Is this an MTB midlife crisis !?! I’m only 25!
MacAndCheese
Posts: 1,944
(It’s a bit of a ramble so skip to the last paragraph for the main point!)
When I first got into MTBs around 10 years ago,I was drawn towards the extreme riding like most young teenagers are. (what would now be called Freeride I guess). Anyway I didn’t have much cash and the cheap bike I had eventually bit the dust due far too much abuse. So I bought a BMX for cheap, easy to maintain thrills and slowly lost interest in MTB and then BMXing aswell as I went off to uni.
Anyway final year of uni comes and I’m a lardy 15 stone (I’m only 5”7) so I decide to splash student loan on a new bike , as it was for fitness I went for my 4” travel Kona. Its been a great bike and got me hooked again, this time riding XC, but still trying to blast single track and downhills as best I could. Finally upgraded everything on the Kona apart from the frame, so I saved up and started looking for a suitable 4” replacement recently….
So I’m looking on the net, asking on the forum, going to shops and sitting on bikes, at one point looking for a Santa Cruz frame so I ask my LBS, they say “sorry we can’t get those in – jungle need a minimum order – see anything else here you like”
”well that orange Marin Wolfridge you’ve got looks awesome, but not quite what I’m looking for” I say making small talk. Being the true salesman he gets me to have a go…its awesome, but at the time this happened way out of my price range, so I forget about it. A few weeks later and I’m flicking through the ads in a mag and I see the exact same bike for £650 off list...which puts it just in my price range. My childhood dreams of extreme riding could be realised! (or I could be just as crap as I was before!). So after a few clicks and some abuse of the credit card I have a fresh new 2009 Marin Wolf Ridge 6.8 arriving this week, far too much bike for me at the moment if I'm honest. I’m very excited indeed,
but do feel a bit like a 40 year old bloke who’s just ordered a Porshe Boxster……
When I first got into MTBs around 10 years ago,I was drawn towards the extreme riding like most young teenagers are. (what would now be called Freeride I guess). Anyway I didn’t have much cash and the cheap bike I had eventually bit the dust due far too much abuse. So I bought a BMX for cheap, easy to maintain thrills and slowly lost interest in MTB and then BMXing aswell as I went off to uni.
Anyway final year of uni comes and I’m a lardy 15 stone (I’m only 5”7) so I decide to splash student loan on a new bike , as it was for fitness I went for my 4” travel Kona. Its been a great bike and got me hooked again, this time riding XC, but still trying to blast single track and downhills as best I could. Finally upgraded everything on the Kona apart from the frame, so I saved up and started looking for a suitable 4” replacement recently….
So I’m looking on the net, asking on the forum, going to shops and sitting on bikes, at one point looking for a Santa Cruz frame so I ask my LBS, they say “sorry we can’t get those in – jungle need a minimum order – see anything else here you like”
”well that orange Marin Wolfridge you’ve got looks awesome, but not quite what I’m looking for” I say making small talk. Being the true salesman he gets me to have a go…its awesome, but at the time this happened way out of my price range, so I forget about it. A few weeks later and I’m flicking through the ads in a mag and I see the exact same bike for £650 off list...which puts it just in my price range. My childhood dreams of extreme riding could be realised! (or I could be just as crap as I was before!). So after a few clicks and some abuse of the credit card I have a fresh new 2009 Marin Wolf Ridge 6.8 arriving this week, far too much bike for me at the moment if I'm honest. I’m very excited indeed,
but do feel a bit like a 40 year old bloke who’s just ordered a Porshe Boxster…… Santa Cruz Chameleon
Orange Alpine 160
Orange Alpine 160
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Comments
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crisis FTW!!! {insert smartarse comment here}0
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Get a grip!
I'm 39 in October and my mates have agreed that we'll do the Mega Avalanche for my 40th!
It's just a number.
Look at it this way, you could easily have picked another hobby like long term alcohol abuse, fretting about your decking or, god forbid, golf!
Think how lucky you are!0 -
nice1,you saw the bike you wanted and got it,whats wrong with that,its better than sitting on your ar*se wishing you had it and spending your money on sh*t!0
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Joe_Pineapples wrote:Get a grip!
I'm 39 in October and my mates have agreed that we'll do the Mega Avalanche for my 40th!
It's just a number.
Look at it this way, you could easily have picked another hobby like long term alcohol abuse, fretting about your decking or, god forbid, golf!
Think how lucky you are!
haha good point, awsome that you doing the mega avalanche!Santa Cruz Chameleon
Orange Alpine 1600 -
Talked, we've "talked" about doing the Mega Avalanche. 0
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mate you will love the marin chap such good bikes0
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This post echos exactly what i felt 6 months ago
Just hit 34, started to get back into MTB after about a 5 year layoff. Driving down the street one day and see the specialized store (brand new and full of bling!) So i pop in and after about an hour come out having ordered a s-works enduro :shock:
Get home and think "What have i done", am just about to call the store to cancel, thinking i am too old and sensible now to be spending ££££ on a bike and wondering if mid-life is kicking in
At this point the wife walks in - What happened next will cement in my mind that my wife is the best ever!
After asking whats up, i tell her, to which she responds - "buy the bike, you can be old and boring when your 60 and your legs dont work anymore!"
Best advice ever - bike is awesome, feel like when i was 16 again being an idiot on my bmx. The bike will always be far more capable than i am but who cares, I'm having a great time! This even inspired the missus to start MTB'ing herself!
If you can afford it - Do It, you wont regret it!0 -
Good stuff SPIRO, that's what I like to hear! Bike should be arriving today or tomorrow...can't wait! Santa Cruz Chameleon
Orange Alpine 1600 -
Get the pics up when it arrives.0
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mate, I'm 36. with a mind and body of a 25 year old...lol only joking.. however just do it.. i'm going for a DH rig probably after new Year or next spring..so just the way I see it as long as you're having fun then who cares what the rest think,,;)0
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Arrived yesterday
...but I didn't have time to unpack fully - better pics will be added to link below:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=15588604#15588604Santa Cruz Chameleon
Orange Alpine 1600 -
MacAndCheese wrote:Arrived yesterday
...but I didn't have time to unpack fully - better pics will be added to link below:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=15588604#15588604
I was looking at these bikes!!! let me know how it rides please? I am full of envy!!
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I wouldn't worry about it! I was seriously into biking around 13 years ago. Spent loads on my bike, broke my wrist at PORC, then went off to Uni. Always toyed with getting back into it. Lost my fitness and then decided cars were a better use of the money. Enter Bike 4 work and suddenly a new bike seemed like a good idea.
So really I should get myself a nice hardtail, light and good to get back into things with, as I ride up hill as well as down. Instead I bought a Felt Compulsion, and have now ordered some 2010 RC Revelations Race. Far too much bike for me and what I do, but boy am I having fun. So much so that my cars have sat in the garage for 2 weeks!Always Aim For Puddles0
