I personally have set times on most every ride I do and as the weather gets dryer, the fitness improves I have to be bettering those times every ride
eeeek - edges away from the scary man 
I have no idea how long anything takes me, but suspect taking longer is better as it prolongs the fun :o)
I don't think Simon's got the jist of competitiveness at all.
I'm content to prefer cooperation!
Which possibly makes your thoughts and ideas about competition a little pointless if you don't understand the meaning of the word!
I have 4 bikes and I when I am not riding them I am thinking about them.
I have two female friends and about 15 male friends who are the same.
I got into mountain biking because I used to follow my older brother around like a little sheep, not wanting to miss out on the fun that he and his mates seemed to have and so when they all got mountain bikes, so did I.
If your lady is showing an interest in the sport, then of course, get her to have a go! But if she's only doing it because she wants to spend more time with you then she's unlikely to enjoy it.
Like many others on here, I don't think it is simply an issue of gender. I'd also say that having a competetive nature and mountain biking aren't intrinsically linked. An appreciation for the outdoors is probably a bit of a prerequisite though.
For myself, (Prob relevant to add that I'm 26 and female) I've always been into the outdoors but only discovered mountain biking in the last few years. I enjoy it for its own sake, want to learn a little more about the maintenance side and improve my technical ability but never intend or expect to be more than a casual enthusiast.
P.S. Hello all, btw, I'm new 
Which possibly makes your thoughts and ideas about competition a little pointless if you don't understand the meaning of the word!
I know what it means - I just don't happen to find it useful in biking
and BTW, in case you hadn't noticed, cluelessness about a subject has never been a barrier to entering the discussions on STW
To say anyone is non-competitive is complete baloney!
That day, you are the very bi-product of the very best, the strongest, the most forceful, the most competitive, simply the most able & capable sperm that your father could produce.
You started off being highly competitive, you will, without knowing it, continue to be so every day of your life, in so many ways, until your dying day.
So it's a false account of your life if you believe, in error, that you are not competitive. Just being you is testament to that fact - you are a living testament, a marvel of evolution itself!
That day, you are the very bi-product of the very best, the strongest, the most forceful, the most competitive, simply the most able & capable sperm that your father could produce.
but I am not the sperm, I merely carry copies of its genes
You started off being highly competitive, you will, without knowing it, continue to be so every day of your life, in so many ways, until your dying day.
I'm not arguing that we aren't competetive creatures, only that I consider it better set aside for cooperation in mountain biking. We need not be slaves to our instincts.
So it's a false account of your life if you believe, in error, that you are not competitive.
I believe I'm better qualified than you to comment on my own motivations, and I prefer a model of activity based on personal, not relative achievement. I strive to do the best I can do, regardless of what others may.
I strive to do the best I can do
Your perception of what the best you can do is will be shaped by what you see is possible. Just look at gymnastics/all sorts of other sports where what was considered amazing even 10 years ago is now pretty standard.
Competition helps most people actually do the best they can do. Obviously you're the exception that proves the rule.
One male, one female.
Are we in fact seeing one person, two ID's here on STW?Come clean Simon & Cinamon, your cover is blown!
LOL at Ti29er 
Simon and I have 'known' each other for years on here through various arguments discussions. 
I do actually agree with most of what he says, dunno if it's an age thing or what.
I just feel strongly that more people are not encouraged to participate in sport generally, both male and female.
Having struggled with massive self-esteem issues for most of my life, sport has been my saviour. Always felt worthless, useless, lacking in self-confidence, frightened of failure so wouldn't attempt anything - too many demons in my head.
There was someone in my head always saying "you're being stupid, you will fail" and I had to fight against that, still do sometimes.
Took up running and at the age of 40, I ran a cross-country marathon. It completely changed me as a person, I stopped feeling rubbish about myself despite not having achieved a sub-4 which I was quite capable of. Had to give up running and took up mtb'ing instead.
You don't need to be competitive to get enjoyment out of participating in a sport!
What really frustrates me now is that I have never reached my full potential. Sport can have such a a positive impact on your life. Old wounds have been reopened and tears are splattering the keyboard so will sign off.
Your perception of what the best you can do is will be shaped by what you see is possible.
but I don't confuse example with competition
Competition helps most people actually do the best they can do
I'd like to see some evidence for this as I suspect it's plain wrong. I try to do well at photography, running and participating in rides, writing reports and documenting rides and hopefully not falling off my bike too much. None of these things involves competition. I never watch competitive sport as it makes me feel inadequate and I'd rather be doing something less passive.
I am glad you're not one & the same, or even twins seperated at birth as the one picture we have of you suggests a natrually very beautiful woman.
We can't have two of you competing for honours!
Besides, you're only 30 (?). (waits for a slap).
Wait 'til you get the other side of 40 & are still single, then you'll either revel in your single-ness or have been consumed by self-doubt!
I've worried about my earlier posts all the way home. I made myself sound like a complete arrogant ****t. I'm not, honestly, I just love bikes and cycling. I love racing, I'm not fast, I just love it. I'm not great at technical stuff, but I like to try, get a buzz from it, and would like to be better.
Further thought on the boy/girl thing. Just when I got pregnant I was learning to skateboard, and had my own motorbike - totally lost my bottle when I got pregnant. Continued as a wuss throughout my life, massive self-esteem issues etc etc. Now I am coming out of the menopause I am finding my bottle again - wondering if this is because, now I am no longer able to breed, nature has deemed me disposable and doesn't care if I smash my brains out on a rocky downhill?
CG - YGM
Apologies for my ramblings yesterday :oops:. Menopausal obviously.
Thanks to those who e-mailed offering support, much appreciated.
Karin - go girl!
Yay Karinofine - I certainly didn't think you at all arrogant. In fact I'm secretly envious.
cinnamon_girl, we have so much in common it's quite spooky.
In answer to the OPs question, I have often felt different from my non-biking friends and because of this I can't talk to them about the sport I love so much, 'cos they wouldn't understand. Different in the fact I don't like shopping (well not those out of town malls anyway). I prefer to be outside regardless of the weather and feel such freedon on a bike. Also love the adrenalin buzz when conquering a certain steep section, or clearing an ascent that has always been too tricky in the past.
Oh yes and looking at all the fit blokes in their body armour doesn't do any harm to a lady.
Oh yes and looking at all the fit blokes in their body armour doesn't do any harm to a lady.
surely out of it would be better ?
Depends whether they ride and are generally sporty or are actually really into bikes and happy to discuss in detail all about bikes.
I think its rare to find women who are happy to have 'bike geek' type conversations. I have several women friends who ride but none of them are likely to begin a conversation with 'how many bikes have you got and what are they? - as I (nearly 40 yr old Mum of 2 did at a drinks party last week!!)
I was very into bikes/BMX as a child I have always loved them - not as a way of exercising but for fun.
Competitiveness - I think this is just individual - blokes or girls, although I think you tend to only get the super keen women racing whereas there is more of a mix of blokes.
Go to any horsey event and tell me that the ladies aren't mad-keen!
It's the blokes who do the behind the scenes stuff but they're massively out-numbered by the ladies when it comes to the actual riding (in the UK).
Two of my ex's worked with horses, so I can spot a Dandy brush at a 1000 yds!
As Prince Philip wryly observed when asked by his / the pilot on the Queen's Flight if HM Queen would like to have a tour of the cockpit whilst in mid flight, his comment perhaps summs it up nicely, "She's not interested unless it can bite & fart".
I'd like to see some evidence for this as I suspect it's plain wrong
Now you suspect plain wrong too.
well your example proves nothing, and doesn't even mention competition anyway, but what I mean is that if you average it out over everybody, competition may drive a few to dramatic limits, but I feel that many many more will be put off to the extent that they never try, so the overall effect on fitness is negative.
well your example proves nothing, and doesn't even mention competition anyway
Me think you should re-read me more correctly
I have always enjoyed riding bikes, but mostly as a means of transport - lived in a village and then chose to buy a bike instead of a years tube pass when living in London. Still it has taken me 4 years to get to a stage where me and Mr S are riding happily together at a similar level - although he is stronger and braver than me. He has put in some serious effort into getting me back into mtb - we had rigid steel mtb's before kids took over our lives. However I sought out other women to ride with - chased after a woman riding past on her mtb while I was walking the dog and then joined a womens mtb group. We have also put in a considerable amount of effort into getting the children (girls - now teenagers) to enjoy riding too.
I admit I am odd. I thought that everyone's dad taught their children (girls and boys) to mend punctures and only had this illusion shattered in the last four years..most notably by my brother in law who has a degree in astrophysics, but needed help with a puncture.
If I hadn't loved being out on a bike, I wouldn't have stuck at it, but I have and I love it and it helps keep me sane as well.
Me think you should re-read me more correctly
oh yes, so you do Not that it makes any difference to my argument.
Edited because I simply can't be arsed.
I think it's about roles. Men find themselves in roles requiring competitiveness more than women so there is a greater tendency for that. But it's really not cut and dried.
As a so-called-spod, I was not not expected to be sporty and I'm not endowed with great strength and coordination. But I through a non-competitive approach, I've come to love hiking, tennis, badminton, cycling and even a bit of running. For me, these are more activities than sports because while I like and try to "win", I really don't care if I lose as long as I play well.
I think if you are competitive, then you should be pushed to win win win. But if you're not, you should be pushed to play play play. When I did sports at school, there was no joy or passion or education in it, only the crowing of winners and the ignomony of defeat; no wonder people have learned to hate sports! The mistake to make non-competitive people think that when they lose a silly game it means they are losers in life, so they shun it.
So basically you might as well be a dog?
or better still an amoeba, then you can get to compete head-to-head with yourself
''Are women who ride bikes a bit different to those women who dont ride bikes''
They have to be or they would all ride bikes!
Seriously though we all ride for different reasons and i think its an individual thing not a gender/race/ego etc etc etc thing. I think anyone who doesn't yet ride, with the right way of weaning them into it would soon become a fan on some level.
Let's embrace our differences 
I think there has to be a bit of liking for the bike in the first place though.
Well, for me it was seeing how much fun my kids had on their bikes. But then nobody persuaded me to ride, my other half at the time didn't.
I think if you are competitive, then you should be pushed to win win win
There can only be one winner.
Therefore for every race, say at the Gorrick, there will be 60 losers.
You try telling the rest of the field they've been wasting their time and they've achieved nothing of value and should not be competative and just play!
To say your comments completely misses the point is the only truth in the above post I'm afraid.
But if you're not (winning), you should be pushed to play play play
I don't think you get the competative instinct at all!
And make no mistake, this translates fully into business. It's not just sport where people want to win, to be better, faster, achieve more & better results, be more than they were at the start of their journey.
Of course men and women are generally different.
Women all over the world complain about their men-folk's untidiness and lack of thought and conversation. Men all over the world complain about women's mystical complexity and nagging.
There are always people who are different to the norm though.
What you generally find is that (cue sweeping generalisatons) women tend not to have hobbies like blokes do
There is some truth in that. In a given group of people, I suspect that more blokes will be interested in doing things either not-relevant-to or outside-of 'the home' and less so on physical appearance , whereas more women will be more interested in home-based (nesting?) activities or shopping.
Again, there always exceptions.
Well we (the SO and me) went for a ride with a girl she met in a forum. Well let says that the other one although very nice lovely girl, was a bit blokey in her look and attitude. So there is no "bike girl" just several girls that rides bike.
"Biking Bettys" - definitely different wiring to normal women
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