I’ve bought a mountain bike!

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Julia9054

Julia9054

Guru
Location
Knaresborough
Just picked this up for Al. Spotted on eBay and just 2 miles down the road. It's even lighter than mine and I now have slight bike envy!
Screenshot_20210502-184403_eBay.jpg
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Just picked this up for Al. Spotted on eBay and just 2 miles down the road. It's even lighter than mine and I now have slight bike envy!
View attachment 586938
How much does it weigh?

I weighed my old 853 MTB a few years back and I'm sure that it was something like 13 kg (29 lbs). Definitely a bit on the porky side.
 

battered

Guru
Both lovely bikes. From Knaresboro' - loads of choice. The Addingham loop is the best ride ever, Rosedale near!y as good, the list is long.
 
Yeah, it's very conservative, but that's the idea - it's a good thing when you're first starting out. Build up slowly, crashing sucks.

The other best bit of advice that I found really helpful is:

Don't look at the scary obstacles (rock, tree whatever) - look at the gap where you want the bike to go. The bike has an uncanny tendency to go in the direction your eyes are focussed, don't ask me why.

On the topic, try not to focus right in front of the front wheel, lift your gaze further up along the trail to see what's coming up ahead. Look right around corners rather than straight ahead.

Mostly, just enjoy being outdoors in the countryside on a bike ^_^ I find a nice thermos of tea out in the woods almost as enjoyable as clattering down the descents :laugh:

This ^^^

I'm also a MTB newbie, riding mostly gravel trails, bridleways and farm tracks. Am finding it really helps to already have picked a path some 25 to 30 meters ahead. The bike just then seems to follow that. Otherwise, it's easy to come a cropper in a rut or dip filled with broken bricks.

FWIW, I ride a rigid steel MTB that I bought on a whim last summer and rebuilt / upgraded.
 

DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
This ^^^

I'm also a MTB newbie, riding mostly gravel trails, bridleways and farm tracks. Am finding it really helps to already have picked a path some 25 to 30 meters ahead. The bike just then seems to follow that. Otherwise, it's easy to come a cropper in a rut or dip filled with broken bricks.

FWIW, I ride a rigid steel MTB that I bought on a whim last summer and rebuilt / upgraded.
It's also a good technique when on the road bike as well, I've heard it referred to as "chasing the rabbit" you look from about a meter in front of you, to about 30 meters in front of you scanning for the best line, it takes some getting used to but it helps find the best line, be it off road or on our increasingly crumbling road network
 
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OP
Julia9054

Julia9054

Guru
Location
Knaresborough
Just been out locally to try it out. I now have wheel size envy.
He was beating me up hills which never usually happens. Grrrr!
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
This ^^^

I'm also a MTB newbie, riding mostly gravel trails, bridleways and farm tracks. Am finding it really helps to already have picked a path some 25 to 30 meters ahead. The bike just then seems to follow that. Otherwise, it's easy to come a cropper in a rut or dip filled with broken bricks.

FWIW, I ride a rigid steel MTB that I bought on a whim last summer and rebuilt / upgraded.

Known as 'target fixation'.

If you stare at that horrible rock you are far more likely to hit it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targe...s an attentional,of colliding with the object.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
As the wiki link says, target fixation tends to be a bigger problem the faster you go.

RAF fast jet pilots are trained in ways to combat it, as are some road going motorcyclists.

Another way to put it is look where you want to go, not where you don't want to go.
 
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