a glance back at the past...

a glance back at the past...

reading the articles from MADE TO ORDER BIKES has me thinking...

as a married man I do not spend too much time thinking about other women
my wife is the only women for me
there are no others
so why day dream

no this rant is not on the matter of love had or love lost
this rant is about the notion of an experience mountain biker male going riding with an inexperienced mountain biker female
it is also a reflection upon my younger self
as little as I know about women now... I knew even less then
and I am still trying to learn more as I go along

it is a pretty standard scenario when the experienced mountain biker male goes riding with a lesser experiences mountain biking female
as a rule the man goes slower than they would like to go when riding
while the woman may be going faster than she feels comfortable riding
they meet in the middle
neither one is happy

a similar scenario can be witnessed in the winter from the chair lift as boyfriends try to introduce their girlfriends to snowboarding
it can be a real deal breaker
it is never a pretty site

when I see a man running with a woman I often wonder...
is she a strong runner?
is he a weak runner?
will he still run with her after he gets that piece of ass he is striving for?

I have been riding mountain bikes for decades
I ride my bicycle to and from work each and every day and have been for decades
so it is absurd for me to think that my wife would be able to get on a bicycle for the first time in a year and keep up with me on a mountain trail

so what should be done?

well...
when I ride with my wife I need to remember that I am not going on a work out for me
these rides with my wife are about time with my wife or time with my family
not about getting my heart rate up
not about getting ready for a race
not about getting in some time on the bike
it is about getting in some quality time with the little women
these rides are about getting my wife into the sport

so...
when riding with my wife I need to remember that this is about her
I try to let her lead and let her set the pace
I try to take her places that put her at ease with her skill level
but honestly... the rides have been few and far between since lisa got her bike stolen a year ago
LAME! I know... LAME! we should have replaced it long ago
we are in the market now for a new machine

but when she gets it
what should I do then?
well... I need to try to get lisa back into riding on her own
I need to try and get her out riding with her friends at their pace
and
I should try to get lisa involved in a women's mountain bike skills clinic
and when I ride with her... I need to be patient

Ride Like A Girl
www.ridelikeagirl.org

Hot Mamas in Marin
www.mountainbikingmarin.com