I finally discovered mountain biking!

[oldguy00]

After 30 years of road cycling and more recently, triathlon, finally bought a mountain bike and have now been out for a few mostly non-technical rides.
What a blast, and nice change!! We've had so much fun on them, and time flies by. And suddenly I also have a whole new world of races opened up to me - Xterra :) (well, if covid ever goes away....).

If you're like me and have always turned your nose up at MTB's, give one a try!

[fmradio516]

yes! i wish i had also gotten into mtn biking sooner. now, all my weekends are spent on the mountain bike and the road bikes are for quick 1-1.5 hr rides on my lunch break during the week.

[pjbaz]

Get a CX bike and it's the best of both worlds, with beer, heckling and funny costumes :banana:

[efixler]

Yup, I've been stepping a toe in over the past few months thanks to a friend who invited me up to Kingdom Trails.

After renting a bike on those trips, I recently scored a sweet hardtail on CL. Bonus: The dog loves chasing me on the bike in our [large and hilly] yard.

[Gummee]

Get a CX bike and it's the best of both worlds, with beer, heckling and funny costumes :banana:

this

...and you can take the CX bike on the same trails that you can take the mtn bike. Takes more skills than even mtn biking so may not be for the n00b

M

[seanile]

this

...and you can take the CX bike on the same trails that you can take the mtn bike. Takes more skills than even mtn biking so may not be for the n00b

M

sorry but this just isn't true, especially in new england. around boston there are roots and rock gardens that would twist a cross bike into a pretzel. ask me how i know/i just built a mtn bike back up because of it.

[Hindmost]

I also resisted for the longest time. Then, I finally gave in in 1989. It opened up new local places to ride. And no cars!

[Tony]

sorry but this just isn't true, especially in new england. around boston there are roots and rock gardens that would twist a cross bike into a pretzel. ask me how i know/i just built a mtn bike back up because of it.

Yea, was thinking the same thing. Only a very few mtb trails here one would want to take a cx bike, rest not really.

[Dave Ferris]

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[p nut]

I said the same thing when I “discovered” road biking 15 years ago after many years of mountain biking. It’s great to be able to switch it up.

I also said the same with fat biking. And gravel. And bikepacking.

[benb]

sorry but this just isn't true, especially in new england. around boston there are roots and rock gardens that would twist a cross bike into a pretzel. ask me how i know/i just built a mtn bike back up because of it.

Not really true here in Boston at all.

Depends on your definition of cross bike but we have group rides around here where the MTB trails get ridden by people on cross bikes all the time.

If you're sticking to some stupid light definition of a cross bike with Cantis and keeping UCI legal on the tires that will be a bit more difficult. Likewise if you're hucking the cross bike off jumps.

But if you've got some "mixed terrain bike" and you've got 38-40c tires & disc brakes it goes pretty well.

Note I'm not saying the cross bike is more fun on our trails... just that there are people who do it, enjoy it, and go pretty fast, and the bikes survive.

[unterhausen]

I feel like an idiot because it took me 17 years before I rode out in the state forest here. It's wonderful back there. And they have closed the main road off until September, so that should cut back on the traffic.

[seanile]

Not really true here in Boston at all.i'm on a cross bike that hasn't been replaced in the gravel bike fever. 32c mud 2s with mini-vs. the fells, rooty parts of cutler and rocky parts of landlocked, and lynn woods i do not have fun. you just cannot get momentum before you get stopped up by deep roots or rocks. add to that the thin bars and you're lacking leverage to yank yourself up much of anything worth riding. i started biking as a downhiller so it's not really a skill thing for me, it's just annoying to have re-start so often.

while i was riding the orange loop in the fells yesterday on my rigid carbon 29er i was laughing at the difference the tire size made compared to my cx bike, while also wishing i had a suspension fork for some of it since my hands were going numb.

[Ozz]

I had a mountain bike before I had a road bike (post college, 1980's, rigid frame of course). Loved riding logging roads and single track....got tired of driving somewhere every time I wanted to ride, so got a road bike in early '90's....sold the mountain bike.

Acquired a nice mountain bike a couple years ago, and have been back on the trails occasionally....funny how I didn't remember what I missed.....lots of fun!

Nothing too technical for me....too old to recover from something stupid causing injury!

[djg21]

I had a mountain bike before I had a road bike (post college, 1980's, rigid frame of course). Loved riding logging roads and single track....got tired of driving somewhere every time I wanted to ride, so got a road bike in early '90's....sold the mountain bike.

Acquired a nice mountain bike a couple years ago, and have been back on the trails occasionally....funny how I didn't remember what I missed.....lots of fun!

Nothing too technical for me....too old to recover from something stupid causing injury!

Same here. I started MTB riding while working at a ski/bike shop in the Rockies just as the MTB thing was starting in the early 80s. We sold the original Ritcheys, and then Diamond Back and Jamis when they entered the market. I got a road bike to include some longer endurance road rides, primarily to help my MTBing. Then I moved back East and it was mostly road with the MTB used during the offseason and winter. Now I try to mix it up and get at least a day or so on my MTB each week. I desperately need a new MTB, and have been eyeing a Pivot Trail 429. But damn, MTBs have gotten expensive.

No a cross bike can’t be used to ride the same trails and MTBs with new suspension technology and lots of travel. The game has really changed. I love riding my old CX bike in the woods. But it has limitations. Even my 13 year old Spec Epic MTB with it’s relatively minimal travel (100mm/80mm) is a relic and unable to comfortably deal with terrain that can be handled on the newer generation of trail bikes with slacker front ends, more reach, short stems, wider bars, and gobs of travel.

[merlinmurph]

sorry but this just isn't true, especially in new england. around boston there are roots and rock gardens that would twist a cross bike into a pretzel. ask me how i know/i just built a mtn bike back up because of it.

Yup, it really depends where you go, you have to be selective. NE trails can be very rocky and rooty which is no fun on a gravel bike. But, where I am in MetroWest, I can ride to a number of trails and easoly have a 2-3 hour mixed ride. I love not havi g to drive to the trails. Again, I'm selective, and avoid places like Viet Nam and similarly technical areas.

[benb]

i'm on a cross bike that hasn't been replaced in the gravel bike fever. 32c mud 2s with mini-vs. the fells, rooty parts of cutler and rocky parts of landlocked, and lynn woods i do not have fun. you just cannot get momentum before you get stopped up by deep roots or rocks. add to that the thin bars and you're lacking leverage to yank yourself up much of anything worth riding. i started biking as a downhiller so it's not really a skill thing for me, it's just annoying to have re-start so often.

while i was riding the orange loop in the fells yesterday on my rigid carbon 29er i was laughing at the difference the tire size made compared to my cx bike, while also wishing i had a suspension fork for some of it since my hands were going numb.

I am mostly with you here but it's a different set of skills. You can't say it's not about skills.

I have been shocked at how fast I've seen guys ride down similar trails on cross bikes. They are not MTB guys, it's a different type of riding, they built their skills up differently.

The more you come from downhill the more difficult it probably is to retrain how you ride. I've never been a downhill guy but I likewise spent way more time on MTBs so I don't ride that way either.

But a 38c set of tires plus disc brakes helps a lot too. There's a huge jump in capability offroad between 32c-> 38c.

I ride Landlocked all the time as it's like a mile from my house, I've gone on group rides in there where there is a mix of cross bikes + MTBs + Fat Bikes and I've seen some of the cross bike guys do jaw dropping stuff and absolutely fly through there.

I have an 8 year old "gravel" bike with Mini-Vs and a 15 year old Giant NRS... I debate a lot whether or not I could get a nice fat tire gravel bike with really nice brakes to replace both bikes if/when either one dies. Strava is crappy in there but I am definitely faster on my MTB but again I've been dropped hard on my MTB by guys on cross bikes before. (More on the uphills though.)

Right now I'm probably leaning towards 100mm travel hardtail 27.5+ or 29er though, I don't think I can really be a cyclist who doesn't have a nice MTB.

[oldguy00]

I did consider a cross bike, but myself, and a buddy of mine who is also getting into it, we figured that for the time being, an MTB would kind of give us the best of both worlds - can pretty much ride it anywhere, including places a cross bike might have difficulty, and also Xterra.

I ended up buying a very lightly used, almost new looking, 2013 Specialized Camber carbon 29er setup as 1x.

Loving it. :)

[vqdriver]

i went the other way. mtb to road and was enamored with the instant speed and efficiency of each pedal stroke. but there's no comparison to trail riding for fun:mile. it's a different world indeed with its own vibe.

[seanile]

I am mostly with you here but it's a different set of skills. You can't say it's not about skills.
...
But a 38c set of tires plus disc brakes helps a lot too. There's a huge jump in capability offroad between 32c-> 38c.
i hear you, and it's all fair.
i suppose a bit of my apprehension while riding my cx bike is that i don't want to have to deal with dented rims (particularly important due to the rim-brakes), so i'm not powering thru things like i do on 29x2.35s.

if you're under 6ft, go for the 27.5+ hardtail.

[laupsi]

You may think about riding a Xross bike on these trails, but you really wouldn't want to

[DrSpoke]

I often say that you can call yourself a mtn biker or a road biker but I prefer to ride them all and call myself a cyclist. My first road bike was in '69 on my way to college - Schwinn Varsity, first pro road bike was in '76 - Alan Superrecord w/Campagnolo Nuovo Record, first mtn bike was in '82 - Specialized Stumpjumper - though mostly used as a beach cruiser, first real mtn bike in '96 - Bontrager Race Lite w/Shimano XT, & first cycloscross bike in '14 - a Scott Cx Team w/Shimano Ultegra - used in the '15 Belgian Waffle Ride.

Now I say you need 3 bikes - a nice, fast road bike, a mountain bike (XC for me) and a gravel bike. This doesn't include vintage bikes, track or more specialized machines for racing, touring, track, enduro, downhill, bikepacking or endurance events. My current primary bikes are: Road - Ducati (Bianchi) Corse Factory 900 XR w/Campagnolo Super Record 11, Mountain - Pivot Mach 429 SL w/Shimano XTR Di2 2x & Gravel - Ridlley X-Trail w/Shimano Ultegra/Disc Di2. I still have the Alan and the Bontrager. Others include a Cinelli Supercorsa w/Record 10, Serotta Atlanta w/Record 8 and a Niner RLT 9 Steel w/SRAM Force not including a couple of vintage Schwinns.

For me, gravel bikes are about the most fun. They cover about 85% of the range between a road bike and a mountain bike. I use mine on many of the cross country trails on which I ride my mtn bike. But, in my opinion, they are ideal for urban riding on a combination of pavement and trails - ala the Belgian Waffle Ride. But it's nice to have a really nice mtn bike for when it starts getting technical or pointed down - or up for that matter. And nice to have a nice road race bike for group rides.

I also find the fitness that develops on each bike is slightly different. Mountain biking seem to build more power in the legs, mostly from long, sustained climbing while seated. Road riding builds a different kind of strength that comes from constant mini accelerations that happen on group rides along with endurance. And that fitness carries over to the other disciplines nicely.

I live in the San Diego area and we are blessed to have great road, mountain and mixed road/trail riding within the urban area. And it only takes a few minutes to get away to some really excellent riding with all 3 types.

[Ken Robb]

I often say that you can call yourself a mtn biker or a road biker but I prefer to ride them all and call myself a cyclist. My first road bike was in '69 on my way to college - Schwinn Varsity, first pro road bike was in '76 - Alan Superrecord w/Campagnolo Nuovo Record, first mtn bike was in '82 - Specialized Stumpjumper - though mostly used as a beach cruiser, first real mtn bike in '96 - Bontrager Race Lite w/Shimano XT, & first cycloscross bike in '14 - a Scott Cx Team w/Shimano Ultegra - used in the '15 Belgian Waffle Ride.

Now I say you need 3 bikes - a nice, fast road bike, a mountain bike (XC for me) and a gravel bike. This doesn't include vintage bikes, track or more specialized machines for racing, touring, track, enduro, downhill, bikepacking or endurance events. My current primary bikes are: Road - Ducati (Bianchi) Corse Factory 900 XR w/Campagnolo Super Record 11, Mountain - Pivot Mach 429 SL w/Shimano XTR Di2 2x & Gravel - Ridlley X-Trail w/Shimano Ultegra/Disc Di2. I still have the Alan and the Bontrager. Others include a Cinelli Supercorsa w/Record 10, Serotta Atlanta w/Record 8 and a Niner RLT 9 Steel w/SRAM Force not including a couple of vintage Schwinns.

For me, gravel bikes are about the most fun. They cover about 85% of the range between a road bike and a mountain bike. I use mine on many of the cross country trails on which I ride my mtn bike. But, in my opinion, they are ideal for urban riding on a combination of pavement and trails - ala the Belgian Waffle Ride. But it's nice to have a really nice mtn bike for when it starts getting technical or pointed down - or up for that matter. And nice to have a nice road race bike for group rides.

I also find the fitness that develops on each bike is slightly different. Mountain biking seem to build more power in the legs, mostly from long, sustained climbing while seated. Road riding builds a different kind of strength that comes from constant mini accelerations that happen on group rides along with endurance. And that fitness carries over to the other disciplines nicely.

I live in the San Diego area and we are blessed to have great road, mountain and mixed road/trail riding within the urban area. And it only takes a few minutes to get away to some really excellent riding with all 3 types.

What are you favorite gravel and mtn. bike trails?

[old fat man]

@seanile take your CX bike on the western greenway and in the Belmont woods. Those are great trails for CX bikes. Check out the ronde rosey routes from previous years. Vast majority of those people are on CX bikes.

Also, use 29er tubes with your Michelin muds, or try squeezing 38mm tires in. I can fit 40mm Vittoria terreno mixed tubeless tires on my canti CX bike. Gotta deflate the front to fit through brakes on the enve fork but ample room once installed.

[boywonder]

Suspension and geometry In MTB has reached an amazing level . It has been a great substitute for my fading handling skills . Pricing has gone thru the roof though .

[seanile]

@seanile take your CX bike on the western greenway and in the Belmont woods. Those are great trails for CX bikes. Check out the ronde rosey routes from previous years. Vast majority of those people are on CX bikes.

Also, use 29er tubes with your Michelin muds, or try squeezing 38mm tires in. I can fit 40mm Vittoria terreno mixed tubeless tires on my canti CX bike. Gotta deflate the front to fit through brakes on the enve fork but ample room once installed.

Western greenway is my preferred destination if im feeling the cross bike, it’s such an amazing trail to have so close to the city