Mountain bikes, somebody save me quick.....

[got-to-get-fit]

i have been riding roadbikes for the past 3 years and i looooovvvvveeeee it. The thrill of hurtling downhill at 40mph the lightness and responsiveness of my Carbon frame, the romantic nature of it, the ease of which i climb hills.....its all just so bloody fantastic.

BUT.......


Some workmates asked me to go mountainbiking with them last night....so i dragged my 12 year old carrera Kraken out of the shed, cleaned it up and we went off on our merry way into the cleveland hills / north york moors.

Blimey......it was pant wetting fun.

Jumping boulders, drop offs, mud, skids, falls, racing downhill with a million hazardsa and pratfalls coming at you at 20 mile an hour.



Now im afraid im going to get pulled over to the darkside and forget all about my simple roadie pleasures

 

[Panter]

Go on, give in, you know you want to.

Incidentally, you're currently "in the darkside," converting to MTB is actually being pulled into the light

 

[simonali]

n+1

 

[Davidc]

I don't understand the problem.

MTBs are for off road and do it well, road bikes are for on road and do it well, and that's what you're using each of them for.

MTBs are slow, uncomfortable, and cumbersome on road, road bikes slide around, can be uncomfortable, and get broken off road, but you're not doing that 'cos you've got one of each.

 

[User482]

I don't understand the problem.

MTBs are for off road and do it well, road bikes are for on road and do it well, and that's what you're using each of them for.

MTBs are slow, uncomfortable, and cumbersome on road, road bikes slide around, can be uncomfortable, and get broken off road, but you're not doing that 'cos you've got one of each.

All very true. MTBing is more fun though.

 

[Davidc]

All very true. MTBing is more fun though.

Trouble is that I'm old enough for it to be the rider not the bike that imposes the limits, and the body's not really up to serious off road these days!

(Last time I rode in your neck of the woods - Bristol - the pot holes and surfaces were more suited to a MTB than a road bike anyway)

 

[User482]

Trouble is that I'm old enough for it to be the rider not the bike that imposes the limits, and the body's not really up to serious off road these days!

(Last time I rode in your neck of the woods - Bristol - the pot holes and surfaces were more suited to a MTB than a road bike anyway)

Yeah, I converted an old rigid MTB into a commuter as I was fed up with ruining the wheels on my road bike!

I've found that modern MTBs (i.e. tough, full suspension & disc brakes but still lightweight) are now so capable that the rider nearly always reaches the limit before the bike does. Look on it as a positive thing - you have the tools to fully exploit your potential. So I wouldn't worry about your age, there's plenty of older guys in my club, and some of them are pretty handy riders too.