Women's Input On Side Hilling

powdergirl said:

another thing that i'd like to bring back up again is the fact that a women's instinct to question, analize and evaluate risk is something that can work against us out there! It typically causes hesitation and hesitation is what gets you stuck or in other situations you dont want to be in. You have to be confident and commit yourself! There are obvious risks out there you should be analyzing like hills that could slid and kill you! But when your just boondocking through the powder, be more relaxed, focus on technique and concentrate on your line from point a to point b, not on the obstacles that you "might" hit or get stuck in along the way. And of course, the more you ride, the more confident you will get out there.

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^^ x2

What a great thread!

My wife and I (with a couple of her gal-friends) just returned from Revelstoke for a few days. What a beautiful place! Can't wait to go back. I now have a better understanding of what kind of snow you all talk about when you come back!

If I may offer a few observations and suggestions...

In many physical activities, simple strength can be used to overcome less-than-perfect-technique. This can often work against the ladies who may be trying to learn from a guy. (We guys usually have stronger muscles) My wife is very tall - 6'! (good from a leverage point of view), and very slender. (See: August 2010 ladies ride - glamor pic) That height is nice when it comes to stepping over the seat when transferring weight, and nice for leverage, but her lack of 'mass' and strength, means she actually has to be better at technique that I do, because I may have enough mass & strength to overcome a technical error.

So, in a way, this is directed at the guys: be patient and remember that they actually have to be 'better' than us to be able to do the same things we do.

This last trip showed me something: Just how important it is go get out there more frequently. Three days straight of her riding, (and much nicer snow) she got a lot better! My body is broken right now, so I spent a looong drive, and 3 days watching. And it was worth it. So, I'll add my agreement to the concept that going the next day after a great day (learning progress) is invaluable. Just find a way to do it if you can.

On the sidehilling concept:
I suggested she find a bowl, one with a gradual slope. And, start low, and start on your 'strong' side. Make one low pass, as long as you can go, if you need to turn out, fine, the bowl makes it easy to return to the vantage point. Then, make another pass, same direction, slightly higher (and steeper), again, as long as you can. After you have 10 good passes on your strong side, your body has started to learn how it 'feels'. Now, you can start on your 'weak' side, and again, start low, and work your way up, just like you did on your strong side.

Some have mentioned that there is a commitment needed, when you select your path. I couldn't agree more. Also, have a plan on how to bail on your line if that happens. And I mean specifically, not just 'I'm going to turn out', but how are you going to shift your weight, turn the bars (or not), what you're going to do with the throttle and brake, etc. If you take the time to understand what each of those actions does to your sled, your momentum and how that effects your path of travel, you are in a much better position to 1) continue your chosen path, 2) recover if you have to adjust or 3) bail all-together, but not crash or 'stuckit'.

And, don't be afraid to log some time in the gym. Muscle and strength endurance is a huge benefit to this fantastic addiction. And, you can be strong without sacrificing any femininity!

I am so proud of my wife for her efforts and progress during this last trip! It was very rewarding to see her have fun, and work through some of her fears and apprehensions. I am a blessed man.

PE

PowderGirl said:

Glad you brought that up Iseesnow - same thing happens with children... it's much harder to take instruction from parents which is why I always reccommend to parents to put your child in ski school before you try to teach them yourselves! My little 3 yro did great at ski school a couple weekends ago (followed all directions) yet I took her up this weekend and it was whine city half the time and "lets lean on mommy" the other half! LOL I used to ski instruct little kids and never had problems with them!!!! I also think it's easier for loved ones to be a little more impatient with each other - put them in a teaching sitution and it may not be the best environment for both. Believe me - I've been there too! Actually, I know when I've gotten frustrated with myself in the past, I've had a really hard time taking instruction from my man! LOL This thread should help many ladies out!

Another thing that I'd like to bring back up again is the fact that a women's instinct to question, analize and evaluate risk is something that can work against us out there! It typically causes hesitation and hesitation is what gets you stuck or in other situations you dont want to be in. You have to be confident and commit yourself! There are obvious risks out there you should be analyzing like hills that could slid and kill you! But when your just boondocking through the powder, be more relaxed, focus on technique and concentrate on your line from point A to point B, not on the obstacles that you "might" hit or get stuck in along the way. And of course, the more you ride, the more confident you will get out there.

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Very well put

in fact another tip Burandt gave my guy was "DON"T LOOK AT THE TREE! ... if you look at the tree, you'll hit the tree!"

:face-icon-small-sho boy was he ever right...

Iseesnow said:

Very well put

in fact another tip Burandt gave my guy was "DON"T LOOK AT THE TREE! ... if you look at the tree, you'll hit the tree!"

:face-icon-small-sho boy was he ever right...

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LMAO!!! too funny and soooo true!! lol!!

Duh!

One thing that I have learned over the years is that if the bars are too wide it makes it much more difficult. I cut my bars down narrower last year. I took an inch off both sides. I might even take another inch off after I ride a couple more times.

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DUH! I can't believe I didn't think of this. Thanks! That never even occurred to me, and I'll really do some serious looking into this for my wife. She has the OE cat bars on her current sled, but I only read this 3 min ago, and I'm already thinking if there is room to do it. It sure seems to make a lot of sense.

Any other ladies tried this? If so, what was the result?

PE

Scott said:

This is ironic for me.
I am 5' 8". Sidehilling can be tougher for a shorter carcass.

(I am about 5 posts into this thread and hit reply...haven't read all of it yet so I'm sorry if I repeated anything that's been already said better than this. LOL)

A mtn bar is only good to use when you are sidehilling on your right side unless you have a lefty throttle. I find that I rarely even use my mtn bar anymore. Very seldom.

One thing that I have learned over the years is that if the bars are too wide it makes it much more difficult. I cut my bars down narrower last year. I took an inch off both sides. I might even take another inch off after I ride a couple more times. We'll see. (I have Fabcraft 4" bars on mine.)

You may consider narrowing your bars an inch or so in each side...maybe even more depending on how you ride. It keeps you from having to reach out as far to get to the far side...stretching out to reach the downhill bar doesn't help the center of gravity issue when sidehilling. Cutting your bars narrower allows you to put your weight over to the uphill side much easier.

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Drink your milk and eat some more wheaties Scott...maybe you'll grow taller haha!

I personally don't find bar width an issue...I'm 5'3" and have a short wing-span. If you're counter-steering, and your sled's leaned into the hill, the outside/downside bar isn't that far away, no reaching really.

Polar Express said:

In many physical activities, simple strength can be used to overcome less-than-perfect-technique.PE

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I've gotten away with not much finesse and mostly muscling my sled around in the past. With a bad wing.... I'm going to have to relearn how to ride with more finesse and less muscle. We'll see how that goes! LOL

Polar Express said:

Any other ladies tried this? If so, what was the result?

PE

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Well, I went to a wider bar a few years ago and instantly felt like I was having to fight to sidehill. Back to Poo stock bars now and feel much better. I've been thinking recently (bad wing thing) of shortening mine, but once you cut.... if ya don't like it you are screwed. I'd think that the stock Cat bars would be fine with her long arms... I use to love those bars myself...

I just gonna leave work here in a few and play hooky and practice practice

Scott said:

OK, try it in hard spring snow when there is no powder?
Wide bars are a big problem then...and I have wide wing span for my height.

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Ridden in pretty much all snow, all seasons the amount we ride. LOL
I don't have wide bars, just stock doo bars so they're not overly wide. Used to them and don't know differently -perhaps narrower bars would make it easier??

I also cut my bars down on my 800 RMK, it made a nice difference with "woman" handling my sled....I am 5'1" and at that time had some extra weight which helped!!!

Oh gee! I went into a tree yesterday! 10 feet each side of it, all i needed to do was lift a ski, lay it over to get around it BUT NO! Insteed, I looked at it and instantly hestitated and with the momentum I had built up - it sent me right into the bugger! LOL So yeah, dont look at the trees!

Good thing to bring up Scott! I ALWAYS chop my bars on my dirt bike - definitely makes it easier for me to handle but I have not done this on my sled yet - I am going to ponder this some more though because area that I always screw my self in is when I stop pointed across a hill on top of the snow (no track dug in) and then my downhill ski on the throttle side ends up lower and I cannot for the life of me, reach that throttle on the opposite side AND weight the break side of my sled at the same time! Embarrassed to say that I've had to have those boys get thing back up on edge for me - all they do is hop on, grab that throttle, dig the track in and it lays over on the break side. I have to be very concientious of how I stop on hill with my throttle side on the down hill!!!!! So I wonder if narrower bars would help me out?

PowderGirl said:

Oh gee! I went into a tree yesterday! 10 feet each side of it, all i needed to do was lift a ski, lay it over to get around it BUT NO! Insteed, I looked at it and instantly hestitated and with the momentum I had built up - it sent me right into the bugger! LOL So yeah, dont look at the trees!

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george george george of the jungle ... watch out for that tree!!!
PS - not funny I hate that when that happens!

PowderGirl said:

But when your just boondocking through the powder, be more relaxed, focus on technique and concentrate on your line from point A to point B, not on the obstacles that you "might" hit or get stuck in along the way. And of course, the more you ride, the more confident you will get out there.

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I've seen Sarah ride and I seriously attempt to "channel Sarah" when I'm out there. She is a very graceful, fluid rider. Amazing!! I aspire to ride like Sarah. :face-icon-small-coo

EDIT: Oh.....but not that into the tree thingy. Been there, done that!!

LOL Thanks Suz!

So, if you do hit a tree and your sled gets hung up in the darn thing, dont climb into the tree well! Here's one of me stuck, stuck stuck in a tree well after I hit a tree...


I was on the rider's ars in front of me when he went over a lump in the snow that turned out to be a spring loaded tree that flung up in front of me! There was no place to go but over this tree but it didnt let me! Stopped me in my tracks and then when I went to cut out some branches that my sled was hung up on, the hole kept swallowing me and I couldn't move and someone had to litterally pull me out by my backpack.

Holy Hell Sarah, that is kinda scary!!!!

Holy Sarah, you are REALLY stuffed in there!
Tree wells are scary things (But so much fun too ) I panicked once when couldn't get out of a deep one, I fell off the opposite side of the sled into the well, the sled stopped against the tree and I was way below it! I could not get out by myself either...bit freaky. Feels a bit quick-sand like.


ps...you need your helmet cam on for those ones