OK, so I am not so bright. I have convinced my wife, who is pretty athletic but has never ridden a bicycle, that we need mountain bikes and will ride together. So I took her around, sized her, and now, to surprise her, I went out and bought her one of the Trek WSD 8000 setups and myself a Klein Attitude Race. (Quit laughing — I had more money than brains that day). Anyhow, I am starting to freak out about how to teach her to ride. I know I need more patience since I want to ride now. Any guidance on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

— Ricky Schultz, Bothell, WA

Steve Jones's Answer.

	Steve Jones The author of four mountain-biking books, Steve Jones has logged thousands of miles of trails and backroads. Meet Steve Answer Archive Biking Forums

First of all, I commend you (and your brightness) for going out and getting your wife a bike. My own wife told me to tell you that because one of the first things I did for her after we got married was buy her a mountain bike. And, like you, I could hardly wait until we could go out riding a trail together. Riding together along a secluded single-track would be, I believed, at or near the height of nuptial bliss. I wasn't totally wrong about that, but I wasn't totally right, either.

Now, hopefully I won't get in trouble by saying a few things I have learned from my own and others' experiences. These thoughts are to be taken only as generalizations, especially since I know practically nothing about you and your wife. But this topic — biking with the spouse or female friend — is one that guys will more than likely encounter somewhere along the way. And, as they say, forewarned is forearmed.

Unless your wife belongs in the special category of women who enjoy the extreme physical challenges of life that manifest themselves often in mountain biking — long periods of heavy breathing, aching muscles, skin laid open by briars hanging in the trail, rock rash, sore extremities — it will be best to take a slow and moderate approach to introducing her to the joys of the trail.

In fact, you may even want to use someone else to train your wife regarding proper mountain bike riding. In other words, mountain bike classes. I know this is probably not what you had in mind, but it is extremely difficult to separate the husband-wife roles from the teacher-learner roles. In your part of the world, where mountain biking is so popular anyway, it shouldn't be too difficult to find someone — preferably another woman — who would be willing to take your wife out on some trails and practice the fundamentals.

But if a class is not practical, here is what I would suggest. Make sure you have ridden hard either the day before, or immediately before. You need to be sore and tired. In fact, the more tired and sore you are, the better you will be. Slow and easy will be the guiding terms at first. Find a nearby forest service road, preferably one lightly graveled or packed hard. Keep the bike in first gear that first day, no matter how far you travel — and don't go more than a couple or three miles. I know you said your wife is athletic, but we're talking about using a whole set of muscles — tender ones at that — that she has not likely developed. You don't want her to be too sore later.

Building confidence is the key. When handling a mountain bike for the first time — in case you've forgotten — it can feel like the bike is trying to scoot right out from under you. So, no single-track the first day or until you feel she has become comfortable making the basic moves on slightly uneven terrain. Make it flat or only with a slight grade.

Take plenty of rest stops and let her watch how you do some basic moves. No bunny-hopping or anything extreme. Just plain and simple technique. If you ride over a branch, make sure she sees you do it first. Explain why you do it the way you do it, but don't talk the situation to death. The best teacher is riding.

Also, ask yourself why you want to bike with your wife. Do you want a biking buddy who can fly down a mountainside at breakneck speed and clear technical tracks with style and grace? Or do you just want to spend time together doing something you both enjoy? I doubt that you will ever be content riding with your wife and expecting the kind of workout you can get with your biking buddies. But if you want to share a low-key, outdoor experience with her — one that is full of much of the beauty this world has to offer — then mountain biking together can be a wonderful experience for both of you.