Welcome to TE, chelle!! I think you'll find that your presence, insight and experience will always be welcome and RESPECTED here. Thanks for joining us!


I'm late to the discussion, but LBTC makes an interesting point here:

Quote Originally Posted by LBTC
however, on the bike, it took *years* for me to gain the ability to see the "lines" the guys see, to feel comfortable pulling a wheelie (still not good at it), to feel no fear flinging myself through a rough patch or a steep area (and that's still not as often as the guys do). I've always attributed this primarily to my lack of history on the bike. As a kid I didn't get the opportunity to ride my bike as often or in the same conditions as the boys (seriously, I was forbidden from riding it in the trees!!)

The article had a lot of references to her boyhood, the amount of time she spent on her bike, the type of riding she did as a boy...I think that's an advantage for her. But it's not something that a girl couldn't have done, so it really has nothing to do with the issue, right? I've known young girls who are out there just as much as the neighbourhood boys, so, just because I missed out on making fearless biking as natural as breathing, doesn't mean that all women would have to.
LBTC was forbidden to ride in the trees!!!! How many times did we who were *born and raised* girls hear "be careful, don't get hurt, don't get dirty, and another good one for mtb'ers: don't fall"!! As if!!! Like getting hurt, bleeding, crying would just be the end of the world? Researchers have found that parents give these words of caution to girls much more often than they do to boys, delicate maidens that we are .

Point being, Michelle's activities as a boy most likely do factor into her riding, the way her psyche handles these situations. But that's a function of nurture, not nature. Like the girls LBTC sees doing tricks with the boys, like the 8 year old girls I've seen skiing the double blacks, it's all about what you are allowed/expected to do. Those early, repeated messages sink in deep, and can be hard to shake.

Keep winning, Michelle!! Maybe you are here to serve a bigger purpose in your role (chosen or not) as the "posterchild" for the trans-gender community. That can't be easy. But it is important. These issues must be discussed, hashed out, studied, whatever. Kudos to you for standing up and standing out !!!!