Concerned husband

"I hope to be organizing some women's skills clinic days in the spring. If I do, I'll make sure to post them up here."

Ellen, we will be on the lookout for that. And yes, we've been pretty good at keeping to her "risk allowance". tnx.
 
learning to fall is good, but falling off a bike is much different than pretty much anything. Anything that results in falling "off" you feet such as, running, skateboarding, snowbaording, is much easier to control the tuck and roll method. When you fall off a bike, the bike often gets in the way and some time you have the tendacy to hold onto the bar.
 
falling is something I do alot and I am good at it, the trick is to get your arms out to save the face but to "cradle" when you come in contact with the ground, think of catching or lacross. 6 mile is a place where you can bring anyone, I brought my aunt and uncle there and they had a blast, they live near bethleham Pa and have alot smoother trails there though Jordan park was one i think.
 
wow hilltop is pretty gnarly, have you ventured below it? there are more areas you can link in there, PM me if you dont' know them.
how does she feel about venturing out again after the injury?
can she still make you dinner? j/k ladies 🙂
-Luke
 
we actually start out in the rail trail and climb up the asphalt road. then we ride around the diamond. then we sometimes go down, slow, on the peace(i think or maybe it was triangle) trail. when it gets tough our routine is, i go down and watch her try if she wants, or she walks it. yeah, we ventured to the bottom one you mention. pretty rocky. we didnt go the the end of it, we turned back at the point where you start to see the big houses. she likes it but we havent explored throughout. and its 20 minutes from us.
 
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Cool
I was majorly dissapointed a few weeks ago when those jump vanished from the trail. They were super fun.
We do a group ride on Wednesday nights on the other side, once in a while we venture up into hilltop though. We'll sometimes ride through the winter, weather depending. But hit us up in the spring, our group is recovering girl friendly since one of the chicks did the same exact thing to her shoulder this year 🙂
 
gtluke said:
our group is recovering girl friendly
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We both spent time on the injured list this summer - knee, ankle, shoulder... we're just planning our winter to come back and teach you guys how to ride a bike 😀 But yeah, come out for a ride sometime the guys are cool!!!
 
Hit the gym. Strong core muscles will help give her the strength to avoid falling and a good base fitness/muscle tone overall will help limit the damage from falls, (and IMO help avoid overextension) and speed recovery time.

I personally have a very bad neck. If I stop going to the gym I find I can barely ride because the jarring of the neck gives me horrible headaches. When I am in shape, I can go for hours with no issue.
 
MST.ESQ said:
Strong core muscles will help give her the strength to avoid falling.
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Last time I checked, having muscles does nothing to help you from falling off a bike, unless it is an issue with not being strong enough to pull the bars to get the wheel up and over something. However, maybe this is the reason muscle men like BFJ never fall :hmmm:
 
stb222 said:
Last time I checked, having muscles does nothing to help you from falling off a bike, unless it is an issue with not being strong enough to pull the bars to get the wheel up and over something. However, maybe this is the reason muscle men like BFJ never fall :hmmm:
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A strong core has everything to do with bike control, stability, balance and yes, strength to pull the bars and get the wheel up. Too many people overlook this fact in all types of sports. A guy or gal with large biceps but no core will have nothing on someone with a strong core.
 
I agree with those suggesting some gym time or at least some non-technical training rides.
Of the 3 elements mentioned in an earlier post (skill, confidence and stamina),
having more of one can compensate for lacking in others.
Having introduced my girlfriend to mt biking, it was her fitness from road riding that enabled her to build the confidence and skills on the trail.
 
I thought of one other thing.... Try not to be too overprotective of her on the trails.... I once flipped on a guy for babying me. By telling me everytime there was a bump or log or whatever he was making me way too nervous. There is a fine line you can walk without being too overprotective. (Not that I'm saying you are, but it can be damaging to the confidence level on the bike).
 
i agree with developing the core muscles and base fitness. that's one of our priority now. It cant hurt either way to stay fit.

Yeah, we look forward to hooking up with people here for upcoming clinics/rides. tnx!

and yeah, i freak her out when i yell out last minute instructions when she is 3 feet away from an obstacle. haha...thats under control now.
 
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pixychick said:
Sorry to hear that your wife got hurt. I sure hope she comes back for more. Mountain biking is just too much fun! 😀

I second the idea of easier parks as mentioned, and a possible women's ride or clinic. Back when I was a mtbchick, I had the opportunity to teach at women's mtb clinics around the country, and I believe that mountain biking is great for all types of women. Some people just need to take things in baby steps, gaining confidence with each step. Every person has their own risk allowance, and this should always be respected. Make sure your wife only tries what SHE wants to try.

As for the rock gardens: Yes, momentum can be your friend, but confidence, basic skills and a little finesse can get most girls through the same rock garden, and maybe even falling less doing so.

I hope to be organizing some women's skills clinic days in the spring. If I do, I'll make sure to post them up here.
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I would totally love to participate in a clinic. I have a ton to learn about mtb-ing (kind of like, everything), but if you need any help on the admin end, I'd be happy to assist. PM me anytime. Heidi
 
gtluke said:
Eileen doesn't count in the injured chicks list because she scheduled her injury 😛
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Ankle was not scheduled. Knee killing me was not scheduled either just fixing it was 😛

I would agree with the above posts about developing a base fitness and core strength. I've been doing yoga the past few weeks and it is definitely an awesome core workout, along with balance, strength, flexibility... I think I'm officially getting hooked.
 
She'll figure out what her own limits are. Don't hover. We fall, we get hurt, we recover, we get back on and we do it better next time. Support her desire and give her time and opportunity to go ride with the girls. On a group ride, you go with the guys and don't feel guilty. Check on her here and there to keep you both happy, but trust that the people in the back are used to and good at helping newbies and at knowing when not to help them.
 
For a female and at that wieght, lower tire pressure and a proper handlebar width are gonna make a big difference.Good luck..........
 
I started riding again in Jan 2007. That first year of riding I crashed all the time, to the point my nickname was 'Crash'. 2008 I crashed a lot less, and knock-on-wood, I haven't got hurt at all this year. It takes time to build up confidence, which was a major factor with me. Let her ride, let her crash, let her do what she needs to do to build confidence and learn to handle her bike.

Based on her weight/height, your wife is very thin. Unless she's a seasoned athlete, she probably does not have much muscle mass in her legs at that size. The gym can only benefit her. For me, my upper body strength is a limiter too. I have a hard time lifting up the front of my bike. The stronger my back/shoulders/arms become, the more technical stuff I can ride because I have to strength to maneuver my bike better. Weight training just 2x a week should help her.
 
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