New Introduction

[RockyRoads]

Hello, Everyone!

I just discovered dirtrider.net last week, and I am very excited to connect with other female dirt bikers! I thought I’d introduce myself.

I live in Oakland, California. I started dirt biking in April 2003, learning the various trails and hills at Carnegie. I currently have a TTR125L, which has been the perfect bike for me to learn the basics on. It has been very forgiving—and I can put both feet down flat, which has been invaluable for me in building self-confidence. After doing a lot of research, and sitting on a lot of bikes, I am finally “graduating” to a CRF230F (it’s being shipped from L.A. this Thursday!).

I took Debbie Matthews’ MX class earlier this month, and the instruction on body position and braking improved my riding considerably. I have been reading with envy your messages about the Oregon Ladies School and hope to sign up for next year’s school!

I am trying to ride every chance I can get, although it’s a great juggling act with a full-time job and two small children (my daughter is four years old, and my son just turned one—they both keep me laughing). I usually ride during the workweek, since my job has great flexibility. I’m really determined to improve my riding skills, so my goal is to ride every week if I can swing it.

I haven’t dirt biked anywhere but Carnegie, which has been good for learning how to ride on hilly, rocky terrain. (My husband and I are planning a Baja dirt biking trip next spring, and he said learning how to ride over rocks is a necessity.) The dry weather seems to breed rocks at Carnegie, and some of the trails can be quite challenging when the dirt gets so dry that it chunks into what resembles pea gravel (woo hoo!). We are planning a two-day trip to Hollister the second week of September, and I am looking forward to learning some new trails.

I’ll be out riding solo quite a bit at Carnegie—so please introduce yourself if you see me (red Dakota quad cab).

Happy Trails!
Kathy

 

[srellis]

Welcome!

I ride a TTR125L right now but am looking to graduate soon myself. I ride MX though. I have tried a couple of 125 2 strokes but my husband doesn't think I will be riding them aggresively enough. I just got off a CRF150 that I borrowed to race with today and I really liked the feel. I've had a couple of other people suggest the CRF230 but I'm worried about the weight.

I am taking Debbie's class in three weeks and I can't wait!!! I was hoping to have a new bike by then but it doesn't look good right now. Did you take the class with your TTR?

I have two boys ages 10 and 8 and they race as well as my husband. Makes for a very expensive weekend but we have a lot of fun. I feel that racing has helped my boys in severals areas such as meeting new people and how to handle disappointment. I feel that racing has really helped them mature as young men. I hope your kids get a chance to ride also. Sounds like you are on the right track!

Susan

 

[Philip]

Welcome!!! There are a few girls out your way that ride. O.K. girls show her where to go and keep her safe.

 

[dirty~d~]

Welcome to the club and congrats on the new bike. :thumb: What inspired you to start riding dirt? Are you a Raiders fan? :eek:

 

[RockyRoads]

Thanks for your responses!

Susan, I did take Debbie's class on my TTR. The class was small, and I was the only one on a four-stroke--but it wasn't an issue, and the skills you learn apply to any bike. My husband took her class a couple of years ago; it was a much larger class, and there were a couple of women on TTR125's (and my husband was on his XR650R). I haven't considered two-strokes, as I don't intend to race (although you never know . . . .). Your family race activities sound wonderful--good luck to all of you!

Dirty~d~, regarding my inspiration for dirt biking . . . I rode street bikes in the late 1980's and early '90's (my last bike was a CBR600F2), and I even raced at Sear's Point in Sonoma for a few years (that's where I met my husband). After several street crashes (the last involving an air vac), my riding just didn't flow like it used to (I wasn't relaxed), so I sold all of my bikes. After my kids were born, I started feeling the need to be on a bike again--a craving, in fact. I'd never ridden in the dirt, but my husband is a phenomenal dirt rider and I saw all of the fun that he was having. So I decided to start from scratch in the way I approached my riding, and not dive in over my head; the memory of my last street crash still lingers after all these years. With dirt riding, I initially had difficulty feeling comfortable with my tires sliding around--then my husband suggested that I view it as similar to my snowboard sliding around on the snow; that clicked for me. So, it has been fairly slow going, but progress is definitely being made. I'm not an "aggressive" rider, but I am determined to improve, and to be smooth and consistent. And, no, I'm not really a Raider's fan, although I don't DISlike them either.

Thanks for your encouraging words!
Kathy

 

[GETMETOCA]

Hey RockyRoads!!  There are quite a few dirtbike ladies right here in the Bay Area/Central Cali/Sacramento area and we get together regularly to ride.  There are some fun Family Enduros in our district (D-36) and it would be great to meet you and get you hooked up with ride buds.  That is exactly how I started, right here.  I've met quite a few awesome people/friends throught this site.

Welcome!:yeehaw:

 

[Michelle]

Giddaye & welcome aboard, Kathy :)

You've definitely come to a place of awesome gals & hopefully you'll be able to meet & ride with them at some stage.

Does your daughter ride yet? Check out the dirtweek forum, it'll be a great opportunity (if at all possible) to meet up with some of the women, for the kids to meet others & generally to have a good time :)
Anyways, welcome aboard & great to see yet another female joining in the fun :)

 

[squeaky]

Welcome aboard RockyRoads! It's great to see more and more women dirt riders every day! I myself have only been riding since March or so, and it's been a tedious learning curve. But, I'm starting now to get into the really challenging stuff and even doing some jumping! Good luck with all your riding adventures!

 

[RockyRoads]

There are quite a few dirtbike ladies right here in the Bay Area/Central Cali/Sacramento area and we get together regularly to ride.

Where do you get together to ride? And how often? I would love to meet you someday!
Kathy

 

[GETMETOCA]

Kathy,

We usually ride at places within a 2-3 hour vicinity of the Bay Area: Elkin's Flat, Stoneyford, Clear Creek, Hollister, Carnegie, Prairie City, Deer Creek, Forresthill, etc. There's a link I'll try to find for you with all the OHV areas and maps.

Forresthill would be a blast for you, its a bit dusty right now but the Training Wheels is coming up later in the fall and it would be a good goal for you to enter. All the trails (except 5 and 6) are fun and not overly technical. Check out the District 36 website for all the event dates.

bratt and I took the Debbie Mathews MX in January, good stuff eh? I like the part where we hooked the bike up to the truck with a tie down and "dropped" into position as if leaning the bike in a turn. I sure was sore after that day of riding.

I'll keep you posted on the group rides!

 

[srellis]

Originally posted by GETMETOCA

bratt and I took the Debbie Mathews MX in January, good stuff eh?  I sure was sore after that day of riding. 

Bummer... I have a local race the next day. I plan on going up Friday, class Saturday, drive home that night and then smoke the 60 Jr class the next day!! :confused:

I hope I'm not too sore to ride... I did have the forethought enough to take Monday off. Maybe I need to get Tuesday off as well???

(They race me in with the 60 Jr's because they are far enough ahead of me that I'm not in their way and they ride just slow enough that I don't get lapped....)

 

[CaNaDiAn,Eh?]

Welcome, to DRN!!!!! It's always great to see more girls getting into dirtbiking!!!!

 

[GETMETOCA]

Originally posted by srellis
[BI hope I'm not too sore to ride... I did have the forethought enough to take Monday off. [/B]

If you're riding regularly and are in relatively good shape, you'll be fine!!!  I literally burned my quads up trying to rail berms and lean the bike over.  For an MX newb, I really tried hard and gave it my all.  I can remember trying to get back up into a standing position coming out of a turn, getting ready to go into a jump and my legs almost gave out on me.   I almost went over the bars because I was still sitting when I hit the jump.  My abs were burnt too. I was soooooooooo sore the next day.  Heck the next week.  I don't recall bratt saying she was as sore as me, she's a regular MX girl in great shape and she rides pretty often.  I'm more of a once a month woods gal so it doesn't surprise me how sore I was.  Really, you'll be fine.  Get the most out of the class then kick butt in your race!!!

Debbie has you do this front brake slide excercise that is kinda fun too.  I went into a front brake slide and slid and slid and slid for YARDS, then came to a nice stop on one knee, I was lucky I didn't get hurt...everyone was laughing because it looked like a hollywood stunt (not intended!).  Debbie's son got it all on tape and said they would use it for "what NOT to do!" in future classes :o

You'll learn the infamous "Crack on Crack" technique! ;)

 

[RockyRoads]

Bummer... I have a local race the next day.

Susan, you'll probably be just fine, even if you are a bit sore. I would almost guarantee that your race times improve due to the riding techniques that you learn in Debbie's class. I went riding at Carnegie the day after I took the class, and I found myself able to go much faster--I was even in a higher gear on many of the trails (it was very exciting). Plus, I had more confidence, and I kept hearing Debbie's voice ("Elbows up"!!!)--those tidbits of info really do make a difference! I bet that your race day is just a blast--good luck!!
Kathy

 

[Nevertheless]

those MX classes sound great....will there be anything like that for us at Dirt Week?

-nevertheless