How do I get my lady into MTB?

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Comments

  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    nah, i think i'm right 90% of women do prefer hand bags, i know 2 mtbing ladies in all my time
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Oh dear, i'm obviously one of the freakish exceptions then. I love mountain biking AND handbags.

    Although not at the same time.... :wink:
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    A sort after rare bread!
  • foxc_uk
    foxc_uk Posts: 1,292
    Just to add my twopennorth as a newbie and a lady....
    I picked up a HT diamondback for £100 in April as I had an idea about improving my fitness for my other hobbies (horse riding and snowboarding) I'd met a chap (but we were friends) who frequently joined me on my jaunts along Nottingham canal and around a local nature reserve.
    A girl snowboarding friend of mine invited us both out for a trip to ladybower and one of the routes up there... I did it, scared the crap out of myself but suddenly realised what my life had been missing - a hobby to do when there's no snow and no funds for horse riding, and a new challenge!
    Since then I've gotten better and better, and the aforementioned friend has encouraged me along the way, dropping hints and tips whenever I seemed to be struggling. One of the best things he does is goes tanking off, then stops somewhere and waits for me so I can go at my own pace, but know that he'll be somewhere up ahead on the trail.

    He's now my boyfriend (fairytale eh?!) and won't let me ride the old diamondback (problems with my shoulders thanks to falling off a horse and falling while snowboarding) and is always up for whatever adventures I care to suggest! even if it's just a blast along the canal.
    Twitterings
  • pheyonagh
    pheyonagh Posts: 13
    I had a bike and knew i liked cycling. Was mainly doing to and from work not that far and all road. Got chatting about bikes with a guy at work (who's now my boyfriend) He said get a mountain bike, i said ok. Ended up getting a full suss in the sale for £800. I'm easily persuaded to buy the fancy stuff.

    Boy said right, we're going out for a ride. I was dragged up Dumyat in Stirling, no pads, no decent biking shoes and barely enough water. With just a few words of advice, ' stand up with your pedals level, lean back and let your arms go lose, don't tense them up.' All i can say is i've never looked back since that day. I had no fear because i had no idea what was ahead, drop offs and bomb holes just made my smile bigger.

    I gained fear after falling off a few times the next couple of trips but i'm building more and more confince everytime i go out. I love going out biking!

    I guess it depends on the girl but i'm glad i wasn't given the softly softly approach, it made the whole experience so much more exciting and adrenline filled. If you're taking any chick out for the first, i guess the best thing is to not make her feel like a flump when she has to stop every 10 metres to catch her breath like i did.
  • ketka82
    ketka82 Posts: 63
    Getting a girl into mtbing is easy - tell her it will completely eradicate cellulite. And it does! 8)

    The other biggie is the bike itself. There's no point taking your bird out on a 200 quid abomination from Halfords while you zip up hills on your 9kg full carbon XC racing machine and then sit at the top yelling down "Come on, luv, you can do it!" as she pants and wheezes her way to the summit. I see so many guys doing this and I want to punch them. If you wouldn't ride it, don't put your bird on it!

    Fitness is another issue tied into the above. Mtbing does require a higher level of fitness and explosive power than other forms of cycling. If you're unfit, mtbing becomes just a glorified form of masochistic torture. Any new rider, male or female, should start off building basic fitness through other forms of cycling or very light off-road riding before hitting the harder trails. Otherwise, even the promise of no cellulite will soon turn sour!
  • Major Dan
    Major Dan Posts: 53
    miss notax wrote:
    Oh dear, i'm obviously one of the freakish exceptions then. I love mountain biking AND handbags.

    Although not at the same time.... :wink:

    Are you related to my "better half" (DW) by any chance? :lol:
  • Major Dan
    Major Dan Posts: 53
    ketka82 wrote:
    Getting a girl into mtbing is easy - tell her it will completely eradicate cellulite. And it does! 8)

    The other biggie is the bike itself. There's no point taking your bird out on a 200 quid abomination from Halfords while you zip up hills on your 9kg full carbon XC racing machine and then sit at the top yelling down "Come on, luv, you can do it!" as she pants and wheezes her way to the summit. I see so many guys doing this and I want to punch them. If you wouldn't ride it, don't put your bird on it!

    Fitness is another issue tied into the above. Mtbing does require a higher level of fitness and explosive power than other forms of cycling. If you're unfit, mtbing becomes just a glorified form of masochistic torture. Any new rider, male or female, should start off building basic fitness through other forms of cycling or very light off-road riding before hitting the harder trails. Otherwise, even the promise of no cellulite will soon turn sour!

    Hear, hear!

    If your bike is lighter/ better than hers, then do what I did, and swap all the light stuff onto hers to even things out. Makes a good workout for you, and her ride MUCH more enjoyable. :wink:

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