1st time mountain biker

TiBoy

I have been convinced by a friend to go and do the trails at Woburn with him at the weekend (its only fair, I got him into road bikes this year). He is quite a serious mountain biker and I need some tips on things to do and say that won't make me look like a complete novice. I have done the usual bloke stuff and bought a few mountain bike mags but there was not much to impress.
I have spd/flat fitted, is this a good idea?
Cheers

noodleman

Dont forget to be in the Attack position on any downhill freewheeling sections, ie chest low with bum as far back as possible, one finger covering each brake. This should keep you from flying over the front should things get a bit lively. Sit your bum as far forwards as you can on the climbs to keep weight over the front for more stability. Loads of other things that you will pick up just from riding but learning is all part of the fun. Might be a good idea to ride with standard flat pedals to start with(one less thing to worry about)
Have a great time

TiBoy

Cheers Noodleman. I guess its getting used to the bike feeling different and moving around, the pedels on it at the moment are spd on one side and flat on the other so I should be ok.
Good advice on positioning, i'll give it a go.

nonnac85

i take it you mean the XC trails rather then the jumps / mini-downhills?

make sure you clean your bike properly afterwards because the sandy soil tends to make chains/gears get covered in a gritty paste that if left on will wear down parts.

TiBoy

Yes it is the cross country trails we are doing, I have heard that it is a bit sandy up there and will take some cleaner with me.

Cheers

GT Destroyer

I don't know of the trails where you are headed but if he is a decent mtber he will not expect tailwhips and x-ups from you if its your first time out (or you are relatively new to mbting) You'll already have bags of experience in the saddle from your road bike, so you'll know how a bike handles etc.... Just go out and enjoy it, if something looks too gnarly, don't ride it. A-r-s-e- off the back of the saddle is a good idea, but perhaps not that natural for someone with little experience of mtbing, so might be difficult to get exactly right.

Just try to be as light as you can on the bike, let it do what it needs to do under you, but make sure you are steady, an off on one of the first outings might not inspire you to do it again :shock: or it might make you even more determined, who knows!

And I'd be on the non-spd side of the pedals.

BorisSpencer

There's nothing too technical on the xc trails that I can think off. If you head over to the DH runs, the one on the right can be rolled all the way, IIRC there is one small gap jump in it but it can be bypassed.
I seem to remember most of it being nice flowing single track.

Enjoy.

john74

i was there yesterday its a complete mudfest so make sure you stay dry and warm. and the sand does act like a grinding paste so remember to clean the bike properly. there is no real steep downhill sections. so you should be ok its mostly single track. just watch out for dog walkers it was like crufts up there yesterday. you MUST try the rollercoaster and the moat if your mate is a regular rider there he will know where they are oh and beware PUKE HILL and it does believe me.

Northwind

TiBoy wrote:

IHe is quite a serious mountain biker and I need some tips on things to do and say that won't make me look like a complete novice.

Don't try and act like you're not a complete novice, it'll make you look like a complete novice Everybody learns this stuff as they go along, he'll know that as well and he'll know exactly what's going on. So don't sweat it! Most people look an idiot at least once the first time they go to a trail centre, it's part of the game.

TiBoy

All great advice guys, thanks. I think the best thing to do is enjoy myself. I have got lots of warm road stuff and a pair of MTB shorts. Will thermal over shoes make melook too much like a rodie trying to mountain bike???????
Neither of us have been before and Puke Hill sounds like one to miss. Thanks John, if you say the Rollercoaster is worth a go I will, proberbly would have given it a miss without your comments. Will definatly take cleaning stuff with me.

Northwind

Maybe a wee bit, with the overshoes. But it'll also make you look like a person with warm feet 8) By this time of year mtb trails tend to be full of people who'll basically do anything to stay warm and dry, everything from £1000 worth of thermals to binbags in their shoes. I've never worn overshoes- I like flat pedals and they don't go- so I don't know how well they'll work offroad, the occasional foot dab is par for the course after all.

TiBoy

Thanks guys, I had a great time, very cold and the ground was either frozen solid, dreep mud or sandy. Needless to say that the bike needed a very good clean when got back and I could imagin that the sand up there could be an issue. Will definatly be doing it again, already started looking/ dreaming of a new mountain bike but i've only just brought a titainium road bike so it may be a while before I can get another bike passed the wife.

cee

Northwind wrote:

Most people look an idiot at least once the first time they go to a trail centre, it's part of the game.

You are doing it wrong.......you should look like an idiot at least once per ride even if its a great-muddy-speckled-grinning-idiot at the end!

BorisSpencer

Just spotted your South Northants location, I was over at Harlestone Firs today. I'd never actually been before but it's full of little routes through the trees. Very beginner friendly and not too muddy.

mygiantmtb

it's fun to look like an idiot at least once! i went to climachx (near machynlleth mid Wales) on Sunday and it was my first time , (i usually go to coed y brenin) it was really good , a lot of up hill though but the single track and the rocky sections were good. I was riding along a fast part of single track when i saw my mate on the floor , and before i could do anything me and my bike were on top of him. I had gone off the end of a berm with out realizing i was embarrassed and it was on camera!! lol i will be putting the video on my youtube account shortly. the address is www.youtube.com/tubtom1 - tom.

Mattbot2

Initially I thought my mate had signed up to this forum whilst reading the first post.

It sounded like the story of last week until "I got him into road biking" lol.

We were going to go Woburn this weekend but stuff got in the way. We'll be going after Christmas now. Was it good, and beginner friendly?

pemsey

BorisSpencer wrote:

Just spotted your South Northants location, I was over at Harlestone Firs today. I'd never actually been before but it's full of little routes through the trees. Very beginner friendly and not too muddy.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the firs - if you want guiding round some of the hidden bits - and to anyone in the area that wants a morning of muddy fun on a Sunday, come along to a Treads Sunday meet at the Delapre Abbey Golf Course car park, just off the A43 by Brackmills in Northampton - meet at 8:30am whatever the weather.

Linky thing in my signature for more contact details etc - all welcome whatever level you're at

Cheers
Pemsey

TiBoy

Hi Mattbot, I found it really good and lots of places to explore, I think my mate was getting a bit bored after a couple of hours because my skills were not great and I was being a bit cautious. A couple of things I learnt after road biking, 1) I won't have my saddle as high as my road bike as I tried to hang off the back going down a steep (for me) hill and cracked my manhood 2) I will use SPD as I don't like being wthout them and Woburn was not too technical for me to be without them.

Mattbot2

TiBoy wrote:

Hi Mattbot, I found it really good and lots of places to explore, I think my mate was getting a bit bored after a couple of hours because my skills were not great and I was being a bit cautious. A couple of things I learnt after road biking, 1) I won't have my saddle as high as my road bike as I tried to hang off the back going down a steep (for me) hill and cracked my manhood 2) I will use SPD as I don't like being wthout them and Woburn was not too technical for me to be without them.

Cracking stuff, cheers! If you want more places to go, go to my thread in the "MTB Rides" forum. Rides in / around Milton Keynes.

TiBoy

Cheers Boris, I will have a look at going to harleston in the new year, I have had a quick look on the internet and found some directions from another forum, its about 20 miles from me so its not too bad, my mountain bike mate lives in Northampton so may drag him along again.

Thanks
Mat