Girls – Seven Reasons You Should Start Mountain Biking

Ladies. Recently I’ve been writing about how men can get their women into mountain biking, but ultimately the decision on whether or not to ride is up to you. Thirteen years ago I had a disastrous start into the sport of mountain biking, but I kept at it because I knew it was fun and would keep me in shape. Below are the top seven reasons you should at least consider getting into the saddle. Trust me, the benefits extend beyond mountain biking.

Reason 1 You’ll get fit.
Mountain biking is sustained aerobic exercise, akin to cross-country skiing. You’ll slim down, harden up, and glow. I never look better than in summer, when I tend to ride a few times a week. Friends usually remark, “You look great.” Wouldn’t it be nice to hear that? A lot?

Reason 2 You’ll build confidence.
The learning curve can be steep, but once you start clearing obstacles that used to scare you, you’ll have a renewed sense of accomplishment. These obstacles can include clearing a section of trail, conquering a long climb, or mastering a series of switchbacks. The first time you conquer a climb that used to take two or three rest stops, you’ll start to see tangible results of your hard work. This sense of accomplishment will easily translate into other areas of your life. Obstacles become something to overcome, not shy away from.

Reason 3 It’s a social thing.
After years of riding with males and a short stint as a racer, I have come to love and appreciate my female riding partners. Book groups, happy hours, and girls’ nights out fulfill our need to interact with our own kind, but there’s no reason you can’t catch up on the gossip or share feelings on a ride. Girl rides are social outings—lots of picture-taking, chatting, and munching on goodies, and recovering. There’s no pressure. Having fun takes precedence over performing.

Reason 4 Mountain biking vacations are awesome.
Mountain biking naturally lends itself to beautiful scenery. Mountain panoramas, ancient trees, and striking rock formations are the daily norm. You’ll see more animals in a day than Disney can cram into its summer blockbuster. Work in a hot tub or soak in a hot spring for post-ride recovery and you’ll feel rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready for the next day’s ride. Upon your return to life, others will remark, “You must have had a great vacation. You look great. And relaxed.” (See Reason 1.)

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How to Keep Your Girl Riding (and Retain Domestic Bliss)

Congratulations. You’ve cleared the first hurdle and taken your girl on her first mountain bike ride, and she’s still speaking to you. Nice job.

Maybe you made an agreement: she tries mountain biking, and you’ll try scrapbooking. Maybe she’s wanted to get into riding all along but was too scared. Maybe you followed my advice. Maybe, just maybe, she really likes it. The question is: How do you keep her riding?

Below are five more tips on how to keep her on the trail and your relationship solid.

Tip #1 Repetition removes resistance.
Resist the urge to move your girl to an intermediate ride. It’ll bore you to tears, but you need to keep the technical and aerobic challenge levels the same so she can progress at her own pace. This pace will seem glacial to you. Be patient. She’ll let you know when she’s ready to move up.

Tip #2 You’re her mechanic.
Don’t burden her, in the early stages of the learning curve, with knowing how to adjust her cables or even put her front wheel on properly. Check her bike before every ride. Yes, eventually she will have to learn how to fix a flat and lube her chain, but remember she probably didn’t grow up tinkering with her dad in the garage like you did. Cut her some slack.

Tip #3 Continue to watch your language.
As your lady becomes more comfortable on her bike, encourage her to push her limits. Do it carefully, though. If you notice she’s walking her bike over the same rocky patch, encourage her this way, “Great job looking twelve feet in front of you while riding. Keep doing that when you come up on rocks, and you’ll glide over them.” Compliment, then encourage. Sorry, but we’re delicate creatures.

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How to Get Your Girl to Ride (Without Her Dumping You)

Lucky you. After years of agonizing bachelordom you finally found a great girl. She understands your need to control the universe of the remote. She doesn’t nag you about the toilet seat. She’s a gourmet cook. Maybe she even enjoys Sportscenter. She’s athletic and beautiful and sexy and she loves you.

But she doesn’t ride. Why not?

Maybe she’s not comfortable on a bike. Or maybe she’s comfortable on a bike but has visited you in the emergency room too many times. Could be some past boyfriend ruined any chance of her ever riding again. Probably she thinks mountain biking is too hard core.

But wouldn’t it be great if the two of you could ride together? Wouldn’t it be cool if once a week the two of you could go for a jaunt or if (someday) she could come along on a group ride?

Well, she can, but she’s going to need your help. Below are Tracey’s Top Ten Rules for getting your girl to ride. The rules don’t guarantee success but might increase your chances.

Rule 1 Start the discussion.
Begin talking about how great it would be if the two of you rode together. Promise it’ll be just the two of you until she’s ready to ride with others. If she has girlfriends who ride, encourage her to ride with them a few times before she ventures out with you. If she doesn’t have any female friends of the dirt variety, find a local group of strictly female mountain bikers and drive her to her first ride. She’s intimidated by your riding ability, the sport, and her own insecurities. Tread carefully.

Rule 2 Do not overinvest.
If she doesn’t have a bike, borrow one or get a used one cheaply. Buy only the essentials: bike shorts, glove, and a helmet. A thousand dollars is a lot of money to spend on what could turn out to be only a one-day outing. You don’t want her to feel guilty about the $600 Trek spending the rest of its years in the garage.

Rule 3 Tell her the basics.
Knowing how to corner is important, but not necessary for the first ride. The most intimidating, confusing, and important things about mountain biking are shifting and braking. Give her a lesson on shifting gears and using the back brake. Tell her about cross-chaining so she doesn’t work against herself. Do this in the parking lot right before the ride so she remembers. Teach her trail etiquette and explain why uphill riders have the right-of-way. Stop there. Answer her questions, of course, but resist the urge to tell her about torque and ratios. Her eyes will glaze over under the haze of too much information.

Rule 4 Start slow.
Maybe your girl is a yoga instructor or world-class skier. Doesn’t matter. Take her on a beginner ride. Remember mountain biking is an inherently dangerous sport. Just because she’s in shape doesn’t mean she’s ready for an intermediate trail. She needs to focus on braking, gearing, and trail etiquette. Throw a rock garden or steep uphill into the mix and the chances for failure increase exponentially.

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