Frustrated...

[BlueVet11]

I feel your frustration! I consider myself a beginner mountain biker (even though Ive owned my MTB for about ohh 7 years now!). My husband is an avid roadie but started out as a MTBer. I got my bike when I graduated HS so I could ride with him, and the BF teaching GF thing didn't always work out. I was frustrated, we'd ride and hed be yelling "SHIFT" and I'd be yelling "I AM!!!!" then fall lover sideways cause my bike stopped going uphill. I could tell he'd want to take off since hes VERY brave and VERY fit. Even though I was fit coming off cross country and track seasons, I still just. didnt. get. the. bike.

He got me a road bike. I still didn't like it. The seat hurt, he told me to get over it, was very tough on the teaching. And telling me hes only going 50% while my HR is over 200bpm and I can't talk I'm breathing so hard was not encouraging! I got a new seat, learned some handling skills and now I LOVE IT.

But for some reason, this summer it has ALL changed. I love my bikes, road and mountain. I've been riding at least 2-3 days a weeks, and if not riding I am running. I am going over the hump from scared beginner to slightly adventerous intermediate rider. You are very lucky that your SO has brought you on beginner trails though!!! I have always ridden difficult trails even from the very start (more like mountain walking/pushing bike). I went from walking the uphills cause I couldn't shift efficiently, and walking down the downhills cause I was too scared, to riding consistently, letting go on the downhills and pushing myself on the uphills.

What I think also helped push me over the edge was to ride with my iPod once with some heavy music (metallica, bon jovi, rob zombie, etc). It made me FORGET about overthinking every rock, every root, every hole. Made me realize its not that scary and is a LOT of fun. It was after that ride that I've really enjoyed my mountain bike.

I also have to say I made my husband sound like a jerk, but he's not. A big part of the problem was my attitude towards the situation. I was frustrated with not being able to do it, frustrated with holding him back, and frustrated with being scared of something. I recognize I was hard to teach and I think I've grown up a little (I hope!) since then and I think taht has also made a huge difference in just enjoying my time with my husband and my bike(s).

ETA: the "turning point ride" with the iPod was also with a group of my husbands friends and his brother... I pretty much had to get over it because I am too proud to be a pansy in front of a group of guys. I think that helped too. Try riding with other people, its much easier to wuss out and be scared with someone who cares about you and you can be vulnerable in front of. Maybe that is backwards advice, but it worked for me