Mountain Biking - girlfriends and biking hehe

any1 here have problems cuz u wanna hang out wiht ur bike more than ur gf?? hehe

Nope...she understands, excepts and sometimes joins. I make sure any girl I ever date has an understanding of where my bike and computers fit into my life.

Not here. My wife enjoys cycling as much as I do and she can usually manage to get down the same trails, although not as fast.

Slainte:beer:

I'm an engineering major. It's never come up. ;)

I know some hot ass girls here at school that love biking, XC to be exact. too bad they are taken.

I have that problem.

I'd rather be out on the trials and bombing the descents than sitting on a darn couch with my girlfriend.

She never wants to get out and do any physical activities though...

GRRR..... women. lol.

I need to just stop dating. It's getting annoying... and becoming a burden...

:rolleyes: :crash:

What does it mean if as a woman I have the same problem with my boyfriend;) ?

I decided the bikes were more fun than sitting and watching documentaries or playing computer games.

Part of dating is finding someone you're compatible with. If you like outdoor activities and she likes shopping. MOVE ON! You'll be better off in the long run.

My wife and I both like the outdoors, and indoors as well. We both love cycling (mtn & road), camping, hiking, sailing, windsurfing, skiing (when possible),...etc. We also like hanging out at home watching the boob tube at night, and renting some DVD's. We also like going dancing once in awhile.

IOW, we are a perfect match for one another. I couldn't imagine being with the girl I dated in college. She hated anything to do with getting dirty, she liked going shopping, eating out, and lounging around. I thought she was the "one", but I was blinded by her big "boobs". Good thing we broke up! Due, to me going windsurfing as a matter of fact. It was windy, I was going and she didn't want me to. Kinda the last straw thingy, but back to what I'm trying to say.

Date as many different people as you can. Don't compromise what you're about, if she doesn't fit your lifestyle, she's not the one. Little sidenote from my soapbox! Don't have sex, it only complicates your perspective! If you really love her, wait!

L8R

Originally posted by Fisher_Mongoose
any1 here have problems cuz u wanna hang out wiht ur bike more than ur gf?? hehe What the heck is he talking about?

What does it mean if as a woman I have the same problem with my boyfriend ?

I decided the bikes were more fun than sitting and watching documentaries or playing computer games.

cyclochica,

well, i wish there were more women like you. but, honestly, in the reverse it can't be THAT bad - quite simply there are way more men than women in cycling and most of the outdoor sports i do (XC, mountaineering, snowboarding, rock climbing, etc.)

to answer the original question: yes, i have that problem big time. I have had 2 (or 3 if you count less than a month) girlfriends in my life who were "sporty" and wouldn't drag their feet whenever i wanted to go mountain biking or climbing or whatever... unfortunately my current gf, although reasonably tolerant, is not active at all - we go on short hikes togher or like last weekend i hiked for 1 1/2 hours up 800m vertical and she took the chairlift and read in the restaurant at the top and then together we hiked the last 40m to the observtion tower at the top...

i'm still trying to decide to what extent i need someone with similar interests --- i'm 32 and to me a weekend when a group of us pack up our mountain bikes and climbing gear in the VW bus and drive to Lake Gard Italy and sleep in the van and just ride and climb and ride for 3 days is heavenly (done it 3 times this year!). who needs a shower or a fancy hotel when you've got awesome mountains and trails and routes? --- anyway, that said, there are few women who would join me for ALL my activitities (i'm on top of a mountain almost every weekend). but how much is necessary is still a BIG question for me. i think all i'm shooting for now is a women who truly enjoys the outdoors and fitness - so we can do a fair amount of stuff together and then for my hard-core trips she understands why i do it. she doesn't have to be as fast as me or as hard-core, but a basic interest doesn't seem like it should be too high of a requirement... or is it?

Originally posted by nathank


cyclochica,

well, i wish there were more women like you. but, honestly, in the reverse it can't be THAT bad - quite simply there are way more men than women in cycling and most of the outdoor sports i do (XC, mountaineering, snowboarding, rock climbing, etc.)



Its a problem when all the attractive guys are taken;)

Seriously though, not its not bad, but I always feel like a novelty. And generally I find that most guys are a little scared to ask you out if you can hang with them in a sport. You kind of get stuck as the dreaded Friend. The one that is cool to bike with, but the one you couldn't imagine being with because you honestly believe she isn't capable of being girly.

But maybe its just the guys I am around.

I am a lucky one.My wife loves mountain and road biking as well as hiking,camping, canoing,shopping in bike shops!!.It sure makes things easier and a lot more fun to be able to enjoy these things together. Just remember when looking for a significant othertry to find someone with your common interests.Marriage should be a lifetime and who wants to spend a lifetime with a S.O.who doens't ride,who complains about your time riding,and who thinks getting out of the house is going shopping(and not at the lbs!).

When I am single I have the opposite problem in Whistler. Nearly everyone (man or women) is into something (especially snowboarding, skiing and biking). The issue is selection. There is '50 hot guys for every one girl' according to one mag. I doubt the ratio is that high but it is extreme. They can pick and choose their way through us like herds of meat (similar to what single men do to them).

As a funny reverse, a lot of guys have issues with how good the girls are (out here). On bikes some of the rip more and faster than most guys I know. Same with snowboarding and skiing. :)...This becomes intimidating for guys when being schooled down the mountain by a girl

Originally posted by Fisher_Mongoose
any1 here have problems cuz u wanna hang out wiht ur bike more than ur gf?? hehe

:) You either have the wrong GF or you have special attachments on your bike that out perform your GF when bumping and grinding... :D

I always feel like a novelty
You are, and that's a good thing. I've rarely mountain biked with women, I avoid it. I have ridden with some exceptional female road riders though - they are aggressive, smart and sexy as hell. Also in hot demand.

I was in a different position I guess when I got married. I grew up in Southern Idaho, and therefore was a very outdoors oriented person. When I moved to Ohio I moved into the center of a large metropolis and being in college and working full time (and not knowing anyone here), I became less "country."

However, my wife knew of my love for the outdoors when we got married, even if she is a "city girl." She may not understand but she lets me have my time in the sun when I want to take off and wander around. Unfortunately, there is not that much near where I now live compared to what I grew up with. When we go back to visit my folks tho, I disappear into the mountains for a few days with a big smile on my face. :D

She is getting more in tune w/ my love for things outside, even tho I don't get to do that much (why I want to get back into biking so much). She is more then willing to ride with me and such, even if she does think that camping means having a camp trailer and I tend to think that a tent is too much weight to carry. ;)

Originally posted by cyclochica


Its a problem when all the attractive guys are taken;)

Seriously though, not its not bad, but I always feel like a novelty. And generally I find that most guys are a little scared to ask you out if you can hang with them in a sport. You kind of get stuck as the dreaded Friend. The one that is cool to bike with, but the one you couldn't imagine being with because you honestly believe she isn't capable of being girly.

But maybe its just the guys I am around.

Cyclochica... Maturity and Insecurity has a "lot to do with" the guys you're speaking of. IMO, the majority of younger males these days, arn't worthy real men. They know that their insecurities will show through if dating a strong able woman that seeks an "equal" partner in life. They need to feel their male superiority and only the weakest highly girly of woman foster that ideal. A real man doesn't compete with a woman or worry if you are or not girly. He looks deeper and knows what he values and will see the truth. ;)

My wife's has tomboy tendencies... :eek: She would choose male conversations and any sports activity, over long walks on the beach, girly talks or shopping. ;)

But, more importantly... in her heart, she's a woman first with feminine dreams and ideals, and a jock second. :)

Hey Jeff, why do you avoid mountain biking with women? I'm curious because I had my first ride with a certain group last weekend and I felt a little funy about being the only woman in the group. I didn't get any bad vibes, just wondered.
Hel

Group rides aren't a problem, there are usually people of varying abilities. When I'm by myself, though, I have a hard time judging what someone can handle, and would rather not have the responsibility of doing it. Frequently people will insist (out of ignorance, bravado or not wanting to disappoint) they can do something they are incapable of. I'm a bit old fashioned, perhaps, but if it is a man .. no problem. I won't leave him for dead, but his suffering isn't my concern. A female, on the other hand, I fee obligated to help - and it's humiliating for both. This goes along with the girlfriend thing, ladies I want to invite on rides are usually those that I am attracted to; just not a good dynamic. If you felt a little funny on a group ride I wouldn't let it bother you - find the one closest to your abilities and resolve to stay on his wheel. It was probably a relatively novel experience for them. :D

Wow..... I'm reading this and can relate. A group of us girls meet several times a week to ride mtb and/or road. Only one of the girl's husband has ever bothered to come along. I know several have said you should have common interests with your signifigant others. Well we do.... It's just that I fell in love with biking after I fell in love with my husband. Guess I'm having an affair with my bike!;)

haha it isnt that i have the wrong gf i was just wonderin for the future what u guys have had problems and /or no problems with hehe

Yeah, guess I'm guilty. I went riding on a first date and did something stupid. It seemed to me that I could hop a curb, didn't I used to do that when I was a kid... :p Course I went over the bars. I didn't want to let him know how bad it hurt, but the blood was a bit of a giveaway.

Now it's fun to tell people that I have a scar from my first date with my husband.

But back to the topic, I was lucky to end up with someone I can have fun with. Keeps all the serious stuff in perspective.

Hel

This is the eternal struggle for people who love to spend most of their time on bikes...meeting someone who shares your passion for riding.

Until I met my current g/f I never had any luck meeting somebody who enjoyed mt. biking. I kept hearing the phrase "You love your bike more than you do me" over and over again. Luckily I met someone who also enjoys to ride and eventhough she doesn't ride as often as I do she understands the fact that I really like being on my bike all the time. In fact, she is the one who got me into Downhilling...I was strictly XC until this past year.

http://pstr-m05.ygpweb.aol.com/data2/00B/6A/37/96/2B/mVUw0Bf5cC8nuTv621C7SpZNGuE0XwkT0180.jpg

"You love your bike more than you do me"
Oh boy, I've heard that one before. At first it's like a joke then they get pissed, then ....

Maelstrom:
Maelstrom: As a funny reverse, a lot of guys have issues with how good the girls are (out here). On bikes some of the rip more and faster than most guys I know. Same with snowboarding and skiing. ...This becomes intimidating for guys when being schooled down the mountain by a girl

Garbear:
Maturity and Insecurity has a "lot to do with" the guys you're speaking of. IMO, the majority of younger males these days, arn't worthy real men. They know that their insecurities will show through if dating a strong able woman that seeks an "equal" partner in life. They need to feel their male superiority and only the weakest highly girly of woman foster that ideal. A real man doesn't compete with a woman or worry if you are or not girly. He looks deeper and knows what he values and will see the truth

yeah, i know some guys like this, but i don't get it -- unfortunately for me it doesn't happen often (esecially since i started racing a few years ago), but if a women is a better cyclist or climber or snowboarder than me, then that's awesome!! with one of my x-es (she broke up with me) i dated about 4 years ago when i was just starting to race XC... we met in the park while i was playing ultimate frisbee and she was running -- for our 2nd date we went mountain biking and although i kept up, she pounded my into the ground with tons of climbing and singletrack, etc. - i loved it -- and we went riding or running for almost every date after that (often her suggestion)... here ex-bf was a pro XC racer so i guess i felt a little intimidation there, but not directly between us or b/c she was better than me -- we both did a race together a few weeks later and i beat her by only a few minutes (she had a mechanical problem) and it was about 6 months before i was a better climber than her (since then i have specialized for climbing) and she routinely dropped my friends on group rides --- anway, the point is, i think it's awesome when a women is good or better than me and i have no insecurity about it --- i guess i also like smart strong-headed women too so it's fits together...

Cyclochica:
And generally I find that most guys are a little scared to ask you out if you can hang with them in a sport. You kind of get stuck as the dreaded Friend. The one that is cool to bike with, but the one you couldn't imagine being with because you honestly believe she isn't capable of being girly.

i've dated 3 serious athletes and had many female friends in my days of XC and adventure racing and I personally did not find any of them lacking in the "feminine" beauty or whatever - the few times when they would put on a dress for going dancing or whatever...woah! of course, i find less makeup and an athletic build much sexier than the painted-face, fake breasted or thin but unfit... i promise there are enough guys out there that are cool enough not to be so weak and immature as to require the ego-boost of a "weaker" dependent women...

Cyclochica:
Its a problem when all the attractive guys are taken

well, try in the reverse where the odds are way stacked against you. in most competitive circles it's something like 5-to-1 and then most of the women are already taken...

i find less makeup and an athletic build much sexier than the painted-face, fake breasted or thin but unfit...

dito that:beer: :beer:

Hey Jeff, why do you avoid mountain biking with women? I'm curious because I had my first ride with a certain group last weekend and I felt a little funny about being the only woman in the group. I didn't get any bad vibes, just wondered.

ok, my experience is only for relatively experienced groups of riders - where most train regularly and some race -- but i have seen absolutely no problems with girls riding with the guys. i guess at the beginnning many may not know how to respond -- also many may pay too much attention b/c they're interested in dating the women or on the other hand others might too little b/c they want to make sure not to give that impression.

a few years back a big group of us did a weekend trip with a Sunday race and on Saturday's ride one of the guys who's kind of a loud-mouth @sshole sometimes anyway spent the whole day giving the girl "riding tips" and telling her how to ride better (like him) and then she smoked him in the XC MTB race the next day (she beat me by 15 minutes too) and he was a little surpirized... (she was already riding expert as he was also, but she moved up to pro the next year)

since any women who is experienced enough to ride with a fast group obviously knows how to take care of herself (i.e. doesn't need to be "supervised by men" or pampered) i don't see how it should ever be much of a problem except for guys who are insecure and intimidated or maybe guys who want to "talk freely" w/o the prescence of women (although i've never seen this)... i had a couple of female racing friends who rode almost exclusively with men b/c they claimed the women were too competitive, while not as personally challenging as the men, so they learned more and enjoyed riding with the men (and then raced against women)

for inexperienced riders it could be a totally different story as guys might feel required to assist/teach or women expect it (or maybe resent it)...

Yep, my comment was based on a girlfriend/dating dynamic rather than shop rides and such.

My ex went out and bought a nice Scott hardtail when I got into mountainbiking again, the only reason she didnt like my riding is she is of the nice and easy riding type of person, cycling down the canal towpath too the pub is about the extent of what she wants too do, but she stopped too scrape me of the floor when I've spanked it up bigtime trying too show off.

going out/ hanging with/ or just asscociating with a guy(s).. who don't do any sport... or like the outdoors.. is boring.
i have a lot of friends that like pc games, movies and books..lol
even one who is a sfiction freak.. but at least he plays pool ;)

... when i met my bf.. one of the first things i said to him was.. how often do you go cycling?... his answer.. any chance i get.
the same answer i would give..

i am lucky.. but then.. i met him through cycling friends.. that helps.. cyclochico(sp?)...
having male friends who like to hang out are great.. but friends that like adventure are terrific!..
go join a team.. or go ride alone on a busy day on the trails.. you can make some friends that like doing what you like..
riding your bike. :D

[i]
i am lucky.. but then.. i met him through cycling friends.. that helps.. cyclochico(sp?)...
having male friends who like to hang out are great.. but friends that like adventure are terrific!..
go join a team.. or go ride alone on a busy day on the trails.. you can make some friends that like doing what you like..
riding your bike. :D [/B]

Thanks for the enciouragement, I am planning on join a club in the spring. I'm not pressed to meet someone, right now I'm having fun doing the stuff I want to do.

thats good to hear cc... enjoy life.... have time for yourself and keep that confidence up..... the men will be swarming to you....
then YOU decide if you have time in your schedule..lol

have fun!

Yeah!:-D I've been a mountain biker since I was 7. My bf (ex now :( ) got me an awesome mtbk for xmas..it was all good, until I started riding :-! oh well, he didnt want the bike back, Id rather have given it back..but he wouldnt take it ... more fun for me :p

Wait a minute there--it's a "good thing",but you avoid riding with women??Please explain!

I,for one,would be pleased as punch to find a guy to ride with.Too often it seems,I end up rambling on about the last ride/crash/run-in with the law I had on my bike and realize the person across from me has that glazed over,bored to tears look on his face....what to do?

Sometimes I'm afraid of getting so obsessed with bikes that I won't be able to relate to people who aren't....

oops-that first comment there was addressed to Jeff....

Ok Gracie, for you I'll make an exception. An academic, serious cyclist, Guinness drinker and currently living in Ireland - a woman after me own heart. When shall we ride? :D

Originally posted by cyclochica


Its a problem when all the attractive guys are taken;)

Seriously though, not its not bad, but I always feel like a novelty. And generally I find that most guys are a little scared to ask you out if you can hang with them in a sport. You kind of get stuck as the dreaded Friend. The one that is cool to bike with, but the one you couldn't imagine being with because you honestly believe she isn't capable of being girly.

But maybe its just the guys I am around.

Your definitely hanging out with the wrong guys.

If you were a few thousand miles nearer I'd take you out for sure.
:love:
If the guys in your life are intimidated by you then then I guess they are not right for you anyway.:)

Originally posted by earleybird


Your definitely hanging out with the wrong guys.

If you were a few thousand miles nearer I'd take you out for sure.
:love:
If the guys in your life are intimidated by you then then I guess they are not right for you anyway.:)

Thanks. I'm only 25, so I have plenty of time. Plus I have two bikes to keep me entertained.:D

When I was in college I spent a few winters fishing for crab in Alaska. The only woman I ever saw working on the deck of a crab boat was from Virginia, she was (is ... Gilia - you out there?) a tough lady.

Originally posted by gracie
Wait a minute there--it's a "good thing",but you avoid riding with women??Please explain!

I,for one,would be pleased as punch to find a guy to ride with.Too often it seems,I end up rambling on about the last ride/crash/run-in with the law I had on my bike and realize the person across from me has that glazed over,bored to tears look on his face....what to do?

Sometimes I'm afraid of getting so obsessed with bikes that I won't be able to relate to people who aren't....

I seriously need a woman into biking as I get that same glazed over expression, and dont I just think I go on about them too much, guess people dont know what fun it is until they have ridden them.

thats good to hear cc... enjoy life.... have time for yourself and keep that confidence up..... the men will be swarming to you....

Just wanted to add an old saying my dad used to tell me, "You'll never be happy with anyone else, until you can be happy with yourself and by yourself!"

Good advice that I actually took! My wife and I both enjoy cycling, camping and etc. We're also teaching our son an appreciation of these same things.

L8R