Taking newbie's on rides

[creepyjoe]

gauge taken out of my knee (cool scar now)

Look some chicks really do dig scars!
(No trying to sound sexist but it's common topic as to whether chicks actually do dig scars or not, in my experience, they generally don't =). Which is a shame coz I've got some marvelous specimens of scars in their natural environment, i.e. my elbow, ankle, hip, shoulder, knee)

On a related note, I'm a newbie but now soon I'll have a tough bike so watch out.
(My full-rigid xc bike didn't like being treated as a DH/Urban bike)

 

[Techno Destructo]

Finally got the wife into riding!

First time was when we were living back in Whistler (before the HUGE MTB boom that they have now). I put her on my XC bike, with clipless pedals (BIG MISTAKE), and tried riding some trails that I thought weren't too steep. She panicked, wiped out, hated it, and didn't do it again until a few weeks ago.

We went out with a group of old friends from Whistler, rented a bunch of bikes from a friend's shop and went to Oxford Falls (Sydney area). Since we had a few cars and a big ute, Penny (my wife) was introduced to the wonderful world of shuttling. On top of that, I gave her all my BEST gear, including my prime bike, and a little bit of armour. I rode the rental (shudder...).

In a group of seven, only two people had "good" bikes, and the rest were on rentals (which could barely cope with the easy lines...). Penny, after discovering how big tires, 5" of travel, platform pedals and disc brakes, etc... makes the sketchy suddenly easy (and kicks the rental bikes asses), was suddenly "claiming" sections, taking the lead of the group, and whipping off ahead of everyone whenever she got the chance!

At the bottom, as we loaded up the bikes, she would jump up and down, cheering "Hooray for the shuttle!"

At the end of the day, as we're driving home, just her and me, she tells me "Y'know why I like this kind of biking? 'Cause I'm so good at it!" - On her third day in seven years! (And I just nod and reply- "Yes you are!" ) And later that evening, she says that we'll have to do it again next weekend! It's a MIRACLE!

I think the key things that made her suddenly like biking were:
1. Shuttling (she does NOT like biking uphill much)
2. A good bike that she can trust and makes tough sections easy.
3. Riding with a group that's about 50% girls, lots of people her skill level or slightly less, and very little pressure and no ego.
4. A trail that rates about a 3 outta 5 for technical hardness or less.

Maybe this is the formula that works for most girlfriends/wives to get them into it?

I'm ultra stoked now... she's even talking about getting her OWN bike!!!! HOORAY!!!!!!

 

[perfor8r]

That's cool Techno, now you gotta another riding partner....

A friend of our's just sent over his old Hardtail, an old Brodie for my wife to use. We re-built it all this week and I'm taking her out tomorrow morning.
Should be fun. let you all know how it goes!

 

[Techno Destructo]

Good luck with getting your wife hooked, perfor8r! My fingers are crossed for ya!

Hey, neat coincidence... My wife was riding my Brodie Holeshot... so maybe something of that brand will rub off on your wife!

Did I hear correctly that it was a Brodie eXpresso? I ALWAYS wanted one of those bikes back in the day. That was a CLASSIC frame! That and the Climbmax and the Sovereign....

If you ever think of selling it down the road... let me know!

 

[RaID]

i think the main challenge ive found wih taking out newbies for a ride is to realize that if you can ride a bike doesnt mean you can ride on the simplest of single tracks

obviously your not gonna take them down the local dh track with drops and bridges
but even taking them down a simple single track with a slighlty bigger decline and you realise how a something you could probably do with your eyes closed on even the crapiest bike, can turn to a very hard section for a competent road bikerider
all the body weight adjustements you do going down a trail is all secodn nature more most avg off road bikers
but new people dont know any of that and i think thats when problems start

i think the best way to go riding with a newbie is fireroads then progress slowly
i know ill do that next time i take someone out riding