Getting New Riders Into DH/FR

[SuperKat]

Just wondering how much success people have had getting new riders into DH/FR. :think: Doesn't have to be just women...

And yes....I'm bored. :dead:

[mohshee]

I try to invite girls all the time to ride with me. But it never works. I think they are afraid or just not interested. At least where I live, the guys are a bit clicky and you have to be in their little inner circle to learn whats going on and who's riding where and what. It would be awesome to have women riding buddies especially for DH/FR. It gets lonely. We've invited new guys too, but if they don't already do it, few are interested in trying.

So, anyways, I have kind of just stopped asking/inviting people 'cause I'm tired of the same excuses.

[geargrrl]

I would try it if someone had a nice loaner bike that fits me. I"m pretty tiny and with the exception of one larger gal, all I know is big guys. I did promise myself that if we went to Silver this year, I'd rent a Stinky just for grins. Partly I'm just cheap... why rent a DH bike when I've got three other mountain bikes already??!!

So, for me it's equipment and a little fear, but I do know that I only would have to go ask big as I felt like. I'm confident that I have the basic skills; I go downhilling some on my FS XC bike, and get told all the time I'm way out riding the bike. I've got some fear too, but as I understand it, the right bike makes a lot of it so much easier.

Ah, heck, it's a moot point this season since my neck injury, but it's fun to think about!

hot and bored here
geargrrl

[sunnerbeanmtb]

Its so hard to find the right girls to convert or start to downhill. Ive found plenty of girls to ride with me, but none NONE have the motivation and adrenaline rush that I do to get a bike and huck it. Its really frustrating. So when Im riding with my buddies...I am just one of the guys, no female separation. I picked up freeriding and downhilling so easily. I am still scared to do a lot of stuff but I go out and ride 4 or 5 hours on a mountain by myself jus tthe same to have fun. I agree..It is getting really lonely.

[SuperKat]

Why do you think some of us can't live with out that rush and others could care less?

[sunnerbeanmtb]

maybe how we were brought up, out likes and dislikes, our surroundings. I love my conventional sports (track, hockey, swimming, soccer etc...) but the fact that I can get on a bike and it will kick my butt harder than any 2 or 3 mile run will, is amazing to me. Plus biking is giving you that work out that a run would with out the anxiety of working out, its fun as all heck, you get that amazing rush, and you meet amazing people.

[altagirl]

We convinced a friend of ours to buy a Stinky, and he raced his first beginner race this weekend. So that was pretty cool.

But I've seen as many who do one or two DH runs and don't get the bug. And the biggest group are the ones I can't seem to convince to try it in the first place.

[SuperKat]

I will agree with you there Sunner...I have met some really awesome people. Not so much with snowboarding.
I remember going to Diablo for the first time. I went alone, got my a$$ kicked, but met some really cool people that showed me around and helped me out. I was beaten up but hooked.
Only a few people know how that goes...A lot of others stay away from something that could cause wicked pain!
Man am I rambling tonight! :looney:

[sunnerbeanmtb]

I wont ride unless the wicked pain is a possibility

[zoey]

I'm having a lot of fun doing downhill. I'm still at the beginner level, so it's hard to find people who want a beginner to tag along on their ride.

My local girl bike club is great for finding girls who want to mountain bike. It's not so great for finding girls who want to go out and session drops and other stuff.

[redFoxx]

Maybe downhilling has the aspect of violence and alot of women are turned off by that. Maybe they think they get hurt easier than men. I've always been kind of rowdy so I love it and I like adrenalin sports. I don't mind playing in a guys' world - I don't feel inferior or at a disadvantage. I know I can be as good as them - I just have to be willing to work at it. Alot of the women into biking seem to congregate in their own girl groups so I never end up riding with them.

It's pretty impossible to convince someone to try and enjoy DH/FR though. They have to want to do it. Usually in my group a guy will bring a new GF to bike but they don't usually last. They last longer in XC and most have no interest in DH or they try it and don't go back.

Maybe another reason is it's so hard to get the proper fitting gear and bike to really enjoy it. I'm not small at 5'7" and yet at the rental shops, I have a hard time finding something small enough. So I end up with a bigger bike and it's harder to maneuver. I can't wait to get my own ride which is going to fit like a glove. :cool:

[Frorider1]

When people start riding other say "you suck" and shizzle like that and that discourages a lot of people.

[redFoxx]

Are you talking about guys telling you that or who? I started with a group in which we were all at the same level and we remained friends - we went from XC to DH/FR.

[zoey]

I would think that "downhill" is a natural progression in mountain biking. If you are out there riding, wouldn't you want the skills necessary to get you over the drops and down the hill safely?

[starrbabes]

Yes, I agree. In order to up your riding to the next level, you need to learn how to do jumps and drops and that will progress into being able to do more and more. If you want to ride some of the really good trails in the NW, you need to know how to get over a log and what not.

[redFoxx]

I would think that "downhill" is a natural progression in mountain biking. If you are out there riding, wouldn't you want the skills necessary to get you over the drops and down the hill safely?

Now I think of it as being downhill vs Downhill. downhill being the natural progression of XC riding. I thought the thread was referring to Downhill lift-assisted type riding and not so many riders care about doing that kind of riding...and in downhill, there's usually go-arounds that some folks are just content doing forever.

[geargrrl]

Now I think of it as being downhill vs Downhill. downhill being the natural progression of XC riding. I thought the thread was referring to Downhill lift-assisted type riding and not so many riders care about doing that kind of riding...and in downhill, there's usually go-arounds that some folks are just content doing forever.

downhill vs Downhill.
Interesting point. I know a lot of XC riders that think it's one and the same, and don't realize how many of the skills crossover when descending, lift serve or not. They won't go lift serve, equating it with Downhill riding. Or, they think they will turn into a freerider just by putting the saddle down. I know for a fact that learning downhill/descending specific skills, and going lift serve even on my XC bike has made me a better overall rider. Even one day going lift serve will teach you a lot about speed and control.
I will still never be really fast, but I am confident on many kinds of technical descents.
Or at least what would very techy xc descents...:cool:

gg

[925hell]

This last weekend my friends and I went to Brainhead to race, one of our party was a strong female XC rider, we convinced her to race super d but not the downhill, she was interested in DH but scared, so instead one of our party loaned her his DH bike, a little big but it worked so we took her on blowhard, if you haven't ridden it, the starting elevation is 10,700 it decends roughly 4500 feet. There are some steep techy sections, we bracketed her as we rode she cleaned the whole thing, the tech part at least, she took one good digger, and finished the ride smiling ear to ear. As we loaded the bikes up to return to the condo all she was asking about was where could she get armor and a new bike.

[TreeSaw]

Maybe another reason is it's so hard to get the proper fitting gear and bike to really enjoy it. I'm not small at 5'7" and yet at the rental shops, I have a hard time finding something small enough. So I end up with a bigger bike and it's harder to maneuver. I can't wait to get my own ride which is going to fit like a glove. :cool:
Good point here. I am 5'4" and most of the guys I ride with are quite a bit taller so it was tough for me to borrow a bike, gear and try DHing. I wasn't ready to drop a lot of $ for a big bike and lots of gear when I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it. Now, I value my bike and gear so I can pretty much rationalize purchasing most anything :D

[TreeSaw]

downhill vs Downhill.
Interesting point. I know a lot of XC riders that think it's one and the same, and don't realize how many of the skills crossover when descending, lift serve or not. They won't go lift serve, equating it with Downhill riding. Or, they think they will turn into a freerider just by putting the saddle down. I know for a fact that learning downhill/descending specific skills, and going lift serve even on my XC bike has made me a better overall rider. Even one day going lift serve will teach you a lot about speed and control.
I will still never be really fast, but I am confident on many kinds of technical descents.
Or at least what would very techy xc descents...:cool:

gg

Definitely!!! I learned SO much from Downhilling and it made me a much more confident XCer. I now ride faster and don't even think about small drops or techy dh sections on my xc bike.