what i mean is there are women out there who enjoy off roading and are "well into it". they ride long distances, race, are competative and are keen on how there bikes perform.
The reason i ask is im trying to get my wife into rideing,for fitness and fun, but i hav a strong feeling that it will all just be too much fuss, to hard, to muddy etc etc.whilst this reflects her and not all women i wondered if people thought that women who are competative and driven are in some way a bit dfferent, may be because they are competative perhaps?
i know in my club that there is always an underlying feeling between the blokes of "im stronger/faster/better climber than him" (not in a bad way but it is there) and i guess that just competative blokes outlook but i would always say that most women arnt as competative or as bothered by one-upmanship?

anyone else agree/disagree.have i put this clearly or not?

Do you think, maybe, there are men that don't like biking, too?

I have 4 female friends who are mad into mountain biking and bikes…

yeah its not that men or women do or dont like it. Im trying to avoid sounding really sexist but, as a sweeping generalisation i would say from a group of 1000 men and 1000 women picked at random,more men would probably choose to arse about on bikes in a cold muddy wood on a march night that would women, so are the women that do chose to perhaps more man-like in there thinking???

You'll get a lot of women out running though, so I don't think it's cold wet exercise per se that is the issue.
But yes there are woman with more man like minds and men with more women like minds, I guess the problem stems from thinking of gender as discrete values.

My better half has a bike & enjoys riding it, just not on more technical stuff. She's not scared of it-she competes on her horse at Advanced eventing, jumping 4'-4'6 stuff to hidden landings & loves that. Just doesn't enjoy the mtb as much.
Different people enjoy different things, male or female.

You are assuming that arsing about on bikes in a cold muddy wood on a march night is an activity of fixed attractiveness to either sex.

How about assuming that each sex has activities each finds attractive, and arsing about on bikes in a cold muddy wood on a march night is just more appealing to men?

Mrs NBT was into mountain biking first, she got me into it when we met on a skiing holiday (which she also took up before I did)

much in the same way you wooed your wife to marry you, you must follow a similar process getting her into mountain biking. I mean she wouldn't have married you if on your first date you'd have admitted your feet smelt of cheese now would she?

So try easy, dry stuff first that has places of interest that she likes on it (I dunno breweries, steam engines – whatever girls like). Then once you've passed that hurdle try things a bit hillier and middier until she's kicking ass coming down the back of Snowdon.

Women are like horses, you have to break them in gently.

Make sure you get a nice bike that fits her properly and the the controls are right size and proportions. The SADDLE really is a sore point for new ladies so let her try a few and be patient. I know so many friends who's husbands have bought them crap bikes, even when they own high end stuff themselves. The result has been that they have had a couple of uncomfortable rides, out then the bike is left to rust in the garage.

My Wife who I've know 9 years is dead keen on keeping fit and has always enjoyed cycling (when I met her she'd just done the london brighton).

But no matter how hard I try I know she'll never love MTB in the same way I do.

She like off road riding, because it keeps her away from the cars. But she views the descents, especially anything difficult, as interruption from proper riding and hence exercise. Almost like they should not be on the ride, although she enjoys steady climbs as I think she feels like shes achieving something.

Which is quite difficult to understand as I think most of us look forward to the downs most (although I do like a good climb too).

scu98rkr:

(although I do like a good climb too).

Your feminine side???

'women are like horses you have to break them in gently'…..
thats not as standard is it samuri???? theres no two women alike… some are born Guru ! lol… i dont mind mud n rain..just a tad harder to do, i prefur cold weather to cycle in. as long as your all geared up and got yer cycling head on… yer on ya way… i started late in life at the mountain biking, my son bought a decent bike, then i bought me first 'Hardtail' and started going out on my own at first, then started riding with my son, i cant keep away from the fells and the odd trail centres now…im just luving it ! and right now ive just become a grandma…. lol. 'grandma' rides the fells…..

much in the same way you wooed your wife to marry you, you must follow a similar process getting her into mountain biking. I mean she wouldn't have married you if on your first date you'd have admitted your feet smelt of cheese now would she?

I agree with this and started my wife with the thames paths, then swinley + cannock chase (she really likes follow the dog). But I've never managed to get her to move past the surrey hills in terms of technical riding. She doesn't even like parts of summer lightening (in the dry/never mind wet) because its too rooty.

If I ever took her to do a real ride in wales/peaks/lakes it would be a nightmare. I'd imagine she'd get to the top of the ride fairly easily but then refuse to come back down ! (unless I carried both bikes and she walked)

Maybe if I was a better teacher shes have got a bit futher but I feel this real issue is she just doesnt get any buzz from technical riding.

She likes all the other parts of cycling because it makes her fit and being fit is good (ie keeps you slim + healthy + likely to live longer). But technical cycling might get you injured which seems silly to her.

I think there maybe a slight difference here because especially as a younger bloke there was a certain attraction to doing stuff they may have lead me to be injured cos it sounded cool!

I always thought it would be nice to have a partner that was into cycling…
…but the women I've met that are REALLY into cycling are pretty much exclusively…how can I put it politely…oh aye!- raving, f**king obsessive ultra-competitive psychos, and I dont totally mean that as a compliment like usual, either.
I think scientists call this 'Longo's syndrome' 😉

my wife could never really get interested in cycling – too hard, too steep a learning/ fitness curve for her. I think in order to make any progress you have to accept that its going to hurt.

Now I'm single again I could quite happily ride with a partner who was already into biking before I met them – but the thought of trying to get a novice interested, no thanks. I'd rather spend my riding time riding than coaching someone else (this part always seems especially difficult with couples, many women seem to resent being told how to do things by their partners). You don't have to do everything together

I like riding my bike a lot, but I consider competition to be childish

But she views the descents, especially anything difficult, as interruption from proper riding and hence exercise.

I resemble that remark!

West kipper +1

breweries, steam engines – whatever girls like

😀

'are women who ride bikes a bit different to those women who dont ride bikes….'

There's a going down joke in there somewhere.

are women who ride bikes a bit different to those women who dont ride bikes….

Hell yeah, they are when they are riding a mid-life crisis bike. 🙄

I'm definitely different to other women of my age but, at the end of the day, I might ride bikes but I'm still a woman and like to be treated as one.

I don't race, am not competitive, just like riding my bikes. Dunno whether this helps!

Should have said that it helps if you are used to being out in all weathers, ie owning a dog, running etc. At least that way you will probably have the clothing issue dialled.

Thinking in our ravel of riders is that "birds wot bike" are wired differently to "birds wot don't"

Simple, can't help wonder if they're equally immature and nerdy as we are.

My other half sees the bike very differently – she likes nice, flat easy road or trail rides with lots of sunshine and no wind that last up to ten minutes tops and thinks that's a great day out and time for tea and cakes thank you very much. No mud, hills, rain or other nasty stuff for her. Which of course is just weird.

simonfbarnes – Member
I consider competition to be childish

That's certainly one of your less intelligent comments, SFB. Not for you/not something you choose to be/pointless/etc you could argue but childish? eh?

I used to ride with men, they could get the testosterone going on steep, high drop-offs and psyche themselves into doing them, whereas I was just plain old frightened with no (male) hormonal help.

Having said that, I do like technical stuff, like to get both wheels in the air, like to race and ride long events. I am competitive, even now that I'm older.

I fix my own bikes, can build wheels, can fix cars (although I don't these days), am interested in computers and "man things". My bikes live in my lounge/kitchen, I have my own tools. In fact a couple of men have said to me that I should have been a man! I think that says more about them than me though.

To the OP: yes, I think there IS a difference between women who ride bikes and women who don't.

Wow Karinofnine- respect.

I like riding my bike a lot, but I consider competition to be childish

….

relevance to the thread being? just wondering 🙂

I think everyone is unique.

Must admit sitting in a Sports Physiology lecture and women well were like blokes and bit dumb compred to my biochem lectures of hot brains and bods.

So to your answer-everyone is different know matter what they do regardless of gender.

are men who ride bikes a bit different to those men who don't ride bikes??

I think it's a person thing rather than a gender thing. The OH and I got into biking together, and he's quicker on the descents (my excuse is that he's heavier) but other than that we're pretty well matched. Sometimes I get the impression tho that if I wasn't around he'd spend more time indoors on the xbox – whereas I'd go out on my bike all the time if I could.

According to the scientific research, yes!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC117232/

Many chronic injuries related to athletic bicycling are now recognised: cyclist's nipples, neuropathic syndromes, and skin problems caused by the saddle. We have seen a new clinical problem in female high level cycling competitors: bicyclist's vulva (figure).

(caution, NSFW, medical photos)

That's certainly one of your less intelligent comments, SFB. Not for you/not something you choose to be/pointless/etc you could argue but childish? eh?

childish in the "Nyeh, nyeh, I'm the king of the castle" way! Who cares who's fastest? If you go faster it's over sooner and you have to wait longer for everyone else. I suspect turning sport into competition puts off more than it encourages 🙁 I favour cooperation instead.

(the problem stems from thinking of gender as discrete values.)+1 😀

Bicyclist's vulva: observational study
I thought there were laws against that sort of thing.

Blimey Karin! That's seriously impressive. 😀

AS A WOMAN; AND TO ANSWER THE QUESTION:-

1) Look to what her pursuits are now? Would they transfer into MTBing?

2) Ask her, and find out whether she would like to have a go!

I naturally love riding, because I love being outdoors. Is it really a sex thing? Having a BF who loves to ride too really helps as neither of us feel like bike widow/ widower!

Yes, they are. Just like men who like riding are different to men who don't like riding.

If she generally hates the outdoors and does no exercise, then it's highly unlikely that you'll get her into riding.

What you generally find is that (cue sweeping generalisatons) women tend not to have hobbies like blokes do. Other than my mtbing female friends, and a couple of friends who horseride, most of the women I know don't really have hobbies, and a lot do no sport at all and haven't done since school.

thats not as standard is it samuri???? theres no two women alike…

Woooah there bessie. Have a sugar cube.

😉

…are women who ride bikes a bit different to those women who dont ride bikes..

Yup, they have better figures.