Hello 🙂

Ok, I know i’m new to this STW lark but hopefully you guys can reassure me a bit!

I’m joining up with a different mtb group tonight for a ride (long story – met one of the chaps when I sold him an old wheel!) which should be fun but am getting just a teeny bit nervous as I don’t want people to think i’m a weirdo being a girlie turning up by myself joining in with all this….

The riding will be cool and if they turn out to be nutters i’m perfectly happy biking myself and then toodling off home, but i’m used to turning up biking things as part of a couple (not any more 🙁 ) so this is a new one on me. I don’t want anyone to think i’m some sort of desperate singleton-weirdo – I just like biking and talking about bikes to like-minded people.

Anyway, I know it’ll be fine. I’m used to biking with a load of lads anyway, I guess this is just like the ‘deep breath’ before you go into a party by yourself or whatever…. But still, any reassurance would be appreciated!

My experience of MTBers is we tend to be an inclusive bunch (and most are considerably fitter / better than I am). Have fun. (-:

My experience of MTBers is we tend to be an inclusive bunch

This.

Enjoy yourself.

For all the bravado that is inevitability about to follow, in person we’re all afraid to talk to girls 😉

Oh… apart from Hora. Which is quite worrying actually. Watch your drink in the pub afterwards

Yeah, deep down I know it’ll be fine…. It’s that irrational fear that they’ll all race-winning whippets (hopefully not) or laugh at my bike etc!!

Obviously I am bound to come off in some embarassing and unexpected way anyway (it’s the law of riding with new people) – but i’m prepared for that 😉

For all the inevitable bravado that is inevitability about to follow, in person we’re all afraid to talk to girls

A typical STW mountain biker, yesterday.

I hate trail politics and being told how to think. New riding groups can be fun and its always good to meet new people, people with different perspectives/viewpoints to your own. Life would be short otherwise.

I can’t ride with SimonFBarnes. I feel we’d merge and become a super doity’ old man superbeing 😯

missnotax- enjoy, relax. Its your downtime after all. If you don’t like the group there will be more but every ride for me is fun.

Obviously I am bound to come off in some embarassing and unexpected way anyway

If it’s any consolation, I had two crashes in as many minutes on my inaugural STW ride-out. I’ve never felt such a pleb in my life, but they were all very gracious about it.

Well, till I was out of earshot, at least.

Have pretty much always turned up at club things / events as a singleton-wierdo 🙂 Initially because I was, and now because the only time I get to play out is when he is looking after his kids!

Go, have fun, take advantage of being the only girl (if you are), smile politely when they give you advice and offer to fettle your gears / suspension… and then leave them standing when you get to the first hill 😀

Seriously, you’ll be fine, probably not the fastest or the slowest, and with the amount of clothes you’ll be wearing in this weather – they won’t even notice that you’re a girl!

Well, till I was out of earshot, at least.

I thought the thread they started “Who was that numpty?” was in very poor taste too 😉

Could be worse. I think on the inaugural STW Swinley ride we lost people and one of the Ti fans cracked his “frame for life”. I also had a go at puncturing my arm with a branch. I failed but had to stand around for 15 mins till I got some feeling back in it.

😆

I do love the way sods-law always comes into play on these things…

I always reassure newbies to my usual riding group that we never lose people and no-one gets hurt. In every case we then proceed to lose half the group and gingerly wait to see who mashes themselves 😉

Meeting new people is awesome, i think. It might just be the release of social anxiety that you can build up in the preceding hours that make it feel so good 😀

At least you don’t have to approach a bunch of people you dont recognise and say ‘Hi, i’m the person from the internets’

The thing is about group rides is that those that do them know that there is waiting around due to mechanicals, offs, slower riders etc and don’t mind. Those that do mind don’t do group rides.

In all my years of organising or participating in group rides, and the probably hundreds of different people I’ve ridden with, I have never met anyone that I wouldn’t have happily had a pint with afterwards.

Hello Miss Notax! *waves*

Hello Mrs Toast!!! 🙂

I had two crashes in as many minutes on my inaugural STW ride-out. I’ve never felt such a pleb in my life, but they were all very gracious about it.

I heard about it on another STW ride and they were indeed very gracious about it [ molgrips FWIW]

OP it will be fine and enjoy

I have a lot of enquiries from ladies wanting to come out and ride – let me explain that a bit, I’m membership secretary for the New Forest Mountain Bike Club 🙂

Had a lot join this year actually, and we have generally a pretty equal mix female/male in most of our groups.

With all the enquiries I just try to explain what we do (‘social’ riding, not training), what the dirfferent groups get up to and the fact that there will be other ladies there for moral support.

Oh and the club motto is ‘no-one gets left behind’. Except sometimes at the pub.

Obviously I am bound to come off in some embarassing and unexpected way anyway

Last STW ride I went on I tried to overtake someone (a female rider as it happens) and ended up crashing right in front of them and getting in their way. 😳

40mpg – I would met you recently then as i’ve just joined you guys too 🙂

(I am doing lots of biking at the moment!)

*waves*

Hope you’re enjoying the mud round here then!

Edit – who are you out with tonight, don’t think we’ve got a Tuesday night group as its the club AGM

Oh yes, stuck a trailraker mud tyre on the front for a race a few weeks ago and haven’t bothered to take it off yet….!

Different group tonight, not you lot 😉

Itll be fine 🙂 I’ve often turned up mtbing to meet wierdos off the internets, and always survived to tell the tale!

They may all try showing off with you being a girly so don’t laugh too hard when they fall of.

I got left behind on a NF club ride :(.
The others fecked off into the distance at my ‘ 1 lap race pace’
Admitedly they waited at each critical junction getting their breaths back , and as soon as we caught up again they were off .
Everytime we pointed downhill we caught them up and got held up as they were on SS , and we were geared .

When we got to a longer decent we were allowed to ‘run free’ ,at the bottom the fastest guy came out with these words of wisdom ” You guys were pretty quick down there ”

The difference between a 140mm FS and a RigidSS is probably most obvious on something pointing down and rutted

I quite often do stuff like this. My non-cycling boyfriend is horrified when I tell him that I talk to, and often join, random groups of mountain bikers when out cycling on my own, but the truth is that it’s a great way to get some company and find some new trails. Like you say, if they turn out to be weirdos, you can always pedal in the opposite direction!

In fact, I met P20 and Ahsat of this parish in the middle of a moor in Northumberland one day last year, and have since not only been out cycling with them and their regular group of riding buddies, but have also assimilated several of my riding buddies into their group too. We’re even Facebook friends 😉

Well I survived 😉

Really nice, fun, group of people. Dispite the freezing fog, ice and other such delights it was a good fun ride and the pace was good for me too (as someone said above I wasn’t the fastest or the slowest which is always good!).

I’m really pleased I went 🙂

Excellent news 🙂

mrsflash – Member
It’ll be fine I’ve often turned up mtbing to meet wierdos off the internets, and always survived to tell the tale!

You’re lucky, I’ve met some right bunny-boilers 😉

I’m really pleased I went

\o/

Excellent.

dont worry IHN, I’l stop stalking you one day.

glad you had a good time missnotax 🙂

dont worry IHN, I’l stop stalking you one day

Oh christ, don’t do that. It’s nice to feel wanted 🙂