Thinking of converting to MTBing

[Xiorell]

At a bit of a crossroads here.
I've been neglecting the road bike, a lot, this year so far. The more I think about going and riding around the roads the more I feel I can't be doing with it.
Don't think I feel it's a very safe affair in terms of cars/traffic
I used to just get on with riding about and so on but since I started driving myself I've gradually felt more and more that maybe road biking isn't the best idea I've ever had.
Some of the shoot I see other drivers getting up to just blows my mind at times, and then all the little minor errors you see people commit, would only take a few small changes to make them small things a big thing.

So yeah I'm thinking about selling off my lovely little shiney white road bike and just taking a MTB out over fields/trails.

Anyone else changed/considered changing their given riding tastes lately?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

No. Not going back to use buses

 

[gavroche]

Not at all. There is danger in every aspect of life and you can't live in a bubble. But if you think cycling is not for you anymore, it is your choice alone and deserves to be respected.

 

[Xiorell]

Not at all. There is danger in every aspect of life and you can't live in a bubble. But if you think cycling is not for you anymore, it is your choice alone and deserves to be respected.

That's not what I was getting at. Just that I've been thinking changing the type of riding I do might be worth consideration

 

[ColinJ]

Mountain biking is great, but t doesn't have to be instead of road riding. I like to do both. Even when I ride my MTB, there is usually at least some road riding between bridleways.

I don't like cycling on busy roads either so I do my best to avoid them. The thing is, that is relatively easy round here as long as I am prepared to get up out of the valleys and ride over the hills.

I just found one of your posts from a year ago where you said that your were moving to somewhere surrounded by lots of quiet rural roads to explore on your bike. What happened to put a stop to that?

 

[Xiorell]

Mountain biking is great, but t doesn't have to be instead of road riding. I like to do both. Even when I ride my MTB, there is usually at least some road riding between bridleways.

I don't like cycling on busy roads either so I do my best to avoid them. The thing is, that is relatively easy round here as long as I am prepared to get up out of the valleys and ride over the hills.

I just found one of your posts from a year ago where you said that your were moving to somewhere surrounded by lots of quiet rural roads to explore on your bike. What happened to put a stop to that?

Ah I did move but of course you won't dodge main roads all the time. If I wanna go town to town its all 70mph traffic on A roads.

I dunno maybe I'm just being a bit pessimistic lately. Maybe I just need to buy a more expensive road bike that's way beyond my needs lol
This has all come about since I started driving don't know what exactly did it

 

[Pat "5mph"]

This has all come about since I started driving don't know what exactly did it

You are seeing yourself as a cyclist from a different angle, the drivers angle, you realize that the same car you are driving could hurt you if you were on a bike.
It's a good thing for you as a driver, a bit scary when cycling, because then you have no control over other drivers.
I don't have a car atm, sometimes, when I walk on the pavement along the roads I usually cycle, I think to my self "you are crazy cycling there!"
No much you can do about this feeling apart from putting it all in the back of your head while on the bike.

 

[Salad Dodger]

I ride my e-bike mainly on roads, or my MTB mainly off-road. And I have to say that I prefer the car free nature of farm tracks (though you have to be wary of walkers and dogs).

 

[ColinJ]

Ah I did move but of course you won't dodge main roads all the time. If I wanna go town to town its all 70mph traffic on A roads.

I certainly wouldn't fancy riding on those roads!

 

[Globalti]

Road riding depends so much on having the right kind of roads around you. I'm sure that if I lived in a city I would still be driving out and doing mountain biking but living on the edge of glorious open country and moorland means I can set straight out from my front door and see very few cars.

 

[Teuchter]

I've always enjoyed riding in traffic, particularly town centre traffic. It's a buzz getting across town more quickly than a car could do it (and that doesn't mean jumping reds, just some well planned filtering and overtaking). I can see why people don't like it though, especially on busy out of town roads with high speed traffic.

Recently got a cheapish second hand mtb for some relatively easy (so far) mountain biking, often with the kids. I'm getting quite into it but view it as a very different discipline to on-road riding.

 

[Roadhump]

Some rural roads can be just as dangerous as fast urban ones or out of town trunk roads. There are a couple of roads I sometimes use that are narrow, straight and national speed limit and a lot of cars use them as alternative routes in and out of town and tend to travel about 60+mph. Most drivers give you plenty of room, and I'm not aware of any accidents but its not particularly pleasant using them. They lead to more 'sedate' country lanes however, in a much shorter distance than using other routes that may feel safer. I find using higher risk roads is inevitable but try to shorten the time / distance spent on them.

 

[User16625]

That's not what I was getting at. Just that I've been thinking changing the type of riding I do might be worth consideration

MTBing is bloody good fun and the scenery is way better (assuming you mean you want to literally ride up and down mountains). I do both road and off road riding. Its just that when you do have to ride on the road, doing it with a MTB is crap. Definitely worth getting into even if you dont intend giving up road cycling. However a MTB will require more maintenance, not less.

 

[Xiorell]

OK I think I can cancel the idea of giving up road biking in favour of off roading - Just took myself on a 40mile run on what's actually one of the nicest days I've had for cycling so far this year, I can't give it up I love it to much.
Think perhaps over the winter I spent to much time driving looking at total muppets in cars I need to just not worry about it, I never used to, even after I got blind-sided and had my old bike written off - So I dunno what's gotten into me lately.

MTBing is bloody good fun and the scenery is way better (assuming you mean you want to literally ride up and down mountains). I do both road and off road riding. Its just that when you do have to ride on the road, doing it with a MTB is crap. Definitely worth getting into even if you dont intend giving up road cycling. However a MTB will require more maintenance, not less.

I do indeed mean literally up and down mountains, we are 90% certainly moving to Wales pretty soon and the places we're looking at are slap-bang in the valleys, and right near the Brecon Beacons, so, it'll be that kinda terrain and a mix of just little tracks here and there.
I'd like to be able to consider a few grand on a full suspension jobby, but even if I had the money it'd be a bit over kill for me, not planning to set the world on fire just mess about at my own leisure. Might stretch to a grand on a nice hard tail, those Canyon bikes look sexy.
Having said that I had a quick nose in my LBS yesterday and it looks like I'd get something that ticks all my boxes around 600 quid give or take - Hydraulic disc, reasonable lockout forks, entry but alright groupsets etc

 

[fossyant]

Do both.

With MTB'ing you haven't had a good ride if you haven't crashed at least once ! Those pesky trees and rocks !