Beginner here...

PinkRhinos4

Not sure where to start really.. My name is Vicky and I am wanting to get into mountain biking, but not sure where to start?

justresting

I would start by deciding what sort of terrain you'l be riding on as that will determine the sort of bike you should be looking at and also what your price range will be. All thats assuming you havn't already got a bike

kegs

Well, the obvious place to start would be to get a bike Get hold of as good a one as you can afford, and make sure it fits properly, so getting advice from a decent local bike shop would be best.

some bits of basic kit, a helmet, some padded shorts, and possibly some cycling gloves.
A pump, puncture repair kit and multitool.

Ask on here or in your LBS about good places to go riding and if there are any clubs riding groups in the area.

Then just get out on your bike and have fun

For skills and maintenance and stuff there are some good books available if you want to pick it up for yourself (Master mountain Bike Skill - Lopes & McCormack, Zinn and the art of mountain bike maintentance).

beski

You can get womens specific bikes but don't think you have to, the maxim is try before you buy, & whatever feels comfortable for you

Have a look here...

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12540401

PinkRhinos4

I bought the mountain biking UK Magazine just to read so I know a bit more about it.

justresting

good start

PinkRhinos4

I fancy cross country but not sure what its all about?

kegs

Competively, it is riding a few laps of a course faster than the next person.

Otherwise, its the standard offroad trail riding most people do, nothing too sketchy like big drops or jumps, just bimbling around as fast as you want to go in the local woods or hills

ExeterSimon

I bought the mountain biking UK Magazine just to read so I know a bit more about it.

If you want to learn even more buy Mountain Bike Rider (MBR) as well.

Ooooh..that's gonna upset someone.

dave_hill

PinkRhinos4 wrote:

Not sure where to start really.. My name is Vicky and I am wanting to get into mountain biking, but not sure where to start?

First off, start by looking at why you want to start. Do you just want to try something different? Do you want to be able to get out and about and get fit? Do you want to do it just for recreation or to be competitive?

The reasons that you choose will largely dictate the type of bike and/or equipment you need. If you just want to go for a gentle potter in the evening or perhaps a day out at weekends, you won't want a downhill bike, full body armour and another mortgage!

Have you considered having a bit of a try out before you take the plunge? Try visiting one of the many trail centres up and down the country where you can rent a bike and helmet for the day. It would be a shame to plough a load of cash into it then suddenly find that it's not for you!

If you can tell us whereabouts in the country you are, we can direct you to trail centres, reliable bike shops, etc.

BTW, if you decide to take the plunge and buy a bike, it makes more sense to visit a dealer and try bikes out than to buy mail order. If you buy mail order, it means that any warranty issues are a pain to resolve, servicing can be a hassle and you can't try the bike for size, fit, ride etc., beforehand. Oh, and forget Halfords too.

Stumpjumper25

What part of the country are you? You got people / person to go out riding with? as couldn't see or have i missed that bit lol.
Depending on your height should sway wht bike to go for, If your 5ft4" or smaller then i'd go for the womens specific bikes for sure.
Agree with Dave H leave Halfords well alone.

beski

Agree with Dave H leave Halfords well alone.

Not all Halfords are bad. You'd be discounting a few good bikes. The Carrera Vulcan, Kraken, & Fury are good bikes within their respective price brackets, so are the GT XCR's & Boardmans, you could always get a lbs to look over the bike after purchase for a small fee if your local Halfords isn't too hot

dave_hill

beski wrote:

Not all Halfords are bad. You'd be discounting a few good bikes.

I'm not doubting the quality of the bikes, it's the pre- and after-sales service I'm questioning. I don't think that the spotty oiks who run the BikeHut in my local Halfords would know one end of a gear cable from the other.

The Carrera Vulcan, Kraken, & Fury are good bikes within their respective price brackets, so are the GT XCR's & Boardmans, you could always get a lbs to look over the bike after purchase for a small fee if your local Halfords isn't too hot

I'm sure any local LBS would be more than happy to do that. "Here's a bike I didn't buy from you, please give it the once over." I know what my response would be.

The other gripe I have about Halfords is, they're expensive and they won't have any bargaining room either. The price you see is the price you pay, no throw-ins, nowt.

beski

My point is you can't tar every shop with the same brush, some Halfords do have good staff,who know what they are doing. If you don't have confidence in them then I'm sure any lbs worth it's salt would have no qualms about servicing or checking the set up of a bike thats not been bought in their shop, they would be charging you for it ! and your future custom I'm sure would be of value !

Stumpjumper25

Not wonting to get into a war of do's an don'ts of Halfords as going off topic but each to their own.

nonnac85

what part of the country are you in? there are a lot of trail centres that have groups were you can join and meet people from beginners to advanced riders