Aggressive riders?

[nerdgirl]

I've been a member of this forum for a bit, but I don't post very much. (Posted a bit today, but only because a thread response got me to sign on).

It seems to me that a lot of the mountain biking discussion leans towards XC riding. Don't see much posts from more aggressive riders like myself. Are there so few of us on Team Estrogen? Seems like a lot of y'all mountain bike for fitness (and pretty scenery ), but I'll be honest, I ride for the adrenaline rush of going downhill fast, hitting a sweet drop, catching some air off a jump, hucking a nice boulder, getting soaked with water from a creek crossing, and being splattered with mud from hitting puddles. Fitness and scenery are happy secondary results of it for me.

Where are all the trail riders, downhillers, and free riders? Are you here but not posting?

I belong to a local MTB forum which is male dominated. The few of us women that are "vocal" on there seem to be more aggressive riders. Maybe it's just because the only place we can find that kind of discussion is with the boys. I don't know.

So if you're an adrenaline girl (and you own a full face and/or a flak jacket ), speak up! Say hello! What do you ride? What armor do you use?

I'll start:

As my signature states, I ride a 2009 Specialized Myka FSR. I have heavily modded it and pretty much turned it into a trail bike to suit my riding style. (Even going to swap out the coil spring on the fork and replace it with 120mm so I can get 5" instead of my sad little 4"). I hope to be able to afford an All Mountain bike in the next year, because it will be better suited to where my skills are going.

I wear exclusively RockGardn armor. I used to use Troy Lee and Fox, but I found RockGardn really works well for me, and I don't seem to have trouble pedaling with it. RockGardn has saved me from a cracked kneecap (and numerous scrapes and bruises), so I'm a devoted patron now.

Now your turn! Share! I know you're out there (at least I hope you are)!

[chickabonita]

Wow lady, I have to give you snaps for lovin that stuff. I personally do not care for any kind of steep or technical downhill or boulders for that matter. I see girls like you on the trail (or perhaps it is even you, since you are in Ontario and I am in OC). I would be the girl whose in your way, I pedal along to the beat of my ipod, enjoying every bush with flowers and bird that flys overhead. Hey, if you ever happen to pass a blonde on a blue Kona with skulls on her helmet, that's me! Stop and say hello!

[limewave]

I would love to give it a try, but there isn't much riding like that by us. Not a boulder in site.

I am getting into xcountry racing this year. I like riding fast and pushing myself to my limits. I'm also competitive--mostly with myself. I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

[nerdgirl]

Wow lady, I have to give you snaps for lovin that stuff. I personally do not care for any kind of steep or technical downhill or boulders for that matter. I see girls like you on the trail (or perhaps it is even you, since you are in Ontario and I am in OC). I would be the girl whose in your way, I pedal along to the beat of my ipod, enjoying every bush with flowers and bird that flys overhead. Hey, if you ever happen to pass a blonde on a blue Kona with skulls on her helmet, that's me! Stop and say hello!

Haha! Wouldn't that be funny if it was me! I don't claim to be badass, but I definitely am trying to get there!

Do you ever make it out to the IE? My favorite places are Marshall Canyon and Sycamore Canyon (in Riverside). However, since it is summer, Marshall & Sycamore are being left to weekdays after work, and weekends are for lift riding at Big Bear (and a vacation to Mammoth Mtn Bike Park). I generally don't ride in OC. Did Fully Loop a couple times, but it just doesn't feel like "real" mountain biking to me, not even XC. I know lots of folks love it though. I did El Moro last summer, and there was so little payoff for the amount of climbing done. I don't mind climbing if I've got a good payoff (Marshall Canyon is a perfect example of the climb being worth the payoff).

What trails in OC are you riding? One of my friends is trying to convince me to do some crazy *** trails out there that are steep and loose.

Thanks for posting! Made my day!

[crazycanuck]

Nerdgirl...I prefer XC enduro events and shorter distance XC club races. I don't have the b*lls to do downhill

I don't do fireroad & notice quite a few of the newbies here ride on that. Ugh..that's not real mountain biking.

Real mtn biking is finding sweet singletrack with all sorts of twists n turns (that you'd expect in Western Australia).

There are some awesome trails around & love it when i "get it" I wanna go back to Pemberton (south west western Australia) and do the BIG berms and smash em!

Am impatiently awaiting my elusive Titus Racer X frame/fork Grrrrr....4 months of waiting...Better be worth the wait!!! Next time i'll order a Yeti, would have been here by now and they have a better distributor that doesn't forget to order bikes.

[Tuckervill]

Why is fireroad not "real" mountain biking? That's a rather uncharitable opinion there, CC.

Karen

[nerdgirl]

uh oh! Controversy! LOL

I get what you're saying about the fire roads and trust me, in So Cal we have *a lot* of them because wild fires are a natural part of the environment here (though sadly some of the most destructive have been arson). I know a lot of people don't think of them as "real" mountain biking. Considering I'm more of a "gravity oriented" rider, I know that some people say the same about XCers and call them "roadies on dirt." (I think it's the Lycra wearing and obsession with racing and bike weight that elicits that response). I have to admit, I've seen some women's XC races where even the pros were using their brakes in spots that made me laugh and say, "Omg, you're using your brakes there? Seriously?"

I personally prefer trailriding/downhill. However, I acknowledge that fire roads really serve a practical purpose. They are good for helping less than brave people discover the sport. They are good for helping people develop cardio. Around here, some of them get you to the sweet singletrack. And, in my case, after I flew 4' from my bike going downhill last November, they were good for rehabbing my separated shoulder, torn shoulder tendon, massive hip contusion and, the most injured thing of all-- my confidence.

There are even some fire roads that are pretty great. One of my favorites is in Big Bear, California. I admit, though, I like it because it is barely big enough to be considered a fire road, doesn't really look like one, and rides more like a double-track. Heck, one of the most badass double black diamond trails in California is Kamikaze, in Mammoth. That is basically a "how fast are you willing to go" road where those guys reach speeds of up to 60 mph in 2,000 feet of vertical. Scary!

So that's my 2 dinars. Hope I haven't offended.

[MartianDestiny]

I ride mountain for the reasons you do, but I guess my adrenaline threshold is lower because a good technical XC/trail course does it for me right now, and is about all I feel safe doing in my current state of riding alone. I'd like to try downhill riding at some point I think, but I'll never be one to get big air.

There is some "in between" and not all us XCer's are cruising down nearly paved fire-roads for the scenery

Well made flowy track with a few technical challenges thrown in taken at 15-20 mph....O so much fun!!!

[Zen]

I don't do fireroad & notice quite a few of the newbies here ride on that. Ugh..that's not real mountain biking.

You haven't seen our fire roads.

[chickabonita]

@nerdgirl - Hi! I have done a little MTB riding in the IE, when out there we were more into our Dirt Bikes. I have not gone riding up in Mammoth because I can't tear myself away from the fishing. We do not have a good fishing hole here in OC so I take full advantage when I am up there, but the hub and I vowed to MTB next time we are there. As far as trails here in OC, I frequent the Aliso/Wood Canyon (Top of the World) trials a lot mainly because they are in my backyard and there are so many of them. Crystal Cove is great for me because I love the ocean breeze, but $15 just to park my truck in the dirt is a joke. Our riding styles sound a little different, I am still a bit of a newbie (or as the hub says "guppy fish") and I have to admit *insert hand raising here* I am the "less brave person discovering the sport" My hub is the serious rider and he has gotten me into it. He has done rides that went way into the back country where he spent the night out there just on what he could carry on his back, which translates to eating a few power bars and sleeping in the dirt. I hope to get up to that level someday. I hope to see you on the trail someday, you sound like a cool chick!

[katherine]

Not to wade into the brewing controversy here, but I ride singletrack, because we have gorgous singletrack. I also avoid fire roads (as much as possible) though there are some that people have turned into trails (goddess bless them). And I live in AZ, also wildfire country for whatever that's worth.
I'm going to agree with everything Martian Destiny said and add...
I ride for the adrenaline and the rush. If I want scenery I'll hike, if I want fitness I run. If I want thrills I mountain bike, and there is a big thrill to be gained biking UP a seemingly impossible climb, and cleaning it. Then you get to go down, double the fun.

[Aggie_Ama]

Fire roads around here are not very challenging, mostly remnants of ranch roads and thus suitable for driving even with a trailer. They teach the basics of pedaling on gravel and rocks but are fairly pedestrian compared to the twisting and turning up and down of the single track. I personally avoid them because they are where you usually find the dogs, leisurely hikers and kiddos, I feel it is safer to use them as connections to more single track. But in NM they are steep and go straight uphill and would be excellent training ground.

I am not aggressive but I enjoy mountain biking on my overkill 5" travel trail bike. We have tons of rocky trails around here so maybe one day I will get more skilled, I consider myself a forever newbie. I generally like downhills but we don't have any true "downhill" courses. Creek crossings I hate because I am scared of water snakes!

And because I think it takes all types, anyone who rides off road is mountain biking to me. Some of our locals think if you ride X trail you aren't really a mountain biker but you have to start somewhere. If you are considering riding crushed granite mountain biking, I will encourage you to try a fire road, if you are only riding fire roads I will recommend my favorite beginner/intermediate course. I remember being freaked out at the feeling of a gravel fire road, so I try to encourage any newbie who is trying out my favorite type of bike riding.

[nerdgirl]

::sigh::

While I appreciate all your responses, I don't see any answers to my original question-- you know, the purpose of the thread, to find other women who are into more aggressive riding. We're kind of getting off topic here and the thread is getting hijacked. I know I'm not a mod or anything, but it would be nice to get responses relevant to the original post, rather than this becoming an argument about singletrack v. fireroad, etc.

Just saying...

[Grog]

::sigh::

While I appreciate all your responses, I don't see any answers to my original question-- you know, the purpose of the thread, to find other women who are into more aggressive riding. We're kind of getting off topic here and the thread is getting hijacked. I know I'm not a mod or anything, but it would be nice to get responses relevant to the original post, rather than this becoming an argument about singletrack v. fireroad, etc.

Don't they say that mountain bikers generally are more relaxed than roadies. Take it easy Nerdgirl...

Maybe the lack of direct answer to your question is sort of an answer to your question. Don't worry, if an aggressive rider comes around, she'll respond to the original post.

[nerdgirl]

Don't they say that mountain bikers generally are more relaxed than roadies. Take it easy Nerdgirl...

Maybe the lack of direct answer to your question is sort of an answer to your question. Don't worry, if an aggressive rider comes around, she'll respond to the original post.

Mountain bikers relaxed! Haha! Mountain bikers can be some of the most aggro people I've ever met. (At least the males, anyway. I don't ride with any women, so I wouldn't know).

And, true that. It was an answer, in a way. I just come from the school of thought that if you can't answer the question, then don't bother posting. It was never intended to be a challenge to those who don't do trailriding/downhill/freeride to prove how hardcore they are in XC or anything. I have nothing against XC riding. Hell, I do it from time to time. But a request looking for other riders who, as I put it, own a FF & flak jacket, shouldn't have turned into an argument about singletrack v. fire road and who is more "hardcore."

I'm just one for staying on topic, that's all.