[dirttastesgood]

So my girlfriend picks up sports really easily. She started gymnastics this year and was competing on the varsity team in a week so I think she could pick up biking pretty easily. She likes try ride my 4x/DS/DJ bike around but is deathly afraid of my 224 and won't go near anything thats not paved. Any suggestions.
P.S. Jcook will chime in soon saying that I just want her to ride so that I can borrow the bottle rocket her parents will end up buying for it and I can't deny that I would like that.

 

[jimmydean]

I left her ass at home. After a while, she decided to come along.

<edit> I used to go to races alone, but she heard there were hot chicks there, so she will be with me this year.

 

[stinkyboy]

She started gymnastics this year and was competing on the varsity team in a week

Yea, she'll prolly be racing pro downhill before next week too.

 

[Quo Fan]

I didn't have to. We met in the woods.

 

[Heidi]

In my case it's "How did you get your husband to try biking?"

No seriously though, you could just start off with some fireroads and really really tame stuff.

 

[DirtMcGirk]

I bought mine her own bikes.
Then I let guilt ride the wave for me

 

[dirttastesgood]

Yea, she'll prolly be racing pro downhill before next week too.

Hey, she could race pro at Diablo and get 3rd.

She's going to the U.S. Open with her family this year.

Wait, there are hot girls at races? There's milfs but thats about it.

 

[I Are Baboon]

She was a mountain biker before we met.

 

[Arkayne]

She wanted something comfy and fast so I got her a extra small Giant Trance 2 and put some some slicks on it. She loves it!

 

[jimmydean]

Also, I bike with my daughter more than my wife. If I could get a tag-a-long for my wife, she might ride more.

 

[ire]

My wife likes to ride her road bike some, other than that she runs support at the races.....works much better that way Shes a pro in the cross pits and at hand offs during XC races

 

[DirtMcGirk]

Buy her shoes.
And a high school line backer.

She'll do anything you ask after that.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

My chick started riding with me when we first started dating 14 years ago. She went over the bars and hung up the MTB. I find it good, now I can just ride with my buddies and have a wife bashing fiesta

 

[pinkshirtphotos]

i dont want my girl to ride. i like my alone time in the woods.

 

[jimmydean]

i dont want my girl to ride. i like my alone time in the woods.

I get lots of alone time in the woods when I ride with the wife, until she catches up after I've stopped for a break.

 

[dirttastesgood]

Buy her shoes.
And a high school line backer.

She'll do anything you ask after that.

She's already got a retired WR and CB. I quit to bike so don't give me crap for quiting. I'll buy her a pair of 5.10's.

PSP stop lying we all know that picture was some ugly british chick not your girlfriend

 

[Prettym1k3]

I found an old classic Huffy (one of the nice ones) at one of the 11 properties that I used to manage. We were cleaning out the bike racks for the first time in 5 years. We cut the lock, and I took it home and cleaned it up.

It's a size too large for her, but it's still a very, VERY small frame. She hates it.

I tried. I failed.

All aboard...

 

[DirtMcGirk]

The time in the woods with the wife in lycra has its benefit moments.

 

[dap]

I brought my gf with me awhile back and she was very nervous too (probably didn't help it was more difficult terrain either). She did ok but didn't find it fun enough to go back. Then I got her to help out with trail maintanence and she just wanted to camp while I was riding. She ended up meeting a girl who brought her up to the mtn and showed her a few things and that gave her incentive. So what is the moral: start her off very slow and explain the small things (like the ones you have forgotten because they are so natural).

 

[Mr Big]

i did a lot of group rides where we would end up drinking after the ride. at first she would just bring us pizza and beer after the ride, but soon could not resist the pressure from the other female riders. it was so good then

 

[eaterofdog]

"Get on the bike!"

 

[skatetokil]

Hey, she could race pro at Diablo and get 3rd.

She's going to the U.S. Open with her family this year.

Wait, there are hot girls at races? There's milfs but thats about it.

Lots of cougars.

 

[ire]

I get lots of alone time in the woods when I ride with the wife, until she catches up after I've stopped for a break.

When you get tired of her talking, do you put the hammer down and drop her?

 

[SPINTECK]

my wife faked it at the time and stopped when we got married. So now she's just making babies, which are probably mine.


Just be careful, the older I get I realize our sport isn't for everyone and I don't want to be responsible when someone gets hurt, especially an innoncent girlfriend (a stripper girlfriend, not so much)

 

[dirttastesgood]

When you get tired of her talking, do you put the hammer down and drop her?

Nah that's when you tell her to go down.

 

[Total Heckler]

I have been trying to figure out the best way to have my girlfriend try it.

She used to ride dirt bikes with her ex and she loved it. She only didn't like going downhill on the dirt bike because it was hard to control (understandable when you are girl sized). Since dh on a bike is MUCH different than going downhill on a dirt bike, it makes me think she would pick up dh riding pretty quickly and probably end up liking it.

I just need to figure out the best way to get her started. One problem I have found with a little subtle research is that she isn't really into the idea of pedaling much (like xc, am, etc - one of the drawbacks of coming from dirt bikes, you get spoiled just moving the wrist).

This last summer I talked her into getting a cruiser to get her more comfortable on a bike. She loves it and we try to ride at least once a week.

The next step I think is borrowing someones small DH bike so she can get an idea of how nice a full suspension bike can be. Then finding a mellow shuttle-able dh trail to get her comfortable on.

Obvious issue, I don't want her to get hurt. She is tough, but I would feel really awful if I got her hurt.

I really think she could get into it. If not, she can just keep being supportive and come to a race here and there.

What do you guys think? Suggestions?

 

[jonKranked]

"Get on the bike!"

 

[Arkayne]

Is that a metal pipe?!

 

[DirtyMike]

My chick started riding with me when we first started dating 14 years ago. She went over the bars and hung up the MTB. I find it good, now I can just ride with my buddies and have a wife bashing fiesta

Damn, you took the words right out of my mouth. Only for My wife it was eight years ago, bought her an XC bike to et her started, she crashed OTB and broke her elbow..... Told me to sell the bike, and not to try and get her to try it again

 

[TreeSaw]

I have been trying to figure out the best way to have my girlfriend try it.

She used to ride dirt bikes with her ex and she loved it. She only didn't like going downhill on the dirt bike because it was hard to control (understandable when you are girl sized). Since dh on a bike is MUCH different than going downhill on a dirt bike, it makes me think she would pick up dh riding pretty quickly and probably end up liking it.

I just need to figure out the best way to get her started. One problem I have found with a little subtle research is that she isn't really into the idea of pedaling much (like xc, am, etc - one of the drawbacks of coming from dirt bikes, you get spoiled just moving the wrist).

This last summer I talked her into getting a cruiser to get her more comfortable on a bike. She loves it and we try to ride at least once a week.

The next step I think is borrowing someones small DH bike so she can get an idea of how nice a full suspension bike can be. Then finding a mellow shuttle-able dh trail to get her comfortable on.

Obvious issue, I don't want her to get hurt. She is tough, but I would feel really awful if I got her hurt.

I really think she could get into it. If not, she can just keep being supportive and come to a race here and there.

What do you guys think? Suggestions?

Sounds like you're on the right track (especially with not pushing her and looking for the right sized bike to try out). You might want to try to get her together with some other women that ride or have some other beginners around her too. Sometimes it's daunting knowing that your guy is left waiting for you or worrying about you.

 

[TreeSaw]

So my girlfriend picks up sports really easily. She started gymnastics this year and was competing on the varsity team in a week so I think she could pick up biking pretty easily. She likes try ride my 4x/DS/DJ bike around but is deathly afraid of my 224 and won't go near anything thats not paved. Any suggestions.
P.S. Jcook will chime in soon saying that I just want her to ride so that I can borrow the bottle rocket her parents will end up buying for it and I can't deny that I would like that.

First, don't push her to try things if she isn't ready. If she isn't ready for trails yet, ride the roads and even a dirt road or bike path first. When she's more comfortable, take her to a very tame place (double track or very basic singletrack) and encourage her. Don't make her feel like she's way behind or falling behind, but don't baby her. I love it when my husband mocks me when we're riding now, but I didn't when I started. Also, try to make sure the bike she rides isn't too big for her. That should get you started.

 

[skatetokil]

The problem I'm running up against with my gf is that she's good to go on basic XC singletrack, even some pretty hard stuff, because she has good natural balance and athletic ability. Unfortunately, she's having a hard time making the leap into more technical riding because of a couple of skills she hasn't put time into developing. Basically the only thing I can tell her when it comes to manuals/bunnyhops/cornering is to do it a million times until it's automatic, but that doesn't seem to be a satisfactory answer.

I also made the mistake of talking up fr/dh riding as a totally separate and foreign discipline when she first got into biking, and it's coming back to bite me when I try to show her new stuff. Her basic position is "I don't want to ride dh because I don't like to go fast." I'm trying to convince her that riding resorts or shuttle runs isn't necessarily about going super fast, it's about feeling in control and having fun even on challenging trails.

 

[Sherpa]

My chick started riding with me when we first started dating 14 years ago. She went over the bars and hung up the MTB. I find it good, now I can just ride with my buddies and have a wife bashing fiesta

Why someone would want their significant other to ride is beyond me

 

[HAB]

A guy I ride with got his GF to ride with him, and within 100 yards, she'd crashed and dislocated her shoulder. She healed up, got back on the bike, and is getting more and more into it.

 

[geargrrl]

The problem I'm running up against with my gf is that she's good to go on basic XC singletrack, even some pretty hard stuff, because she has good natural balance and athletic ability. Unfortunately, she's having a hard time making the leap into more technical riding because of a couple of skills she hasn't put time into developing. Basically the only thing I can tell her when it comes to manuals/bunnyhops/cornering is to do it a million times until it's automatic, but that doesn't seem to be a satisfactory answer.

I also made the mistake of talking up fr/dh riding as a totally separate and foreign discipline when she first got into biking, and it's coming back to bite me when I try to show her new stuff. Her basic position is "I don't want to ride dh because I don't like to go fast." I'm trying to convince her that riding resorts or shuttle runs isn't necessarily about going super fast, it's about feeling in control and having fun even on challenging trails.

She sounds like a perfect candidate for a skills camp.
A camp gets you out of the equation too - that relationship dynamic isn't always the greatest for teacher/student situations.

I know when I went to camp, got skills broken down into the bare components, and explained to me WHY you do certain things - my riding skills took off. They then built the skills back up once you understood them. It's not for everyone, but I certainly learn better this way.

My hubby's a thrasher, he gets it all intuitively. Not me.

gg

 

[ire]

my wife faked it at the time and stopped when we got married. So now she's just making babies, which are probably mine.

Maury can help you

 

[geargrrl]

Why someone would want their significant other to ride is beyond me

I bought my hubby a Kona Dawg Supreme last fall. That's why you get you wife involved.

gg

 

[skatetokil]

She sounds like a perfect candidate for a skills camp.
A camp gets you out of the equation too - that relationship dynamic isn't always the greatest for teacher/student situations.

I know when I went to camp, got skills broken down into the bare components, and explained to me WHY you do certain things - my riding skills took off. They then built the skills back up once you understood them. It's not for everyone, but I certainly learn better this way.

My hubby's a thrasher, he gets it all intuitively. Not me.

gg

Makes some sense. I'm going to keep my eyes open over the summer.

 

[dan wask]

She ended up meeting a girl who brought her up to the mtn and showed her a few things and that gave her incentive.

Good god that sounds hot.

 

[Quo Fan]

When you ride together, make sure you ride BEHIND her. One reason is the obvious view, the other is so you can coach her from behind and you will know if she crashes.