Oh, Ladies?

[HurricaneHeather]

I rode my baby ninja daily for over a year before moving up and I'm relatively tall. So, I didn't have too many issues.

Hokie is right though...all it takes is seeing another woman do it and they'll figure it out I think....maybe...most of them anyway.

[Avatard]

Originally Posted by HurricaneHeather

Hokie is right though...all it takes is seeing another woman do it and they'll figure it out I think....maybe...most of them anyway.

Glad you qualified that. I seem to have found one that can't.

[RACER X]

Common age?

[OTB]

Originally Posted by RACER X

Common age?

All over the board....early twenties to fifties and everywhere in between. Gay. straight, mono, bi....doesn't seem to matter....all were of the same characteristics above.

The one overriding characteristic was the determination to RIDE. I think there are a LOT of women out there that I'll never see that rode a bit and dropped it and gave up...didn't have the desire to succeed that these women do.

I don't so much as direct them what to do as I do ask A LOT of questions about there riding experiences good and bad, watch how they operate the bikes and then feed back to them both what I see and postulate as to what led to their crashing. We then analyze the fear response together and work out a plan to overcome the glitches that lead to the fear, which leads to the fall.

Let me reiterate; all the drops were at VERY low(walking) speeds or coming to a stop or starting out, but the effect on their riding was all-encompassing: all speeds, all conditions, all the time they lost confidence and riding became a harrowing and un-fun experience.

This whole summer has firmed up my belief that stepped or tiered licensing has merit. (There it is: now all the folks that bought 1000's as a first bike- it's your time to chime in about how full of crap I am).

[derf]

You are full of crap! i learned on a 500 but I'm sure i could have ridden a CBXR10000RRXX without a problem, and competantly from day 1

[HokieDNA01]

I'll be the first to admit I was nervous as hell when I started riding. Maybe the other ladies will agree with me...maybe they won't but I felt like EVERYONE was staring at me while I was learning to ride. I think people in cars (and bikes) are often curious about female riders and tend to gawk. I almost had one guy slam into a stopped car in the next lane over cause he was staring a couple weeks. ago. Now I just laugh but when learning, it made me very self contious. There really is nothing they can do about that but focus and practice.

Another thing that often makes women nervous, me included was whether I could pick my own bike up if needed. There is nothing more nerve racking than tiping over while out alone and not being able to pick it up. Or tipping over at a busy intersection and needing spectators to help you pick your bike up. Women that get into riding are often very independant and I hated the thought that I would need to stand there and beg for help to get my bike out of the way if I tipped (luckily never did on the street, just parking lots). Ask them if this is a fear they have and if that would like to learn to pick their bike up. Teach them the reverse technique were you use your butt to walk the bike back up. This may help build their confidence. There are great videos on youtube showing this technique. Practicing this on the grass shouldn't hurt the bike.

[OTB]

Originally Posted by HokieDNA01

Teach them the reverse technique were you use your butt to walk the bike back up. This may help build their confidence. There are great videos on youtube showing this technique. Practicing this on the grass shouldn't hurt the bike.

It's the VERY first thing I demonstrate. We go to a grassy spot, I lay their bike down, and then show and allow them to push it back up........... It also works very well for olde guyes with bad backs.

[azoomm]

You know, OTB I think you're onto something. I notice more and more on demos that women apologize up front for "holding up the line" or wanting to be in the back. I talk to them a bit to [if anything] calm their nerves, and explain if I move them in the line I won't move the bikes in the line as they are in that order for a reason. Very rarely do they actually hold up the line - or do they even show up on my radar as a leader.

Hokie touched on it too - women are very aware of being watched. Trying to assure a woman again and again at a trackday that instructors are there to work with you, not to watch and make fun of your riding.

[CrazyKell]

Originally Posted by azoomm

Hokie touched on it too - women are very aware of being watched. Trying to assure a woman again and again at a trackday that instructors are there to work with you, not to watch and make fun of your riding.

Very true. I used to ride at the back on group rides because I didn't want people watching me. Now that I have more confidence I don't care where I am. The track helped with this a lot.

I recently golfed with a girl who wouldn't shoot unless we were all looking away and no one else was around. I wanted to scream "GET OVER IT" but I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have helped.

[OTB]

Originally Posted by azoomm

You know, OTB I think you're onto something. I notice more and more on demos that women apologize up front for "holding up the line" or wanting to be in the back. I talk to them a bit to [if anything] calm their nerves, and explain if I move them in the line I won't move the bikes in the line as they are in that order for a reason. Very rarely do they actually hold up the line - or do they even show up on my radar as a leader.

Hokie touched on it too - women are very aware of being watched. Trying to assure a woman again and again at a trackday that instructors are there to work with you, not to watch and make fun of your riding.

I don't know if the feeling of being watched is the issue as much as the need to apologize. I find with many female riders this constant need to apologize for ANY mistakes. I find that self-deprecating humor on my part can dispel some of this.

By the same token, most of these women are professionally ACCOMPLISHED and well-educated. You can tell that they are used to doing what needs to be done, yet they are embarrassed about difficulties they may be having.

I have always explained that riding is counter-intuitive for most and that some of the skills they are learning are more UNlearning old habits;.... and that you can't know what you don't know...that's why they call it LEARNING,.... and that's what makes riding so FUN...the constant ability to keep learning throughout one's life, as long as you keep riding.....

For me, learning to ride has not been an event (THERE! Now I know how to ride!) rather, a lifelong journey.

But that's likely because I'm a slow learner, so take it all with a grain of salt.