Aggressive riders?

[crazycanuck]

Darn..I was going to suggest http://www.downhilldownunder.com/ to nerdgirl..

Poo..

I know a few downhill chicks & they're pretty cool.

[channlluv]

I'm still trying to figure out what "down hill" is and why it requires body armor.

Someone mentioned jumping off cliffs and boulders and such. I take it this is done with great velocity? And on purpose? Seriously?

whereistheirsenseofselfpreservation?


Roxy, feeling like a total girly-girl powder puff by comparison. Ha! Does Terry make any of those cute cycling skorts in pink tulle?

[Crankin]

Personally, I think the responses may have been not the usual TE "welcoming" because the OP made it clear that she "wanted to play with the boys" and that generally, we seem like a bunch of wussies. I fully own up to that label, but I wouldn't put Nerdgirl down for doing what she likes. But, it was the way she said it. Condescending, if you ask me, because I don't think there's that many men I know, who ride, that would want to do downhill. It's fine if you do, but at least for me, I care more about preserving my bones. I guess that's why I don't do much mountain biking anymore.
This is why, sometimes, I prefer to ride/lead rides for with people just starting out, or who ride slower than me. They are so appreciative. I mean, I know there's people out there a lot tougher than this 56 year old woman, but on the other hand, most of the women I know can't fathom doing what I do.
It's the way you say it...

[Irulan]

I'm still trying to figure out what "down hill" is and why it requires body armor.

Someone mentioned jumping off cliffs and boulders and such. I take it this is done with great velocity? And on purpose? Seriously?

whereistheirsenseofselfpreservation?


Roxy, feeling like a total girly-girl powder puff by comparison. Ha! Does Terry make any of those cute cycling skorts in pink tulle?

<<sigh>>
Why would anyone want to pedal on asphalt with cars and trucks? Fight with traffic? Fend off aggressive drivers? Seriously? Where is the sense of self preservation? People do this with velocity? On purpose?

C'mon people, it's all good, does anyone remember that? We don't all have to like the same things.

[crazycanuck]

+100000000 Irulan

Roxy-look at the link www.downhilldownunder.com/ and you'll get some idea

Downhilling looks like tons o fun but a bit too fast for me. The ages here in Western AUstralia that do downhill are very very varied. From young kids to fully grown men and even a few women! It's growing in popularity & possibly because of a local dude, Sam Hill.

[tulip]

Back in the mid-80s, I was racing in the New England Mountain Bike Championships. Mountain biking was pretty new on the East Coast, and I raced XC and downhill. During the downhill dual slalom, I ate it bad and cracked some ribs and got knocked unconscious. That was on grass.

Downhill stuff these days--mostly out west where there are huge boulders and impossible drops--seems to me to have grown from BMX and trials (we used to call it trialsin). In addition to speed, there's also alot of finesse and technique.

My brother was a very good downhiller, sponsored by SE back in the day. He still had a couple of really neat downhill bikes, and he still does it "for fun," but now that he has kids he's not so reckless. He was a nationally-ranked BMX racer in the 70s for his age group, and his skills really come from BMX. Having raced and completed La Ruta de los Conquistadores, I seriously doubt that he would consider XC anything but "real" mountain biking.

I have no interest in doing downhill anymore, but I do enjoy watching videos of really good downhillers who really know how to handle their bikes and the environment in which they do their stuff.

As for nerdgirl, this wasn't a good fit for her. It happens. No doubt she's having a great time wherever she is.

[MtnBikerChk]

I agree this thread got out of hand - whether she meant to insult some people by stating that if they are not "downhillers" they are not aggressive - we'll never know.

BUT people who throw online tantrums and "take their toys and go home" need to lighten up. It's the INTERNET.

I post here for the warm and fuzzies. I sincerely hope none of MY posts have pissed people off (sometimes my sarcasm doesn't translate on screen very well).

[Irulan]

still can't embed youtube here? WTF?