Riding Style?

[CycleChic06]

I often read through posts in a few other bike forums. In one particularly sexist forum (so bad that even the posters comment on how women never post there anymore) someone posted this comment:

"I spotted that 21 year old girl with a riding style you could watch all day."

Besides the particularly disgusting nature of that post (made worse by the fact that the man admited to being 60 years old)...what does he really mean by this? I know there has been some talk about this in other threads, how women are built differently and how it affects us as athletes. But do women really have a different way of riding then men? Or was he just being obnoxious?

Emily

[Cassandra_Cain]

I often read through posts in a few other bike forums. In one particularly sexist forum (so bad that even the posters comment on how women never post there anymore) someone posted this comment:

"I spotted that 21 year old girl with a riding style you could watch all day."

Besides the particularly disgusting nature of that post (made worse by the fact that the man admited to being 60 years old)...what does he really mean by this? I know there has been some talk about this in other threads, how women are built differently and how it affects us as athletes. But do women really have a different way of riding then men? Or was he just being obnoxious?

Emily

I think your last question answers itself.... he was probably just being a creep - typical...

[midgetcycler]

I'm guessing her "riding style" is that she actually looks GOOD in her spandex bike shorts.

[Veronica]

I don't know that it's really a different way of riding. But we certainly look different on our bikes. We have hips. :D

Now I can oogle male cyclists' calves all day.

V.

[Melstar]

If they wanna stare... let them stare i say! Whatever floats their boat :D

If they're hot... lets stare back! Its a new age modern sociiety! yipperz

[Selkie]

Nevermind!

[quint41]

Mick -- sorry, but I think Dirty old Women are more disgusting than DOM. We have come to sort of expect men to be often repulsive, while women, being the more refined of the species, should project dignity and self-respect.

On a personal note, there is a guy in my biking group who shares a draft with me quite often, and I sure hope he's checking out my style when I'm towing, because you know I'm checking his out when I'm in the draft!! :p

[Selkie]

xxx

[esther231]

Depends on the Dirty Old Man and the Dirty Old Woman. :p

C'mon, if they are riding, they aren't dead yet and we're all looking all the time anyway when we aren't checking out the bike. It's human. It doesn't stop with age. If no comments are made, who cares? Keep your hands to yourself and don't be rude are all I ask.

Truth is I've had less trouble with Dirty Old Men than I had with Mean Young Men when I was young. Actually, that's still true. Not as dramatic nowadays (thankfully-one of the benefits of aging) but the drivers who give me the hardest time are young men. Gotta prove themselves. Somethings just don't change that much.

[jobob]

Back to the original question, sort of .... ;)

I think some people do have a very fluid, pleasing riding style. I've noticed that some people who whizz by me at annoying rates of speed look like they're expending no energy whatsoever. Their backs and shoulders seem to be barely moving, their legs are going in very smooth circles - and it is a very pleasing sight to me. Could be a man or woman, doesn't matter. Helps if it's a guy with nice calves, tho. :cool:

Whereas some people who bomb past me have backs and shoulders bobbing all over the place - they might not be in their death throes but they sure look it.

I notice different riding styles even among the pro racers on TV. For instance, I always thought Ivan Basso moves his back and shoulders too much (but less so recently, he seemed to have worked on it), while Bobby Julich has a very quiet back and seems to glide effortlessly.

[xeney]

Huh. How old, exactly, does a person have to be before it's "gross" for them to have any interest in sex?

I agree that unwanted attention can be a problem, but I'm not really clear as to why that is dependent on age. The most obnoxious attention I've ever gotten (you know, back when I was still young enough to have sex, or for other people to want to have sex with me) has always been from guys in their 20s.

[CycleChic06]

I notice different riding styles even among the pro racers on TV. For instance, I always thought Ivan Basso moves his back and shoulders too much (but less so recently, he seemed to have worked on it), while Bobby Julich has a very quiet back and seems to glide effortlessly.

Thanks Jobob, this is what I was actually refering to. I was wondering if since women have hips and we tend to swing our hips when we walk, if it's also inherent in our build that maybe we move our hips more when we ride or something. It was always my impression that you generally want to keep your upper body still, as if it's constantly shifting with each pedal stroke, it's a waste of energy.


And, ladies, totally OT, not that I agree that it was the best use of our scientific resources, but vaigra was invented for our benefit too.

[Veronica]

On the drive home from our ride yesterday Thom commented that he didn't see my usual bobbing head motion. You'd think he would have noticed it since I pulled him all day long. :D

I think since I've switched to riding more in the drops it's changed whatever was causing it.

V.

[KnottedYet]

I aspire to be a dirty old woman. <cackle cackle>

[Bluetree]

I was watching the US Track Nationals at the Velodrome the other day with a couple of male friends. I heard plenty of comments about the women's riding styles, which gals seem to have better strategies, how they fit their bikes, etc. There was nothing sexual about it, in fact, there seemed to be a kind of awe about they way they were talking. I actually found it educational.

However, when the men competed, not a peep from my buddies. I mentioned it to one of the guys afterwards... why don't you say anything about the men?

"Huh, the dudes? Man, that would be so gay."

<sigh... rolling my eyes>