Which manufacturers make bikes and accessories especially for a woman's
shorter torso, smaller hands, and narrower hips? How can a woman ensure
she's getting the best possible service at a male-oriented bike shop?
What exercises can a woman do to improve her upper body strength and
thus her ability to enjoy long climbs and challenging trails? How can a
woman prevent a sore rear-end on a bumpy ride? These and scores of other
questions are answered in Women's Mountain Biking. With enthusiasm
enough to infect even the skeptic, Jennifer Kulier shows that mountain
biking -- including tough, single-track riding -- is very much for women
too. She inspires and informs novice cyclists and experienced riders
alike with this complete guide, providing the latest information on
equipment, riding techniques, and safety, as well as practical tips from
women mountain bikers that the guys won't know. This once-macho sport is
waking up to the power of women, who are joining the ranks of mountain
bikers in ever greater numbers. It's time for women's particular
requirements and concerns -- from bike size and frame design to extreme
techniques and off-road repairs -- to be addressed. Kulier does so
carefully, candidly, and from a woman's perspective. From 1996 to 1997,
women's participation in on-road mountain biking rose by 45.5 percent
(the greatest annual increase of all 59 sports surveyed), and in
off-road mountain biking women's participation rose by 8.8 percent, the
ninth greatest increase, according to National Sporting Goods
Association statistics.
