quit the dirty looks

[bikerINco]

when i ride, i tend to make terrible, weird faces. I've been told to just relax my upper body muscles, including the ones in my face. You tend to waste energy by tensing so much.

Next time you ride try to stay relaxed and enjoy the ride.

[Technotart]

LOL I was looking at pics from a local ride and pointed out to the hubster - "Look honey! we all look like we are playing guitar!"


Thats funny.....now Im gonna be self concious LOL!!!!!!

[Dianyla]

So true!

My lower lip (which is already fat enough) started swelling up at the corner halfway through Sunday's ride before I realized I'd been gnawing on it the whole way! :o

[singletrackmind]

I didn't realize I had a riding face until after a particularly grueling mtb race when someone asked why I've always got a huge :D when I'm riding.

I'm good with it. :)

[MomOnBike]

I realized that I have a bike face when everyone I met on the bike trail smiled back at me. I didn't even realize I'd been smiling. A friend told me that I sport an ear-to-ear grin.

OK, smiling takes energy, but I think I'll learn to cope, one reason I bike is to lose some weight, after all. :D

[LBTC]

I must admit, I"m the girl of many bike faces! I know I get the "I'll kill ya" look when taking on a big challenge, I sometimes stick my tongue out on a techinical downhill (yes, I know this is bad and try not to!), and often I find myself grinning! so the coolest thing is to find that your cheeks (the upper ones) are sore after a big long ride! yahoo!!

Namaste,
~T~

[bikerINco]

i got got caught real good. it was the 1st race of our town mtb. biking series. well, the next day i get into work and there is my picture on the front page of our small town paper. Needless to say, my co-workers hung it up with a caption written in with marker...
'get out of my f***ing way *****es' You can image what i looked like during the race!! i'm really nice..i swear!! :o

I love all your comments ladies!! keep smiling :D

[nuthatch]

I think I've got a mean face on alot when I'm really pusing hard - I've developed biking "wrinkles" in my face since I started last summer and lost alot of weight. And, yes, my face muscles ache also after a long ride!! :p

[emily_in_nc]

I think I've got a mean face on alot when I'm really pusing hard - I've developed biking "wrinkles" in my face since I started last summer and lost alot of weight.

Me too, Nuthatch! I think I get this really intense face when I am pushing hard or squinting in the harsh sunshine (even wearing cycling sunglasses), and I have developed the little scowl line on my forehead between my eyes that doesn't want to go away. Of course, I am 44, so it may have come anyway, but I honestly think it's from cycling because I'd really notice it being bad after a ride, and it's only developed in the past couple of years that I've been riding a lot. I'm actually thinking about trying Botox there because I don't want to look mad all the time! :mad: I'm not mad, really I'm not! :p

Emily

[Geonz]

I had to train my ride face, since when I didn't think about it on an early season windy 50-miler, it involved lowering & sticking out my lower lip just enough to get a blistering sunburn on tissues that usually don't get exposed.
Now it's a grin, and people think I *really* enjoy the worst of conditions! All it takes is practice.... :D :D

[oroight]

l used to clench my teeth and even hold my breath during difficult rides, now breathing and smiling come natural (mind you the tongue lashings still flow freely at dangerous drivers)

[Geonz]

Ah, I'm working on that -- trying to train myself to shout "Be Careful!!" instead of more creative epithets. Figure it might actually get more attention.
I'm afraid several drivers here have shamed me with undeserved tolerance/ kindness and I figured I wanted to be like them, even if it takes work.
But I'm hopeless at saying *anything* when there's too much going on - the mouth just won't engage. Probably a good thing for the most part :-)

[khagelberg]

Technotart -- I'm LOL here! I used to review concerts and there's an old critics' joke that men make that "lead guitar face'' for two reasons -- and only one requires a guitar! :D Now I know a third reason. Next time I'll watch for the bike!

[caligurl]

i call them my "jan faces"! cuz jan always makes faces when he rides! hubby's always telling me to relax.. but i keep making my "jan faces"