# MTBing with the gf



## wassler (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi,

I'm Wassler, a returning mountainbiker from Belgium. I have a bit of a problem being that my gf also would like to take up mountainbike. Don't worry. i'm all in for it, and would really like her to have a good time. 

The only thing I worry about though is that my girlfriend is quite badly overweight. As in well over 200lb. And I guess that will be no help for her. So are there any recommendations to make things as enjoyable as possible in the beginning. Her goal is to have it help her lose weight. But the beginning might be tough. (and I hope not too tough) I was thinking of staying on paved roads most of the time in the beginning to work on basic fitness and learn her to ride with a heart rate monitor to make sure she doen't overdo herself. 

Any help or recommendations are appreciated. She doesn't have a bike yet either so advice in that regard would be really nice too. 

The goal is to bike together so in that regard she will set the pace and I'd just be there for support  or taking the wind when on open roads. I don't mind doing slow and just enjoying the company and the view 

Thanks,

Wassler.


----------



## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Really no reason to go with heart rate monitor, she's not training to do an race or anything right now. All she needs to do it ride at a pace she can sustain but is putting in enough effort that she's actually breathing a little heavy/sweating. Female, male, same basic rules apply. Biggest thing is to eat right and just getting saddle time to start. Let her set the pace and make sure the bike is comfortable for her. Once she comfortable u can periodically inch ahead of her help her bring the pace up. 



2 biggest things to start is don't push her too much and the fun aspect is mental, YOU have to make it fun. Dont ever "rub it in" that your faster and more skilled. She leads, you follow.



You have it easy, my wife wants to ride but she never learned how to ride a bike, so working on that just as I have to with our kids. Be probably another season or so before I get her on anything resembling dirt. But I'm just happy she wants to ride with us. And she's about the same size it sounds like as your gf.


----------



## wassler (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi,

Thanks for the tips. And kudos to you for taking the effort on learning your wife to ride. 

Actually my gf insists that she rides with the heart rate monitor herself  She likes to see that she has burned x amount of calories especially if it also tell her how much was fat tissue.. So in that regard it appears to be some sort of motivator for her. She wants to get active to lose the excessive weight. 

I totally agree with you on having her take the lead. On the few rides we had on our regular bike on pavement I always stay behind her or when there is room next to her. I also try to keep chatting, to make sure that she has breath left and just to have fun and keep her mind off the exercise or fatigue. 

I'm very proud of her that she takes this on. And I can't tell her that enough. Currently she can ride for about 45m-1hr. Slowly.. but she does the time and appears to enjoy it so far. that's all that matters.

Kind regards,

Wassler


----------



## LadyDi (Apr 17, 2005)

Make sure whatever bike she gets fits properly, is fairly light, and has a low standover height. Keep initial rides simple- flat dirt roads and smooth singletrack. Let her get very comfortable on these Beginner trails before advancing. If she falls in love with one certain trail and wants to do it over and over, by all means let her- she will learn something every ride. Don't pressure her about speed or terrain that makes her uncomfortable. Position yourself where she asks- for example, when I was a Beginner I did NOT like someone riding close beside me. Just be positive and encouraging, and have fun!


----------



## Bethany1 (Jan 18, 2012)

I'm over 200lbs and have no problem riding. A comfortable bike is a must. If she likes the monitor, fine. It does help in calculating health information and I'm a junkie for that kind of stuff.

If she's going for up to an hour ride time that's awesome. If there are some easy trails out there and she's up for it, take her out. If she runs out of steam after a short time, that's normal for just starting out. Let her know it's okay to walk something she doesn't want to try. Walking your bike is still exercise.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Above all, enjoy and have fun.


----------



## wassler (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi,

My gf and I talked it over some more. She insists that I decide on the bike. She doesn't care that much about the colors and all that (though if I find a nice one with nice colors she's in for that). She most of all wants a good bike with good components. The clothes however is an entirely different thing... Though there she gets carte blanche from me  But won't be something for at least another month. In the meantime we keep riding on pavement on our regular bikes.

I'm working on a nice training ride though. Not too technical but just some country roads in the farmland combined with some pavement to recover. It's a small ride that I can extent more and more afterwards. Current track is something I can do in about half an hr. Probably enough for her to start with. 

Thanks for all the tips. I'll keep you posted as we continue our little adventure.

Wassler


----------



## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I think you said she is a larger gal? Team Estrogen has a really good selection of plus size bike wear.


----------



## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Wow. Good for you guys. A real turn off is riding a tank or a poorly shifting bike so make sure it's decent and not too big. Start easy and with lots of positive feedback. You both should be proud for your efforts. 

I absolutely love it when people come here from all over the world. 

Let us know how it goes. I would love to hear updates.


----------



## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

Just make sure it's a bike that fits and is comfortable. Since she is larger, a stiffer Frameset maybe less sluggish and easier for her to pedal. men't bikes may be the best option for stiffness. How tall is she? Even if she has longer legs, shorter torso, if she is on the taller side then mens bikes have a lot more to offer fit and quality-wise. I'm 5'7" with longer legs,a and can ride either, but generally prefer mens. It's just a bigger market with, often, better components price-wise. Plus, I' e long arms, and women's bikes often assume short arms, so have higher head tubes with shorter reaches.m(at the same time, a woman with larger hips may be more comfortable with a higher head tube due to weight distribution.

Agree on TE and clothing. They are the best source. 

And encourage her to test ride. Get good, stiff pedals and spend some time trying different bar and saddle options. Swept back bars like the Albatross may make a huge difference. A saddle the correct width that doesn't mimick the squishiness of a tractor seat is imperative. Again, Team Estrogen forums have a lot of info on women's saddles.


----------



## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

After teaching my two children to bike and xc ski - starting at age 4, and also teaching the wife to bike....

Patience, patience, patience.

Try to make it as easy and fun for her as possible. Pack up her bike. Make sure it is tuned up. Carry everything in your pack including the water. Try to pick destinations that will be fun. Make lots of stops for fun on any long trip.


----------



## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

Miker J said:


> After teaching my two children to bike and xc ski - starting at age 4, and also teaching the wife to bike....
> 
> Patience, patience, patience.
> 
> Try to make it as easy and fun for her as possible. Pack up her bike. Make sure it is tuned up. Carry everything in your pack including the water. Try to pick destinations that will be fun. Make lots of stops for fun on any long trip.


Is your wife 4 also? Carry her water!?

Yeah. Patience is for dogs and small children.

'The' wife, huh? 'The' is an article, and therefore is objectifying. And yes, I noticed its use in the title of this post, too. The bike; the picknic basket.

The Wife.


----------



## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I have a female friend who is approx 300lbs. She rides a hardtail on the road and on MUPs. She's most comfortable on pavement and easy double track and that's cool. When I ride with her I go at her pace. People with larger body mass in relation to skin surface than their leaner counterparts, have more difficulty dissipating heat through sweating. Watch for over heating and ensure that your girlfriend drinks regularly during exercise/rides. Nausea is a sign of dehydration and overheating. Maybe a hydration pack is easier to manage and carries more water rather than bottles.

Hope it works out and you both have fun


----------



## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Muirenn said:


> Is your wife 4 also? Carry her water!?
> 
> Yeah. Patience is for dogs and small children.
> 
> ...


Hee hee. I actually think the less a beginner has to worry about, the better.

About the, "the." Im not saying it's the case here but since the op is from Belgium, maybe English is not his first language? I would hate to see how my posts would look on a french forum.


----------



## cleopatra999 (May 9, 2012)

Sounds like she is incredibly motivated and mountain biking can be an amazing way to get fit. 

Few things to add here, I feel that 3 days minimum per week is what is needed to really see a difference in skill and fitness. And have a route that is a 'measuring stick'. One of the easier ones from the beginning that you can go back and measure how you do. I remember one trail at the beginning of my mountain biking learning that my goal was to complete it without stopping by the end of the season. I reached that goal long before, but it was a great benchmark. It can be very encouraging to have easy attainable goals like this. 

Since she is using a heart rate monitor try to have her stay in the 65-75% of her max heart rate zone. This, I am told from my trainer, is the highest reward, lowest risk zone. For the time being until she is feeling fitter and can move up to the higher zones for intervals. 

Encouragement includes being totally okay when she chooses not to do something. Nothing annoys me more than the well intentioned "you could have done that". 

Find some other females for her to ride with, if possible. Sorry, but women just have a different way of supporting other women in sports, that a partner (male) just can't quite do.


----------



## wassler (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies,

Getting closer to the bike purchase. The bike we're currently looking at is this one

https://www.canyon.com/en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=3571

my gf is really more and more eager to take it on. especially after seeing plenty of ladies in a local ride in a town we were just visiting.; we were hiking there. During the hiking we used her hrm on the phone. She had quite a sense of accomplishment seeing how much energy she used in just a couple of hrs walking.

wouter.


----------



## wassler (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi,

Thanks for this article. I'll send my gf the link to that site and the article. I'm sure it will be an inspiration for her  

I guess it's not a bad idea to have her sign up here too. 

Wouter.


----------



## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

I'm not familiar with the bike, but I would definitely be prepared to have to replace the saddle if it is not a good fit/comfy for her. Some shops/brands have saddle loaners so you can try before you buy. Since she is already riding up to an hour, that is great, she is getting in saddleshape already.


----------



## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

wassler said:


> Hi,
> 
> Thanks for this article. I'll send my gf the link to that site and the article. I'm sure it will be an inspiration for her
> 
> ...


She or you can ask questions anytime. So glad for you both.

What are your trails like? Pictures!!!!


----------



## murderman (Nov 24, 2014)

Wassler,

My situation is both analogous and opposite to your's. I am overweight, out of shape, and enthusiastic about riding. My wife is fit, weighs literally 1/2 as much as me, and is a bit less enthusiastic about riding.

K can easily outpace me without even trying very hard, so I am typically in front. When I suggest that she take the lead, her response is usually, "you know where we are going, so I'll just follow". She is not so keen about offroad "bumps", so it is typically MUPs and pavement when we are together, which is just fine so that I can keep up with her desired speed.

I use a HRM more for safety rather than stats. On a trail ride with some friends from work earlier today, I got up to 90% of target [220 BPM minus age in years] at one point, which is too high. Of course, I didn't need the HRM to tell me that I was breathing hard and sweating heavily.

Based on my experience trying to lose a little weight and get into a bit better fitness, get a bike that fits her and is properly adjusted, make sure it has a comfortable and properly sized seat, and start slow with gradual progression when she wants to. In my world, it is not inappropriate to wear a helmet, safety glasses, and gloves either.

Oh, one other thing... if she gets a modern bike with hydraulic disk brakes and significant travel front suspension, remind her to stay away from the front brakes in the beginning. My broken rib from an endo on concrete proves that can be a bad combination.


----------



## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

> Oh, one other thing... if she gets a modern bike with hydraulic disk brakes and significant travel front suspension, remind her to stay away from the front brakes in the beginning. My broken rib from an endo on concrete proves that can be a bad combination.





> remind her to stay away from the front brakes in the beginning


Worst Advice Ever. Better: teach her to use the front brake correctly with modulation and control. If you don't know how to do this, find someone who does or find a skills clinic. Yes, I see you said, "in the beginning" but why start a bad habit that will be hard to unlearn? Using the front brake correctly will give you more safety and control than not using it ever will.


----------



## murderman (Nov 24, 2014)

Maybe the way that I should have phrased it is that if she is not familiar with hydraulic disk brakes, be careful with the front initially as it can work surprisingly well with potentially undesirable results.

When first getting used to my new bike I actually went over the bars twice due to improper application of the front brake, but I only broke a rib the second time. I am more accustomed to motorcycles and quads which have the respective brake levers on the opposite sides.


----------



## wassler (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi,

the bike is ordered  Hope to have it soon. Then we can start.

Regarding mtb specific technique we might take a clinic if we can find one nearby. I would surely benefit from those myseslf too.

Wouter.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

murderman said:


> I got up to 90% of target [220 BPM minus age in years] at one point, which is too high.
> 
> Oh, one other thing... if she gets a modern bike with hydraulic disk brakes and significant travel front suspension, remind her to stay away from the front brakes in the beginning.


90% of your target heart rate is not necessarily too high. For you, yes it might be. That is a conditional statement and a conditional value that you can build up to.

NO FRONT BRAKES!? What? Very bad advice. Front brakes are a component that everyone needs to understand how to properly use. Especially when learning.


----------



## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

It's funny- if you get a group of women together and ask them if they've ever been told to not use their front brake by (insert boyfriend or SO), usually 90% of them will say that's what they were taught. 

And disc, v-brake or even good old cantilevers.....the front is more powerful than the rear.


----------



## SummerLRH (Jul 25, 2012)

Oh yikes, the well-intentioned bad advice strikes again! We've all heard it..."Don't use the front brake" or "Do what I do" or "Lean back"

A clinic can be very helpful for beginners to gain confidence and learn the basics from someone other than their partner 

Ladies AllRide - Home


----------



## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

formica said:


> It's funny- if you get a group of women together and ask them if they've ever been told to not use their front brake by (insert boyfriend or SO), usually 90% of them will say that's what they were taught.
> 
> And disc, v-brake or even good old cantilevers.....the front is more powerful than the rear.


Seriously?!

And using the rear at the wrong time can cause one to fishtail and go splat. Ugh. Love being infantalized.


----------



## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

wassler said:


> Hi,
> 
> the bike is ordered  Hope to have it soon. Then we can start.
> 
> ...


That was a beautiful bike you linked to. She is very lucky.


----------



## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Yes seriously. We (a whole bunch of us were) having this conversation yesterday at the races.


----------



## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Muirenn: yes.


----------



## murderman (Nov 24, 2014)

Ladies, I made an inaccurate generalized statement and then tried to clarify. It had absolutely nothing to do with gender.

I wish that someone had told this guy to get properly accustomed to the bad ass new brakes before I hurt myself due to improper application.

Y'all have read my other posts in this sub-forum, and I try hard to be respectful of everybody.


----------



## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^No worries here. I was pretty sure I was gonna launch myself when I rented a bike at the downhill trails and first touched the hydraulic discs, and I have been heavily using the front brake for decades!


----------



## dbdg (Nov 6, 2014)

1) I was among those told to stay away from the front brakes. and not just on the MTB, but on the sport bike as well. ive learned different now. 

2) to the OP, I weigh on at 250# (also 6') and ride my bikes 5-6 days a week(expert/red/diamond trails 10-30 miles per outing. sometimes more depending on time and company), with 2-3 of those days multiple ride days. no problem.


----------



## Rae6503 (Jun 30, 2009)

I've had the front break argument with my husband many times too. I just ignore, but now he's teaching our daughters that way and it's driving me nuts. However they are both left handed and the older one has hydraulic discs, so I'm letting it slide for now. She's taking the Little Bella's clinic this summer so hopefully it won't be too late to correct her.


----------



## wassler (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi,

I'll guess that as soon as we both have worked up our basic fitness we'll take a good basic clinic teaching us both the right techniques. Sounds like there is a load of wrong advice going round. Though I have to admit that i'm quite fond of my front brake ;-)

Anyway.; just got word that the bike is being prepared for shipping.; we should have it somewhere next week. 

Can't wait to have a spin with my honey.

Wouter.

P.S. yeah we'll post pictures


----------

