# Biking with my wife: She made me SO proud!!!!



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Yesterday was a rare day when Jennifer, my wife, was off work completely. No scheduled hours, not on call, and no patients to check on in the hospital (She is an Equine Veterinarian).

So I took her on our local loop for the first time. Usually we do some of these trails, but she has never done all of them in one outing before. Total on the day was a 22 mile loop, with 2,500 feet of climbing, and she rocked it out in under 3 hours riding! Not bad considering she only gets to ride maybe once a month. 

Man I am so proud of her to the point that the only forum I could post this in was Passion. :thumbsup:


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

She's no slouch on a MTB.  Cool vid.


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## 2ridealot (Jun 15, 2004)

Good stuff! You should be proud of her. I think I would like riding that loop too, it looks like a nice mix of terrain.


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## dirtbiker (Jan 23, 2005)

Nice, I enjoy my wife riding with me as well, unfortunately we have not been doing a good job of getting out and riding much lately.


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## monzie (Aug 5, 2009)

Awesome!


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks! She's a pretty solid rider. Just takes her an hour or so to get her confidence since she doesn't get to ride as much as we would like. 

And yes, I love our trail. I can actually ride here from our house, which is very nice.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

Great riding vid. I'm sure she was exhilerated as well! that is a lot of climbing and some of it looked steep.

Where (and what) is the CCFB loop?


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## mtbfyrefyter (Oct 11, 2011)

Mountain Bike Ride Profile | CCBF loop Cave Creek, AZ near Cave Creek | Times and Records | Strava

Cave Creek, AZ


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## jmal (Jul 16, 2009)

Really nice trail. I'm envious. Just need to convince my girlfriend to apply for residency at Mayo.


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## Covi101 (Nov 5, 2011)

Very cool!


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## sock puppet (Nov 12, 2007)

Good stuff!:thumbsup:


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## PBR me! (Feb 23, 2008)

Thanks for posting!:thumbsup:

Also enjoyed your BCT vid as well- i was just down there during thanksgiving- but no bike

next time- looks like stuff i'd enjoy!


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks guys!

PBR- I took her on BCT too, but she was less than amused with the exposure. Still rode 13 miles of it, but I didn't film much of it (unfortunately). 

June Bug- someone already posted the loop, but we're in Cave Creek, which is about 10 miles North of Phoenix...


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## Pedalfast (Nov 4, 2005)

That's good stuff. That makes me want to get out again with the wife. She seldom rides, but did 56 miles of the "Silver Comet Trail" a few months ago on our vacation. We had a great time in Pisgah several years ago. It made for some good bonding. Thanks for posting.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks! 56 miles is no slouch for someone who "seldom rides". And I love the riding in Pisgah. The only thing I miss about the East coast is the mountains in North Carolina. OK, and family/friends.


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## chuyler1 (Oct 7, 2011)

Great video! I wish we had terrain like that here in New England. I have to search high and low for trails my wife can ride with confidence. Most of my local stuff is endless roots, swampy stream crossings, and steep abrupt climbs followed by steep drops on the other side. I love the terrain, but its tough for a beginner to get their rhythm and confidence.


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

Nice! That's no picnic for someone off the couch or only rides once a week. Wifey and I ride that once a year or so when we're at grandma's pad. Thanks for the stoke.


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## MotoX33 (Nov 8, 2011)

Threads like this get me excited to get my gf riding with me. We already road bike together (I bought her a bike nicer than mine!) and trail run together, I just haven't been able to get her a mtn bike yet. One thing I love about her is that she is willing, although usually reluctantly, to push her comfort zone. We went skydiving last year and the smile on her face was priceless but she said she'll never do it again


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks again!

chuyler1- We used to ride in FL and NC, so she's used to the rooty steep climbs and steep drops too... we both like this kind of riding better, but we also both appreciate some good techy roots. 

rockman- holler when you're in town for this time... it's always fun to ride with new folks on these trails...


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## HardRk2011 (Dec 18, 2011)

That's great......i enjoy having my wife out there as well!! She has a nice Trek and looks good on it. thumbsup:


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## phxrider (Jan 15, 2010)

Pointer - Nice, that is outstanding, I have always wanted to ride the CCBF loop, I am next to BCT and Sonoran Preserve Carefree Hwy and 27th Dr, (Norterra), let me know if you want to ride over here sometime.


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Now you know shes def a keeper ! JK , thats pretty awesome man and glad your proud . Watch out , she might run some laps on you


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## JUNGLEKID5 (May 1, 2006)

good stuff


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## tjchad (Aug 15, 2009)

ddddddddddddddd


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## ghettocop (Jul 26, 2011)

Very cool. Good climbing and gear selection!


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## smoothie7 (May 18, 2011)

that's awesome that you guys share the same passion. My fiance has really started to like biking more. I am looking forward to this year


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## Pedalfast (Nov 4, 2005)

We've had fun and also accumulated some good points here with this post, just by telling it like it is. These gals deserve the accolades.


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## Orthoguy (Dec 4, 2011)

Super cool. Shes not afraid to crank out those climbs!


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## dmx1 (Dec 24, 2008)

nice, we need more ladies on the trail


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

Although I've seen some ladies on the trails, they are very few and hard to find. My girlfriend til this year hadn't ridden a bike since she was a kid. We bought her a new TREK SKYE SL and did a little road riding to get use to it and before the cold weather set in we did about 7 weeks worth of trails. It got to the point where she was asking me to go. I think that rocks!


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks again guys! This post had fallen off my radar so it was awesome to see it come back to life! 

I just converted her to a 1x9 last weekend, so we'll see how that does this weekend. I kept everything in case she decides she wants more gears. 

phxrider- sorry I missed your post. Would love to ride... BCT is one of my favorites, and I also love Sonoran and Deems. Shoot me a message whenever you want to go. I am thinking about a CCBF loop tomorrow if you're interested...


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

BWAHAHA Was reading through my Rep comments...

Someone anonymously neg repped me for this thread with the following commentary:



Miserable person said:


> You're "proud" of her? What a ******.


Well, I am once again PROUD OF HER. Was off the bike for a couple months since she broke a rib at work (Equine vet)... hit the trails again last weekend. :thumbsup:






Guess what, not only am I super proud of her, I love her to death too. Wanna neg rep me on that too?


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## steadite (Jan 13, 2007)

Trail looks like a riot--really fast & flowy.


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## ghglenn (Jan 26, 2012)

That is awesome. Hope you guys ride together for a long time to come.


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## dirtdan (Jun 27, 2011)

sweet ride


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks again! We've got a weekend of camping and riding planned for this weekend, so I am pumped!


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## bear (Feb 3, 2004)

Envious.

So happy for you OP, and your lady.

I wish my gal could get back on the MTB, but she just can't deal with the trails where we now live.

rail-trail is it, for "us" time, right now, on bikes. ;^(


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

bear said:


> Envious.
> 
> So happy for you OP, and your lady.
> 
> ...


I hear you. When we moved here I was worried about the trails here. Jennifer is a good rider, and really loves MTB, but she is NOT a fan of super technical, or big exposure. Fortunately we have tons of trails in the area that fit her bill.

And hey, rail-trail is better than nothing if it gets you out with your girl! :thumbsup:


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## Blksocks (Dec 22, 2009)

bear said:


> Envious.
> 
> So happy for you OP, and your lady.
> 
> ...


That's better than NOT seeing her ride. :thumbsup:


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## bear (Feb 3, 2004)

Agreed, somethin' better than nonthin'


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Had another amazing ride with Jennifer in Idyllwild, CA this past weekend. This was the best she had ever ridden. Almost 2,000 feet of climbing in 10 miles, and she cleaned every obstacle!


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## Sean831 (May 22, 2011)

sweet trails, I'm definitely jealous. and I'm still trying to get my girlfriend to ride. *trying*


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

pointerDixie214 said:


> Had another amazing ride with Jennifer in Idyllwild, CA this past weekend. This was the best she had ever ridden. Almost 2,000 feet of climbing in 10 miles, and she cleaned every obstacle!


Sweet!!!

I've been riding with my girlfriend since the weather has allowed us to. She has shown tremendous improvement. We started out on a more technical trail where she had a hard time with some of the climbs, then I figured we'd mix it up and go to one that was flatter, but had some nice climbs and fun downhills. We worked on keeping a good cadence and tension on the pedals. Now we're at the point where she is cleaning all of the downhills, and stays on the second ring and is out on the smallest cogs in back. The problem she is having now is her component group is entry level and she needs to have shifters that will allow for 2 -3 gears per pull. She's compensated by getting herself into the midrange gears when she thinks she's going to climb, but then she loses speed in doing that. She has an 8 speed, so I was thinking of changing everything, but it looks like we'd be paying upwards of $500 for everything. 
May as well get her onto a 29er or FS. So, now it's off to the bike store to see what we can get?


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## MotoX33 (Nov 8, 2011)

My biggest challenge with riding with my fiance is trying not to push her too hard. She is very outgoing but she can also be a bit of a chicken about silly things. Of course I call them silly things now but I'm sure I struggled with the same things when I started biking. I try to keep the rides fairly short to not burn her out and encourage her to try different things without _telling_ her how to do it  Overall I have to say that riding with her and watching her improve has made for some of my (our) most memorable rides yet. The smile on her face when she finally does that "silly" obstacle she has been worrying about is priceless.


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

MotoX33 said:


> My biggest challenge with riding with my fiance is trying not to push her too hard. She is very outgoing but she can also be a bit of a chicken about silly things. Of course I call them silly things now but I'm sure I struggled with the same things when I started biking. I try to keep the rides fairly short to not burn her out and encourage her to try different things without _telling_ her how to do it  Overall I have to say that riding with her and watching her improve has made for some of my (our) most memorable rides yet. The smile on her face when she finally does that "silly" obstacle she has been worrying about is priceless.


I created a post on here to ask how have people in my situation been able to ride with their partner and do so at a pace that's good for the other, but at the same time still be able to hone your own skills. 
I got some very good suggestions. The one I like best suggested always riding ahead, but at a pace slightly faster than your partner, and to only stay ahead about 30 feet or so. 
When you are riding together, it will benefit her to see your line and how you ride. What you are doing when you climb, descend etc... 
If she doesn't complete something, suggest that she go back down. I've done this several times lately with my GF. The key is making sure she does something different from what she did the first time that caused her to stall or fail.

Now, we started out with my GF in front and I would follow because I knew I could go faster if I chose to, but I was more concerned about her safety and her confidence. I was please to see that my GF is very good at attacking the downhills. She goes right through the "meat and potatoes" or the biggest rutts, rocks, roots she can find and with good speed.

I pick a clean line. LOL

As far as telling her or letting her learn at her own pace, I feel the opposite. I think an informed rider will make better decisions. Just don't keep harping on her. When you're going through something for the first time, tell her what you were doing and explain it if she doesn't understand, then let her do things from there. 
You can always send her to skills clinics for women. I hear they are worth their weight in gold!

Lastly, when my GF was unable to ride because her back was bothering her, I looked up some riding skills websites that she could read and she read them. Since getting back on the bike, she's been 100% better hands down. Much faster, much more confidence.

I hope this is helpful.


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## itsjosstime (Mar 28, 2011)

This is so awesome! Congratulations to her and good for you that you have a partner that shares your passion!

I agree, we need more ladies in the trails!


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks! Yes I am very lucky


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## Johnnydrz (Jul 8, 2005)

Oh man, I know how you feel, I'm one such lucky guy too. I'm 54 and my wife 47 and we now both ride SS for the last few years. We never feel the need to ride with others, because we are just fine with one and other for hours. We're from Quebec and regularly travel to Vermont, New-Hampshire, Maine, etc to visit friends and mountain bike. We'll be leaving for Colorado and Utah again in September, just the two of us and our 4 mountain bikes. I get a kick out of seeing my wife climb, ride and go down the trails all over the place. I know I'm lucky, and I make sure she knows how I feel about it.


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

itsjosstime said:


> This is so awesome! Congratulations to her and good for you that you have a partner that shares your passion!
> 
> I agree, we need more ladies in the trails!


Thank you. I am fortunate that she loves being out there and doesn't just go through the motions. I'm sure your fiance' will love it once she geela like she has accomplished the trails.


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## poopscoop (May 14, 2006)

Really cool indeed!!


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## uh yeah (Jun 14, 2012)

companionship like that is priceless.


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## spoonylove (Nov 24, 2009)

Yes .priceless


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## Funrover (Oct 4, 2006)

Heck yeah!! Way to go!


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## 40ncounting (Aug 5, 2005)

Awesome - great wife and video!


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## MtnHound (May 20, 2012)

Awesome. My wife and I ride together and have a blast. We are also into photography. Nothing in life is better then sharing the things you love to do together.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Agreed mtnhound


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## fiream400 (Apr 19, 2011)

This is good stuff, can't wait for my wife and I to be able to ride longer distances. She's trying to get back into shape after two knee surgeries and has taken up biking with me. I took her on her first dirt trail today,


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## eeyon (Apr 23, 2012)

took the girlfriend on an unfamiliar trail (didn't look too bad) on her first ride-- total bonehead decision -- turned out it wasn't beginner friendly. now i would probably need to bribe her with a different kind of rock, the kind that you normally wear on your finger instead of the type you bang you knees on, to get her to go again.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

eeyon said:


> took the girlfriend on an unfamiliar trail (didn't look too bad) on her first ride-- total bonehead decision -- turned out it wasn't beginner friendly. now i would probably need to bribe her with a different kind of rock, the kind that you normally wear on your finger instead of the type you bang you knees on, to get her to go again.


I made this exact same mistake when we got into MTBing. I rode a lot of BMX as a kid, and my wife had not. Took some convincing to get her back out there, and we started SLOW.

Now she rocks it. Sometimes while riding she brings up that first day and laughs at herself for being scared considering some of the stuff she rides now.


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## MtnHound (May 20, 2012)

eeyon said:


> took the girlfriend on an unfamiliar trail (didn't look too bad) on her first ride-- total bonehead decision -- turned out it wasn't beginner friendly. now i would probably need to bribe her with a different kind of rock, the kind that you normally wear on your finger instead of the type you bang you knees on, to get her to go again.


I did the same thing. Not really intentionally, but it happened. She took a hard spill following me down a roller coaster. When I looked back and she wasn't there, I rode back and found her with a pretty banged up shin. I cleaned and bandaged the scrape and told her we could head back but she wouldn't have it, and we finished trail round trip. She shows no sign of giving up, but I do a lot more diligence on trail selection. I suspect you'll do the same. :thumbsup:


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## godsang (May 24, 2010)

I'm so glad my husband introduced me to mountain biking. I'm sure your wife's improvement have made her feel really good about herself as she's learned to handle more and more types of things the trail throws at her. Mt biking is so fun and it's a great workout. The fact that you do it together is awesome. I wish I could ride with my husband more, but training for races means we have to do our own thing much of the time. Cherish those times!


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

godsang said:


> I'm so glad my husband introduced me to mountain biking. I'm sure your wife's improvement have made her feel really good about herself as she's learned to handle more and more types of things the trail throws at her. Mt biking is so fun and it's a great workout. The fact that you do it together is awesome. I wish I could ride with my husband more, but training for races means we have to do our own thing much of the time. Cherish those times!


Oh yeah. She loves it. Aside from the fact her co workers all thought I beat her due to mtb bruises, lol. She is more fit, more confident, lost a little weight (she was never very overweight to begin with though), and has a new fun hobby.

:thumbsup:


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

We've been riding a trail that is longer and not as technical, so we decided to return to the first trail that we started her on. Well, on Saturday she had difficulty climbing the first hill because the trail conditions have worstened (more erosion, roots, rocks etc) since we were last there. The rest of the trail was not bad, but it was nice to see her open up and hit the hills with some speed. 
Yesterday we went back after having some breakfast and the rest went downhill. We didn't do well on the first couple of climbs and I think that sat in the back of her mind. About 1/2 way through the trail, we hit a hill that she normally does very well with and at that time I was ahead of her. I heard someone behind me and I assumed it was her because she was right behind me. Well, a moment later I heard her yell my name. The person behind me was someone else. I knew it wasn't good. I turned around and just a couple of turns back found her on the ground hurting. I felt absolutely terrible. I normally don't take the lead, but this time I did. She got scared of going around a turn too quickly and went into the trees. She received a long scratch from her right earlobe down her neck. She also has a gash on the back of her ear that I believe is from the plastic on her helmet. 
Right away I told her "let's get off of the trail." She told me "no," she wants to finish. 
Having "endoe'd" myself I knew this couldn't be good. We travelled a little further and got to a part of the trail where she has always done well, but is usually a part where I might not. She went down and right in front of me wiped out again. OMG, this isn't happening. She was going too slow, the bike got sideways, and the rest is history. Again, I suggested we leave the trail. Again, she insisted on finishing. 
We took a very easy stroll, and only opened it up where necessary. She finished the trail. 
I feel awful that I asked her to get into this sport and she had to experience what she did. I give her all of hte credit in the world for forging on, but I told her she needs to consider that she has a job and that we do this for fun. 
I looked up a camp, but it's full. There isn't really any other opportunities, what should I do? 
I'm considering videos and practicing on the grass for things that I think will help her. She needs to work on 
cornering (at speed), braking, and switchbacks. All majors parts of the trail. 

I am willing to take any suggestions. 

Thank you


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## roblee (Sep 26, 2011)

I`ve been riding almost daily with my wife for a year now except we had a few months off when she fractured her ankle falling on a vert ramp (my bad idea that day). She still rode all the way home though. Not sure I would have? 
It`s sure cool to have a partner that will go biking.


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

roblee said:


> I`ve been riding almost daily with my wife for a year now except we had a few months off when she fractured her ankle falling on a vert ramp (my bad idea that day). She still rode all the way home though. Not sure I would have?
> It`s sure cool to have a partner that will go biking.


She's definitely a trooper!!!! WOW!


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

roblee said:


> I`ve been riding almost daily with my wife for a year now except we had a few months off when she fractured her ankle falling on a vert ramp (my bad idea that day). She still rode all the way home though. Not sure I would have?
> It`s sure cool to have a partner that will go biking.


women = way tougher than us.

There's a reason women have to have children. Men are big enough sissies that we would have gone extinct after a generation or two. lol


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## michaelsnead (Aug 31, 2005)

*Here are some valuable resources!*



dhosinski said:


> .......what should I do?
> I'm considering videos and practicing on the grass for things that I think will help her. She needs to work on
> cornering (at speed), braking, and switchbacks. All majors parts of the trail.
> 
> ...


Hi Mr. dhosinski,

The following videos helped me immensely with skill acquisition and I highly recommend them to you and your wife. My wife and I ride DH together and have learned a lot by reading the book, watching the videos and then riding together:

West Coast Style Freeride Fundamentals - A Mountain Bike DVD
Mountain Bike DVD | Mountain biking video training | Mountain Bike Instruction and Techniques | West Coast Style
All the instructors in this video are women and the skills they teach will serve you in any kind of riding you choose to do.

Fluidride: Like A Pro Instructional Video
Fluidride » Fluidride: Like a Pro - DVD

This is the best instructional book (Mastering Mountain Bike Skills) I've been able to find. I took a one day class with him that was wonderful. His web site is also excellent:
Lee Likes Bikes
Lee Likes Bikes

Finally, I believe that wearing armor will allow your body to absorb more of the inevitable lessons you'll learn from falling.

Good luck in your process and I hope you have a wonderful time sharing this great sport!

Michael:thumbsup:


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## Aaron1017 (Jun 1, 2010)

My current g/f disappointed me.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Aaron1017 said:


> My current g/f disappointed me.


What, faster than you?


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## ghglenn (Jan 26, 2012)

dhosinski;9442969
I looked up a camp said:


> My wife is in an all-woman's mtb group called the "Dirt Girls". They do a great intro to mtbing, and test the skills of all the new girls (over 100 this season). Anyway, go get your self some cones for teaching soccer (flat disks). Then find a grass hill at a park, and lay out a climb, with a sharp turn at the top to help her work on "ratchet" turning (using the cranks like a ratchet). This will help her be able to manipulate the bike on tight switchbacks while climbing. Then make a downhill switch back with the same cones to help her learn to "flick-turn" the bike around a tight turn, for her down hill switchbacks. She can also work on her braking on same hill with cones as stopping guides. For the roots, they had 2x4's attached to ropes (like a ladder) laid on the hill for them to have to climb up the hill and over. Also, for logs, they had screwed round logs to a long piece of carpet and had made various levels, or stacks of logs, to learn to go over. I think they staked it down with landscape fabric staples. The cool part was that it all rolled up neatly, and was ready to go in no time. Anyway, it was well designed and by the end my wife was the best of the group, minus the instructors of course! Good luck.


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

ghglenn said:


> My wife is in an all-woman's mtb group called the "Dirt Girls". They do a great intro to mtbing, and test the skills of all the new girls (over 100 this season). Anyway, go get your self some cones for teaching soccer (flat disks). Then find a grass hill at a park, and lay out a climb, with a sharp turn at the top to help her work on "ratchet" turning (using the cranks like a ratchet). This will help her be able to manipulate the bike on tight switchbacks while climbing. Then make a downhill switch back with the same cones to help her learn to "flick-turn" the bike around a tight turn, for her down hill switchbacks. She can also work on her braking on same hill with cones as stopping guides. For the roots, they had 2x4's attached to ropes (like a ladder) laid on the hill for them to have to climb up the hill and over. Also, for logs, they had screwed round logs to a long piece of carpet and had made various levels, or stacks of logs, to learn to go over. I think they staked it down with landscape fabric staples. The cool part was that it all rolled up neatly, and was ready to go in no time. Anyway, it was well designed and by the end my wife was the best of the group, minus the instructors of course! Good luck.


Thank you very much. I will pick up some cones, rope and 2x4's and create an obstacle course. That is such an excellent idea! Your wife is fortunate that there is something like that there. I have been trying to find some groups to ride with that can help the both of us in the skills department, but not too many around? 
This will be a great start. I am going to look on YouTube when I get home. See if I can find some video on "flick turns" and "ratcheting" for her. I'd like to see the flick turn myself. I saw something on television about a month ago. It was Hans "no way" Rey, and they were letting the front tire drop, then kicking the back end down onto the same step. I'll see what I can find. 
This is great advice. Thank you again!


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

I want to apologize to the original post. I've kind of taken it off track. It is a great post and there aren't too many like it. The thought of having something so great to share with a partner is almost unheard of anymore.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

dhosinski said:


> I want to apologize to the original post. I've kind of taken it off track. It is a great post and there aren't too many like it. The thought of having something so great to share with a partner is almost unheard of anymore.


HAHA No appology needed. I think if this thread helps some gals to get in the sport then that is even better than my original intent of just bragging about my awesome wife.

We did do a night ride on Sunday. Although no video, I still have to brag on her a bit. There is one climb that is really tough around here (well, there are several, but this is the only one she hadn't cleaned yet). It's about a mile long and almost a 10% grade, and fairly technical in parts.

Last week she made it about 50 yards from the top and crashed, busting up her shin and giving herself a calf chainring tat. She was pretty pissed at herself, and wanted to go again day before yesterday since we're moving and this would be her last chance most likely at this climb.

She made it! After a year she cleaned it. And not only did she clean it, when I got to the top and turned around to look for her back on the trail, she was right on my wheel! She was even teasing me saying how she wanted to pass but I wouldn't let her by. lol

She makes me proud in many aspects of our life together, but this was just one other instance. :thumbsup:


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

pointerDixie214 said:


> HAHA No appology needed. I think if this thread helps some gals to get in the sport then that is even better than my original intent of just bragging about my awesome wife.
> 
> We did do a night ride on Sunday. Although no video, I still have to brag on her a bit. There is one climb that is really tough around here (well, there are several, but this is the only one she has cleaned yet). It's about a mile long and almost a 10% grade, and fairly technical in parts.
> 
> ...


It sounds like she was committed to making it to the top. That had to be a huge confidence booster for her. Tell her I said CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! 
I think your thread should be stickied, and maybe even have it's own topic. 
My GF really wants to be back on the trail, but I told her to take her time and let her body heal. Her back and neck are sore, and I don't want to risk anymore injury. 
Have fun with the move, and I'm sure there will be other great trails you and your wife will enjoy together!


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

dhosinski said:


> It sounds like she was committed to making it to the top. That had to be a huge confidence booster for her. Tell her I said CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
> I think your thread should be stickied, and maybe even have it's own topic.
> My GF really wants to be back on the trail, but I told her to take her time and let her body heal. Her back and neck are sore, and I don't want to risk anymore injury.
> Have fun with the move, and I'm sure there will be other great trails you and your wife will enjoy together!


Thanks and good luck to you and your gf too. I think the "no pressure" approach is the best. I do push her sometimes, which is OK to a point, but for the most part I just let her do things when she is ready. 

Your gf will be back on the bike in no time. :thumbsup:


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

pointerDixie214 said:


> Thanks and good luck to you and your gf too. I think the "no pressure" approach is the best. I do push her sometimes, which is OK to a point, but for the most part I just let her do things when she is ready.
> 
> Your gf will be back on the bike in no time. :thumbsup:


Definitely, I found a website MTBTIPS.COM that has some great reading and videos for her
to peruse while she is sitting. She told me she wants to get back out there soon. I don't want to pressure her, and I won't. Being competitive is enough, and will make us do things and take chances. I told her to be open minded, when she reads or someone offers suggestions. 
We're thinking of talking my Homegrown and getting new bars & stem, and cutting down the seatpost to see how she likes Full Suspension. Plus it's a ton lighter than her bike.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Nice! 

One other thing I just remembered that Jennifer and I did a lot when she was getting started. Some days we "rode" we wouldn't even go to a trail. Instead we went to a park or a parking lot even just to work on slow bike handling skills (good for rocky and rooty sections), going up and down curbs (helps with log rolls and drop offs), track stands, slow bike races (who can take the longest to ride a length without track standing, which is GREAT for technical handling), and just getting familiar with her bike. 

Days like that can be a good break from the trails, and good training. Might give that a shot.


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

pointerDixie214 said:


> Nice!
> 
> One other thing I just remembered that Jennifer and I did a lot when she was getting started. Some days we "rode" we wouldn't even go to a trail. Instead we went to a park or a parking lot even just to work on slow bike handling skills (good for rocky and rooty sections), going up and down curbs (helps with log rolls and drop offs), track stands, slow bike races (who can take the longest to ride a length without track standing, which is GREAT for technical handling), and just getting familiar with her bike.
> 
> Days like that can be a good break from the trails, and good training. Might give that a shot.


Duly noted! Maybe we can do that on Wednesday. I want to put clipless pedals on her bike
this week. I think it will help her with her feet coming off of the pedals. We can practice clipping in and out. She has a nice little hill near her apartment too.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Great idea. Just make sure you set the "clips" to the loosest setting. This actually helped Jennifer quite a bit with the feet on the pedals problem.


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## dhosinski (Nov 24, 2009)

pointerDixie214 said:


> Great idea. Just make sure you set the "clips" to the loosest setting. This actually helped Jennifer quite a bit with the feet on the pedals problem.


I plan to set them down to where I can just release the shoe with my hand. That way I know she should be able to get out easily.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

So today was "new bike day" for my wife. She rocked some tech with a big ol smile. Twas a success.  God I love this woman.





































Her first 29er. First FS. First time with more than one chainring up front. Big adjustment. And she friggin loved it.

Santa Cruz Superlight 29 R XC build if anyone is curious. 

I can't smile enough watching her ride it.


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## mtnbiker64 (Nov 17, 2004)

Pointerdixie, great to hear Jen got some new wheels. Been a while since Bikergirl and I rode with you at Swatara. Have to get down that way again soon. We've been out just about every weekend down to Mt Penn outside of Reading and to Blue Marsh. Guess there's no logovers she can't conquer now. Tell her good luck witht he new ride.


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