Intro to Mountain biking - REI outdoor school, Nov 1st

[7rider]

Hmmm. On second glance, that actually appears to 1/11, as in January. That I could do. Thanks for the notice, Catriona!

Oops. Right you are.

And, Xeney...I think DivingBiker's mtb-class was an REI one (locally, for you D.C./MD/VA ladies), and she had a similar experience - but I suspect she can fill you in on her experience better than I!

[Cataboo]

I'm debating whether to try to go this Saturday - I suspect I'll hear all about it from the bf - something to the extent of how girls make it through childhood without learning any bike handling skills at all and have to take classes, while boys just naturally play and pick it all up...

Of course, I've been listening to that all summer, and have developed the ability to bike faster than him which seems to have shut him up

But I've decided he's not very good at teaching me to do anything.

[7rider]

- something to the extent of how girls make it through childhood without learning any bike handling skills at all and have to take classes, while boys just naturally play and pick it all up...

Aye. Boys learn with frequent trips to the hospital emergency room. Girls are smarter than that!

How's your cardio?? Schaeffer isn't so technical that you can't get by without some good cardio skills and work around the technical stuff. Besides. We'd wait at intersections.

[Cataboo]

Aye. Boys learn with frequent trips to the hospital emergency room. Girls are smarter than that!

How's your cardio?? Schaeffer isn't so technical that you can't get by without some good cardio skills and work around the technical stuff. Besides. We'd wait at intersections.

I'm not sure, when my older sister was 15 she somehow hit a rock while riding a bike and ended up getting stitches in her privates. She hasn't been on a bike ever since... she just recently expressed interest in getting a bike to ride with her daughter (it's been more than 20 years...) I left an old bike at my Mom's for her, but she's yet to pick it up. I guess she was smarter than going to the emergency room twice!

Cardio's fine - I've been road biking a ton lately. I won't promise not to get chainsuck on hills or something stupid, however.

Speaking of cardio, I should go get on the trainer... Left work thinking I'd brave the temps and wind to ride tonight, but then the rain started...

[Kalidurga]

The mtb rides we've done at Rosaryville have been at a relatively moderate pace with, as Regina mentioned, stops for everyone to catch up and catch their breath. I was a singletrack virgin the first time we rode there and I survived, so I've been wanting to give Schaeffer a try. A little muscle here, a little cardio there, good reflexes and paying attention seem to be all it takes for the easier trails. And if you hit technical stuff, you just get off and walk.

I really wish I could join you all.




Stitches in her privates??? Man, no wonder she didn't get on a bike for 20 years!

[Cataboo]

The mtb rides we've done at Rosaryville have been at a relatively moderate pace with, as Regina mentioned, stops for everyone to catch up and catch their breath. I was a singletrack virgin the first time we rode there and I survived, so I've been wanting to give Schaeffer a try. A little muscle here, a little cardio there, good reflexes and paying attention seem to be all it takes for the easier trails. And if you hit technical stuff, you just get off and walk.

I really wish I could join you all.

Stitches in her privates??? Man, no wonder she didn't get on a bike for 20 years!

Yeah, she still goes off about it every so often. I'm surprised she lets my 9 year old niece ride a bike. I brought my niece some roller blade last weekend, so I should call and check that she's still in one piece.

Sounds like I'm in for Schaeffer on Veteran's Day unless something comes up.

[divingbiker]

And, Xeney...I think DivingBiker's mtb-class was an REI one (locally, for you D.C./MD/VA ladies), and she had a similar experience - but I suspect she can fill you in on her experience better than I!

Actually, mine was put on by the Bike Lane, a shop in Burke, VA. It was good, and no sales pitch at all!

I'm up for the Veterans Day ride at Schaeffer. But how are we going to find our way out of the park, since we're directionally challenged???

[7rider]

I'm up for the Veterans Day ride at Schaeffer. But how are we going to find our way out of the park, since we're directionally challenged???

DH may be with me (us)....thus the comment on the cardio!
I'd love to get a group together...we have a friend who just bought a mtb, and to the best of my knowledge has not taken it in the woods yet. I might even see if I can get some of the newbie 'cross racers from the LBS to join us - a little off-road bike handling and obstacle jumping skills session for them. That should be entertaining!

[divingbiker]

My fellow bike commuter Kitty (she rode with us at Rosaryville one time) would like to join us also.

Although if the group is a bunch of hammerheads, I'm not so sure I'd be comfortable. I could hang off the back as long as people don't stop and wait for me all the time.

[7rider]

My fellow bike commuter Kitty (she rode with us at Rosaryville one time) would like to join us also.

Although if the group is a bunch of hammerheads, I'm not so sure I'd be comfortable. I could hang off the back as long as people don't stop and wait for me all the time.

No hammerheads. You know how DH rides...you've ridden with him before. You'd do fine on any ride that I'm on. These folks may be hammerheads on the road, but add dirt...well....let's just say, the playing field will be leveled.

And C - the trails are blazed - and loops. There are maps every so often at major intersections. The most important one, in my view, is the trail mark labelled "P" - which points the way back to the parking lot!

[HillSlugger]

I'd love to go. Anybody got a real mtb they could lend me? However, I've been having pain in my left wrist and after I see the doctor tomorrow I could be in a splint or cast with no riding for a while. Wait and see.

[divingbiker]

I'd love to go. Anybody got a real mtb they could lend me? However, I've been having pain in my left wrist and after I see the doctor tomorrow I could be in a splint or cast with no riding for a while. Wait and see.

Hope your wrist is ok!

And if it is, I'm storing my neighbor's early 90s MTB in my basement, and it's probably about your size. It's a Specialized Rockhopper I think, with a rigid front fork. I used it on my first MTB ride, and it worked fine, and got me hooked.

So if you can ride, I'd be happy to bring it.

[Cataboo]

No hammerheads. You know how DH rides...you've ridden with him before. You'd do fine on any ride that I'm on. These folks may be hammerheads on the road, but add dirt...well....let's just say, the playing field will be leveled.

And C - the trails are blazed - and loops. There are maps every so often at major intersections. The most important one, in my view, is the trail mark labelled "P" - which points the way back to the parking lot!

You underestimate my abilities to be clueless or get lost.

But yes, I could probably manage that one.

[Cataboo]

Actually, mine was put on by the Bike Lane, a shop in Burke, VA. It was good, and no sales pitch at all!

I'm up for the Veterans Day ride at Schaeffer. But how are we going to find our way out of the park, since we're directionally challenged???

I'll bring a GPS and then we can be GPS and directionally challenged.

We can do what my bf did when we went backpacking Columbus day weekend - didn't put in a waypoint at the car, and the GPS coordinates he'd gotten off the internet were wrong - making the GPS marginally useful.

[stephanie1129]

I guess the fact that the outdoor school classes can be tailored to the needs of each specific class can be a good and bad thing. The motto is "no rider left behind" so sometime instructors have to make the choice not to take the class on the roads with traffic, or not to complete the trail for the mountain bike class.

It would be really surprising to me that the instructors would try to be sales people on the outing. Even on the sales floor the specialists are not pushed to up-sell or sell anything that the customer doesn't need. They don't get commission or have any incentive to sell Novara (REI brand) bikes. However, many students are interested in buying a bike of their own and ask what to look for, or want to know details about the equipment they are using in the class. I think most instructors give their honest opinion, rather than just over promoting REI products.