mikyu

As a fellow female mechanic, it makes me laugh when a guy comes in asking to talk to a mechanic, and then you tell them they are talking to one. I find it kinda funny to see how they recover from that...haha

As I girl who not only rides, but also works in a bike shop, I can see this. I myself just recently got into mountain biking last summer, before that I was all road and I had no interest in mountain biking whatsoever. Most (not all) of the women who I see come into the shop I work at are looking to bike more casually, as a way to stay in shape or go on easy simple rides somewhere with friends. I feel that mountain biking can be really intimidating, I still feel that. I am fortunate enough that I can convince the guys I work with to go ride with me, because I don't really feel comfortable riding the trails by myself yet. And in an area where there aren't many female riders, I can see how that would affect women wanting to get into the sport. Oh, and guys judge women in biking all the time. In two weeks, I have heard at least three comments to my face (and who knows how many not) about my wrenching ability/bike knowledge while working in the shop. Just because a girl works at a shop, don't assume that she is just there to work the cash register.