Still in love with Penny

Hey people. Remember how excited I was last spring when I decided to get my mountain bike Penny instead of a drum set? It was one of my best decisions in recent memory.

I've come a long way since I started running the trail a couple years ago. I used to find that challenging enough and not even be able to imagine how anyone rode a bike on it. Then slowly, over time, I began thinking, "Well, maybe this one little part I could try...", and now I ride though the whole place-- Well, technically there are a few parts I still have to get off and walk, but that's down to only like, three or four places now.

Next Sat Dan and I are going to ride in our first race over there-- a Halloween costume event. You know me and costumes, and since it sounds like mostly a screwing around thing it makes me feel secure enough to do it. I know I'm not good enough yet to go in a "real" race. -- But I'm way better than I was! (And notice I'm now saying "yet.")

The mountain biking has done wonders for my inner nutball-- that spinning clockwork thing I get where I feel like I am a capped hydrant. The trail always seems to give me just what I need-- an energy buzz, a laugh, time with a friend, a nature break, sometimes a little scare, excitement... It's taken the place of needing to pump non-stop metal though my headphones and wishing something exciting would happen. It's like a valve.

Last week I got to take this really cool girl I know out for her second ever ride. She was so excited to get a mountain bike for her Birthday, but then only rode it once. (EDIT: Correction-- not a B'day gift, her cousin gave it to her- used bike.) I knew something hadn't gone right. Sure enough, she went out with her hubs and his friend-- typical daring dudes who ride all the tech features like the teeter-totter etc. They told her they'd take her through the easiest section and took her into #3-- the third hardest, and didn't wait up for her or explain or show her one thing. I'm sure she was scared even though she didn't tell me that, and there of course was TONS she couldn't even ride, plus she was all stressed thinking they were probably waiting for her to catch-up somewhere (not). : / How fun right?

I was so glad to be able to show her it is fun, in my girl way. Being a newb, and a girl makes me uniquely qualified to give a beginner lesson at this. For one thing, I still remember how scary things look at first (Guys just don't have that same fear level. It's why it's up to girls to continue the species I think.), and I know how little girls actually come into this knowing. There are a lot of skills guys already have from growing up popping wheelies and even crashing and falling off. Girls just ride their bikes around the neighborhood and try not to scratch the paint, and try really hard to never fall off (we're more risk averse).

I got to tell her some stuff I had to figure out for myself to make it easier for her-- like resisting the urge to grab the brakes in certain parts, and how to let her bike roll through rough patches, let it bounce over things, that it's made to take the abuse and it will be fine. I showed her the trick of riding switchbacks, and how to position her body on the bike to be a shock absorber, to stay low, and told her about keeping her weight in her heels, and how when it get's sketchy you need to keep your butt off the seat.

We rode through 3 different sections a couple times and she did really well-- rode things it took me a while to work up to because I didn't know how, had never even seen anyone else do it to learn by watching. She really had fun which is the most important thing. Girls are different. I think we take instruction better than guys, and actually feel more comfortable getting it than not. Anyway, it made me feel good to be able to share what I have learned so far, and maybe recruit another gal to ride with.

Edit to add: This chick is so cool and funny. She told me some hilarious stories, one involving charging the little neighborhood kids a quarter to pet a dead parrot she found in her neighbor's trash when she was five. We're riding again tomorrow. Yay!