Mountain bikers

Aidy

So... following on from the "mountain bikers think commuters are lame" thread...

Out of interest, how many of us are mountain bikers? (as in, proper, not just rides a mountain bike).

I'm one. Although I don't post in the mountain bike forums on this site.

dresbo

I commute every day on a road bike, and I head to somewhere in Wales for 'proper' mountain biking at least once a month.

I love both. The speed on a road bike is really satisfying and there's nothing better than the adrenaline of bombing down the welsh hills in the pouring rain on my Yeti 575. I'd never commute on the Yeti though.

Controversial, but think if most people tried a road bike for commuting, they'd never go back.

Aidy

Well, quite - I ride road bikes too (but wouldn't describe myself as a roadie).

And definitely a road bike for my commute.

bradford

I commute sometimes on the mountain bike,but mainly use it for the trails in the New Forest.
So have a foot in both camps really! I don't post much in the Mountain bike forums as i find the commuting forum more friendly and interesting.

dav1

I am mostly a mountain biker, although have been doing a lot more road then I used to recently.

rolf_f

My Orange P7 has slicks for the commute but I have just bought a new pair of Kenda knobblies that I think I might try out at Dalby this weekend so I think that answers the question!!

It's cycling - why wouldn't you want to do a bit of MTBing - it's fun!

ExeterSimon

Full on MTBer with a passion for the road.

MTB has the edge though as the road riding is used mainly for the fitness side.

Usually commute on the Trek by the Stumpjumper did get a run out during the snow in January. The 30psi 2.5inch tyres were a godsend.

roger_merriman

probably in that I still ride like one, and head off to the hills every so often though SE england is not quite in the same league as the breacon beacons I grew up in.

I cut my teeth on rigid MTB, nothing teaches you how to pick a line though rock gardens as that!

Soul Boy

Regularly up at Swinley forest, occasionally to Wales and yearly to the Alps. All on my commuter, my Cotic Soul 8)

JonEdwards

I ride off road at least once a week. If you asked me to define myself in cycling terms, I'd say "mountain biker", dspite the fact I spend far more time on my commuter road bike.

The "Sunday ride" is why i bother.5 or 6 hours on my own, away from it all, going as hard as I can up the climbs so i can fit more DHs in to the day. I can't remember the last holiday i took that wasn't a mountain biking one...

bails87

roger merriman wrote:

I cut my teeth on rigid MTB, nothing teaches you how to pick a line though rock gardens as that!

I'm surpised they didn't get shaken out!

MTBer (in peace) btw, I don't commute though, so I'll be on my way now.....

Ginjafro

I ride both mountain and road. I ride MTB for fun mainly around Dartmoor and South Wales as well as racing for masochism. I also ride road for fun, commuting and sportives. I also intend to have a dabble at TTs soon. However, I do draw the line though at the "team wear" many roadies wear, I would just feel daft and a bit of a fraud.

Giant XTC Pro-Carbon
Cove Hustler
Planet X Pro-Carbon

PBo

bradford wrote:

I commute sometimes on the mountain bike,but mainly use it for the trails in the New Forest.
So have a foot in both camps really! I don't post much in the Mountain bike forums as i find the commuting forum more friendly and interesting.

apparently you're totally wrong!!!!

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12680990&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Stevo_666

I describe myself as an MTB'er first though I spend more time on the road these days! Still think MTB'ing is more fun, it's just not as accessible as the road where I am and the commuting lark is great for fitness, esp in Winter when the MTB hibernates for a while.

No problem with having a foot in both camps so to say...

bradford

PBo wrote:

bradford wrote:

I commute sometimes on the mountain bike,but mainly use it for the trails in the New Forest.
So have a foot in both camps really! I don't post much in the Mountain bike forums as i find the commuting forum more friendly and interesting.

apparently you're totally wrong!!!!

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12680990&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

That's just my opinion!

Mickey Eye

MTBer, I live 15 minutes away from fantastic trails on the east side of Oslo (there are fantastic trails on all sides of Oslo). Currently commuting on my Stumpjumper HT but looking for a dedicated commuter because I dislike that the most damage my bike is taking is from salt and not from being bashed off rocks.

I only read the MTB section for equipment advice, since it's not very useful for me for local info.

rml380z

For a year my commute was mostly off-road, so I got full use of my P7. Oh, those were the days. Luckily the office had a sports-club with decent showers and changing facilities.

Now it only comes out at weekends

cjw

Aidy wrote:

So... following on from the "mountain bikers think commuters are lame" thread...

Out of interest, how many of us are mountain bikers? (as in, proper, not just rides a mountain bike).

I'm one. Although I don't post in the mountain bike forums on this site.

Same here. Still MTB but recently switched to road almost all the time to prepare for L2P and have found that road riding makes a huge difference to fitness and weight loss compared to MTB.

Haven't posted in MTB section for a long time... just got bored of the same questions all the time and almost identical threads repeating.

Eau Rouge

Mountain bike?
As in a bike to go up and down mountains, like one of these?
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/r ... o-xl-24877


It (MTB) just doesn't appeal to me. If thats what people want to do thats fine by me, hope you enjoy it, but I'll stick to the road thanks.

Rich158

I consider myself a 'proper' mountain biker. I don't play about with XC, I ride DH every Sunday at a variety of trails, have raced in the past, get down to Wales whenever I can for some proper mountains, and am planning a holiday in the Alps for some proper DH action this summer

In reality I don't constrain myself with tags, I'm a two wheeled nut and love everything about biking whether it be MTB, road biking, BMX, trials or whatever, it's all good in my book.

iPete

mountain bikers think commuters are lame

What a daft concept, surely we all commute some way or another or are all mtb-ers minted and retired cos I want in!

Either way, do love to get down to south wales on my full susser a few times a year but my roadie is a much better tool for the streets, the training/commuting helps massively when climbing those trails!

rolf_f

Rich158 wrote:

I consider myself a 'proper' mountain biker. I don't play about with XC, I ride DH every Sunday at a variety of trails.

If you can't get back to where you started without pushing, it isn't 'proper' any sort of biking

bradford

Rich158 wrote:

In reality I don't constrain myself with tags, I'm a two wheeled nut and love everything about biking whether it be MTB, road biking, BMX, trials or whatever, it's all good in my book.

+1 Totally agree!

Rich158

Rolf F wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

I consider myself a 'proper' mountain biker. I don't play about with XC, I ride DH every Sunday at a variety of trails.

If you can't get back to where you started without pushing, it isn't 'proper' any sort of biking

True

I've just re-read that sentence and realised I'm very close to doing the very same thing they're doing on the MTB forum. XC just isn't my cup of tea, I'd rather hammer down a rocky mountain side on a long travel bike, or hammer up hills on my road bike

But what is 'proper' biking? How would you define 'proper' biking?

Roastie

Agree 100% that labels are daft …

… tho' I have noticed (mainly from touring through Peaks and the Dales) that a minority MTBers seem to be amongst those who believe that cyclists do not belong on the roads (and have a penchant for stupid, tarmac bound 4x4s).

But I'll be the first to admit that this is just an unfounded stereotype as all MTBers that I know are just great guys who love bikes.

I would have called myself an MTBer back in the days when front suspension was a fairly exotic feature I couldn't afford. Sadly my Orange Clockwork was nicked and that was the end of that. I am hoping to get back into it this year (cash flow permitting) as I'd love to do some XC racing.

cee

I spend more hours mountain biking than I do any other kind of cycling...usually 2-3 hours on a wednesday night in the local hills, plus a big ride out on a Sunday....sometimes a trail centre, sometimes a big OS Map adventure in the big hills, sometimes a day downhilling.

I think my commuting helps me with base fitness and little opportunities to play about on the bike (trackstands, stoppies, manuals etc)...

As far as I see it.....time on the bike is never wasted.

suzyb

I'd like to try MTBing, think it would be good fun and there is a local(ish) MTB club. But as always money is an issue.

Can I ask, is biking like rambling where you can access pretty much any piece of land providing your respectful.

Bikerbaboon

suzyb wrote:

Can I ask, is biking like rambling where you can access pretty much any piece of land providing your respectful.

Ishly... kinda.... depends on how many grumpy looks you get from walkers...

we are supposed to stick to bridle ways.
But in the middle of the dales i cant see too much harm in using a foot path with respect for other users.


CAN WE TRY NOT TO TURN THIS IN TO A RIGHT OF ACSESS DEBATE.


or i will have to bring up clipless or flats... full sus vs hardtail and the new kid on the block pads or no pads.

cee

suzyb wrote:

I'd like to try MTBing, think it would be good fun and there is a local(ish) MTB club. But as always money is an issue.

Can I ask, is biking like rambling where you can access pretty much any piece of land providing your respectful.

suzy...ignore bikerbaboon...
you are apparently in scotland...where you have a right to roam, in the same way as walkers and ramblers. there are some crazy land access laws south of the border, which makes legal mountain biking more difficult.

Up here....you can go where you want (apart from a couple of protected areas and MOD land) as long as you are respectful.

Some people use trail centres such as glentress, some people use facilities like the world cup downhill track at fort william (with chairlift uplift...other downhill venues provide uplift in cattle wagons!), whilst others grab an OS map and explore....much like ramblers do.

suzyb

Yeah cee I'm in Scotland

My uncle does a lot of rambling so I know walkers can roam around but didn't know if the same law applied to cyclists. Good to hear it does.

cat_with_no_tail

I'm a MTBer, but I commute (on my MTB) every day. I'm fairly lucky in the sense that I can commute along the road to work in 10mins, or I can extend my route for some 'proper' MTBing to an hour or so.

I would also just like to point out that when you think about it, we're all pretty lame really. I mean, think about it, most of us love nothing more than either getting absolutely covered in mud throwing ourselves down a mountain, fighting murderous drivers 5 days a week or dressing head to toe in lycra and trying to ride up mountains. Or all 3!
I know all my non-cycling mates think I'm absolutely bonkers.