How old were you when you started mountain biking?

nicklouse

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

The whole point of mountain biking is that it isn't serious and for most of us it's just a continuation of the stupid thing we did on bikes as kids. The only differences are we ride further now, jump bigger, wear helmets, pay for our bikes with proper jobs and don't use them for paper rounds.

The question was very simple: How old were you when you started mountain biking? It only got complicated because you and a few others decided to be smartasrses instead of simply answering the question.

No it is not simple. When did mountain biking start? Shall we say it started (in that it was called Mountin biking) in about 1988 (the year MBUK started) then I was 21. But before that I was riding a bike in the mud, on trail, over jump up and down mountain for 15 years but that was not mountain biking as it did not exist.

Simples.

Angus Young

nicklouse wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

The whole point of mountain biking is that it isn't serious and for most of us it's just a continuation of the stupid thing we did on bikes as kids. The only differences are we ride further now, jump bigger, wear helmets, pay for our bikes with proper jobs and don't use them for paper rounds.

The question was very simple: How old were you when you started mountain biking? It only got complicated because you and a few others decided to be smartasrses instead of simply answering the question.

No it is not simple. When did mountain biking start? Shall we say it started (in that it was called Mountin biking) in about 1988 (the year MBUK started) then I was 21. But before that I was riding a bike in the mud, on trail, over jump up and down mountain for 15 years but that was not mountain biking as it did not exist.

Simples.

Don't be an arsé. He didn't ask when mountain biking started, he asked when you started mountain biking. Your answer is 1973. Just because someone hadn't printed the words 'Mountain Biking' on the front of a magazine doesn't mean it didn't exist. Unless, of course, you're so feeble that you need someone to tell you what you're doing.

rockmonkeysc

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

The whole point of mountain biking is that it isn't serious and for most of us it's just a continuation of the stupid thing we did on bikes as kids. The only differences are we ride further now, jump bigger, wear helmets, pay for our bikes with proper jobs and don't use them for paper rounds.

The question was very simple: How old were you when you started mountain biking? It only got complicated because you and a few others decided to be smartasrses instead of simply answering the question.

It's not that simple. I started riding bikes at three years old, broke my arm at six trying to ride the vert ramp at the park and have been riding around the woods for as long as I remember, building jumps and riding over rocks and getting lost. It's just gradually evolved. I couldn't say I started mountain biking at seventeen and a quarter years old because it didn't really start. It's the same for most of my friends.

Angus Young

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

The whole point of mountain biking is that it isn't serious and for most of us it's just a continuation of the stupid thing we did on bikes as kids. The only differences are we ride further now, jump bigger, wear helmets, pay for our bikes with proper jobs and don't use them for paper rounds.

The question was very simple: How old were you when you started mountain biking? It only got complicated because you and a few others decided to be smartasrses instead of simply answering the question.

It's not that simple. I started riding bikes at three years old, broke my arm at six trying to ride the vert ramp at the park and have been riding around the woods for as long as I remember, building jumps and riding over rocks and getting lost. It's just gradually evolved. I couldn't say I started mountain biking at seventeen and a quarter years old because it didn't really start. It's the same for most of my friends.

So, your answer is: I started riding bikes at three years old and have been riding around the woods for as long as I remember.

Now, how hard was that?

kajjal

Aged 19 witha GT Outpost round the local wood and bridle ways. No suspension and cantilever brakes made it painful and deadly the first time round Edale. After that upgraded to an Orange c16r with v brakes and front suspension. Finally had brakes that worked and no more locked hands after long rides.

rockmonkeysc

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

The whole point of mountain biking is that it isn't serious and for most of us it's just a continuation of the stupid thing we did on bikes as kids. The only differences are we ride further now, jump bigger, wear helmets, pay for our bikes with proper jobs and don't use them for paper rounds.

The question was very simple: How old were you when you started mountain biking? It only got complicated because you and a few others decided to be smartasrses instead of simply answering the question.

It's not that simple. I started riding bikes at three years old, broke my arm at six trying to ride the vert ramp at the park and have been riding around the woods for as long as I remember, building jumps and riding over rocks and getting lost. It's just gradually evolved. I couldn't say I started mountain biking at seventeen and a quarter years old because it didn't really start. It's the same for most of my friends.

So, your answer is: I started riding bikes at three years old and have been riding around the woods for as long as I remember.

Now, how hard was that?

Doesn't really answer the question though does it?

RevellRider

Lungs94 wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

Lungs94 wrote:

Oh lol, seriously as in when you really got into off roading "properly" or learning to do it properly

What is properly?

Who learns it?

Think... I wouldn't call going down a hill or riding along a muddy path "proper" mountain biking, I call hitting technical singletrack, drop offs, long XC rides, fast trail runs, hitting jumps etc & learning as in practicing all the skills needed , thats "proper" mountain biking IMO

When I started riding mountain bikes in the mid 90's riding down a hill and along a muddy path is what mountain biking was. I was 14/15. If you want to know when I started riding drop offs, technical singletrack and long xc rides, I couldn't actually tell you. The sport has evolved and I have with it too.

As for 'hitting jumps' I started in 1985 when I was 6 and there was the first bmx boom

Lungs94

Well I'm glad some people understood my question... thanks Angus & co

FishFish

I was 90.

Maro

It seems a more difficult question to answer for some than for others.

I was always messing around on bikes but my first "proper mountain bike" that I chose with suspension and V brakes and when I took an interest in the components and actively looked for places to ride was in the late 90s when I was about 15. I think that's what was meant by the OP when he said "seriously".

Granted, I'm younger than some of you guys who would have been doing the same as I was in your teenage years but the term mountain bike wasn't born nor were the technologies that followed.

Lungs94

Maro wrote:

It seems a more difficult question to answer for some than for others.

I was always messing around on bikes but my first "proper mountain bike" that I chose with suspension and V brakes and This --when I took an interest in the components and actively looked for places to ride was in the late 90s when I was about 15. I think that's what was meant by the OP when he said "seriously".

Granted, I'm younger than some of you guys who would have been doing the same as I was in your teenage years but the term mountain bike wasn't born nor were the technologies that followed.

spot on

robertpb

Well I mastered 2 wheels in early 1955, but nobody invented a proper bike to ride off road, so as an 8 year old rode everything with hills and dips on my trusty 24" BSA.

In the early 60's rode anything that would survive off roading, my sisters Philips, two trade bikes even tried my racing bike.

Then I bought one of the first Dawes Range Riders, which was a bit of a steal from Geoff Apps Ranger design.

So proper MTB 1984 at the tender age of 34.

Mike Deere

I first got into it at the age of twelve, so seventeen years ago now.

Whoa, how'd that happen...

Mattharrier

I pretty much started "proper" mountain biking at the beginning of this year. We used to go banging round the "rough ground" next to the park on our bikes (everything from Raleigh Tomahawks to racers) which was largely similar to a 4X track (but on the flat if that makes sense) from as young as I was the first time my mum let me go to the rec on my own. No mountains, or even proper hills where I live, but we used to go off road quite a lot (and how I wish I had the strength and stamina now that I did then).

bbug

Aged 59 I went with the guys from work to Cannock Chase, rented a Trek full susser and fell in love. For my 60th birthday I got my first mountain bike on the Cycle to Work scheme. That was nearly seven years ago. Still loving it and starting to do a bit of bikepacking too.

Trying to recapture my lost youth, that's what it is. My wife and my mother think I'm mad.

Angus Young

bbug wrote:

My wife and my mother think I'm mad.

You're not. You're the one who's sane.

The Rookie

I used to ride a lot of local trails when I was about 8-13 on a single speed 24" Puch, had bikes for road use after that when we moved to somewhere were cycling was the only way to get around, got back into MTBing in 2009/10 when I was 43 and after building up an MTB for commuting and off roading, I then built a dedicated commuter and my first semi decent MTB in the Kraken (link in sig).