My wife is faster than her friends, has fun, and doesn't ride with me because i am too solicitous. I worry too much. I also give too much advice. Even so, we laughed like crazy at the video. She said: "that's why i hate most girls." Perfect.
@Gla55Brakr you're taking this the wrong way, its not that I think she (or girls in general) aren't capable of riding downhill. I would just feel awful if I took her riding with me and she wrecked and got hurt or broke something.
@masonkona - ouch, you introduced her to MTB at Buck? You're a brave one. Hardwood Fun and Crank'd might've been a safer bet - for your long term health.
@A-Nay3186 I'm not sure but i have heard that people are responsible for themselves. as long as you don't put a gun to her head and tell her to ride something she isn't capable of i think your conscience can be clear if she fall's. I understand you may worry but let her enjoy the things we also enjoy.
I fail to see how letting someone live life taking the risks they choose is abuse of trust. Of course you shouldn't put any pressure someone else to do something risky. but if they want to, you have very little right to deny them the same fun you have.
You know the trail and she does not: ergo you know the risk and she does not. She trusts you to either properly evaluate her skill and match the risk to it, or sufficiently warn her so she can decide. You are right. You do fail to see.
At some point you were also learning and riding unknown trails... Maybe following someone who knew the trail, maybe not. Its the same for girls... We dont need to be sheltered and we will learn the same way you did. My point it we are not made of glass, we will fall and get marks but in the end it is our choice.
@michaelhoulden haha I know, but she was fine on the double track and a few "one hoofer" trails. It's very close to where I live.. she did have a nasty fall but I'm still alive to tell the tale!
But you can either take it easy on a new trail or ask advice, or both. If you plan to stick together and you ride hard to keep up you can get hurt. I warn newbs if a trail is hard, and even give a tour so they don't get mangled if they want. My brother busted a clavicle chasing a pro on a jump line. It partly was his own fault since he could have gone smaller (trying to impress the other guy), but the guy he was chasing felt bad for not warning him about the launches ahead. You let someone think it is an easy trail and then take them to gnar then the blood is on you. Gla55Brakr, don't make it a sexism issue. Look at my argument. If it were not true there would be no green circle, blue square, black diamond ratings. They'd just expect you to figure it out.
@taletotell well its pretty standard to let someone know if there are any big things on the trial if you have done it before but not mandatory. when riding a trail you should both go at your own pace within your limits and the faster rider waits at the bottom. if i ride out of my ability and crash trying to keep up that makes it all my fault. and it's a sexism issue that i was discussing. if you would allow a man to do it but not a woman, that is sexism.
Nobody is being sexist at all? Like I HAVE ALREADY SAID it's not that we think girls are not capable we (or maybe just I) would just rather not see our girlfriends get hurt doing something that was our idea. Nobody is being sexist quit blowing things out of proportion.
sorry i may have misinterpreted your post saying "I refuse to let my girlfriend ride downhill" as you will not let her ride even if she wanted to, rather than you wouldn't actively promote riding DH to her.
29ers had huge hype. I bet millions of pounds went into designing and producing many sets. For very few people to take up the new fashion! I hate 29 inch wheels. Have I rode them? Nope. I choose not to jump into what's personally believe will be a short lived design when there is not wrong with 26. I love 26". And I bet any woman would too. Haha.
I got my boyfriend into riding. He started with a trail bike, and it was pretty fun. Went to whistler, he rented a Glory and a few months later he tells me, "I think I want to build a DH bike". My heart went pitter patter and it has been rad ever since.
From a girls perspective, being a happy riding couple can totally work when the egos aren't present.
Multiple times, in groups and as a couple, I've seen females have breakdowns, crying (& not from a crash), all worked up & flustered, or even just complaining about being too sweaty/sore/tired/bloated/slow/ and/or the trail being too hard/technical/steep/too much climbing/roots&rocks/mud/dust/etc.... To their credit, I've also ridden with plenty of females that've never had a breakdown and never complain. They charge up and down anything and practice and improve. Props to them for showing that women can do it too & shred hard.
been there done that, many times over, I'll never learn, I must suffer from bad ride amnesia, works the same in the winter.
Teaching your dog to be your trail buddy is so much easier, and quieter....
That aside, my wife has taken to riding after I got her really comfy on her road bike for doing triathalons a few years ago and now she's actually able to ride trails with me and it's GREAT. She's about ready for a better bike and possibly even a full squish, but it's SO great to get out on the trail with her. It's not like I'm trying to ride with the guys, we don;t worry about going fast as much, and if she falls behind I'm happy to slow down and loop back for her. It's a different kind of riding, but it's still great in my eyes.
Were you guys tailing me when I was mountain biking with my boyfriend? :p Glad to know I'm not the only girl who feels frustrated sometimes! In the defence of girlfriends out there: At least we are trying! But seriously, guys, if you want to introduce your gf to your sport and take her along with you, don't chuck her on a black slope and race down like it's competition day! We all need to start somewhere, and it really doesn't help when we can barely get our butts down the hill and feel like a loser all day. You might have started mountain biking when you were 15 and had no concept of death, but starting in your late 20s or 30s, and having low levels of testosterone, sometimes is a bit of a hindrance. There are girls who shred, but I'm sure they didn't reach that level overnight. Heading out for a mountain biking day is still a frustrating process for me, because I hate being left way way way behind and not being able to do what you just did makes me feel like I'm really lousy (which I am, and I have way too high expectations of myself, hence the frustration). But each day out, I'm getting just that little bit better, and maybe a little bit faster, and that little bit of improvement feels great. I don't think I'll ever be able to keep up with my bf, but I hope I won't be too far behind in the future. His waiting skills are also improving If you're not willing to sit out the beginner stage, either don't introduce the sport at all or find her a good skills coaching class. And when she gets better, you'll have a biking partner till you're 60.
Took my fiancé on her first singletrack ride last weekend. I was worried, but she ended up setting a few "Queen of the Mountain"s on Strava and threatening my fastest times on the climbs. If I hadn't already proposed, I would have done so then. Now, if I can just get her into downhill....
Best video ever! In the bathroom laughing out loud, wife thinking I'm crazy at 5:30 in the morning... Way better than a seq. sat brain dump, thinking of something witty to say to win a pack... Not jumping through the pinkbike hoop today
foxinsocks, you've got yourself a keeper there - what a good sport!
SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) likes the idea of riding, surfing, hiking, anything really, and will happily give them a go. She's a bit like newborn bambi but she tries. And that's all that matters!
This was nothing, child's play compared to the first and last couples ride I ever went on. I was being yelled at while her bike was being tossed when my friends rolled up.
Awesome vid. Fortunately my girl rips hard, rides the black diamond trails and never complains. Well except maybe a little bit when I get us lost and we have a long hike a bike
When the misses and I were first dating I told her if she doesn't ski or ride we probably won't last long. She picked up my sports! She doesn't keep up but she always has a good showing and has a good time. Kept her preggo for last couple years which has cut into her riding time unfortunately.
I loved this video even more so because my partner introduced me to it. He was like the 'male' in the video but through shear perseverance on both our parts :-), we now ride equally across the trails. Thank you for making us laugh out loud and realising how far we have both travelled!!!!
Maybe that's why I 've never been on a couples ride, all my ex's never rode a bike,or didn't even know how to. Ah well, that's what riding buddies are for.
I ride with friends. I miss riding with a boyfriend …sort of. Well maybe not so much. But the one guy I date who rode is ridiculously awesome at riding so it pushed me to get better and I did and continue to ….alone
As much as I appreciate the compliments, when I get off the trail and a guy says to me "Whoa, I'm impressed. You were really shredding out there..." I usually want to say "yea, I was thinking the same thing about you..."
My girl got herself a trek, then got on it and asked "how do you get it started?" and "where's the kickstand?" Needless to say she road it straight into a bush. Bikes been sitting in garage ever sense
I would like to say that my wife wrote all that ^^^^ up there, and this video is so her well the guy part, but she is getting better at riding THANK GOD.
Even so, we laughed like crazy at the video. She said: "that's why i hate most girls."
Perfect.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/9746793
You are right. You do fail to see.
You let someone think it is an easy trail and then take them to gnar then the blood is on you.
Gla55Brakr, don't make it a sexism issue. Look at my argument. If it were not true there would be no green circle, blue square, black diamond ratings. They'd just expect you to figure it out.
From a girls perspective, being a happy riding couple can totally work when the egos aren't present.
Hilarious video!
To their credit, I've also ridden with plenty of females that've never had a breakdown and never complain. They charge up and down anything and practice and improve. Props to them for showing that women can do it too & shred hard.
That aside, my wife has taken to riding after I got her really comfy on her road bike for doing triathalons a few years ago and now she's actually able to ride trails with me and it's GREAT. She's about ready for a better bike and possibly even a full squish, but it's SO great to get out on the trail with her. It's not like I'm trying to ride with the guys, we don;t worry about going fast as much, and if she falls behind I'm happy to slow down and loop back for her. It's a different kind of riding, but it's still great in my eyes.
Hahahaha.
This whole film made my day. Nice one!
I think its something in the water lol
My girlfriend didnt whine half as much... maybe im doing something wrong.
www.pinkbike.com/video/299400
Nice spin on things. i'm gonna ride now. alone.
i meant this one
www.pinkbike.com/video/306936
SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) likes the idea of riding, surfing, hiking, anything really, and will happily give them a go. She's a bit like newborn bambi but she tries. And that's all that matters!
dont mind if i use it i hope
I swear some of that was word for word.
How sounds the laugh.....I never think on that its funny...