Local girl makes good on Hills!!!

[JasonJ]

I know it was earlier in the summer that you all helped me with my issues with getting my girl over the top on the hills. I had taken some pics and said I would post them. I just got to it this week and I cant dig up the thread so Im just gonna put the URL here
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jasnker/2003ridepics.html
She is at the top of the page practicing the hills there.

Thaks again for the help. Im taking her into Paragon to meet some DRN riders this weekend, still have to fit her up for some boots. As soon as I know what size she takes, Ill get some for her for an early Xmas gift. Maybe then she will let me wear the cool street bike jacket she got me on clearance for Xmas :) .

 

[LoriKTM]

Great job, Jason!  Thanks for the update.

(Looks like your gal needs some gloves and goggles, to go with the boots!! ;)  )

 

[JasonJ]

Nope, she wont wear em. I dont mind her wearing just sunglasses, I often do the same, its not like Im going to roost her :) , but I really want her to wear gloves, she is a massage theripist and I dont want her hands getting all rashed up, but she says she cant feel the controls of the bike and feels like she cant hold on with gloves on. I had her at the bike shop trying on everyting they had, Fox, AXO, Pearl Zumi, cannondale, you name it, she did not like a single pair. She is just stuborne. I even bring a pair of her knit gloves she uses to drive in the winter but she wont wear em. Wont weare the neepads I have for her either, its not like they are the same ones she use to wear when she roller bladed.... oh wiat, yeah they are the same pair.
Me, I think the stuff looks cool and hey, as long as it is not discomfotring to wear, Ill wear it. I dont need to get hurt before I protect someting, I even started wearing Thor knee cups to avoid knee injury after hearing so many dirt riders get banged up.
Wonder what I can do to make her wear some gear? I hope when she sees what other bike riders wear this weekend at Paragon and maybe even catches some flack for it she will just put some gloves on and get use to it.

 

[KDXgirl]

Gloves are definately a must. Even if I am just going out for a quick ride around the paddocks I put them on. Im at the stage now where I am the opposite, I cant ride without them. Same with goggles, they are important for riding with trails, you just have to look how scratched mine are from brushing low branches to see they have done their job.

Keep encouraging her to wear it and make a point of showing how everyone else wears it to and she may get the picture! Id hate for her to learn the hard way.

 

[4EverOrange]

Not trying to be rude, but not wearing proper gear is a very good way to get yourself hurt. I had to learn that the hard way. I didn't like the elbow gaurds because they were blue. First fall of the day landed right on my elbow, had a goose egg for a week. I was lucky.

As for knee gaurds, I think this photo says it all:
Click Here

 

[JasonJ]

Yeeeeoooowwwwssserrr! That hurts just looking at it. Yeah, she learns the hard way desited good advice and ample warning. Every time she gets on the back of my street bike I would tell her she should were pants and a jacket. Got to the point some days she would not ride becuase she wanted to wear shorts. Long story short: We went down one day. She got rashed on her legs, stomach, top and bottom of her hands, top of her sandeled feet, and more. It was a warm summer day, but I had on fingerless bike gloves, wind breaker, and pants. I got a scuff on my shoulder where I tucked and rolled. You know to this day, that girl will still get on the back of the bike with shorts on if its hot????
Ill work on her. If I can get her in gloves, boots and some knee pads Ill be satisfied. Its not like she is going fast at this point, but being a biginner has its own hazards and the knees and hands are what you tend to land on when you fall. I think all the work boot and overall quad riders we ride with and around have been a lax infuluance too. I hope when she sees some bike trail riders like was said, she will get the idea. I hope.

 

[TheJunkMan]

stupid quad riders...

 

[Fe_princess]

Just make her wear all the gear.
She is just creating bad habits.
No one would be wearing gloves if they couldn't "feel" the controls.

 

[E-Ticket]

This is going to seem harsh... but I wouldn't let her ride without the proper riding gear. Man, I won't let myself ride without the proper gear. <g>

You can tear up fingers, bash knees, get a concussion (or worse), or lose an eye at 2 mph in the parking lot if you do it right.... er... just wrong.

I had a fellow Triathlete buddy who was riding his time trial bicycle, without his helmet, in front of his house, doing about 4 mph. He had just mounted some new brakes and was just diddling around trying the right angle for the levers.

Oops. The bolt fell out of one of 'em. Oops. The lever fell off of the handlebar (hey,no biggie, right....?), swung down on it's cable and right into the front wheel.

Instant jam. Locks the front wheel (at a whole 4 mph... remember?...) and does an instant endo. He goes over and hits the asphalt with his head. (Man, it's making me hurt just to type this again.)

Knocked out cold, had to be 911'd to the hospital, kept under 24 hours observation for possible brain swelling. He ended up with a severe concussion, stitches, and he lost a "day and a half" of memories.

That's right, he couldn't remember *anything* from almost two days before his "4 mph" boo-boo... till almost a day afterward.

Remember, it's not always the velocity, the height of the jump, etc.. Oft times, it's just the sharp object, the hard surface, the sudden stop.

Which is why we ALWAYS ride with all our safety gear.
Remember, it only takes a moment for a lifetime of regret.

Actually, the first time you have a medium-big crash... and you're able to get up and jsut brush yourself off.... and that is *all* that happens.... that's when you will suddenly have religion about safety gear. It's jsut hard to get the novices and the tough guys to that! <grin>

Be diplomatic... but find a way! Cheers! - E-Ticket