like to, but now together we can hit epic
multi hour rides together...It's great.

Two years ago we went out for a ride together than had one long sustained and moderatly technical climb. It was a disaster. It was mostly my fault. We've gone on some rides closer to home, sometimes as a "double date" with friends. She still gets pretty worked up when she falls, but she's getting better and it happens far less.

As for this past weekend, we rode together for quite a while, then I pointed her in the right direction, she headed to the car, changed, grabbed a book, and sat in the park next to the river to read for an hour or so while I was riding some more aggressive stuff.

 

[Xtreme_Pink_Racing]

I think this is funny. Last week I was riding with a guy friend from school on some local trails by his house and we came to a climb. nothing like o-cup but a good climb. Well I start pedaling and ride on up to the top and look back and he is pushing his bike up the hill. He get to the top and looks at me and says "now that is embarrassing". What did he expect? He is on a 400lb bike out of walmart that is probably stored on teh driveway during rain storms and enver had a tune up. On top of which prior to meting me his idea of off road riding was jumping the curb at the end of his drive way.

How come guys think it is so cool you ride/race until you are better than they are.....then it is not so cool anymore

 

[*rt*]

I think this is funny. Last week I was riding with a guy friend from school on some local trails by his house and we came to a climb. nothing like o-cup but a good climb. Well I start pedaling and ride on up to the top and look back and he is pushing his bike up the hill. He get to the top and looks at me and says "now that is embarrassing". What did he expect? He is on a 400lb bike out of walmart that is probably stored on teh driveway during rain storms and enver had a tune up. On top of which prior to meting me his idea of off road riding was jumping the curb at the end of his drive way.

How come guys think it is so cool you ride/race until you are better than they are.....then it is not so cool anymore

some guys have fragile egos. unfortunately, many of them never get over it and at 35 they still can't deal with getting beat by a girl.

the guys worth keeping, on the other hand, either think it's cool to get beat by a girl or know how to get over it. i've been told these sorts of guys are out there somewhere.

rt

 

[Debaser]

How come guys think it is so cool you ride/race until you are better than they are.....then it is not so cool anymore

Ha! I used to sort of have that same attitude, and then I started riding with some pro women who were faster than me in a lot of ways. I think it's damned cool now.

 

[Xtreme_Pink_Racing]

The guys at our weekly races and o-cup races are cool about it. We pull up and while unloading the bikes we have 5 or 6 guys doing catwalks and bunny hops around our car showing off and stuff. But these guys can all ride and would puke up a lung b4 walking up a hill.

 

[Ken in KC]

Girls can't really ride fast....

some guys have fragile egos. unfortunately, many of them never get over it and at 35 they still can't deal with getting beat by a girl.

the guys worth keeping, on the other hand, either think it's cool to get beat by a girl or know how to get over it. i've been told these sorts of guys are out there somewhere.

rt

I'm of course, kidding. I ride with many women who are in better riders than I. To me, when we're riding we're all mountain bikers. Gender doesn't really matter until we're done with the ride. For some reason, women don't think farting is the high comedy art form that guys do.

My most memorable girl kicking my arse ride? That's easy. Fruita Fat Tire Festival several years back on the Glitter Ride. After donning the correct cycling gear for the ride, we were lead up Mac's Ridge by the ride leader. As I dropped off the back of the ride, I laughed at the disparity in my riding ability vs. our ride leader's. Me on my geared hard tail, her on her single speed......... and several months pregnant to boot. Thankfully, she waited for me at the top.

Ken

 

[MidAtlanticXCer]

(mostly) no issue

Most of the guys with whom I have ridden have no problem getting out-ridden by a woman. They mostly just think either that it's cool that we are riding and even cooler that we are good, or that we're all just riders so what's the big deal. The rare exceptions seem to have this big blind spot that won't let them see that we are faster / better / braver. I have one riding buddy who tends to get in my way because he just can't accept that I am both better and faster than he is. Eh, whatever. He is reality-challenged in other ways as well.

 

[glenzx]

the guys worth keeping, on the other hand, either think it's cool to get beat by a girl or know how to get over it. i've been told these sorts of guys are out there somewhere.

rt

great thread!

as for where those guys are, we're just about all taken!

riding with women like littleb and j. kissiel keeps me humble as can be. never mind the races where the pro women climb right by me!