How old were you when you started mountain biking?

Lungs94
Lungs94 Posts: 160
edited June 2015 in MTB general
So how old were you?
Bikes:
2013 Mondraker Dune XR - XX1 XO1 Hope, Easton Carbon, Fox
Voodoo Bizango XT - Hope, Pikes, Mavic
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Comments

  • angry_bird
    angry_bird Posts: 3,786
    When I started seriously, probably about 14-15 I think, about 10 years ago anyway. It was pretty much as soon as I could fit on my dad's bike as mine was a PoS. He wasn't using it anyway :lol:
  • Maro
    Maro Posts: 226
    About 15 for me too, although I was always trying to jump off things and ride down hills n stuff from the age of about 8.

    I stopped riding for 10 years or so and came back to it 2 years ago.
    Bird Aeris. DMR Trailstar. Spesh Rockhopper pub bike.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    No idea when did it become mountain biking?

    Was always messing about on bikes to me. Still is.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • mikeyj28
    mikeyj28 Posts: 754
    Messing about on bikes - about 6 years old.
    MTB racing/taking it seriously - 17
    Road bike riding - 28
    Constantly trying to upgrade my parts.It is a long road ahead as things are so expensive for little gain. n+1 is always the principle in my mind.
  • Lungs94
    Lungs94 Posts: 160
    I think you missunderstood, I mean at what age did you take it seriously, not when you first rode a bike or doing jumps at 6, or going down hills on a BSO.
    Bikes:
    2013 Mondraker Dune XR - XX1 XO1 Hope, Easton Carbon, Fox
    Voodoo Bizango XT - Hope, Pikes, Mavic
  • buddy_club
    buddy_club Posts: 935
    14 - Been a good two years ;)
    Framebuilder
    Handbuilt Steel 29er https://goo.gl/RYSbaa
    Carbon Stumpjumper https://goo.gl/xJNFcv
    Parkwood:http://goo.gl/Gf8xkL
    Ribble Gran Fondo https://goo.gl/ZpTFXz
    Triban:http://goo.gl/v63FBB
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    Lungs94 wrote:
    I think you missunderstood, I mean at what age did you take it seriously, not when you first rode a bike or doing jumps at 6, or going down hills on a BSO.
    Define seriously.

    BSOs did not exist. Neither did Mountain bikes. ATBs came in about
    So you tell me when mountain biking started and I will tell you how old I was.

    But I was ragging about on the trails on a 26" cow bared racer frame with Knoblies on in the 70s.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • Lungs94
    Lungs94 Posts: 160
    Oh lol, seriously as in when you really got into off roading "properly" or learning to do it properly
    Bikes:
    2013 Mondraker Dune XR - XX1 XO1 Hope, Easton Carbon, Fox
    Voodoo Bizango XT - Hope, Pikes, Mavic
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    I have never taken it seriously, but was riding a racing bike with the bars spun round off road in the early 70's.
    And playing BMX on 'borrowed' kids bikes.

    And I'm just as sh1t now as I was then.

    Just with fancier gear.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • mikeyj28
    mikeyj28 Posts: 754
    shelle wrote:
    I was 14 years old, it was on small mountain not so far away from my hometown.. This is my first post here, just want to say big HELLOO to everyone on this forum...

    Hello and welcome to the forum!!
    Constantly trying to upgrade my parts.It is a long road ahead as things are so expensive for little gain. n+1 is always the principle in my mind.
  • Lungs94
    Lungs94 Posts: 160
    shelle wrote:
    I was 14 years old, it was on small mountain not so far away from my hometown.. This is my first post here, just want to say big HELLOO to everyone on this forum...
    Welcome!
    Bikes:
    2013 Mondraker Dune XR - XX1 XO1 Hope, Easton Carbon, Fox
    Voodoo Bizango XT - Hope, Pikes, Mavic
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    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?
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    I started racing at 30 but for me it's all just messing about on bikes and has been for as long as I can remember.
    A days race training always ends with sessioning a big jump and seeing who can do the most stupid trick (slapping a ginger bloke mid back flip is the best I have seen). When it all becomes serious and the stupidity stops it's no longer mountain biking, you might as well give up and buy a road bike.
  • Lungs94
    Lungs94 Posts: 160
    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
    Bikes:
    2013 Mondraker Dune XR - XX1 XO1 Hope, Easton Carbon, Fox
    Voodoo Bizango XT - Hope, Pikes, Mavic
  • Lungs94
    Lungs94 Posts: 160
    I started racing at 30 but for me it's all just messing about on bikes and has been for as long as I can remember.
    A days race training always ends with sessioning a big jump and seeing who can do the most stupid trick (slapping a ginger bloke mid back flip is the best I have seen). When it all becomes serious and the stupidity stops it's no longer mountain biking, you might as well give up and buy a road bike.
    I didn't mean serious as in an athlete or a racer, like when you started taking it seriously as in buying all the gear & honing your skills rather than riding up & down a hill without much interest in MTBing
    Bikes:
    2013 Mondraker Dune XR - XX1 XO1 Hope, Easton Carbon, Fox
    Voodoo Bizango XT - Hope, Pikes, Mavic
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    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

    I must be proper then. I regularly hit technical singletrack. Often with painful consequences to the body part doing the hitting.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    Does taking it seriously have to include riding up hill? Personally I do xc and DH but some of my friends are serious DH racers who train hard but never ride up hill.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Lungs94 wrote:
    I didn't mean serious as in an athlete or a racer, like when you started taking it seriously as in buying all the gear & honing your skills rather than riding up & down a hill without much interest in MTBing

    What gear do you need except a bicycle? It's all a means to and end, the end being having fun.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Lungs94
    Lungs94 Posts: 160
    Does taking it seriously have to include riding up hill? Personally I do xc and DH but some of my friends are serious DH racers who train hard but never ride up hill.
    You're missing the point either that or you're being sarcastic
    Bikes:
    2013 Mondraker Dune XR - XX1 XO1 Hope, Easton Carbon, Fox
    Voodoo Bizango XT - Hope, Pikes, Mavic
  • Lungs94
    Lungs94 Posts: 160
    Ok it's official this topic has been missunderstood, obviously what I call "proper" or "serious" is much different to everyone else
    Bikes:
    2013 Mondraker Dune XR - XX1 XO1 Hope, Easton Carbon, Fox
    Voodoo Bizango XT - Hope, Pikes, Mavic
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    Lungs94 wrote:
    Does taking it seriously have to include riding up hill? Personally I do xc and DH but some of my friends are serious DH racers who train hard but never ride up hill.
    You're missing the point either that or you're being sarcastic

    I think you are missing the point. If you're taking mountain biking seriously then you're doing it all wrong. Chill out, hit some jumps, do stupid things and have some fun :-)
  • bob6397
    bob6397 Posts: 218
    Back on topic.. I first started mountain biking for the sake of mountain biking and having some fun aged around 13/14.. Basically when I got my first decent bike with 26" wheels on it..

    I think that's what the OP is getting at - when did you start doing it for the sake of doing it rather than, say, as a means of transport - IE When did you first start just "Going out for a ride.."

    :)
    Boardman HT Team - Hardtail
    Rose Pro-SL 2000 - Roadie
  • paul.skibum
    paul.skibum Posts: 4,068
    I bought a rigid raleigh in 2000 when I was 29 and started riding for fitness - I scrambled around my local woods and rode bridleways around my home town. I bought a hardtail in 2003, smashed it and myself to pieces on a tree 4 months later, bought another while recuperating, went to the Alps for the first time that year. So lets say 2003, 32 yrs old.
    Closet jockey wheel pimp whore.
  • iwilldoit
    iwilldoit Posts: 710
    Hi All.

    For me I started at 51 bit late but loving it, tried a couple of races and found they far more relaxing than when I tried motorbike enduro's , 2 races 2 1st in age group and a 10th & 9th overall so well pleased.

    Andrew%20Builth%20Wells%20Marathon_zpsmskya1ck.jpg
  • kinioo
    kinioo Posts: 776
    nicklouse wrote:
    No idea when did it become mountain biking?

    Was always messing about on bikes to me. Still is.

    Same here.
  • Angus Young
    Angus Young Posts: 3,063
    Lungs94 wrote:
    Ok it's official this topic has been missunderstood, obviously what I call "proper" or "serious" is much different to everyone else

    No, don't worry about it, this forum is crawling with smartasrses so it's often difficult to get a straight answer while everyone is tying to show how clever they are. It's a very simple question, no need for dancing.

    50 for me.
    All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
    Kona Process 134 viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=12994607
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    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.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    I agree with this guy ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    (Which scares me a lot)

    But a lot of people take it all very very seriously.

    They wouldn't want to ride with me though.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    They should be on road bikes if they take it seriously. To be honest though, even the competitive xc racers I know enjoy a fair amount of stupidity, they just do it faster than the rest of us.
  • Angus Young
    Angus Young Posts: 3,063
    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.
    All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
    Kona Process 134 viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=12994607