[Old Man G Funk]

I can't stand hearing "She rides like a guy". Why do we have to ride like guys in order to be respected? Why can't we ride like a girl and ride good and be respected for that?

Agreed.

On a side note, in rock climbing it is different. If someone tells me that I climb like a girl, I take it as a compliment. Usually guys are seen as climbers that rely on brute force and muscle their way up walls, while women are more stylish and smooth. Hence, climbing like a woman/girl means that you actually climb with technique, style, and ability.

Edit: Oh, and considering that I'm not a downhiller, I applaud all men and women who have the guts to do DH riding. Personally, I like going uphill much better.

 

[Old Man G Funk]

I am glad to see this thread has finally gotten some intelligent discussion. As for myself I prefer to not focus on how most men will be better than me because of their size/strength. That idea doesn't do my confidence any good nor the idea that we should compete in our own female categories. For some sports that is true - ie boxing or basketball comes to mind, but for others, women can compete - ie rock climbing. For me, women have really come to shine in rock climbing and there are outstanding women who are leading/freeing routes on a level with the best men. I like to think that this can be true in alot of aspects of biking, as long as, someone pointed out, we can get the correct-sized gear and clothing to work with!

I really don't see that women can't be as "ballsy" as the men but as someone pointed out, women generally haven't grown up being as physically active as men which consequently leads to a confidence in one's abilities and the tendency to take chances.

You got the rock climbing reference in just before me.

Our society has the urge to push women into being "feminine" and focusing on looks instead of being active. I hope that with the newer generation of female sports stars, like Mia Hamm, Cheryl Swoops, etc. that the tide will change. I think if that happens, we will see much more female participation in sports in general, which would hopefully lead to more/better representation in mtbing and in the media as well.

 

[redFoxx]

On a side note, in rock climbing it is different. If someone tells me that I climb like a girl, I take it as a compliment. Usually guys are seen as climbers that rely on brute force and muscle their way up walls, while women are more stylish and smooth. Hence, climbing like a woman/girl means that you actually climb with technique, style, and ability.

Also with climbing they're not encumbered by their equipment, other than a rack, or nothing as in sport climbing.

For instance, on our Monday night XC ride, I'm a girl riding with about 4 guys. The lightest guy is 168 lbs and I'm 135. My bike weighs 39 lbs (yes, it's a fatty hardtail), the same or more as the guys. So right there, I've got a weight handicap to deal with. No wonder I get behind on the pedaling!

 

[weimie]

Agreed.
Usually guys are seen as climbers that rely on brute force and muscle their way up walls, while women are more stylish and smooth. Hence, climbing like a woman/girl means that you actually climb with technique, style, and ability.

I think this can be seen in the riding as well. Alot of guys muscle their way through tough rock sections in a DH course/trail and women tend to find a good flowing line. I ride almost exclusively with guys and alot of times I can't ride the same lines they do, especially on really technical rock climbs on a XC trail. I can't muscle my way up and over big rocks as well so I'll choose a line that may be longer but it'll be more smooth....same goes with a technical rock descents. I look for the smoothest way through it, not the fastest. I want my riding to flow and I want to be in control. Doesn't mean I'm not as tough or ballsy as they are....just different

 

[redFoxx]

I ride almost exclusively with guys and alot of times I can't ride the same lines they do, especially on really technical rock climbs on a XC trail. I can't muscle my way up and over big rocks as well so I'll choose a line that may be longer but it'll be more smooth....same goes with a technical rock descents. I look for the smoothest way through it, not the fastest. I want my riding to flow and I want to be in control. Doesn't mean I'm not as tough or ballsy as they are....just different

I totally agree with that. You have to leverage your own strengths to advantage. I am always thinking about that when I ride as I'm inevitably thinking about how I can be better and yes, it means how I can get as good as or better than someone else.

 

[nervous_john]

Thanks ladies for makin' the point-
Women ride differently than men. I believe cupcake is looking to see specifically how so. Too bad there isn't all that much oppurtunity to really see women riding in mags and videos. The climbing example is a good one. You want to see how others with similiar bodies, strengths and weaknesses cope and handle.
As an added note I would like to apologize on behalf of my gender for all the neanderthal ass monkey comments that my fellow men have posted in this thread. It astounds me that thinking like that- and the women have their place thing by the way- still floats around. It's actually a bit revolting. It is your responsibility as women to shun men who posses that kind of sentiment whenever they allow it to rear its ugly head. That's right ladies- let them go dateless to the tractor pull, monster truck rally, football game, anything nascar related etc. They think guys are so great compared to women let them hang out in one giant man filled mullet clad sausage party.
Thanks to cupcake for sparking off a bit of lively discussion. I'll go rot my brain in the downhill forum now for my daily dose of iron horse sunday/your bike doesn't weigh 39 lbs/that bike design is flexy/that guy is stupid because he has 3.0 tires posts.

 

[dhchix]

It's not that I want to be as good as the guys, though I do on occasion envy their strengths and ability to throw caution to the wind. There is a lot to be gained from watching riders in general. However, there are other factors I as a rider have to contend with that aren't necessarily captured in a video of a 6ft twenty-something year old guy whose bike and armor are made to fit his stature. Though I can take some cues on basic form, ultimately I'm curious how a 5 foot thirty something is able to muscle her bike through rocks and other miscellaneous terrain on the mountain. Did anyone ever have to do that weird thing in grade school in which both the girls and boys had to lean their heads against the wall and lift a chair? Notice how the girls could always do it easily? Why was that? I think some here would have me believe it has something to do with my bra or hip size. We don't ride like guys (and it IS NOT because I've got ovaries and I most certainly don't need any Midol - talk about taking a step backwards, by the way). I do agree with John and perhaps that's what I'm looking for: someone like me doing stuff I'm afraid of.

Cupcake:
That is why we have Mud Hunnies. Who needs videos when we have each other for inspiration. That is why I like this forum because I know if I need some encouragement or wanted to share my story I would have women to turn to that understand my issues. You're not the only one out there riding stuff that scares the crap out of them or being throw from your bike and then getting back up to do it again. We shouldn't focus on who is or isn't getting media coverage but what we can take away from our own experiences.

 

[sunnerbeanmtb]

I want to give mudgrrl the award of the year for being amazing! Your posts were awesome! put those small minded, hypocritical people in their places!!!
Thank you mudgrrl and all the other females here on muddhunnies for being my personal hero!

 

[redFoxx]

I believe cupcake is looking to see specifically how so. Too bad there isn't all that much oppurtunity to really see women riding in mags and videos. The climbing example is a good one. You want to see how others with similiar bodies, strengths and weaknesses cope and handle.

Ya, every time I watch a video I wonder the same thing. Where are the women and I am so disappointed when they do have someone like Hannah Hannah (is that really her name now???) and she'll be shown doing some move, then they have to film the obligatory take-the-helmet-off and shake the hair move...because I guess just watching her do a biking move isn't interesting enough. That's why I wished all the Mud Hunnies could live near me and we could go riding because whenever I'm out riding I'm usually wondering Where Are The Other Girls and why aren't they doing this fun stuff? To overcome this, I have to think about other sports like climbing or snowboarding where you're now getting more women competing and being visible in the sport so I think, well we'll get there!

 

[weimie]

That's why I wished all the Mud Hunnies could live near me and we could go riding because whenever I'm out riding

Sigh.....In a perfect world

 

[TreeSaw]

Yeah! This thread has certainly taken a turn for the better

 

[amydalayna]

Yeah! This thread has certainly taken a turn for the better

i agree. i think only in mudhunnies can a thread that starts off with saying that the girls in bike videos should be HOT girls has turned to something so positive.

on another note... which girl here is going to start the girl's based bike video? anyone here seen the snowboarding videos put out by chunky knit?
http://chunkyknit.com/go/home/
They are great movies created and starring girl snowboarders with killer soundtracks. They capture the soul of riding. About a bunch of girls traveling together to ride together in iceland, russia, etc....

I think biking needs a similar collaboration.

 

[amydalayna]

i know it's snow and not bikes... but here it is for anyone interested:
http://lastwinter.chunkyknit.com/

 

[Old Man G Funk]

You're not the only one out there riding stuff that scares the crap out of them or being throw from your bike and then getting back up to do it again.

And us guys get scared sometimes on the bike too, so don't think that we are always flying balls to the wall without a care. It's all part of learning where your abilities lie, how to improve those abilities, and then ripping it up.

 

[Old Man G Funk]

As an added note I would like to apologize on behalf of my gender for all the neanderthal ass monkey comments that my fellow men have posted in this thread. It astounds me that thinking like that- and the women have their place thing by the way- still floats around. It's actually a bit revolting. It is your responsibility as women to shun men who posses that kind of sentiment whenever they allow it to rear its ugly head. That's right ladies- let them go dateless to the tractor pull, monster truck rally, football game, anything nascar related etc. They think guys are so great compared to women let them hang out in one giant man filled mullet clad sausage party.

Bravo.

It's nice to meet another male feminist!

 

[MudGrrl]

OMGF and John... we need to get you two guys a t-shirt

 

[TreeSaw]

i agree. i think only in mudhunnies can a thread that starts off with saying that the girls in bike videos should be HOT girls has turned to something so positive.

Definitely...If this were in any other forum, I would have locked the thread after the first weenie post I had hoped things would go uphill from the first couple of responses and they did.

 

[redFoxx]

i know it's snow and not bikes... but here it is for anyone interested:
http://lastwinter.chunkyknit.com/

That is a great video and they are really talented! Finally, seeing girls getting big air - even though it's snow and looks like alot nicer landing if you crash...

I admit I kept holding my breath waiting for the obligatory take-off-the-hat-and shake-the-hair moment, but NO it didn't happen.

Definitely need something like this for biking.

 

[amydalayna]

What I still can't figure out is why girls are so close to guys talent-wise with snow, but not biking. Isn't biking more accessible? I dunno. I can't figure it out.

I think it just has to do with the numbers. More girls snowboard which raises the level of talent. If more girls biked, it would raise the bar. Maybe????

 

[redFoxx]

What I still can't figure out is why girls are so close to guys talent-wise with snow, but not biking. Isn't biking more accessible? I dunno. I can't figure it out.

I think it just has to do with the numbers. More girls snowboard which raises the level of talent. If more girls biked, it would raise the bar. Maybe????

Because I don't want to be discouraged, I prefer to think that our sport DH/FR is relatively new and women getting into it are so far lagging. This is definitely true in my local area. As far as talent, I can see that in XC racing we'd be lagging because there's more strength involved in the pedaling but I see no reason why we can't go big and do great things in FR or gravity-assist riding.

Snowboarding became really hot, especially with it becoming part of the winter olympics. Hey, we just need to get into the Olympics...

 

[weimie]

I think it may be because snowboarding/skiing has more exposure than biking does. We see more girls snowboarding/skiing on tv and we get to see what they are doing. Since we see more girls on tv snowboarding, the younger girls get exposure to it at a younger age and they want to try it. And I think it's easier for parents to get the kids involved in snowboarding/skiing rather than biking.

But that's what we can do when we have kids....expose them to what we love to do and the future of the sport grows. Encourage our little girls to ride bikes and get muddy

 

[jrbbikerx]

girls throwing down on bikes...

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Crankworx-2007-Gala-Freeride-entertainment-2007.html

 

[SPINTECK]

Get out there and make video!!!! Right now the only stuff I find on the web is done by teenage guys and men. The best stuff is on Australian sites like Farkin.net, but even then it's guys. Once a demand for female vids is up, real sponsored video will follow. Perhaps some talented female riders should talk to Clay, Bjorn or Hampton and ask for a segment in an upcoming video.

Hannah Hannah is a spectacular female rider and I wonder why she is not in many films ( i think she's in a few Match Videozines).

Snow boards are much cheaper than DH bikes, maybe the DH price tag is a big hurdle to young women??

Either way, get out, film and post your stuff!

 

[tronfnknblows]

For instance, on our Monday night XC ride, I'm a girl riding with about 4 guys. The lightest guy is 168 lbs and I'm 135. My bike weighs 39 lbs (yes, it's a fatty hardtail), the same or more as the guys. So right there, I've got a weight handicap to deal with. No wonder I get behind on the pedaling!

You shouldn't use your equipment as an excuse! First off- if your bike is too heavy for you, build it appropriately (or just deal with it, but don't use it as your reason for not being able to push through something). Secondly, just because you have a heavy bike doesn't mean it isn't pedalable. I'm a fairly small girl and have a 40 lb medium travel bike (single 34 tooth ring up front) that I use for trail riding, I can still outride almost all of the guys that I've ever ridden with, especially on the uphill.

 

[tronfnknblows]

I'd first like to point out that this was originally posted up with regards to Roam. The funny thing about Roam is the point of the movie is that biking is about the journey, not the destination (at least, that's how they intro the movie). It's about going out there and giving it, not necessarily about being the best. Women can do that just as well as men. So there is absolutely no reason why there couldn't have been women in there- except maybe that there are not that many 'pro' women out there who are easily accessible for filming.

I agree that there should be more footage/filming of women. Just b/c women ride differently then men doesn't mean they shouldn't be showcased. There is a market out there for women, and you can certainly see that its a growing one (look at how many women you see out at places like whistler these days). We just need some people to tap into it.

 

[tmx]

girls throwing down on bikes...

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Crankworx-2007-Gala-Freeride-entertainment-2007.html

Badass rock steady betties shredding!!!!! Gives me goosebumps. Makes me want to go out and ride, RIGHT NOW!!!!! Congrats to Clare Bouchar. And it looks like one of my mentors, Gale Dahlager took second in pro betties.

Yo cupcake, get your ass in here and check out the pinkbike link from Whistler.

 

[redFoxx]

You shouldn't use your equipment as an excuse! First off- if your bike is too heavy for you, build it appropriately (or just deal with it, but don't use it as your reason for not being able to push through something). Secondly, just because you have a heavy bike doesn't mean it isn't pedalable. I'm a fairly small girl and have a 40 lb medium travel bike (single 34 tooth ring up front) that I use for trail riding, I can still outride almost all of the guys that I've ever ridden with, especially on the uphill.

Ha ha, I was going to reply and say good job, you tell her and then I saw that you were replying to my old thread! The joke is on me...:huh:

You're right, absolutely right. I tend to use excuses like that. When I'm in shape I can get ahead of those dudes, but I'm an uphill weenie these days...

Glad to see this thread revisited!

 

[Cupcake]

Those photos are amazing! Super inspiring, especially seeing some of those girls throwing a bit of style while getting air. I working on not being afraid of what seem like roads to nowhere (aka blind mini drops—I can't ever seem to remember what things look like for landing) and getting air, and sometimes it seems like such an impossible hurdle to overcome.

Just when I was thinking that it didn't seem like much was happening around here, I see it's alive, and very well.

 

[Cupcake]

I'd first like to point out that this was originally posted up with regards to Roam. The funny thing about Roam is the point of the movie is that biking is about the journey, not the destination (at least, that's how they intro the movie). It's about going out there and giving it, not necessarily about being the best.


Funny, I never thought of it that way, but so right on. Too bad they don't really stick to their own premise.

 

[jrbbikerx]

I'm working on not being afraid of what seem like roads to nowhere (aka blind mini drops—I can't ever seem to remember what things look like for landing) and getting air, and sometimes it seems like such an impossible hurdle to overcome

just do it without thinking about it and you'll be fine - DO NOT, repeat DO NOT look at a drop for too long or you'll psyche yourself out

just watch a few people do it and then just hit it!

 

[SPINTECK]

When I first started doing drops, I would follow a friend off.

 

[redFoxx]

just do it without thinking about it and you'll be fine - DO NOT, repeat DO NOT look at a drop for too long or you'll psyche yourself out

just watch a few people do it and then just hit it!

You do need to turn off the thinking before you go over and then it's a "Oh I hope this turns out" moment but you should scope out the tranny and see where you want to land, if you can. And standing at the top and looking down is not good...just makes it look steeper.

Following people you trust is good too! Then you can guage the speed you need to hit the sweet spot.

 

[Cupcake]

I just get so paranoid that I'll subconsciously tap the breaks at the last minute. So a lot of times I have to go with the death grip. I trust the bike and not myself sometimes. But riding off after someone does help, though I really need to figure out how to gauge things on my own. I guess it's step by baby step. I can never seem to remember how much speed to hit things, from what distance, etc.
If there was a way to switch off this over-working cranium, it'd be nice. I'm learning.

 

[jrbbikerx]

I just get so paranoid that I'll subconsciously tap the breaks at the last minute. So a lot of times I have to go with the death grip. I trust the bike and not myself sometimes.

1. Doing a brake check is okay before a drop, but not so much so that it A. scrubs all your speed and causes you to miss the tranny B. Forces you to pull up like crazy on the bars. A little speed on some drops makes them seem almost effortless versus having to throw your body in all different positions to keep the front of the bike from nose diving. Consciously remind yourself about not braking and it'll go away with time.

2. YOU control the bike, not vice versa - nothing good ever comes from a death grip. Get out of the habbit of doing that. Let the bike float in your hands and trust your ability and it'll make riding a lot easier / more enjoyable.

 

[tmx]

Great advice!

 

[bent^biker]

airprentice had a girl this year, just thought I'd throw that in