Mainly though, I think being a tired rider has helped me improve my mountain biking the most. Here is what a typical ride is like for me, particularly in the beginning of the season or when I was just starting out biking.
Start: Yeah!! I’m going for a bike ride. Damn my bike looks cool.
15 minutes in: Ummm this sucks. Maybe I should cut this loop short.
35 minutes in: f%47, F$^*, F^%$, stupid rock, stupid bike, stupid bugs
Yeah, there was a lot of this sucks when I first started biking and really the start of this season was this same exact swear fest. But somehow, something happens midway, especially when I am too far away from my car for a quick getaway.
1:05: Damn another hill. Screw it. I’m not getting off my bike.
1:08: What? I made it up that hill. Sweet
1:19: Oh, man here comes that rock garden that I always get off for. Screw it, I’m too tired to clip out. I’ll go till I fall down.
1:20: Sweet. I rode that rock garden?! Nice
Yeah, when I get too tired to let my mind take control and take the easy way out I start to just do it. I stop thinking and start riding. And luckily, as the season progresses and the years in the saddle increase, there is more of the sweet and less of the suck.
Here’s to more of the sweet my friends. Cheers.
5 comments:
Love this post! I know exactly where you are coming from.
A lot of times, I am just trying to increase the time it takes to get to that tired moment.
Oh yeah! I have learned to do many things I thought I couldn't just cause I was too tired to get off the bike.
I'm a girl, yes I love to get muddy, scraped and bruised it's what gives me that feeling that absolute orgasmic feeling.I'm a beginner I started last year and have been hooked since but the problem is I'm married and the only riding partners I have are men and my husband is gettin stupid about it. I live in Wisconsin not too many female mountain bikers here. I rode the trail last week for the first time by myself and it was great but not as enjoyable and I will not try new trails by myself. I could go to the local bike shops but any girl that mountain bikes around here I can almost bet isn't anywhere near being a 30 yr old married mother of 3 and more importantly isn't as inexperienced as I am! AAAHHHHHH I just wanna bike! Any word of advise?
Hey thanks for writing!
I just love riding hard, feeling wiped out, being completely covered in mud too!
I'm so pumped that you just started riding. Often when I meet other females out on the trail- I find it absolutely amazed that they just started riding- when they are really doing killer on the trails.
So what happened on your solo ride? Anything in particular? Only because I think that would be my starting advice- get out a lot on your own and get out a lot with groups. For me, I rode solo for a lot of miles just because it was so hard hooking up with other riders with work/life/family schedules. Even though I now have more lady friends who ride- it still can be hard too hook up.
Group rides are a great way to learn a new trail system and pick up some tips. See if you can find a group that tailors more towards beginners or that sports a "no one gets dropped" slogan, meaning someone will always wait for the last rider. Often, when I ride with a hot to trot group there will be at least one or two other slower riders to hang out with. Sometimes we back of the packers have the most fun too!
Hope that helps! Keep riding and let me know how it goes. My motto is- if it keeps me sane, I'll just keep pedaling.
Betty
Love this post and can totally relate to all you the things you mentioned. Love your writing/riding style.
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