How many people here ride mountain bikes?

[stumpyjr]

How many people here ride mountain bikes along side road/gravel/cross?
https://i.imgur.com/MpqaMcZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/p8lAiFX.jpg
I mostly ride mountain bikes but also race single speed cross.

[fmradio516]

I WAS a road only guy for the past 12-13 years, two years ago, got into mountain biking. now im all mountain bike pretty much. Still do road rides, just not as much as i used to.

Wish i got into it a loooong time ago.

[pdmtong]

We do - XC, tech single track, single blacks at lift-assisted Northstar-at-Tahoe and tandem.

tell me more about that indoor stunt park - I have always wanted to ride one of those.

At this point everything about my full-susp mtb is wrong (wheels, axles, drivetrain) but the dirt doesn't know my bike is obsolete. That;s ok, it's time for a new ride once we get through the obvious.

The ECdM below is still a blast (6' front, 4" rear, 203/185 six piston hopes, DUC32 24mm thru-axle really stiffens up the front wheel line)
https://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697912371&stc=1&d=1451161813

[stumpyjr]

I WAS a road only guy for the past 12-13 years, two years ago, got into mountain biking. now im all mountain bike pretty much. Still do road rides, just not as much as i used to.

Wish i got into it a loooong time ago.

Id gets quite addicting

First it starts with one mtb, then two , then three , N+1

[pdmtong]

Id gets quite addicting
First it starts with one mtb, then two , then three , N+1

I'd rather ride dirt than road any day. But then again I would rather windsurf than ride dirt. But I've ridden road more the last years due to time and access. need to change that.

[stumpyjr]

We do - XC, tech single track, single blacks at lift-assisted Northstar-at-Tahoe and tandem.

tell me more about that indoor stunt park - I have always wanted to ride one of those.

At this point everything about my full-susp mtb is wrong (wheels, axles, drivetrain) but the dirt doesn't know my bike is obsolete. That;s ok, it's time for a new ride once we get through the obvious.

The ECdM below is still a blast
https://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697912371&stc=1&d=1451161813

That tandem looks pretty cool! I have yet to see one quite like that besides a turner frankin bike from bikemag.

That indoor park is Rays MTB Park in cleveland Ohio. Very fun place, I will try to find some pictures of the features they have. Indoor places like that are a great way to progress skills quickly.

[William]

Mmmmm, dirt...and rocks!:cool:





W.

[junkfood]

I love to MTB! I only have one trail system that is within riding distance from my house and it does not respond well to moisture. The next closest is around a 40 minute drive away. That leaves me riding road much more often.

Jake

https://scontent-dfw5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/26288191_177884749485673_8272756402561220608_n.jpg ?_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=101&_nc_ohc=W5Bnt8w2ZPQAX_bM7AR&oh=b697f9a50202176952c835b51e3d607a&oe=5EB05569

[stumpyjr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqCioZvswx4

This video shows the indoor park quite well

[stumpyjr]

Mmmmm, dirt...and rocks!:cool:





W.

Details on that frame? Also, where is that picture taken? looks familiar to a local trail to me

[stumpyjr]

I love to MTB! I only have one trail system that is within riding distance from my house and it does not respond well to moisture. The next closest is around a 40 minute drive away. That leaves me riding road much more often.

Jake

https://scontent-dfw5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/26288191_177884749485673_8272756402561220608_n.jpg ?_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=101&_nc_ohc=W5Bnt8w2ZPQAX_bM7AR&oh=b697f9a50202176952c835b51e3d607a&oe=5EB05569

The trails by me do not respond well to moisture either. With this virus ordeal I tend to ride the local trails more than road at the moment.
https://i.imgur.com/zJR2xBQ.jpg

[pdmtong]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqCioZvswx4This video shows the indoor park quite well
Fun place. I could see spending a lot of time there. How is it priced? By the hour? What's really great is there is very little penalty (example: crashing or falling hard into a jagged pile of granite) for making a mistake.

[jimcav]

I have a neck issue that prevent road cycling position, but the upright MTB position is fine.

MTB was my 1st love of riding, and then commuting after 9/11 got me really into road bikes. I think I had 14 at one time (4-5 built built).

I have 3 MTB, was about to sell 2 when the Covid stuff started. Hope to get another once I sell those 2. Two is one and one is none, as I liked to say during my navy days.

[joosttx]

An XC hardtail is the only bike I own currently. I have a gravel bike on order to be delivered in May. I do not plan on owning another road bike ever.

[stumpyjr]

Fun place. I could see spending a lot of time there. How is it priced? By the hour? What's really great is there is very little penalty (example: crashing or falling hard into a jagged pile of granite) for making a mistake.

It was $30 a day, or $50 for a 2 day pass. They have a fleet of rental bikes ranging from plus sized hardtails, to dirt jumpers, to bmx bikes. Rental bikes are $15 a day if I remember correctly. Not to mention they are specc'd nicely with profile racing components.

[stumpyjr]

I have a neck issue that prevent road cycling position, but the upright MTB position is fine.

MTB was my 1st love of riding, and then commuting after 9/11 got me really into road bikes. I think I had 14 at one time (4-5 built built).

I have 3 MTB, was about to sell 2 when the Covid stuff started. Hope to get another once I sell those 2. Two is one and one is none, as I liked to say during my navy days.

Definitely, quite often I am forced to riding my hardtail when something is broken on my full suspension bike.

[Hilltopperny]

I started riding mountain bikes pretty regularly again last season. It’s an absolute blast, but mostly consists of local trails and xc type of riding. I sold off all but two drop bar bikes and now have a few different mountain bikes. Likely will get another trail bike once things settle down a bit! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200403/976e7a6664718fb378013612e5b2feab.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200403/dfb31aaa378f284dcd22d9f6ac83f744.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200403/01fb11ccffe163dbc711f9f3d37788de.jpg


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[HenryA]

Custom Ti hardtail 650B here. Still love it.

[stumpyjr]

I started riding mountain bikes pretty regularly again last season. It’s an absolute blast, but mostly consists of local trails and xc type of riding. I sold of all but two drop bar bikes and now have a few different mountain bikes. Likely will get another trail bike once things settle down a bit! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200403/976e7a6664718fb378013612e5b2feab.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200403/dfb31aaa378f284dcd22d9f6ac83f744.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200403/01fb11ccffe163dbc711f9f3d37788de.jpg


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Hows that stache? I wanted to get one and build it up as a ss with a fox 34.

[Hilltopperny]

Hows that stache? I wanted to get one and build it up as a ss with a fox 34.


It’s one of the most fun bikes I have ever ridden. Snappy under power and rides lighter than it looks. I have ridden a carbon version with a Pike once and it’s a very capable ride. I primarily used mine this winter until I picked up the Mukluk and was very impressed!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stumpyjr]

It’s one of the most fun bikes I have ever ridden. Snappy under power and rides lighter than it looks. I have ridden a carbon version with a Pike once and it’s a very capable ride. I primarily used mine this winter until I picked up the Mukluk and was very impressed!


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That seems to be most people's impressions of the bike. I have a fatbike, but dont use it much and the stache would get more use. I guess I will try to demo one once this virus settles down.

[ntb1001]

i have a nice carbon hardtail I built up a couple of years ago...only 26" wheels though.
I do like it, but never ride it. The only reason is just the logistics of packing everything up and driving to and from the trails... probably the same reason I could never get into skiing when I tried that. I find it hard enough to get out for ride just leaving the house!!

[PaMtbRider]

When I joined the forum in 2007 I was heavily into mountain biking. I was doing 24 hour and 100 mile races. Now I get the mountain bike out a few times a year. I still enjoy when I do get it out, usually in late fall early or winter. Each year I say I am going to pick it back up again, but something else ends up filling my time instead. Over the years my wife quit riding mountain bikes all together, but really enjoys gravel riding. The time I used to spend on mountain bike trails is now mainly spent on gravel roads instead.

[stumpyjr]

When I joined the forum in 2007 I was heavily into mountain biking. I was doing 24 hour and 100 mile races. Now I get the mountain bike out a few times a year. I still enjoy when I do get it out, usually in late fall early or winter. Each year I say I am going to pick it back up again, but something else ends up filling my time instead. Over the years my wife quit riding mountain bikes all together, but really enjoys gravel riding. The time I used to spend on mountain bike trails is now mainly spent on gravel roads instead.

Endurance races are somthing I have my eye on, currently race enduro, downhill, but am looking to branch out.

[Peter P.]

Since 1984!

I began with a roughly first generation 1984 Specialized Rockhopper with Suntour thumbshifters, looong 18" chainstays (which sucked for uphill traction) and steel bullmoose bars. If it weren't for the long chainstays I would have kept that bike.

Then a 1989/90 Bridgestone MB-3, which was all I could ask for in a mountain bike.

When that frame broke in 2000 and Bridgestone wasn't around to honor a warranty, I bought a Salsa Ala Carte frame and threw all the Bridgestone parts on it.

Another ten or so years go by and the Salsa Ala Carte frame breaks, and Salsa says ten years is good enough; no warranty replacement. I ordered a custom Rock Lobster frame with the same geometry as the Salsa, replaced worn parts and kept what worked.

I try to mountain bike once a week during the road season, and I switch tires on it for D2R2 duties.

[stumpyjr]

i have a nice carbon hardtail I built up a couple of years ago...only 26" wheels though.
I do like it, but never ride it. The only reason is just the logistics of packing everything up and driving to and from the trails... probably the same reason I could never get into skiing when I tried that. I find it hard enough to get out for ride just leaving the house!!

It does tend to become a chore, especially when you travel out of state to races

[prototoast]

I have a mountain bike I take out a few times a year. I've got trails half a mile from my front door, but they're not very fun. Maybe I'd like mountain biking more if I lived in a different part of the country, but more likely I'm just a road rider at heart.

[AJosiahK]

MTBs was how I fell into cycling initially. Riding in and around Philly (yes there are some great trails around there) on a single-speed rigid 29er. Those were the days!

I still tend to find dirt on most of my rides even when I'm on a road bike, but am riding mostly on a gravel bike lately, on mtb trails.. :banana:

[stumpyjr]

Since 1984!

I began with a roughly first generation 1984 Specialized Rockhopper with Suntour thumbshifters, looong 18" chainstays (which sucked for uphill traction) and steel bullmoose bars. If it weren't for the long chainstays I would have kept that bike.

Then a 1989/90 Bridgestone MB-3, which was all I could ask for in a mountain bike.

When that frame broke in 2000 and Bridgestone wasn't around to honor a warranty, I bought a Salsa Ala Carte frame and threw all the Bridgestone parts on it.

Another ten or so years go by and the Salsa Ala Carte frame breaks, and Salsa says ten years is good enough; no warranty replacement. I ordered a custom Rock Lobster frame with the same geometry as the Salsa, replaced worn parts and kept what worked.

I try to mountain bike once a week during the road season, and I switch tires on it for D2R2 duties.

That rock lobster frame is pretty neat!

[pdmtong]

It’s really good to ride both road and dirt. Each discipline has skills that can transfer to the other discipline. Add CX to that too

A few years ago I was going 25-30mph down 6% on the road hit a lip and double pinch flatted both wheels.

I am sure had I not been lift assisted DH the weekend prior I would have hit the floor helicoptered across the road and probably gotten run over after losing a lot of skin already.

[Jaybee]

That seems to be most people's impressions of the bike. I have a fatbike, but dont use it much and the stache would get more use. I guess I will try to demo one once this virus settles down.

It won't exactly recreate a Stache (unless you've got a Wozo, then you'll be pretty close), but have you thought about a 29+ wheelset for your fatty? If you don't do much snow or sand, then the Stache is the way to go, bit if you want the versatility....

[Jaybee]

I'm 80-20 MTB at this point. My only drop bar bike at this point is my gravel bike. It gets the commuting miles (which include singletrack on the good days), the road miles when the trails are just too sloppy, and a fair amount of mixed terrain. I've got a Hightower for the real MTB days, and a Mukluk that goes between full fat and 29+ for a change of pace. A couple older go-fast roadie frames are hanging on the wall, but I don't have the time, inclination or funds to build them up at this point.

[JAGI410]

I'm 90% MTB these days. I have an Ibis Ripmo AF and a Surly Wednesday fatbike with 29+ wheels. Super squishy and a super rigid!

The other 10% is commuting and family rides. I haven't done a proper road ride in probably 5 years.

[shrimp123]

one day a week i force myself to ride MTB and on flat pedals. It makes sure that some dumb muscles get exercised properly and that i dont pick up wrong pedaling habits. The views are sometimes spectacular.

1697995983

[BryanE]

Yes.
And still racing at 65.
Arthritis in hand prevent me from riding more than 600-700
miles a year on the mtn bikes.

[Matthew]

Wow Bryan, that S-Works is gorgeous! I still ride my Moots 26er! Was hoping to do a number of races this season but don't think that will happen with this virus. I'd still like to try a 29er but would have to unload a couple bikes to do so. And I still enjoy the old school Moots.

[NHAero]

Yes. Sunday morning group ride, sometimes to work thru the woods, or a solo trip to the beach.

[BryanE]

Wow Bryan, that S-Works is gorgeous! I still ride my Moots 26er! Was hoping to do a number of races this season but don't think that will happen with this virus. I'd still like to try a 29er but would have to unload a couple bikes to do so. And I still enjoy the old school Moots.

Don't give up!
I'm in Barry Roubaix, Mud Sweat and Beers, Ore 2 Shore and Iceman. Hoping things will clear up by August for O2S.
See you at the races.
And that Moots still rocks.

[Dave Ferris]

.

[ORMojo]

I definitely mtb! Probably about 50/50 road/mt.

And yes, the last two photos admittedly aren't mountain biking, but they do remain to this day two of all-time favorite bike photos, because they show the very first time, years ago, that my daughter rode off of paved surfaces (we did get onto trails, but didn't stop for photos there)!

1697995991

1697995993

1697995996

1697995997

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[scoobydrew]

Getting back into MTB with this short travel full squish:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49663215846_5317d13264_b.jpg

[cabriggs]

When I got back into cycling a few years ago I thought I'd do mostly MTB. But given a lack of free time, how much quicker and easier it is to get out on the road bike vs driving to the trails, and the people I started riding with riding mostly road, I ended up riding much more road than I expected. Now I ride probably 90% road (with some gravel) and 10% MTB. And a funny thing happened... I now really enjoy road (and gravel) riding. :banana:

If I was a better MTB rider I'm sure I'd do it more...

Many thanks to cp43 for letting me try some of his drop-bar bikes when I was getting started and then helping me through buying my first road bike (a Spesh Diverge) and selling me his Fatboy (for winters when the roads are covered with salt/snow/ice/etc.). :)

[Matthew]

Hey Bryan, my buddy and I are hoping to do Mud, Sweat, and Beers too. Maybe Arcadian Grit and Gravel in May and Peak 2 Peak in October. Looking at a couple others too but not very optimistic, especially for the early races. This virus is clobbering Michigan right now with no end in sight. Really hoping for some good news in the coming weeks. Stay safe!

[JLQ]

I've been hooked since I rode my friends High Sierra in 1986. It's led to a lifetime love of all types of bikes but it all started in the woods.

[mcteague]

I started riding mt bikes around '82-83 and never saw anyone else in the woods on bikes. Whenever I saw some tread marks I checked them out and they were always from my tires (some Specialized model with triangle shaped knobs). I got out of it for a while around 2002 but bought a full suspension bike in 2013 to see if the new tech could get me back into it.

While I enjoyed the fairly easy terrain I never much liked rough and rocky trails. Shortly after I had an endo that shattered my collar bone. When healed, I went back to it not wanting to end it on a bad note. Still, being over 60, I realized that I just preferred road riding and ended up selling the mt bike. I still miss those fun early days though.

Tim

[BryanE]

Hey Bryan, my buddy and I are hoping to do Mud, Sweat, and Beers too. Maybe Arcadian Grit and Gravel in May and Peak 2 Peak in October. Looking at a couple others too but not very optimistic, especially for the early races. This virus is clobbering Michigan right now with no end in sight. Really hoping for some good news in the coming weeks. Stay safe!

MS&B has been moved to August 15th.
Grit N Gravel hasn't picked a new date. It's a no go for May.
Barry Roubaix is now October 10th.
It's going to be a loaded fall for racing in Michigan.
We are lucky to have so many great races to choose from.
Come to Cadillac for the Bear Claw Epic September 26th. My home town race.
It's a good one.
Think positive.
Winters over!

[Gummee]

i have a nice carbon hardtail I built up a couple of years ago...only 26" wheels though.
I do like it, but never ride it. The only reason is just the logistics of packing everything up and driving to and from the trails... probably the same reason I could never get into skiing when I tried that. I find it hard enough to get out for ride just leaving the house!!

I started out life as a mtn biker in the late 80s. At VA Tech, you could ride to the mtn, ride the mtn, then ride home. So I did. Moved back to NoVA and there really aren't any trails that I can ride to. There ARE a boatload of backroads right out the door, so I ride road/gravel more often than not.

I'd rather use the driving time to ride more.

I've got 4 garage queens at the moment: Ritchey P650b, Trek Top Fuel 9.9, Trek Superfly AL that's 1x and rigid, and a SIR9 SS that's rigid. The one I keep reaching for is the Superfly.

M

[R3awak3n]

I might actually go hit the trails with my fatbike. I am terrible at it but it sure is fun.

[PeregrineA1]

1697996024

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/e327219757bc72e681dcccbd0cd08a18.jpg

We MTB 75% of the time. Lately I’m mostly on the Retrotec. Loads of fun and no cars....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[estilley]

I was pure road for a while, then raced road and CX, and am now 90% MTB in the summer (other 10% daily commutes and the occasional road ride with friends).

I never realized we had world class MTB trails in the northwest, it's still not that popular here, seems odd.

My favorite thing about it is probably the community attitude. Much easier to make a friend/ride with someone for a lap than it is on the road. Absence of any cars around helps that...

Here's the current bike, unsure if I will go mid travel 29er or another longer travel 27.5 after this one. I'm pretty light and I like the responsiveness of the smaller wheels for now

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49734351863_bedf694bea_z.jpg

[dan_hudson]

I started out life as a mtn biker in the late 80s. At VA Tech, you could ride to the mtn, ride the mtn, then ride home. So I did. Moved back to NoVA and there really aren't any trails that I can ride to. There ARE a boatload of backroads right out the door, so I ride road/gravel more often than not.

Clearly NoVA denotes a large area but if you're within riding distance to the Fairfax Cross County Trail (via W&OD?) you can use that as a spine to get to Riverbend, Lake Fairfax, Wakefield, Accotink, and Laurel Hill (north to south)...

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/trails/cross-county-trail/maps

[Tandem Rider]

In the early '80s I lived next to a National Forest, I rode MTB from the last race of the year up until Feb or so. Racing all the time meant I always had a really nice one for a good deal and stayed with the latest and greatest. After moving to where there wasn't really much/any trails to ride I sold the last one. More trails were built, I picked up a cheap used one to ride in winter on the trails, ended up getting my son into riding as well so that worked out great. Moved to Bend a few years ago, bought a nicer used mtb and re-discovered it. Most of my riding is an even split between road, gravel, and mtb. Until the crisis is over I decided to stay off the trails for 2 reasons.

1. The trailheads are full of cars so there's no social distancing possible and if you meet, pass, or get passed on the trail it's not possible.

2. If someone gets hurt out there it's exposure of the 15-20 people it takes to rescue along with more load on the medical system.

[merlinmurph]

Bought my first mtb, a Bridgestone MB-3 in '89 and loved it. I rode on the road Mon-Thurs (Friday rest day), so I could go do long mtb rides on the weekends. I loved that MB-3 and was one with the bike. I did an occasional race, purely for the fun of it. I sucked but always had a blast and always got a good story out of it.

Next was a Fat Chance Buck Shaver in '94, then a Santa Cruz Superlight in '03. Funny thing is, right around the time I bought the SC, I was more into road riding and and didn't mtb much.

I think the last time I rode my mtb was in '12 when I crashed, dinged my shoulder and needed surgery. But, I got a 'cross bike around then and ride most of the local trails on a gravel bike since then. There's enough trails I can ride close by and don't have to drive.

I gotta say, as someone else mentioned, the skills you pick up riding on the dirt help out a lot on the road. When something goes awry on the bike, I think you can handle it better if you have dirt miles because something is always going awry on dirt. ;-)

Bottom line, I believe people ride whatever is easiest to ride. If you can go out your back door to nice roads, then you'll ride roads. If trails are close by, that's an option. Killing an hour or two getting back and forth to trails can be tough for a lot of people, esp those with kids.

Enjoy your ride and be safe.

[estilley]

Until the crisis is over I decided to stay off the trails for 2 reasons.

1. The trailheads are full of cars so there's no social distancing possible and if you meet, pass, or get passed on the trail it's not possible.

2. If someone gets hurt out there it's exposure of the 15-20 people it takes to rescue along with more load on the medical system.

Yep!

Delayed start to the season for me and hopefully everyone else up here.

I also think Oregon has closed a lot of our trail systems as they should.

[wooly]

Was big into mountain biking in college in the late 80’s and stopped when I had kids in the 90’s. Too hard to get back on the trails at that time so I bought by first road bike. About 5 years ago went down hard on the road and lost my appetite for road riding. Pretty much 100% mountain biking these days. Since then I’ve transferred my bike sickness to the off road world. Here’s my lates rig:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/8bca14cc00b560f1bec13dea9fe02b58.jpg

Here are a few that have come and gone. Bikes are fun.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/32cebb7e51cfa9026c0566e43e7a4c81.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/5f3c6c81e35b30af6f252296730cb91f.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/a4cf1b5dc85fdf81e544e974ed3da3fb.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/da63c263ee7e64c8526adf800f1479c8.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/3d5a069c16e961ba8d3f5c4f0553a467.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/119a6e4b2deb60da1581b3f72df370ea.jpg

[mflaherty37]

Started out mountain biking in the 90’s then found road and got bored with the mountain bike. But I do a few rides a year, I would do a lot if there were large forest near me. This is from the 2020 True Grit Epic in Utah.

[Mikej]

I do

[Jaybee]

Was big into mountain biking in college in the late 80’s and stopped when I had kids in the 90’s. Too hard to get back on the trails at that time so I bought by first road bike. About 5 years ago went down hard on the road and lost my appetite for road riding. Pretty much 100% mountain biking these days. Since then I’ve transferred my bike sickness to the off road world. Here’s my lates rig:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/8bca14cc00b560f1bec13dea9fe02b58.jpg

Here are a few that have come and gone. Bikes are fun.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/32cebb7e51cfa9026c0566e43e7a4c81.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/5f3c6c81e35b30af6f252296730cb91f.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/a4cf1b5dc85fdf81e544e974ed3da3fb.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/da63c263ee7e64c8526adf800f1479c8.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/3d5a069c16e961ba8d3f5c4f0553a467.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200404/119a6e4b2deb60da1581b3f72df370ea.jpg


You’ve had a lot of really good bikes! Which is your favorite?

[72gmc]

That Pivot is one of the nicest bikes I’ve demoed, Woolly. One of those short riders that makes you think, ok, I understand why someone would pay this price.

As for me I’m a) curious about alternative ideas and b) not super close to a good trail system so I opted for the Jones complete as a way to get back into it. It’s a singletrack, fire road and urban secret spot monster. It also doesn’t tempt me to try big drops that might result in sick days.

[wooly]

You’ve had a lot of really good bikes! Which is your favorite?


The Ripley V4 is the one I’ve kept the longest so I’d have to say that one. I really enjoyed the Canfield Riot too. Totally different rides but super fun. If Canfield came out with a carbon Riot I’d get one.

I have a 2020 Santa Cruz Highball hardtail inbound to change things up.

[trener1]

I ride MTB occasionally, I rally enjoy it but the closest trail is about an hour away and the good ones 75-90 minutes.
If I lived closer to trails I would probably ride 2 x a week on the dirt.

[fmradio516]

I ride MTB occasionally, I rally enjoy it but the closest trail is about an hour away and the good ones 75-90 minutes.
If I lived closer to trails I would probably ride 2 x a week on the dirt.

whereabouts are you located?

[Gummee]

Clearly NoVA denotes a large area but if you're within riding distance to the Fairfax Cross County Trail (via W&OD?) you can use that as a spine to get to Riverbend, Lake Fairfax, Wakefield, Accotink, and Laurel Hill (north to south)...

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/trails/cross-county-trail/maps
Yeah, try S and W of Manassas. It used to be 10mi to get to the closest grocery store.

Civilization has encroached and now it's less than half that. Grrrr

Wakefield is completely closed. The rest of the parks are seriously busy on the weekends.

Closing all the parks has had the opposite effect: people are MUCH more concentrated in the places they can go as opposed to being able to go to one of several parks. Basic 'law of unintended consequences' stuff

M

[clyde the point]

Whatever happened to Ray from that crash several years ago?

[Buzz]

Started in 1990 on a Fisher Supercaiber in LA. Had the Santa Monica Mtn fireroads more or less to myself for several years. Some really sublime riding back then. Not too technical but a great match for a hard tail with no suspension. Then a Klein, then a specialized 29er. My backyard in No Cal is straight up or down with rougher terrain so it’s been a challenge until I got this dual suspension Pivot. Wow. It has opened up terrain not really doable with a hard tail. It just plows over and through everything. A blast to ride especially on something like the soquel demo trail. Probably 75/25 road to mtn bike these days.

https://youtu.be/MZfSgqFhOq0

[djg21]

Started in 1990 on a Fisher Supercaiber in LA. Had the Santa Monica Mtn fireroads more or less to myself for several years. Some really sublime riding back then. Not too technical but a great match for a hard tail with no suspension. Then a Klein, then a specialized 29er. My backyard in No Cal is straight up or down with rougher terrain so it’s been a challenge until I got this dual suspension Pivot. Wow. It has opened up terrain not really doable with a hard tail. It just plows over and through everything. A blast to ride especially on something like the soquel demo trail. Probably 75/25 road to mtn bike these days.

https://youtu.be/MZfSgqFhOq0

I’ve had my eyes on a Pivot Trail 429 for a while. I’m riding an old 2008 Specialized Epic that has seen better days. I try to get out on my MTB at least once a week when conditions permit. I prefer the MTB in cold weather when it’s too cold to ride a road bike.

[John H.]

I ride all sorts of bikes- Here is my current hardtail and full sus.
The full sus is brand new. Orbea Oiz with 120mm front and rear. It is fantastic!

[joosttx]

I ride all sorts of bikes- Here is my current hardtail and full sus.
The full sus is brand new. Orbea Oiz with 120mm front and rear. It is fantastic!

Just dying to show that full suspension Orbea :)

Looks great

[weaponsgrade]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200405/c0d677d50f969671ff119da7cd9bd5eb.jpg
Among my road, FS, and gravel bikes, this rigid 29er Field has been getting the most riding time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[texbike]

My journey into cycling started with mountain biking around 90/91. For a couple of years, I exclusively road mountain bikes. It helped that there was easy access to some great trails close by to the school that I was going to at the time. I started hanging out with a group that was also into road riding as well and picked up my first road bike around '93 and fell in love with it.

I continued to mountain bike but over the years it slowly fell off in favor of road riding. Especially once our kids came along - I just didn't have the luxury of time needed to load up my stuff, drive to a trail, unload, ride, load it back up, drive home, unload, and then clean everything up if needed. It was just easier to fit in a quick 1.5-2 hour road ride and get more out of it. The road/mtb time split ended up being 95% road and 5% MTB with some years being 100/0. However, I've always had at least one mountain bike in the garage over the years. Usually a hardtail and and a XC dually.

Fast foward 10 years or so and my kids are now ready to ride trails. My son is now on a local interscholastic MTB team. I wouldn't say that he's loving it just yet as he's more into just casually riding trails as opposed to hammering. What it has done is expose me to mountain biking again and I'm loving it! I joined NICA and signed on as a coach to help out my son's team and am spending a lot more time on the trails as a result.

Outside of that, one of the biggest surprises to me so far is the dizzying amount of tech on mountain bikes these days. It's just absolutely crazy and hard to keep up with it all. My time on the trails so far has been spent on a Redline MonoCog 29r (with flats!) that I've had for over 10 years. Kind of the opposite of what most of the other coaches are riding or my coworkers that I've been out with. I like the simplicity of the SS and am more than able to keep up with the guys I'm riding with and am often able to clear stuff that they're not able to manage. However, the bike does beat the hell out of you on the faster rockier/rougher downhills. I'm casually looking for a new MTB, but haven't really decided which direction to go. The tech seems to be moving so quickly, I'm almost tempted to just upgrade to a nicer SS platform with front suspension to keep it simple for now.

Anyway, apologies for the rambling post. Good times!

Texbike

[etu]

Doing mostly off road these days with the Jones!

[EB]

Stay-at-home orders have ended my commuting for now. That has only accelerated the transition to MTB, which was already well underway. Like Houston, I sold off my last road racing bike to fund an "all-road/gravel" bike, and I do not expect to buy another road racer again. At some point, I do want a full suspension trail rig to complement the Mosaic.

If we still lived back east, I would probably still have a road racer, but for Marin County, this is all I could ever want.

[fishwhisperer]

I've been moving more and more of my miles to the dirt over the last 7-8 years, and today I do most all of my riding off-road with the exception of my commute. I got back into MTB two years ago when I got my Stinner and fell in love. My old CX bike turned gravel bike still gets the most mileage but the hardtail gives the most joy.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dy450ul86igv3dz/IMG_7546%20%28edited-Pixlr%29.jpg?raw=1

[proxient]

MTB party!!!

Yellow is my single speed 29er Sweettooth Fab (made in Brooklyn NY)


Brown is the bikepacking 29er Sweettooth

and squishy is a Commencal meta am 27.5er

[fa63]

You all are making me want to get a MTB now :) It has been many years since I last rode one, but I have been doing some singletrack trails on my gravel bike lately (and wishing I had at least a front suspension fork)...

[Tony]

Been mtbing for many years.
Here we are talking with some folks who just did the hoot trail in Nevada City.
Two riders in their group went down due to the icy conditions.
I'm the rider in the back (orange helmet) we all avoided the jumps, too icy
Love this camera!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bK7xR8qIBo

Here are a couple other trails in the same area, Scotts flat and Miners. All trails in this area are within riding distance of each other.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQulzD_Op4g

[fmradio516]

Been mtbing for many years.
Here we are talking with some folks who just did the hoot trail in Nevada City.
Two riders in their group went down due to the icy conditions.
I'm the rider in the back (orange helmet) we all avoided the jumps, too icy
Love this camera!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bK7xR8qIBo

Here are a couple other trails in the same area, Scotts flat and Miners. All trails in this area are within riding distance of each other.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQulzD_Op4g

cool camera, what is it? Does it not have a mic?

Can you control how much or how little it pans around? Id be into it just for the stabilization but would likely only want it facing forward.

[Tony]

Here we are doing a 17' gap jump, third rider.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vT2du6BxooYeFw2d7

Another jump same area, second rider,
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EomZSGRWEGXFJRFE7

[Tony]

cool camera, what is it? Does it not have a mic?

Can you control how much or how little it pans around? Id be into it just for the stabilization but would likely only want it facing forward.

I believe its a Rylo 5.8K 360 Video Camera and it does have a mic. I don't know much more about this camera.

[trener1]

whereabouts are you located?

Sorry for the late reply I am in NYC

[fmradio516]

Sorry for the late reply I am in NYC

Pretty sure theres good stuff in queens; definitely some good stuff a little further east... check trailforks and mtb project..

If you can get out to long island, definitely check out stillwell woods.

[trener1]

Oh there is definitely good stuff, though the stuff in NJ is actually much better then the Long Island stuff, it's just that everything is an hour drive (each way) at the minimum and with traffic you can sometimes double those times.

[Andy sti]

If you live anywhere close to trails I can not understand how you wouldn't own and ride a mountain bike.

Thought I'd change up from all the fancy newness in here - Old Skool!!

https://i.imgur.com/vcm4uLm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ptjAofz.jpg

[EricChanning]

Fell back in love with riding the trails. Modern Trail bikes made it really easy.

The rough break down of my cycling obsession as an adult.

1990 -1998: All Mountainbiker
1999 - 2007: Mostly Road with occasional trail rides
2008 - 2012: Mid life Crisis/ Stopped Riding (Vespa, Vintage Convertible, Parties)
2012 - 2015: Mostly Road
2016 - 2018: Road, Gravel, Cross
2018 - Now: Road. Gravel, MTB, Cross, Zwift

The latest addition to the stable is a Cannondale Bad Habit (Please excuse non drive-side staging)

[FriarQuade]

Haven't done a proper spandex road ride in many years. All mountain bikes all the time.

Currently have
Gorilla Gravity shread dog
Custom 29'er hardtail
Scott Genius