Riding groups anyone?

MTB noob

I am looking to join a mountain bike group but i only have low end bikes (£200-£500).

I have made them to my ideal spec (see below) but i don't want to make myself a laughing stock off of the rest with their £1000 or £2000 bikes. :oops:

Is there a MTB group for low spec riders? And if so, do you think there is a reasonable group within it? I average 11mph over the south downs (inc stops).

Thanks

blister pus

Anybody sneering at your bike isn't worth knowing, never mind riding with.

So join any club or group that does reasonable XC routes that suit you and are within the scope of your equipment (like don't go doing 4 foot drops with a spot of freeride in between).

angry_bird

Just find a local group and join it. Don't worry about people having more expensive bikes. Most people wouldn't care what you ride, although you might get a few people look down their noses at you as they stand around by their Audis talking about how great they are on their £5k carbon toys :roll: but fuck them, what does it matter what people think about your bike.

YeehaaMcgee

MTB noob wrote:

I am looking to join a mountain bike group but i only have low end bikes (£200-£500).

I have made them to my ideal spec (see below) but i don't want to make myself a laughing stock off of the rest with their £1000 or £2000 bikes. :oops:

Is there a MTB group for low spec riders? And if so, do you think there is a reasonable group within it? I average 11mph over the south downs (inc stops).

Thanks

I've never known any MTB group, or even a group of riders for that matter, to give a sh*t what you ride.
Just ride, that's what we're all doing. Some poeple have more disposable income than others, because of different financial commitments, different jobs, and so on. That doesn't differentiate who is and isn't a worthy member of an MTBing club.

Majski

Angry Bird wrote:

you might get a few people look down their noses at you as they stand around by their Audis talking about how great they are on their £5k carbon toys

These are also the same group that stand around Llandegla car park in full dainese body armour suits and 'enduro' full facers talking about all their heroics on the gnarly as rad black run

danlikesbikes

I don't own an Audi but I do own a couple of nice expensive bikes, along with my old faithful bikes that I've had for years & they way I sum it up its about the person and generally most people I meet are nice and easy to get on with and only really care about how you ride and not what you ride. We have guys in our local club riding around on £8K racing machines down to people with 20 year old frames converted to single speed and pretty much everything in-between and we all get along and chat about routes, bikes etc.

Yes you will always meet some guys who have to have all the kit and no expense spared and boy do they let you know about. Good thing about the all the gear no idea brigade is whilst they are loud and only care about how much something costs they also tend to want to hang around with such like minded individuals.

cooldad

Have a look in Rides for your area. As others have said, if anyone looks down on your bike, they're a d1ck.
In London Calling we ride mainly Surrey Hills, Swinley etc, with trips to Wales and places like that. (Looks like a plan for North Wales over the long weekend is brewing)
There's also the opening of a new trail at Queen Elizabeth Country Park near Petersfield in Hampshire, which we may be planning on attending.
If you are anywhere near, just post. Although most of us are d1cks anyway, your bike will be fine.
I say we but it's just part of the forum.

wheezee

I'd be more worried about having an expensive bike and no fitness or ability.

Actually, I have an expensive bike and no fitness or ability. What am I saying? :x

wobbem

Don't worry about what you ride , but how you ride it. ie :shock:

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/249727/

YeehaaMcgee

Danlikesbikes wrote:

I don't own an Audi

Well you can get stuffed then. I'll only ride with other people who have the good taste to drive Audis.

bennett_346

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Danlikesbikes wrote:

I don't own an Audi

Well you can get stuffed then. I'll only ride with other people who have the good taste to drive Audis.

Like this man?

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/loc ... rder_hunt/

MTB noob

All i wanted was a little advice and now i have an argument about snobbery. Brilliant.

Anyway, thanks for the tip and also, because i have a suntour XCT stick with my bike, where can i get a preloader remover tool so i can insert a lockout on it so i can ride with more confidence?

Yacoby

deleted

blister pus

viewtopic.php?p=15991688

^ There is mention of the Suntour preload adjuster cap removal tool (and place to purchase), and spring changing, at the bottom of that thread. But I would have thought your LBS should have one or help you out.

marko75

I was worried when I first joined my club.... I was on a spesh hard rock but no-one cared what I rode - even those on Orange 5's!

MTB noob

on about the skill part of this conversation, is it good if you are going so fast, you drift on mud with both wheels slightly giving way all the time, but in a controlled way? And also does it help lowering your body round a corner to gain more grip?

And i once was overtaken by a 67 yo on a orange 5 - it was downhill and i was on a Valour o it was fair doos.

al2098

Much of what's said rings true.
I have been on many group rides and no-one pays much attention to who is riding what.
I do remember one guy riding a cheap HT with V brakes and near bald tyres..
He was wearing a sports shop umbro fleece and track bottoms with cheap trainers on noddy flat pedals.
No hydration pack, a 2ltr bottle of tesco value flat water in an old backpack.
No helmet, a wool cap. No gloves.
He did complain about having cold hands..
Uphill he was generally waiting for everyone else after he had sprinted to the top.
Downhill no-one was faster.
Turns out he was a Royal Marine away from home who got his MTB fix on the cheap.
My Orange 5 didn't help me catch him up. Thankfully he didn't make fun of me. :roll:

YeehaaMcgee

marko75 wrote:

I was worried when I first joined my club.... I was on a spesh hard rock but no-one cared what I rode - even those on Orange 5's!

The mere fact that you felt obliged to add "even those on Orange 5's!" says something, I 'm sure.
What that something is, however, remains to be said.

MTB noob

It's usually the people who have the basics that are the fastest because there is no super-cool technology to interrupt you from being a MTBer that enjoys a ride.

mintedox

What is all this about orange 5's? Are they like the Audi A4 s line of bikes?

cooldad

Orange 5's
Audis
Rhyl
Lime, string and liver.
Fullymong and Focusmong.

I blame Wiggle for all of them.

miss notax

Ignoring all the random Orange 5 comments (!), we ride with a group and I honestly couldn't give a stuff what people are riding. I'm interested in bikes and will happily chat about whatever people come along on!

I am slightly obsessive about cycle helmets though - no helmet / no ride

YeehaaMcgee

miss notax wrote:

I am slightly obsessive about cycle helmets though - no helmet / no ride

You can ride my helmet any time, love.

miss notax

I should have known that sentance wasn't BikeRadar-proof

Anonymous

If it's a decent group they won't care what bike it is, unless it's Orange :P - and those Audi owners won't talk to you if you ride Specialized - but nah, seriously it shouldn't matter if it's a group that isn't up it's own arse and there's usually a mix of all kinds of bikes and you end up chatting about bike bits, what to upgrade, try each other's bikes out, etc. Start off with whatever works for you. The important thing is it gets you riding. The problem is it becomes addictive and a slippery slope from there.

marko75

deadkenny wrote:

The problem is it becomes addictive and a slippery slope from there.

Aint that the truth!