Taken the plunge

[Pumpkin the robot]

I have finally invested in a mountain bike. I normally ride on the road, but decided to try a bit of off road riding as a lot of my friends do it. I have only bought something cheap to start with, just to see if I like it or not. One of of the guys I ride with recommended something a bit retro, a Merlin malt. I waited for the right bike to turn up and this weekend I picked up a bike off ebay not too far away from me. I only paid £100 for it, but it is like new. Everything works as it should and now I will try a bit green laning and some offroad riding, see if it is the sort of thing I will enjoy, if so I can either upgrade parts on the Merlin or buy something better.

 

[fossyant]

enjoy

 

[MikeW-71]

Tis good fun

 

[Gravity Aided]

Enjoy yourself. Mountain biking is a great way to experience the outdoors off-road.

 

[Keith Oates]

I enjoy off road MTB riding mostly if I'm with one or two others rather than being alone. It's like all biking the more you do the more you enjoy it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

I have taken it out a couple of times, but not off road yet! I use it to go to physio as I am not as afraid to leave it locked up in town as I am my more expensive road bikes. Its instills a different riding experience compared to when I am on my road bikes, I am far more relaxed and just spin the pedals without a care in the world and the comfort over pot holes is a new experience for me, I am not knocking my fillings out on the terrible Manchester roads!
Hopefully one day this week I will get to do a few trails and maybe some "proper" off road stuff.

 

[Motozulu]

Trail centres are a good starting point, nothing there designed to kill you and different gradings for different skill levels.

 

[Cyclist33]

Good for you mate and I hope your convalescence went well..!

I too have taken the plunge, after giving my former hard tail away a year ago... Was looking to get a cheapish road hybrid but at the last minute a particular mtb appeared on the radar and it was fun at first sight!

 

[Cyclist33]

This be my new baby...!

 

[I like Skol]

Hopefully one day this week I will get to do a few trails and maybe some "proper" off road stuff.

Get thee down to Clayton Vale. It's a scream.

Trail centres are a good starting point, nothing there designed to kill you

Unfortunately, there are one or two features at Clayton that could possibly do that if you got it wrong, and I'm not talking about the locals

 

[Cyclist33]

This beast was cleaned last night