Ride like a girl

[limewave]

I've been trying to get out once a week to ride some single tracks. I ride with three guys. They treat me like a girl. They open doors for me, help me with my bike, fuss over me, etc. It's nice. However, they do the same on the trail. They'll stop or slow down to make sure I'm doing alright. And when there's a challenging section, they make sure to stop right before it and tell me how hard it is.

I'm fairly new to mntn biking. And I'm a timid rider. So there stopping and starting and building up hard sections made me even more nervous than I would be normally.

Last night I met the guys at the trail head. I noticed a couple of woman that I had met at a triathlon a few months before. They invited me to ride with them and I did, the guys would be fine without me.

They were amazing! They took right off down the trail and flew right over the first obstacle. They didn't stop to make sure I was okay. They didn't build up the hard sections. They treated me like a capable athlete. And for once, I rode fast. And I rode over the technical sections. And I didn't walk up one single climb.

The first loop, I really struggled keeping up with them. The trail is new to me and I couldn't remember what was around each corner. But I rode as hard as I could and was able to keep them in sight. I thought I would never be able to stay with them for the second 8 mile loop. But I tried. And to my surprise, I was actually right on their rear tires. I thought they had slowed down, but we kept the same grueling pace for all 16 miles.

I really admire them. I took almost 30 minutes off my time from the week before. They pushed me to ride hard and to get over my fears. They were encouraging without being condescending.

And, you know what . . . the guys I normally ride with never caught us. I'm really looking forward to riding with the girls from now on.

[Irulan]

This is why I love women's rides.

[bluebug32]

Nothing better than leaving the guys in the dust!

[bounceswoosh]

Sixteen miles of mountain biking? Youch!

As a sop to my ego, please tell me there isn't much elevation gain on that trail ...

[SadieKate]

And when there's a challenging section, they make sure to stop right before it and tell me how hard it is.

I hate that! That usualy makes my brain fritz and I can brainfart all on my own, thank yew very much.

[brigitte]

Good for you to pick up mountain biking!!
I have been doing it for two years now. I do not feel like a pro but I don't feel like a total newbie either. I ride plenty with my sweetie. He races - rides endurance MTB races. I have been fortunate to have a considerate but not condescending riding companion. Having him out there is a carrot for me to get the most out of myself. He gives me great tips and support but lets me "ride my ride".

Most frequently I ride alone and then over trails we have done together. I find if I do them at my own pace, stop to judge obstacles, and fly when I can, works well the next time we ride together. It definitely builds confidence. I also have some folks I ride with that aren't quite as skilled and that is an exercise in humility that is also good for the bike soul.

Ride with lots of different abilities and you will learn the most. Trust your own judgment, respect gravity, and have a blast!

[limewave]

Sixteen miles of mountain biking? Youch!

As a sop to my ego, please tell me there isn't much elevation gain on that trail ...

Where I'm from, we don't discuss elevation gains. We're not so much mountain biking as we are rolling over sand dunes. There are some 3-5 minute climbs, but it's mostly rollers. Up, down. Up down. The one problem I have is that the downhills are so short that I can't recover before the next climb. And the climbs are short--so I can't get into a good pace. It's great for interval training, though.

[ima_bleeder]

And when there's a challenging section, they make sure to stop right before it and tell me how hard it is.

OMG, I hate that! My husband is great in all those other ways too, but he just couldn't stop himself doing the same thing. After MANY discussions about it, and me gaining quite a bit of skill in the last couple of years, he's finally stopped doing this. I'm with SadieKate on this one. I can brainfart all on my own, without this kind of help from the boys.

[rocknrollgirl]

My regular group is all men. I have just recently met two other women that have started coming along. I am very blessed that they are supportive, but do not hover. They range in age from 25-55, they are all excellent riders and they are very fast, including my DH.

Their treatment of me waivers between little sister and one of the guys. They know just when to push and just when I need a bit of consideration.

I count my blessings all of the time that DH and I have them to ride with.

[Paradox]

My SO usually stops after he goes over a technical section and then yells back to me "You're probably going to want to walk over this", so I stop right before it and do just that. I probably wouldn't attempt it if he wasn't there anyway, too much danger of getting hurt.