Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 5:00AM | Amy C ride like a girl
mountain biking
I’m a novice mountain biker. Really novice. And I don’t love it. There. I said it. I don’t love mountain biking.
Yet.
I still remember when I didn’t love running. Those were the days when I watched runners and thought to myself, “yeah, that’s all fine, but that’s not really me. I’m not a runner.” And then one day I realized that over time, I’d fallen in love. And now I can’t imagine my life without running.
But mountain biking? That’s a different story. I have hope that one day I’ll love it. I want to love it. I dream of days when I’m stoked to get out of bed on a cool morning, put on my spandex, sling my camelbak over my shoulders and hop on a big hunk of metal and go play. But I’m not there yet.
the husbandMy husband grew up biking. Watching him ride is like watching grace in action. It looks so natural and effortless. And then I get on my bike and feel as inelegant and clumsy as an elephant dancing Swan Lake.
Because of him I’ve watched many mountain biking videos on YouTube. Beautifully shot movies (most recently LifeCycles and Follow Me) that showcase the elegance, grit and raw awesomeness of the sport. Watching the riders on the screen is beautiful and engaging.
But I don’t relate. I don’t watch them and think, “I could do that with a little practice.” Or even, “Wow... I want to get outside on trail and ride.”
As a beginner, it feels so far out of reach right now. It can be so hard to stay motivated when you start something new and you’re not very good at it right away. Or especially after you’ve been at it for a year or so. It’s challenging to be patient and trust in the process of time. Most days, I’d rather just go running.
girl mountain biker
But then I stumbled upon girlMTNbiker. It’s a website dedicated to girl mountain bikers, and as I explored the site and watched a couple of the videos, I thought to myself, “I want to get out and ride. That looks like fun.”
And to me, this was HUGE. I was inspired and motivated to go out and ride after watching a mountain biking video. I asked myself what was so different about watching these videos of women having fun on a mountain bike, and watching videos of men.
The answer that came to me most immediately, the one that prompted me to write, is that I saw someone on a bike doing tricks, making jumps, falling down and still having fun, who looks like me. Long hair, breasts and all.
I recently read a great conversation over at PEMBA Serves about women and ice climbing. It’s a fantastic thread that opens up the discussion about women in sports. We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a long way to go. And one of the points made there, that I want to mention here, is that women witnessing other women participating in sports is far and away one of the best ways to increase involvement and participation.
As a late-blooming athlete myself, I wasn’t exposed to a lot of outdoor activity or sports growing up. I saw a little, and then as I began to explore more, uncovered the depth of women in sports. But it’s not on the surface. It’s not obvious. It’s changing, but I want to see that speed gain momentum.
I was recently in Atlanta. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and we were downtown for the parade. As we waited in the cold, we explored the historic area and visited an old fire station run by the Nat’l Park Service. There was a story about a little black boy who never realized that being a firefighter was an option for him as a career for when he grew up. Firefighters at that time were white.
When you see others doing something that you once thought wasn’t possible, it becomes possible. And that phenomenon becomes magnified when it’s someone that looks like you.
And so it is for me with mountain biking. Intellectually, I knew it was possible for women to ride hard. And to love it. But it didn’t seem quite as possible for it to happen to me until I watched those videos.
What do you secretly dream about that feels impossible right now? What might be a possibility for you that hasn’t revealed itself as an option?
I’d love to hear your thoughts about this and hear some of your stories on discovering a new passion or dream after being introduced to it by another. In the meantime, see you on the trail!
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Reader Comments (6)
Love the post! So glad the site inspired you to get out and ride :-)
It took me a while to fall in love with mtb- i fell in love with surfing instantly (even though i'm rubbish at it) But with Mtbiking it must've taken a year before i properly fell in love. I too had a boyfriend who came out the womb on a bike and seeing him rip it up all the time was inspirational but at the same time disheartening as i thought i could never reach his level. But then i went to my first ladies-only mtb event and everything changed! I fell in love instantly with mtbiking- the atmosphere and fun element you get riding with women is unreal- if you haven't tried it do it soon!
Anyhu i think this was a really long winded way of saying don't give up! And i'm so glad the site encouraged you to ride! :-)
p.s. The scenery around where you ride is beautiful!!
I'm looking forward to an all-women mtn biking clinic... and surf camp. ;0) My husband and I are traveling all around the country right now, but when we settle somewhere, it's very near the top of the list... especially if I find a steady group of women to ride with there.
Thank you for creating such a great site and source of inspiration!
p.s. We're based in CO, so very fortunate in the scenery dept. (I miss it!)
great post!! I love to hear how people got interested in sports/outdoor activities :)
Hello,
Sorry that it felt out of reach to you but glad you've been motivated.
This is as much in response to Ginge's comments as to your post. I don't understand the need to be segregated and am not sure I like the concept of girls only mountain biking. Somehow it feels like we are marking ourselves out as doing something different from the men.
I was introduced to MTB by male friends and our group of bikers that formed has always been unisex. The group naturally splits up into smaller groups according to ability.
So surely, to gain confidence, it's all about riding with someone else who is at your level? Male or female.
Yea gaining confidence is all about who you ride with, be it male or female.
But for the first few years of my mtbiking life i'd only ever rode with blokes-and i found it a complete shock (in a good way) when it came to riding with just girls.
I think you should ride with people who ride for the same reason as yourself and i find that riding with guys sometimes gets too competitive as i like to pootle along, :-)
Hi Ruth. Thanks so much for your comment. I really appreciate hearing all kinds of perspectives. :)
And apologies for the late response... I was offline camping this weekend. (And took my bike out! Yay!) Anyway, I'm so glad to hear you've found an awesome tribe of bikers you love. They sound awesome.
For me, I think the main point of my post was not to advocate segregation, but rather to offer a personal story that shares a perspective I hadn't realized was important to me, but one that turned out to really inspire. Similar to Gingie's experience, it was surprising in a good way to feel the motivation and inspiration I'd longed for but hadn't yet found riding with very experienced (and supportive and encouraging) men.
I've heard from many women that all-female experiences can be incredibly empowering and rewarding, but of course, it's not for every woman, and that's okay. My intent with this post (and much of my blog) is to point out and honor different approachs and perspectives that might not have been given consideration. It's all about finding what works for us as individuals.