New to MTBing...do's n don't's ?

Flasheart

Hi ladies and gents

I'm at heart a "Roadie". A roadie that has just ventured to the Darkside for the darker months..
I'm also a "Roadie" with a desperate fear of ice! After a rather nasty crash on ice the year before last, last years Winter had me terrified of riding on icey roads.
This year, so as not to stop riding (which I love), I splurged out and bought a Cube Aim MTB for the icey days- weeks.- months (OMG I miss Oz at times)

I have a Camelback which the girls in my office gave me last Xmas (damned if I didn't wind up buying a MTB to go with it...go figure)
Is it common practice to wear a Camelback (or such) or do people tend to use bottle cages and bottles?
In regards to pumps...is it cool to mount your mini-pump on the bottlecage like road bikes?
Do MTBer's carry spare tubes or just patch kits?

Roadies tend to be very image conscience, I imagine MTBers have their own code of do's and don't's too,( but aren't so anal about it)

I still like to overtake (scalp) people ahead of me, I guess it's a roadie thing :twisted:

I'm pushing 45 so I'm no spring chicken but I can hold my own on the road or trail so far

silly lily

Hi!
Will advise this: forget about stupid 'norms' and 'image-conscious' and 'cool' mentalities, here - it's pompous and just stupid!
Camelbak is convenient but grows mould inside the tube - pain to clean. Bottles are fine but get covered in mud - so would the pump. Some carry both in a small ruksack - works just fine.
Roadie habits - do not do well here, or so is my experience.
WElcome, have fun, wear what you're most comfortable with, get a bike you can master and fits your purpose.

slowslowslow

Agree about pump-leave in bag. anything on bike can get caught or come loose.

I use a camelback. Had it for nearly two years and not been ill yet. Flush through with boiling water and every so often soak it in steredent tablets. Lots seem to store in a freezer, not sure why but seems to work.

Ex roadie myself-i carry gerber multitool, relevant alum keys, tube, repair kit, foil blanket and a few sweets/toffees for sugar rush.

Had same issues with ice on road tyres, should not be an issue, but if you are doing rocky stuff at all watch out for it on the rocks, not always visable.
Ched

stubs

Most MTBers carry pump and drinks in the rucksack because otherwise they get covered in crud not nice when your drinking from a bottle covered in sheep poo. Most MTBers carry tubes, patch kits, tool kits, zip ties, muchy bars, gels, kitchen sinks and spare clothing in fact my rucksack has so many little pockets I am sure entire new species of life have evolved on a half eaten fig roll become sentient suffered a global warming crisis and died out leaving fossils and ruins.

As for camelbac bladder cleaning go to Tescos and buy a tube of 20 denture cleaning tablets for 49p fill bladder half full with warm water chuck in 2 or 3 tablets let them dissolve for 5 minutes whilst sloshing the water backwards and forwards and running it through bite valve. Rinse several times with water then chuck it in fridege or freezer till you next need it. Dont let a new girlfreind open the fridge freezer though if she sees the rubber bag and tube in there she will be out the door and calling you a perv on facebook before you know what hits you.

Basically wear what you want ride when and where you want and no proper MTBer will say a thing we are all mad as a box of frogs so you will fit in nicely.

slowslowslow

Why the freezer thing with the camelback? seen it a bit on here.

Mynameisdann

slowslowslow wrote:

Why the freezer thing with the camelback? seen it a bit on here.

a Way to stop any stagnant water?

only thing i can guess at :S

slowslowslow

Makes sense, or maybe kill off bacteria?

stubs

Stops the black goo forming and keeps the water tasting nice and fresh.

bails87

Flasheart
Welcome to the fun side! :twisted:

I like using a camelback, a bottle can be thrown out of the cage by bumps. Is it one with pockets and things? Or just space for the bladder?

As for freezing, it stops stuff growing in the bladder, it won't kill bacteria, but stops it growing. So I still clean it out once in a while with a sterilising tablet.

As others have said, wear what you're happy with. I tend to wear lycra with baggies on top.

There's a lot less of the 'image' stuff that seems to go with roadies.

Andy!

another nice thing about the camelbak is if you do come off then you have a nice rucksack on your back with water padding over your spine. I always feel a bit vulnerable without a rucksack of some sort on. I use a Mule normally or a larger one for all day trips.

MountainMonster

The do's and don't do's of MTb:

Do have fun.
Don't worry about what people think of how you look.
Repeat the do.

5pudgun

Don't like riding with a rucksack or camelback.I ride light with a few essentials in a saddle pack and use a bottle and cage. Pump in bottle cage is fine by me

Anonymous

mtb riders are a lot less image concious than roadies sound.
if you were seen on a trail with bottles in cages, no one would notice
if you were seen on a trail with a camelback, no one would notice
if you had a pump mounted to you bike, no one would notice.
if you were wearing a race team replica outfit, no one would notice
if that outfit was made of shorts which didnt match the jersey, no on would notice.
if your pedals arent pointing in the right direction when you post a picture of your bike, no one will notice
f your stem isnt turned upside down, no one will notice.

above all, no one will care but we will all hope you have an ace time on you mountain bike, welcome aboard

El zilcho

The freezer thing with Camelbacks is because it's almost impossible to get the inside dry after you clean them. If you pop it in the freezer then any water just turns to ice instead of beng a nice growing medium for mould.

And nobody will care where you keep your pump or if you choose to use bottles. Most people stuff things in Camelbacks* to keep them from getting filthy/falling off (bottles bounce out fairly easily). Hope you enjoy the trails!

*Other hydration systems are available.

slowslowslow

ditto the bag as a bit of back protection- it was a god thing when I first started.

ditto the no one will care

ditto the have fun

Enjoy the other side.....

Anonymous

Just have fun. Don't let the knobbers with their rules turn you into one of them.
There are plenty of mid-life-crysis bikers who "need" to have all the gear, but it's all bollorks really.
All you need is a bike. And ideally a helmet, but all you REALLY need is a bike.
And some clothes, or you might get arrested if you get spotted on the way to or from the trails.

dubcat

There is some gear worth having if you are riding off road as your probability of having some bike issues is higher than when riding on the road. Having this gear can stop your day coming to a premature end. Even better it can help you to prevent someone else from having to walk miles back to their car because you were able to help them out even though they thought it is bollorks to carry stuff and so didn't bring anything with them.

Bear in mind I am a rank novice. Here is what i carry though. None of this is expensive or heavy!

Multi tool with chan breaker
Spare inner tube or two - easier to use than repair kit in muddy field
Repair kit (patch) - in case you run out of tubes, takes no room!
Tyre levers
Mini pump that can do both types of valve - so i can pump my tyres and those of others
Zip ties and gaffer or electrical tape for ad hoc a-team repairs
Energy or trail mix bar
Gauze bandage strip, plaster and ibuprofen
Water
Mobile phone

I'm going to add some of those power link chain link things to this too. Would be good if someone with experience could advise the op whether this list is sane or overkill.

Regards,
Dubat (firmly in the grip of a midlife crisis)

Anonymous

Dubcat wrote:

Yeehaa what a pile of balls.
Bear in mind I am a rank novice.

Take it as some sage advice from someone who's been doing this a long long time then. You don't NEED any of that shite to go riding and enjoy yourself.

dubcat

You don't NEED it it but surely you agree it's very useful to have that stuff and it's not much effort to pack or carry it given he has a camelbac already.

Still, I know you been riding a very long time. You got the experience to back up what you say.

Flasheart

Thanks for the replies so far

I have a saddlebag on my MTB that I carry:
Alien II multitool
Puncture Kit
Tyre Boot
and I carry a mobile everywhere anyway
I'll buy a spare tube I think

I've put bottlecage on for short outings so I put my Top Peak Racemaster Pocket Rocket pump under that

I had a MTB helmet from before I started Road Cycling, so that's sorted
I also had 2 pair of MTB baggies, but with Winter approaching I'll need something to cover my legs
Some of my LS road jerseys & baselayers will be okay for MTBing as they aren't "team kit" as I hate that commercial cr@p
I have changed my pedals over to Shimano SPD's as I already had them as well as a pair of Shimano MTB shoes.

I did 30 miles road and trail on my MTB yesterday and enjoyed the trail bit. On the road I feel like a crippled snail compared to when I'm on my road bike. It felt frustrating but at least no bugger scalped me :P

Oh yeah, do you put a cycling computer on a MTB?

Anonymous

Flasheart wrote:

Oh yeah, do you put a cycling computer on a MTB?

If you want. Like everything else, there's no real "rules".

roger_merriman

MTB's are a broader church than roadies thats one thing, like most things best to find your way, I hate any thing on my back so I use bottles though they are worse product.

in terms of gear, I tend to carry pump/tubes etc and some sort of tool for just incase. But I don't on the whole snap chains etc.

stubs

Oh and dont forget you need some money for essentials like pies, cake, pies, coffee, pies, beer, pies, bacon butties and last but not least pies.

PXR5

Do have fun
Do know how to laugh at yourself when you fall off
Do carry enough puncture repair bits (kits/tubes/foam fillers/tyre boots) to repair one more pucture than you're going to get (about 3 punctures in one 40km outing is the record amongst us)
Do carry a damn good multi tool
Do know how to use this multi tool to split the chain to botch a single speed up to get you home when your derailler is completely knackered
Do carry a power link (or similar to help with above)
Do carry a spare derailler hanger - though based on the above it might not get used.

Don't worry MTB'ers or VTT'ists as we are here are all a bit barking..

dubcat

http://www.mtbtips.com/2010/09/15/sixte ... r-like-me/

belugabob

Dubcat wrote:

http://www.mtbtips.com/2010/09/15/sixteen-things-to-stop-you-becoming-a-loser-like-me/

Hey Dubcat,

Good link there - not only does he provide a list of things to carry, he gives a reason for carrying them.

He missed an item though, didn't he - you should always carry a spare bracket for your handlebar mounted light (Possibly even two, for those occasions where you stack it and break yours , just a few minutes after loaning your first spare to another unfortunate rider.)

Good to see that you're willing to learn.

Bob

Anonymous

I hope you guys all have support vehichles as well.

dubcat

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I hope you guys all have support vehichles as well.

My support vehicle is called BelugaBob. He's fab, carries what I need to get out of a pitch black forest when my light mount breaks! Added bonus is that he doesn't need rechargeable batteries or petrol to keep going. He is powered by Haribos!

Anonymous

Cool. Are these BelugaBobs avai;able to buy or rent anywhere? They sound useful.

bails87

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Cool. Are these BelugaBobs avai;able to buy or rent anywhere? They sound useful.

Craigslist.....

Anonymous

I don't want a Craig, I want a BelugaBob :?