ACK! so i'm NOT a MTB-er

[amg]

most mtb-ers go over the bars sooner or later, consider it an initiation There are even OTB Club socks.
Irulan

I need some of those socks to cheer me up...I had my first big endo in a long time at the beginning of the month and I'm still not back on the trail. I'm going to put my big ugly mtb flats on my road bike so I can at least ride somewhere.

caligurl, just take mtbing at your own pace. When I first started, I was afraid of going down hills...two years later I was trying my first downhill race. So you might surprise yourself. You'll find out what kind of mountain biking is for you, not everyone has to be hardcore. The important thing is that you enjoy what you're doing. I also second Ionic's suggestion of a skills clinic and a girls group ride. Apart from being fun, they're a good, low pressure way of learning trail riding skills.

And at the end of it, every one has a bad day. I had a crying fit out of sheer frustration in the middle of the trail on one ride because I couldn't make myself ride one section. A few weeks later, I rode it. Don't let frustration stop you from trying again.

Good luck, and let us know how things go!

[singletrackmind]

Wow. You should be impressed with yourself, not beating yourself up so. They took you onto too tough a trail and you tried to troop it out. Sure, it didn't end the best and there was emotion but so what? Sometimes it's darned frustrating and scary to take on that kind of challenge without any chance to build the skill you need to tackle the job. That kind of emotion is bound to surface at some point and it did, no need for you to feel apologetic or weak about that. Even winners cry-like the Frenchman who won the stage on Bastille day during the tour. Sometimes we get so many feelings we just can't swallow all of them down and they come bubbling out. I've been impressed thus far with your week-long efforts and I remain so-keep up the great work!
Keep riding the trails you feel comfortable with and throw in new stuff as you feel more balanced and comfortable on the bike. Who gets on a mountain bike and can do it all instantly? Who can expect themselves to? I have a feeling you'll do just fine over time. Look how far you've come in such a short time! Have fun!
You can do this!

PS. If you are on a bike and in the dirt you are too so a mountain biker! You just happen to be a beginning one, is all.

[Irulan]

I think as mtbers we get a lot more used to falling, whethers it's a slow motion tip over into a bush or something a little more intense. You WILL go down. You learn to not be freaked about it most of the time.

I think if you come from a road background, it's more terrifying because you fall less on the road, but when you do, it' usually at high speed and involves major road rash and sliding across asphalt, possibly vehicles.. As a mountain biker, you get used to a)laughing at yourself and b) dusting yourself back off and getting on the bike.

Irulan

[SadieKate]

. . . it's more terrifying because you fall less on the road, but when you do, it' usually at high speed and involves major road rash and sliding across asphalt, possibly vehicles.. As a mountain biker, you get used to a)laughing at yourself and b) dusting yourself back off and getting on the bike.

Totally agree, if you can't learn to do (a) and (b) you're going to have a tough time out there. My worst injury came from a road crash. I'll take a multitude of dirt crashes anytime to a fall on the road.

Besides you'll find that your bike handling skills on the road will shoot way up for learning to ride the dirt. Go find yourself a coach for a few hours. There is nothing like having an expert give you pointers on the basics. Seems rudimentary, but braking, cornering, everything is very different.

[caligurl]

that's why i love this board! everyone is always so supportive!

i'm not sure about groups around here... i'll see what i can find.... but we live in the middle of BFE... not even any road bike clubs nearby

the guy that took us out is a mtb-er and was giving some tips (but i got system overload kinda like when hubby first got me on the road and would give me my "lessons")

i know there is some big-shot mtb-er who lives nearby... he was on a road ride this sunday (tinker somebody).. but something tells me if i can't keep up with KC.. i won't be able to keep up with tinker! lol!

maybe i can find a one day workshop in big bear????? which is still quite a drive!.. in the mean time.. i'll get back out there and do my dirt road thing.. and climb around the neighborhood (still rocks.. hills... sand... cacti.... but not as hard an area)

[Irulan]

I was dowhilling at a resort last year, the guys had gone way ahead and I was with my good girlfried who was behind me on the trail. I hear this "wham! thump! and the breaking of branches...

Des? Des? Are you ok?
Silence.
I start hiking up the trail.
and then the giggling starts. Lots of giggling.
She's landed in bushes totally unhurt, but completely tangled.
I have to give her a yank to get her out of the bushes.
It takes two of us to pull the bike,undamaged out of the bushes.
We are laughing so hard our stomachs hurt.

[caligurl]

that's cute!!!!!!! killer bush!

[Irulan]

I think you just missed the Big Bear women's weekend, I read about it on another forum.

Tinker somethingerother, (juarez)OMG, that guy is one of the all time world champions!!

[Adventure Girl]

i know there is some big-shot mtb-er who lives nearby... he was on a road ride this sunday (tinker somebody).. but something tells me if i can't keep up with KC.. i won't be able to keep up with tinker! lol!

Tinker Juarez? Awesome!

[SadieKate]

Tinker and Ned: when I grow up I want to be like them! The guys never stop! Gives hope to us aging baby boomers.

[Irulan]

Big Bear Women's Weekend

[Adventure Girl]

At the 24-hours of Adrenalin in 2002, one of my team's goals was to beat Tinker. We were a 5-man team. He was solo! We beat him by one lap!

[caligurl]

yes... that's him! can't miss the dreadlocks! (well... unless there is another MTB rider with the name tinker that has dreadlocks!)

we didn't ride the road ride they did.. cuz they were going a shorter distance than we wanted... starting in the park and going a shorter distance... but we rode from home all the way into the park and met them (hubby's friends and tinker and his friends) as they were waiting at the bottom for the whole group to meet back up...

i guess he did the ride in an AWESOME time.. blew everyone away! lol! hubby joked to me that i didn't want to talk to tinker about my bike being pretty or cute!

[Irulan]

if you go to the women's lounge at MTBR.
http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay....aysprune=&f=94

there are lots of so-cal gals that ride there, take groups out and so on.

[caligurl]

OMG! i'm such an idiot! so now that i know his last name... HE"S FREAKING FAMOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! i shoulda gotten my picture taken with him!!!!!!!!! i'm such an idiot!!!!!!!! lol!

welllllllll he did say every wednesday and every sunday they do that same ride! hmmmmmm guess we'll have to meet up and i can be a star-gazed fan and ask for a picture!