@EMat it’s tough to accomodate every skill level on every ride, but we do try our best to make sure everyone has a positive experience. We do occasionally split up into fast and relaxed groups if needed, and we try to stop at really technical sections to give folks a look so they don’t come into it blind.
Sessioning a feature or section of trail is a great idea, that admittedly we don’t do enough of. But we are always open to it. Or anything else that anyone wants to try.
We would love for more folks to step up and suggest stuff, or take the lead on a ride, or suggest locations or routes that maybe we hadn’t thought of. Our rides don’t always have to be just “follow the leader”.
Come on. She opened with a bit of a provocative question to grab our attention. To say that she made it sound like every guy asking a woman to go for a ride is a sexual predator is, to say the least, a bit of a leap.
When @Chris_Dwyer-perkins and I go for rides, we almost always end up playing on a feature somewhere; not just to get it, but to get it multiple times. It’s a great way to learn.
It may be tougher, depending on the group size, but knowing that we’d ride whatever trail and stop to play on some features just might attract more people, and always good to let people know what to expect. Great idea, @EMat.
Especially since I’m suggesting that guys should invite more women to ride with them on a regular basis. If I thought you were all predators I’d likely not advocate for that!
Hands up every guy who’s invited a woman out riding because he was romantically (or physically) interested in her.
(raises hand)
It doesn’t make me a sexual predator, nor does it mean that I’ve only invited out women who I was interested in. It’s a valid viewpoint, and if you’re feeling attacked then you might want to look internally as to why that might be.
I feel that hyper-defensive reactions like that are a lot of what push away people of both genders.
You want your significant other to share your interest** and that, I think, is different than altruistically recommending the sport in the vein of: “hey you like a challenge and getting scraped up, want to try mountain biking?”.
(**Sometimes it’s because you are obsessed with the sport and want to get more ride time in.)
I think we all know people who have been taught or adapted the strategy that every interaction is a potential business or networking opportunity for advancement. In the same vein, I know a lot of dudes who use every interaction with a female as a potential mating opportunity or a way to make themselves feel superior. I usually just laugh and shake my head at these type of folks, but can only imagine how off putting/creepy that could be when all you want to do is ride some trails with people.
I think you’re reading too much into her initial question. It could be rephrased as “when was the last time any of you intentionally invited a woman on a ride who is not your significant other and that you are not romantically or physically interested in?”. I think the only thing she implied is that men don’t often ask women to go riding outside of those circumstances.
I expect what she implied is true, although there are a lot of possible reasons. For me, besides my wife and daughters (who are only occasionally / somewhat interested in mountain biking), I don’t know any women that would be interested in riding. It’s not like I’ve ever invited a guy who doesn’t mountain bike to go for a ride either.
Now now. I have a great friend who I have no interest in pursuing on any type of romantical way and I’ve been at her to bike. Mainly so I can turn hiking trips into biking trips to get more saddle time. Plus I know she will be really into it, and likely would kick my ass after she got the hang of it.
Doesn’t leave a whole lot to interpretation. Hyperbole is best left off the internets, just sayin’
In answer to the question: every time, those days are long ago though. I used to be really into introducing people to mtb but these days I do most of my rides solo or with my wife. Just the way it is.
On this note, when i do ‘join’ group rides, i often break off and do my own thing and session fun features. Anything i can jump or drop off of. Not to be anti social, damnit i just love features. Its still fun to be out on the same trail system with a group, even if you do your own thing. If anybody wants to session some jumps or features anytime let me know!
Invite valid for any male, female, human, traildog, trail elf, self driving automated cars that can fit singletrack, self aware sentient machines - anything, anyone. Lets all have fun on a bike and session some tricky stuff
Just can’t help yourself but to pop back in and nitpick eh? Let it go. You’ve established through multiple messages that you don’t believe I have something of value to offer the conversation. You don’t need to push it more.
Nope, can’t let it go, ha ha. Seriously though, there were a couple people commenting on what you or may have not have meant with your post so I just thought I’d quote it for clarity. That’s all it was, nothing more or less, it wasn’t meant to be directed towards you, a hicccup of the forum structure. Not my intention to be nitpicky. As well, I do actually feel you have something of value to the conversation, being a female mountain biker, I’m sorry if you misconstrue my comments as anything else. Have a good one.
