# "Are you a racer?"



## JustDoIt (Feb 2, 2004)

I've heard this twice on the trails this season. I'm sure I've heard it in the past. I only hear it when I'm riding alone.

First experience: I'm riding at a relaxed, decent pace up the mountain. I pass some guys. Think nothing of it. At the top, I turn around to start the ride down. I slow down to yield carefully to an uphill rider. The trail is more like a road here, no need to completely stop. As I pass this guy he says something I don't understand. I say, "What?" He repeats his question. But, I still don't understand. I stop my bike and yell back, "What?" And he yells back to me, "Are you a racer?" Incredulously I yell back, "NO!?" And that's the extent of our conversation.

Second experience: On this day I get stood up for the ride. No big deal. I like riding alone just as much. I decide to ride hard, try to see if I can catch a glimpse of this guy that got a good headstart on me. I, umm, fantasize I'm like some superhero, smashing those "my girlfriend is so painfully slow" gender stereotypes. (Wasn't it sunnyracegirl who admitted to her own hero-type daydreams in her story about the blind female racer? I figure I'm in good company here.) So, I'm riding for all womankind (you're welcome  ) I catch the guy (well, he didn't know I was...) Pass him shortly before the toughest part. And ride as hard as I possibly can to try to drop him. I wait at the top. And the first thing he says to me is, "Are you a racer?"

I guess I can understand the second guy asking me that. But since it has happened to me more than just 2 times, I wonder if there are just a lot of guys that race around here, and maybe guys tend to have racing on their minds? I don't know. Maybe some guys aren't used to being passed by women? What gets me is that I'd never think of saying, "Are you a racer?" to strangers that I meet when I'm out riding. Regardless of their gender. And it's NOT like I never get passed! Maybe it's because I don't get into the race scene that I find this question odd.

I consider myself a fairly strong climber, mediocre rider overall. I feel I've lost a ton of my climbing strength in the last 3 years or so. Maybe that's why the question hits me funny. I wonder if any other mediocre riders get asked this? What about the mediocre guys in the WL? Surely, there's one or two of you here. Maybe only super strong racer guys get the question? Is it always asked by the opposite sex? Is it a question that really only racers will ask someone they see? (I didn't think the guys I passed looked like racers, but...)


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## Atty (Apr 15, 2004)

Disclaimer: I'm certainly not close to being decently quick and I've never passed a guy, so that comment has never come my way. (I am working on it, though.)

My guess would be the mindset of some men is set so that the only _possible_ way he could be passed/outdone by a woman would be if she was a racer or a pro. I think it works to protect the ego. 

And thanks for riding for all of woman kind.  It does make me smile, at least, to know that somewhere out there women are passing men. They need that every now and then.

Atty


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## flyhigh (May 20, 2004)

*Agree*

I agree it could be a case of ego protection- " I was passed by a chic, but she races" Benefit of the doubt , its a compliment or comparision to those women he has seen racing. I'd feel pretty supah- star if a guy asked if I was a racer...It could also be the start of a bit of a pick up line as well..


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## little b (Jan 7, 2004)

I think flyhigh has a bit of explanation - a pick up line, or at least a conversation starter. they want to talk to you, don't know how to lead in. that's an easy one to maybe open conversation.

I get the question quite a bit too. i say 'no, not really. just 24 hr races'. that usually ends the conversation pretty quickly.

oh, and thanks for riding for me, i was only on the road this weekend. too much rain lately.


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

I don't get asked that much, as I'm not fast. I occasionally do beat guys up the hills, but if I do than they are usually not in shape 

However, I did get asked today if I was a racer. BUT its not what your think. Here's the scenario: I went on a ride, in the mountains today, at altitude, with a couple of guys. As we are getting ready to leave a gal drives up and asks if we are riding - turns out she is from out of state and wanted to do that trail we were doing but was wary of going alone. She looked pretty in shape.... as we are taking off she asked me if I was a racer. I said, no, although I had done a few races I certainly was not a "racer". 

Turns out she used to compete a fair amount - and after watching her ride today I must say she still could - she was super fast! - she whupped all our butts today.  Wish I could ride that fast. I definitely enjoyed the respect she got from the guys, one of which was somewhat chagrined i think  She nailed all the technical stuff, of which there was a good amount. She was also very nice and gave me some really useful advice.


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## The Berryman (Mar 19, 2004)

I have to agree with the masses. Its simply a guys way of justifying being beaten by a girl.
Guys would never say that to another guy. 

The next time a guy says to you "Are you a racer?", you should reply, "no, you just suck."
That should finish off their precious ego once and for all! One of the good things about being a girl is that you can say stuff like that and not get your arse kicked.


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## JustDoIt (Feb 2, 2004)

little b said:


> I think flyhigh has a bit of explanation - a pick up line, or ...


In the 2nd case it was definitely not a pickup line. No doubt there!

He told me how he thought about "throwing in the towel" and just "giving it up right then" after I passed him and then a younger guy passed him too. I thought, "Hey-Seuss, that's not what I'm all about!" I changed my bad ass girly ways, threw off my cape and started acting more like my mom. I mentioned how small and light my bike was, especially the wheelset, how I'm a slacker at work and play all the time -- unlike him who works a full time job AND is remodeling his home... I asked him if he might be interested in riding with me and a buddy of mine. He mentioned his wife twice! 

Atty, little b, no need to thank me. Really! 



berryman said:


> The next time a guy says to you "Are you a racer?", you should reply, "no, you just suck."


That's really funny.  But, I could NEVER do that! Thanks for the laugh.


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## Boj (Jan 13, 2004)

You pass two guys and cause they ask you if you're a racer they are obviously painfully trying to excuse their pathetic performance to save some male ego. You're one bad ass girl showing up those pathetic men. 

I don't mean to be rude but every once in a while this 'sisterhood showing men how ridiculous they are' sentiment surfaces and few of you seem to lose all reason and logic. Lets assess this calmly.

I obviously wasn't present in those two instances but it would seem logical to conclude that those men were simply trying to make some chit chat with grand hidden male agenda of (drumroll).....being social.

Whenever I ride on trails and come across other riders I make effort to say hi and have a bit of a yak with them. Almost always everyone's friendly and genuine and, after all, we're just happy to come across some fellow MTBers.

If I got passed by anyone, girl or guy, one of the immediate things I'd want to ask them is if they race. Just like I would ask them what their name is, if they ride here often, if they live far away and how bloody nice their bike is... all great conversation starters. I race and this may turn out to be some thing we have in common, maybe we've raced together sometime, maybe he/she trains on these trails......etc etc.... a million directions in which conversation may take direction. No hidden male ego agendas, just plain interesting conversation with fellow MTBer.

In your original post you said:



> I decide to ride hard, try to see if I can catch a glimpse of this guy that got a good headstart on me. I, umm, fantasize I'm like some superhero, smashing those "my girlfriend is so painfully slow" gender stereotypes. (Wasn't it sunnyracegirl who admitted to her own hero-type daydreams in her story about the blind female racer? I figure I'm in good company here.) So, I'm riding for all womankind (you're welcome ) I catch the guy (well, he didn't know I was...) Pass him shortly before the toughest part. And ride as hard as I possibly can to try to drop him. I wait at the top.


and in your second post:



> He told me how he thought about "throwing in the towel" and just "giving it up right then" after I passed him and then a younger guy passed him too. I thought, "Hey-Seuss, that's not what I'm all about!"


It seems to me that's exactly what you're about - you fantasize about smashing him up the hill and ride like mad trying to drop him. You love racing him up the hill and he loves racing you - what the helI is wrong with that and why does it have to be some male/female gender issue if he wins or you or if he asks you if you race?


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

Boj said:


> It seems to me that's exactly what you're about - you fantasize about smashing him up the hill and ride like mad trying to drop him. You love racing him up the hill and he loves racing you - what the helI is wrong with that and why does it have to be some male/female gender issue if he wins or you or if he asks you if you race?


You know, sometimes gals see it as a gender issue, and sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. But do also bear in mind that we all participate in a sport that actaully has a term for when a girl passes you - getting "chicked" - and its something that guys in general make a point of "Ha, you got chicked". There is no equivalent for getting passed by a guy.

Girls are all pretty aware of when we pass guys and I'd venture to say, all guys are pretty aware of when they get passed by girls.


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## Cary (Dec 29, 2003)

This thread just brings up a funny story that happened to me last year. I was riding my road bike and about 6-7 miles out. I notice on this long easy climb that I am gaining on this lady riding a road bike and will be passing her shortly, a rather shocking experience (Impy can testify, I am not a fast rider/good climber). So I am just about to pull around and pass this lady, not believing that I am actually stronger than someone and going to be passing. All of a sudden she says bye, hangs up and reaches back and puts her phone back in her jersey. I never even came close to making that pass as she just pedaled away, completely unaware of the rider behind her who's hopes she had just destroyed.


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## MightySchmoePong (Jan 12, 2004)

*I sometimes wonder about this....*

You know, it honestly seems to me like the women I have ridden with bring this up more than the men. Cases in point:

1) A friend of mine briefly dated a woman who was a pretty fast road rider. During dinner one night she was recounting a story about a road ride when she and a small group of people had gotten caught at a red light at the start of the ride. According to her the main group had consciouly sped away. She organized a pace line and caught up with the main group. She mentioned that all of the guys she passed were amazed and upset that a woman had caught up and passed them. This normally wouldn't have sounded funny to me, but I happened to be one of the guys she caught up to, passed and dropped. At the point she caught me I was just thrilled to have somebody to draft off of; I could have cared less what gender they were. It made me wonder if the rest of the guys were really upset or if she was just imagining it?

2) I rode MTB w/ a woman this weekend. She was recounting a tale about how this guy she rode with sucked and how she would taunt him by saying "How can you let a girl beat you" whenever she cleaned something he didn't. Could a guy get away with this? I doubt it.

It just seems to me that women enjoy perpetuating this attitude as much or more than the men do. Of course my wife is easily a better rider than 80% of the guys we ride with, so perhaps that accounts for some of their attitude when it comes to women riders. If I was riding w/ a group of testosterone impared single guys perhaps my viewpoint would be different. 

Dave


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

MightySchmoePong said:


> 2) I rode MTB w/ a woman this weekend. She was recounting a tale about how this guy she rode with sucked and how she would taunt him by saying "How can you let a girl beat you" whenever she cleaned something he didn't. Could a guy get away with this? I doubt it.


One of the friends I rode with this weekend teased me for being the youngest yet the slowest in the group. He got away with it. He also constantly teases another friend of ours, whose time I beat at Sea Otter, by teasing him that he got beat by a girl.

As a slowish person I never tease anyone, I think its cruel and misses the point of biking.



MightySchmoePong said:


> It just seems to me that women enjoy perpetuating this attitude as much or more than the men do.
> Dave


I guess. As someone who is usually the slowest in a group ride, and particularly if its all men, I can't really say that I perpetuate any attitude. I wish I could go faster. Mainly because people DO seem to care about how fast people go. I'm not sure why that is, although I have to say I think its a waste to fly past spectacular scenery and not stop to appreciate it because "someone might pass you". There is plenty of that in this sport, with men as well as women.


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## Spike (Dec 30, 2003)

*Various reasons for that question*

Maybe you look like a racer (lightweight xc type bike? lycra shorts & fitted jersey?)

Maybe they race and you resemble someone they've seen at the races and are wondering if you're her. This would be a conversation starter, or they want your autograph. 

Maybe they are impressed with your riding ability and instead of saying, "hey, you're a great rider," they ask if you race. I'd take it as a compliment and an attempt to be friendly, not necessarily an attempt to soothe their ego.

Maybe they are trying to feel better about being passed by someone of the fairer sex.

Maybe they want to tell their friends they saw a famous pro racer chick on the trail.

Spike


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## flyhigh (May 20, 2004)

*kudos to the guys*

First of all CDMC, thats is a very funny story 

As much as some of the guys feel we bash them on this forum (it does happen here and there) I have to give the guys some credit. Obviously MTB is a male dominated sport, at least where I live (ie 5 or less women in a race category this weekend).. is what it is. I also play ice hockey in a men's league, another male dominated sport/league. I can only count maybe 2-3 times in either sport where a guy has disrespected the chick thing, and believe me they got it back from me and my 10 male teammates.
The majority love the idea that a women can play/ride with them and do well, sometimes better than themselves. They go out of their way to encourage us to do well and have fun. They goof each other all in good fun when they are "chicked". Most guys out there we ride with have wives,GFs,daughters and sisters who they would want treated the way we are treated, with respect. 
I remember a post sometime back about someone who was offended that a guy stopped to help her with a flat, this to me isnt a way to pick a women up or to point out inferiority. If I had a flat in the woods, can I fix it?, yes I can. Would my husband,brother or father appreciate someone helping out, indeed they would.


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## Dude (Jan 12, 2004)

*I got chicked this weekend*

BMX racing this weekend I got chicked and I thought it was cool. "This was during the practice that I had her on the starting gates". Having five sisters, a wife and a daughter I hope someday my little princess can chick her brother, father and all the local boys... This gal that chicked me this weekend I found out later is one of the top gals in the state and when you see her in her regular attire you would never ever know....

I was proud too be chicked 

-Dude


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## JustDoIt (Feb 2, 2004)

I hear you, Boj. I guess I was just trying to make conversation, feeling a bit bored, reaching a little for a new topic. I sense your irritation with my posts. I thought I worded it in a way that I wouldn't offend too many guys. I thought it was cool that little b said it happens to her. And it made me feel good thinking my post made Atty feel good. I enjoyed a lot of the responses.

Seriously, I'm not the best about sharing the trails (and my fantasy life is often richer than my real life  ) I hate to pass people. I hate having people sneak up from behind on me. I hate riding like a sacrificial lamb on trails with blind corners and a propensity for fast downhillers. I am a lot like, was it kellyinutah's husband? Wanting to avoid trails if I see too many cars at a trailhead. I generally try to ride in locations and at times when I feel the fewest number of riders will be out. One guy at work teases me about this. He'll ask me how my ride was. In my description somewhere I can't help but say, "I/We only saw..." and he cuts me off and says, "Good ride, JDI! Definitely a good ride." Like that's the only thing that goes into my personal trail rating system  

I generally would rather not pass anyone. I don't want the attention. Nor the concentration required for it. I want a good workout. I wish you'd pedal just a little bit faster, that's all. God, I'm such a poser!!! I humor myself way too frickin much! Ok, I got my suit on again.

Dude, I miss your old avatar. You know the one  
Spike, I'm way too retro to wear a fitted jersey -- especially one with loud colors!


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

That just sounds like normal banter to me. The competition, people trying to keep their egos intact, the change of mood when you notice someone's feeling down... 

There's nothing wrong with a little competition - it helps just about everyone to push themselves. As long as people lay off when they realize they're going overboard, it's a good thing.


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## MidAtlanticXCer (May 21, 2004)

*hereabouts*

If someone asks you if you are a racer in my neck of the woods, it's a likely prelude to "Well you should race, you'd do well." We don't have a terribly competitive field in the area, and any woman who has decent technical skills and doesn't barf up a lung on a moderate climb can do well in beginner, at least. Provided she has any interest whatsoever.


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## Gnarlene (Jan 13, 2004)

*I was asked that once...*

It was rather weird....because I do not display any of the normal characteristics of a racer (that being speed or cool sponsor-laden jerseys or latest widgets on my bike or even a lean body). My circumstances were rather different than your's...but it was kind of cool, or so I thought...

I approached a pretty darn technical spot on one of our local trails. I commented to a couple of guys that were taking a break near there "Good, there's somebody here to pick up my broken bones if I crash." And I then managed to ride the thing...nice and slow and deliberate, as is my habit.

It's a short section and after I was done, I took a break to let my nerves settle down. One of the guys actually did ask "Are you a racer?" A very odd question since the only race course an obstacle like this would be on, would be a DH course, and I clearly am not a DH'er. I said "um, no." He then asked "Would you like to be? You can join our team." My reply was "Oh, no racing for me, I like to drink beer too much." He indicated that drinking beer was an important part of their team's charter. All the same, I did pass on the offer.

I don't know what prompted that guy to ask...I guess I never thought of that before....maybe it was a conversation opener, and I suppose if I wasn't dating someone already, it might have actually worked....maybe I had "chicked" him (a lot of people walk the section I had cleaned), though I don't know how me being a racer, unless I was a DH'er that decided to go out for a spin on my XC bike, would make a difference....

I still remember, though...the day that somebody actually thought I was a racer...or could be one...for me that's kind of a remarkable event...


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## papajohn (Feb 1, 2004)

JustDoIt said:


> I hear you, Boj. I guess I was just trying to make conversation, feeling a bit bored, reaching a little for a new topic. I sense your irritation with my posts. I thought I worded it in a way that I wouldn't offend too many guys. I thought it was cool that little b said it happens to her. And it made me feel good thinking my post made Atty feel good. I enjoyed a lot of the responses.


JDI,

Don't apologize for your post...I personally have missed hearing from you recently, and I think you brought up a thought-provoking point.

The responses have been all over the board, and I don't really know what my personal take on the matter is. As I have mentioned several times, my most consistent riding partner (3-4 days/week) is a 32 year old woman. I'm a 54 year old guy, and frankly I'm pretty fit, and I AM a racer, but I get "chicked" EVERY SINGLE TIME I ride with my friend.

I have two other women friends with whom I occasionally ride, and if they did not stop and wait for me periodically, I would never see them except at the start of the ride.

Two of these three women were in fact Expert Women XC State Champions this year, so maybe it is not an outrageous assumption that a woman who blasts by me on the trail is a "racer", but I don't think I would necessarily think to ask that question.

Last September I rode in the AZ State Championship Road Race in Prescott. The last 19 miles was up a grueling climb into a headwind. I got dropped from the pack early and rode the last 40 miles by myself. About four miles from the end, a pace-line of about 10 CAT 3 Women racers went whizzing by me (having started way after I did), and to a woman they shouted genuine encouragement to the laboring old man they were passing!

It was probably the spark that allowed me to finish the race.

John W.


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## AZtortoise (Jan 12, 2004)

JDI-do NOT apologize for your posts. you chose a good topic. not once did i read where you supposedly said anything about soothing a male ego when they ask if you are a racer. so you had a fantasy about being a super hero(ine). i think that is pretty cool. 

boj-lighten up. this IS the womens lounge. we generally do NOT bash men and this thread is not a bashing. if you think this is a bash then you should read some past threads, especially the ones where guys come here with lame pickup efforts. now those are bashings! two posts(not by JDI)said it was POSSIBLE that the men might be soothing their male egos. it was a man(berryman)who said it was definitely for male egos.

since this IS the womens lounge you are a guest at our tea party. if we rub you the wrong way, move on. i avoid certain posts and posters rather than try to censor them, MAYBE you should do the same. we have every right to post our opinions whether it is gender based or not. we have quite a few male regulars and i think they are generally harder on other men than we women have been, Berryman in this thread being a good example.

my $.02.

Rita


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

Impy said:


> ...and its something that guys in general make a point of "Ha, you got chicked". There is no equivalent for getting passed by a guy.


This suddenly explains all of the bizarre looks when I say, "I just got dicked on the trail".


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

AZtortoise said:


> since this IS the womens lounge you are a guest at our tea party. if we rub you the wrong way, move on.


I'm going with the flip side here. Sometimes our fantasies aren't completely in check with the reality, and Boj points that out (plus, you know, he's got the cat avatar an' all).

But, really, what would biking be without fantasies. We all do it. I too fantasize about speeding past some shmoe and him being all "It's a bird, it's a plane". Hairy legged MTBer's fantasize about cruising past a group of day-glo pink clad roadies. The hefty clydes fantasize about dusting the skinny racer boys. There's this old dude in a lawn chair who hangs out at the trail head all day. I think he's fantasizing about all of the sweaty spandex clad men. But, I digress.

So, maybe the racer comments were said as a means of ego protection, or maybe they thought you could put their team on the podium with a little training, or maybe you just seemed like a nice person to talk to. During the ride, take those comments any way that fits your ride fantasy best. After the ride, take the comment for it's face value - a simple question about your riding interests.

It's funny being a chick rider in such a male dominated sport. Half the time I'm frustrated that I can't keep up with men who are less skilled and not as in shape as me. The other half of the time, I'm enjoying the attention and support I get for being a very well skilled female in a male dominated sport.


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## Dude (Jan 12, 2004)

*Does this work?*



JustDoIt said:


> Dude, I miss your old avatar. You know the one


I couldn't find the one you are talking about so I thought I would post the last photo of me...  

-Dude


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

catzilla said:


> This suddenly explains all of the bizarre looks when I say, "I just got dicked on the trail".


Coffee all over the keyboard on That one.

Funny, catzilla!!!


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## MidAtlanticXCer (May 21, 2004)

*snort*



Impy said:


> Coffee all over the keyboard on That one.
> 
> Funny, catzilla!!!


Yes indeed, I about snorted some java up my nose!


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## MidAtlanticXCer (May 21, 2004)

*Awwww*

What a nice story! Thanks for posting it. I rarely hear nice things about roadies and it's refreshing.


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## oldbroad (Mar 19, 2004)

There are some guys who have a real problem with “getting chicked” and usually you can tell. But other times, I think the guys hassling each other when a woman passes them is a sort of backwards guy way of complementing the woman. 
I was out for a solo ride and came upon a group of guys about to start a technical section of the trail. They asked if I wanted to go ahead, I said no figuring they would pass me in a few minutes anyway. So they took off. After a few minutes, I went it and to my surprise, I caught up and started passing the back of the pack. About ½ of the way through this trail is a small teeter-totter. As I rounded the turn that leads to it, there was the rest of the pack. Most of them rode it, but a few walked it. So, I waited my turn and rode it. The guys good-naturedly gave the other guys grief about not being able to ride what a “girl” could. I really did not feel any animosity, but I joked back that I would ride real slow and fall down a lot if that would make them feel better.


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## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

I think that the most pertinent reason for their comments and something no one has touched on yet is that you were riding by yourself. It is fairly common for racers to ride by themselves, eschewing company for BPM and skill building sessions for hill climbs. I suspect that they asked you that because they were also riding by themselves. Probably they ride every week at this time and place and suspected that as a racer you maybe doing the same. It is like saying hi to someone you see on a street at the same time every week but actually don't know. They were probably asking so they could either check you out at the next race (and by check you out i mean put a name to your face and a category to your riding(pro, expert, etc)) or you know: the conversation starter. I mean it could be a pickup line but probably just a racer to racer pleasantry. While I never get a nod from racers, any generously hefty man coming down the trail will give me a pain bismirtched, why am I doing this? nod in recognition of mutual suffering. It is common bike pleasantry, the same as we do to any other mountainbiker we see, the same nod you give when commuting in miserable weather and see another bike commuter, and the same thing that roadies rarely ever do to anyone, Just speculation though, but it begs a mention.


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## Atty (Apr 15, 2004)

Please keep posting JDI, this IS the Women's Lounge. I completely agree with Rita here. This is our place to chit chat and have fun and fantasize or whatever we want to do. Sometimes the guys posting here is helpful, but sometimes it'd be nice to read a thread with only women in it again. After all, if we wanted a guy's opinion, we'd just go to General Discussion or put something about 'guy opinions wanted' in the thread title. I'm not saying that the guys don't ever contribute in a positive way, because they generally do. I've only seen another woman on my local trails twice ever! I want to talk to MTB women and this is one of the only places I can do so. Males dominate at the trails, why can't we dominate in our own message boards? (Yes, we generally do dominate here, but at times it's sketchy.)

It's not my intention to offend the nice guys that we do have here. I'd just rather not defend myself of my posts to them. I can just go to the trails if I want to do that.

Atty


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## JustDoIt (Feb 2, 2004)

Oh, don't confuse my lack of posts with being scared away! I am fairly strong. It's just that it's summer and there's so much to do besides working for a living! I can't visit the WL from work anymore. And when I'm not there "doing my time", I like to mountain bike (surprise), wakeboard, play ulty, support my high maintenance friends who would argue that they're really medium maintenance... Plus, I have a ton of projects that I've either barely started or only started in my head  The last thing I feel like doing when I get home is looking at a computer monitor. Oh, and I've been hanging out with a "person of interest." (No, no, Ashcroft! It's not what you think. I'm talking PORI, where R=romantic)

Thanks, Gnarlene, for sharing your story. I think our experiences were similar: Initial confusion. Then it sets in that you just got a very nice compliment from a total stranger. Think of how that must act on our psyches when we consider ourselves so often physically mediocre. And these guys that ask us this... if they're not racers looking to recruit you, do they realize what they're doing?

Since I often ride alone, I really was curious how my experiences may differ from men's experiences when they're riding alone. I guess I could've asked in some other forum, but I thought it fit well here. And I was curious if this could have happened to other women too. I know I mentioned how when I play ulty it seems to me the guys always support the women and never the (mediocre) men. I think that's sad. I've said before that I think mountain bikers are some of the nicest people I've met, so I wonder... are they nice to men too? If it is a gender sort of thing, then I also can't help wondering if some guys reading my post would feel jealousy towards us women!

And if I really could be confused with someone like Marla Streb (oh wait, she's a downhiller) then for sure Dude must look EXACTLY like his avatar!


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## Duckman (Jan 12, 2004)

I thought everyone looked exactly like their avatar?


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## Dude (Jan 12, 2004)

JustDoIt said:


> And if I really could be confused with someone like Marla Streb (oh wait, she's a downhiller) then for sure Dude must look EXACTLY like his avatar!


JDI, I do!!! So you must resemble Marla in all aspects of life 

-Dude

P.S. Not to hijack this thread but I have never been asked if I was a "racer type". I wish I was that cool but as luck would have it I have been blessed with a slowness factor of say 10...


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## Boj (Jan 13, 2004)

Sorry for a late reply. I am going through a bit anxious time in my life so I'm limiting my posting to my home forum only and have cut influx of new bike parts by half!!!!!  

Anyway, JDI, you don't need to apologize for posting your thoughts and I hope I didn't make you feel bad. Sometimes It is difficult to ascertain the tone of posts on the internet and, for all I know, you may have been playful posting whereas I missread it along with those first few replies. It's the same reason why sarcasm doesn't come off well on the foums.

As for my posting here, while I may not do it often I certainly read pretty much everything that goes on here so I am not new to how this community works. You're right (Rita) about men being hard on other men here. I've noticed that in all pick up posts women provide response by creatively ignoring the guy whereas only men respond directly by flaming the guy (sometimes men really are lame - I said it).

I don't reply to most of what goes on here because I can't contribute most of the time, but, just as you can post here anything you like, gender based or not, well I can reply by providing a different perspective. After all, a little disagreement contributes to productivity. Hope you understand. Boj.


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## papajohn (Feb 1, 2004)

*I can't believe I really did this!*

This past weekend I was in eastern Arizona for a wonderful group ride event in the White Mountains. We had a Friday night ride, followed by full days of riding Saturday and Sunday. Almost all of the 50 participants were new to me, so there were a lot of those probing conversations where you try to learn some basics about the people you are spending the weekend with.

Interestingly more than 25% of the riders were women. On the night ride several of those women stood out for consistently staying well up at the front of the group, well in front of me for sure.

The following morning before we started out I was chatting with one of those women, who turned out to be from my town, and before I could contain myself I asked, "Are you a racer?" Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh!

The mental mob that lives in my head immediately began holding up placards and marching in the streets shouting "Lynch him, lynch him!"

What could I have been thinking?! Thoughts of this thread popped into my head, and I lay down on my mental analytical couch to try to determine what had possessed me.

Finally, after I recovered some of my composure, I realized that in truth I had simply wondered if she was a racer.

When the event ended she gave me her email and phone number and indicated she would enjoy riding together in the future, so apparently I hadn't done irreparable damage.

Still, I hope to never repeat that horror again. 

John W.


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## dirtcrab (Feb 4, 2004)

> When the event ended she gave me her email and phone number and indicated she would enjoy riding together in the future, so apparently I hadn't done irreparable damage.


So perhaps the moral of the story here is for the recipient of the inquiry not to answer with a "Yes or No", but with a "Why do you ask?". Perhaps this would have the desired effect of finding out why they're asking in the first place.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I get asked this a lot, and I"m not sure why. I ride about 3x a week, I'm solid technically, not the fastest or the slowest. Funny thing tho, for the most part it's non riders that ask me that, now that I think about it. I raced once, it's not for me.

I had a really wierd experince. I'm in a women's bike club, very loose with the idea that we all have emails to send out to annouce rides. Last summer, I sent out a mail for every ride I did, 2-3 times a week, and no one ever showed up. I went to a meeting and was chatting with some of the gals, and one said, oh, you ride so much, you must be really hard core, that's why I don't go. ???? I've since then decided to cultivate a different group. ;-)

formica


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## JustDoIt (Feb 2, 2004)

Eh, Boj! It's cool. Thanks for the words. You're right about the difficulty communicating in this medium. I know things can influence the tone/content of my emails -- whether I'm feeling rushed, depressed, happy, time of the month (?!)... has to be the same way for anyone reading or writing posts. I also realize I'm prone to exaggeration, making caricatures, letting my imagination get away, overthinking... I hope I never come across as a total jerk. I do value opinions and experiences that differ from my own. I'm sure you're the same way. It's sometimes hard for me to contribute because I don't consider myself technically savvy when it comes to bike stuff. But, I love to ride my bike!



papajohn said:


> The mental mob that lives in my head immediately began holding up placards and marching in the streets shouting "Lynch him, lynch him!"


Oh, you got me good on this one. Thanks for the smiley at the end! I was reading your post, screaming "OH NO! OH NO! Look what I started!!!!"



dirtcrab said:


> So perhaps the moral of the story here is for the recipient of the inquiry not to answer with a "Yes or No", but with a "Why do you ask?".


Good idea. In fact, I have another story for you  Yesterday afternoon, I decide to do an out-and-back on the Wasatch Crest Trail. (I have thee coolest boss, who also does some mtb biking.) I see this guy approaching me. He says, "Ahh... someone even crazier than me." I'm thinking, "We're both in the same place, why am I any crazier?!" The weather is beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. My initial reaction is confusion. I respond, "Why do you say that???" I don't remember his exact words, but, it was something about me riding, or trying to ride, there. I'm STILL confused. But, I continue on. I think I'm stupid when it comes to many social interactions (not because I'm a girl, but because I'm an engineer). Then it dawns on me. I'm riding up Puke Hill. The guy probably walked up it!!



formica said:


> you must be really hard core, that's why I don't go.


Don't get me started, Formica. That's a whole "nuther" thread!


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## yobdlog (Feb 5, 2004)

*Camraderie.*

I ride along the lakefront path in Chicago around 6AM on my way to work. The past few months at around my 3rd-4th mile on almost daily basis like clockwork, a woman comes out onto the path on her tri-athlon bike. She has her toe straps on and is in really good shape physically and she leans down and hammers away in a pretty big gear. When I had started running into her a few months back, I had slicks on my MTB and I would hang with her as best I could and generally could keep up with her but it'd be a bit more effort than I like to give for a morning ride into work.

Fast forward a month later, I have my knobbies on as I'm riding more offroad and am tired of changing my tires, so I keep 'em on. It takes a lot more effort trying to keep up with her when I run into her, but I try and sometimes I am able to pass her in my mini-races against the roadie while nearing the end of my ride. At some point now, you'd think we would've said hi to each other or at the very least a good morning, but never a word has been spoken. We've shared glances and we've respected each other's pace and position on the path.

We have noticed one thing though that definitely put a smile on our faces this last month. We ran into eachother again, and this time she really hammered it, she was cruising at her aero-positioned 21mph on the path, and I'm pedaling faster than ever but controlled to maintain my line behind her for most of the way, and at some point I let out a huge gasp of air and I started to slow down as I couldn't keep the high spin, and she finally spoke! "Come one man you have 2 miles left!"......Thats all it took and I got back to spinning and caught up and rode her tire til my exit on the path and she looked back and waved as I rolled off.

That was way cool of her and extra freaky that all these few months we've been kind of training with eachother without ever speaking a word. She must've done the recent Chicago Tri-Athlon cuz I haven't seen in her since then (which was last week).

She was a racer girl, and way cool for motivation.


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## oldbroad (Mar 19, 2004)

yobdlog said:


> and she finally spoke! "Come one man you have 2 miles left!"......


Fantastic story!


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## Fair Weather Rider (Sep 1, 2004)

*You shouldn't ride alone*

I have never been asked if I was a racer but I have had guys on several occasions tell me that I shouldn't ride alone. Does anybody else get that one?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Fair Weather Rider said:


> I have never been asked if I was a racer but I have had guys on several occasions tell me that I shouldn't ride alone. Does anybody else get that one?


No, but are you riding along in areas where some people might worry about their personal safety? I dont know where you are, but I feel fine riding alone on our local trails., and I would think it was wierd if someone said that to me.

formica


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## dirtcrab (Feb 4, 2004)

Fair Weather Rider said:


> I have never been asked if I was a racer but I have had guys on several occasions tell me that I shouldn't ride alone. Does anybody else get that one?


Let me get this straight, before I jump to a wrong conclusion: Did some guy who was riding alone make this statement to you... or was it a group of guys?


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## JustDoIt (Feb 2, 2004)

Yobdlog, that was an awesome story! Thanks for sharing it.

FWR, I never hear it from guys. I hear it from my non-biking girlfriends. A lot. But then, we've had some weird stuff happen here (i see you're in Utah too)... lone female x-country skier attacked and left for dead, lone female photographer attacked taking pictures in the mountains, the mom and daughter that were attacked hiking this year... When Lori Hacking "disappeared" and they were searching the foothills, I had to hear it all again. I'm sure you did too. I know my daughter heard it. I hate it. But, I can't let it stop me either.


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## NumbNutz (Apr 8, 2004)

Fair Weather Rider said:


> I have never been asked if I was a racer but I have had guys on several occasions tell me that I shouldn't ride alone. Does anybody else get that one?


If you were a friend of mine, I would say the same thing. I wouldn't mention it if I just passed you on the trail. Of course, I would say the same thing regardless of if you were a guy or a girl. I just don't like the idea of having a big accident, and nobody being there to help


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## fairyweatherider (Sep 3, 2004)

Once a guy alone told me I shouldn't be riding off-road by myself and on three occasions I have had groups of guys tell me that. Maybe I look too small and pathetic. One time I was 5 months pregnant. You couldn't see my belly when I was riding as I had a baggy jersey on. I got to this view point and two guys were there. Nice, friendly looking, mid 50's respectable looking kind of chaps. The first thing one said to me is "you really shouldn't be riding alone" so I stood up and flashed my belly and said "I'm not alone". Is it just a safety thing or are women riding alone thought of as weird.


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## divs (Jun 4, 2004)

fairyweatherider said:


> Is it just a safety thing or are women riding alone thought of as weird.


I think it's a safety thing in the wilderness. Most outdoor adventurers hear the same advice. I'm with NumbNutz, though - I don't think anyone should ride completely alone. I often split up for a mile or two when I'm with my husband, but we know where we're supposed to meet up and can come help if one of us has a bad accident.

I live in Orange County, and lately *everyone* has been advised not to mtn bike alone. I think it might a bit of an overreaction considering that only one mtn lion ever attacked, but there are other circumstances where it's good to have someone backing you up.

-D.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

back to the original post, come to think of it some of the racers I know DO ride alone, training every day... maybe that's where the question came from. 

As for riding alone and safety... that is so subjective, both to where you are at personally and to where you live. I don' think twice about it for my regular rides... I let the hubby know where I'm going and when I'll be back. But I don't live in/near a really populous, metropolitan area. I think if I did, I would certainly rethink that.

formica


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## AZtortoise (Jan 12, 2004)

i ride by myself but i am never alone. i ride only in areas with other trail users around. still, i carry a cell phone(turned OFF)and if a descent does not 'feel' right, i walk it. also, my husband knows where i am and when i am expected back. when i am not back on time, i call him.

to the main topic: i am not fast enough to EVER be suspected of being a racer.  

Rita


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## sunnyracegirl (Apr 11, 2004)

*it's just a question...*

If you are a racer, then "Are you a racer?" is just a question you would ask anyone who is a strong rider. It's like seeing someone wearing a yellow LAF wristband and asking, "Hey, what do you ride?" 
You're a part of a community, and commonalities are usually a good thing.

I ask this question all the time. I'm just making conversation. Maybe we've ridden the same courses. Maybe he can give me some tips. Maybe she and I can co-miserate about how gnarly a course was...

I wonder if we women don't set ourselves up to be offended by reading more into things than are really there. Sometimes a question is just a question.

_(sorry to pop in late here; I've been recovering from Durango and not logged in in a week. The race was great; it was the 1900 miles I drove that weekend that wore me down.)_


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## sunnyracegirl (Apr 11, 2004)

*yeah, I fancy myself a JRT...*



MTBikeBoi said:


> sunnyracegirl, your avatar is a crackup, I like the sense of humor....


Ah, thank you.
I feel something of a kindred spirit with the Jack Russell Terrier... 
a bit high strung, probably should switch to decaf, pick fights with Godzilla...

I also think I'm really an Akita.

Grrrr.


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