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Road biking vs. Mountain biking
- Thread starter altagirl
- Start date
lil mountain girl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
SWEET!!!
nice pics, ladies!
makes me want a digital camera (i'm still using film . . . . ah, nostalgia!)
ok, so a few things to add:
first, yep, it is all perception.
the danger PERCEIVED is often different from the ACTUAL danger.
take driving and flying for instance; people are generally more afraid of flying because it is perceived to be more dangerous (or at least can produce catastrophic crash results),
while people feel so safe in their vehicles, that they often perform VERY dangerous driving manuvers (like tailgating) without ANY THOUGHT about the danger they are putting themselves into!!!!
the same analogy can be used to compare skiing, biking, etc.
also, with road vs. mtn -- both are wicked! if you're having a great time, that's all that matters!
but it's also good to expand those horizons and try trails (if you usually ride road) and try pavement (for us trailriders).
i think i'll even try clipless pedals this yr. (thanks, altagirl for your enthusiasm!) 'cause even though they freak me out, i've always been curious . . .
pedal power!
MOST IMPORTANTLY:
you're NEVER too old (or too girly, for that matter :p ) to try something new!
last yr. i was huffing and wheezing up a trail (i thought i was gonna die!) and this couple in their late 50's/early 60's PASSES me!!!
the smiling woman tells me that they're going to ride the same trail i was heading to and they're taking a friend up for his first ever ride (a 20something guy, lagging behind them)!!!
and then she proceeds to kick my butt spinning up the trail like nobody's bussiness.
wow!
these people are almost 3 times my age and they ROCK! :D
oh, yes, about skirts . . .
i like to ride in mine; it covers my raw spandex bike shorts, and provides cool ventilation on hot rides!!!
nice pics, ladies!
makes me want a digital camera (i'm still using film . . . . ah, nostalgia!)
ok, so a few things to add:
first, yep, it is all perception.
the danger PERCEIVED is often different from the ACTUAL danger.
take driving and flying for instance; people are generally more afraid of flying because it is perceived to be more dangerous (or at least can produce catastrophic crash results),
while people feel so safe in their vehicles, that they often perform VERY dangerous driving manuvers (like tailgating) without ANY THOUGHT about the danger they are putting themselves into!!!!
the same analogy can be used to compare skiing, biking, etc.
also, with road vs. mtn -- both are wicked! if you're having a great time, that's all that matters!
but it's also good to expand those horizons and try trails (if you usually ride road) and try pavement (for us trailriders).
i think i'll even try clipless pedals this yr. (thanks, altagirl for your enthusiasm!) 'cause even though they freak me out, i've always been curious . . .
pedal power!
MOST IMPORTANTLY:
you're NEVER too old (or too girly, for that matter :p ) to try something new!
last yr. i was huffing and wheezing up a trail (i thought i was gonna die!) and this couple in their late 50's/early 60's PASSES me!!!
the smiling woman tells me that they're going to ride the same trail i was heading to and they're taking a friend up for his first ever ride (a 20something guy, lagging behind them)!!!
and then she proceeds to kick my butt spinning up the trail like nobody's bussiness.
wow!
these people are almost 3 times my age and they ROCK! :D
oh, yes, about skirts . . .
i like to ride in mine; it covers my raw spandex bike shorts, and provides cool ventilation on hot rides!!!
volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm definitely looking forward to some lift-served riding this year. The service was hit and miss last year, so maybe they have their cr*p together this year . I love the downhills on our cross country courses, so I'm just geeked to try some real downhill stuff. Fortunately, they also rent real DH rigs and body armor .
KimmyT, F
Falling into mud puddles is a good thing - it cushions the blow! :D :D I should post the picture of 'Roller Coaster Bridge' where I fell off the highest point (about 3 feet off the ground), right into the swampy black gooky mud . If the surface had been anything else, that woulda hurt!
. I love the downhills on our cross country courses, so I'm just geeked to try some real downhill stuff. Fortunately, they also rent real DH rigs and body armor .KimmyT, F
Falling into mud puddles is a good thing - it cushions the blow! :D :D I should post the picture of 'Roller Coaster Bridge' where I fell off the highest point (about 3 feet off the ground), right into the swampy black gooky mud
. If the surface had been anything else, that woulda hurt!
volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
lil mountian girl,
If you're freaked about trying clipless pedals, you can do what I did. Shimano makes a wicked pedal that has a big beefy platform and the pop-up clipless inside, so I can be clipped in, or not as the mood (fear) strikes me :D . I think the current ones are the SPD-424, but you can also find the MX-626, 636 on e-bay. I wouldn't suggest the platform on one side - clipless on the other, though, because you spend half your time flipping it over looking for the correct side.
Make sure you find out how to adjust the retention spring and set it to its lightest setting when starting out. The find a grassy area and ride, practicing clipping in and out. You will fall, but it'll be OK because your landing area will be soft. ;) Once you get the hang of it, you'll find that you'll really like clipless pedals and you'll know it's time to tighten the spring up a little when you start popping out without trying.
If you're freaked about trying clipless pedals, you can do what I did. Shimano makes a wicked pedal that has a big beefy platform and the pop-up clipless inside, so I can be clipped in, or not as the mood (fear) strikes me :D . I think the current ones are the SPD-424, but you can also find the MX-626, 636 on e-bay. I wouldn't suggest the platform on one side - clipless on the other, though, because you spend half your time flipping it over looking for the correct side.
Make sure you find out how to adjust the retention spring and set it to its lightest setting when starting out. The find a grassy area and ride, practicing clipping in and out. You will fall, but it'll be OK because your landing area will be soft. ;) Once you get the hang of it, you'll find that you'll really like clipless pedals and you'll know it's time to tighten the spring up a little when you start popping out without trying.
Mind you - the falls don't come from not being able to get out of the pedals, they come from forgetting to get out of the pedals. Train yourself enough and you can probably eliminate that problem.
Funny story - we all warned one of our friends who was switching to clipless. She did it before a big group ride in Park City and was pedaling around the parking lot declaring how incredibly easy these clipless pedals are to get used to. "How could I possibly fall? This is SO EASY!!!" Right at the end of that sentence she stopped, forgot to unclip and toppled over in the parking lot.
I have had other friends who made the switch and never had a single fall while getting used to them. It's mostly a matter of having taken some time to practice in a safe area and then remembering to unclip whenever you stop on the trail. Personally, I had a couple stop-n-flop's that my husband thought were hilarious. Luckily, they didn't hurt.
I also like platform-clipless pedals. I used Crank Brothers Mallet C's (or Candies if you want something lighter).
They're very easy to get in and out of, have no problems when your shoes get muddy, and have a nice platform to ride on when you're not clipped in.
OK, my clipless "moments"
1) First pair.
I went out to pratice and fiddle with the tension screw. All went well. So I rode back to my apartment. My neighbor saw me coming, held the door for me and said hi...
I return the "hi", stopped paddling, try to swing my leg, which was still firmly attached to the paddle, topple over on my side.
"Are you alright?", puzzled my neighbor... Well, the only injury was to my pride!
2) A couple years later:
Shoe felt apart so I had to get another pair, different model too. So I had to re-position the cleat. Screwed them on, went out to ride a while. Decided to change the position just a little bit and try some more. OK, everything feels just right, time to go home.
Now I'm pretty automatic when it comes to un-clipping, after a few years riding clipless.
Only this time, the clip didn't disengage... the cleat I was "trying" the position wasn't tighten enough and it rotated. Now, I couldn't get the cleat to disenage. It just freely rotate about the clip!
About to fall off, but had present of mind to keep paddling to stay upright... went around in circles for a bit more and found a tree to grab onto. Un-tied the shoes while still hanging on to the tree. Now step out of the shoe and undid the other shoe.
Here I was, bare feet, standing next to my bike, trying to pursuade my bike to let me have my shoes back!!!
1) First pair.
I went out to pratice and fiddle with the tension screw. All went well. So I rode back to my apartment. My neighbor saw me coming, held the door for me and said hi...
I return the "hi", stopped paddling, try to swing my leg, which was still firmly attached to the paddle, topple over on my side.
"Are you alright?", puzzled my neighbor... Well, the only injury was to my pride!
2) A couple years later:
Shoe felt apart so I had to get another pair, different model too. So I had to re-position the cleat. Screwed them on, went out to ride a while. Decided to change the position just a little bit and try some more. OK, everything feels just right, time to go home.
Now I'm pretty automatic when it comes to un-clipping, after a few years riding clipless.
Only this time, the clip didn't disengage... the cleat I was "trying" the position wasn't tighten enough and it rotated. Now, I couldn't get the cleat to disenage. It just freely rotate about the clip!
About to fall off, but had present of mind to keep paddling to stay upright... went around in circles for a bit more and found a tree to grab onto. Un-tied the shoes while still hanging on to the tree. Now step out of the shoe and undid the other shoe.
Here I was, bare feet, standing next to my bike, trying to pursuade my bike to let me have my shoes back!!!
Gloria
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Mountian bike Jibbing
Volkl Girl thank you for posting those photos. I have never seen anything like that manmade, we have similiar stunts in day to day riding here, rocks, railroad tressles,single track suspension bridges etc. but I have never seen anythong manmade like that. My first thought was, first the climbing went to the gym, then downriver kayaking went to playboating, skiing and snowboarding went to the park, mountain biking too...What next?
Then I had a nirvana, we live in an area filled with recreation opportunity, yet our community is by and large, lazy. We moved down here when our daughter was in 2nd grade and when we went to her first christmas program my husband and I were completely stunned at the number of overweight children in this school. I was so upset that I got involved with a couple of different groups, one to get a biking trail from the school to the river. Currently the kids have no safe place to walk or bike, and I am working on the regional park out here with another group. Remembering how much fun we had as kids making BMX courses, I think building some bike jib stunts at the park would be an excellent way to get kids away from the video games and out excersising. We could probalby donate all of the d*&$ wood in our garage for this. The kids would love it. Gracias for the great idea!
Volkl Girl thank you for posting those photos. I have never seen anything like that manmade, we have similiar stunts in day to day riding here, rocks, railroad tressles,single track suspension bridges etc. but I have never seen anythong manmade like that. My first thought was, first the climbing went to the gym, then downriver kayaking went to playboating, skiing and snowboarding went to the park, mountain biking too...What next?
Then I had a nirvana, we live in an area filled with recreation opportunity, yet our community is by and large, lazy. We moved down here when our daughter was in 2nd grade and when we went to her first christmas program my husband and I were completely stunned at the number of overweight children in this school. I was so upset that I got involved with a couple of different groups, one to get a biking trail from the school to the river. Currently the kids have no safe place to walk or bike, and I am working on the regional park out here with another group. Remembering how much fun we had as kids making BMX courses, I think building some bike jib stunts at the park would be an excellent way to get kids away from the video games and out excersising. We could probalby donate all of the d*&$ wood in our garage for this. The kids would love it. Gracias for the great idea!
Gloria
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Thanks
Thanks! I am thinking this would be a really good way to transition these kids from vid games. Same mental challenge, advancement of levels, skills and they are actually out getting excercise. A skate park was brought up, but truly more kids have access to bikes and there are no other places where they would be able to use the skills, there is however alot of great bike trails and hopefully could segway into the public support we need for bike connectivity throughout the valley. I just hope I can get the old timers to support the idea. We'll see, Sunday night. I'll let you know.....:D
Thanks! I am thinking this would be a really good way to transition these kids from vid games. Same mental challenge, advancement of levels, skills and they are actually out getting excercise. A skate park was brought up, but truly more kids have access to bikes and there are no other places where they would be able to use the skills, there is however alot of great bike trails and hopefully could segway into the public support we need for bike connectivity throughout the valley. I just hope I can get the old timers to support the idea. We'll see, Sunday night. I'll let you know.....:D
Mountain bike. I know its very very flat in the Netherlands, but when I lived in England (my home) we used to mountain bike all the time. The dutch are a major cycling nation, they have roads away from the cars specially built for cycles only. The bikes are a bit freaky though, I did try one and I felt like I was riding a unicycle it was so upright in position.
Last year got my first full suspension bike - CUBE, its german, well they don,t do mountain bikes much here so I had it sent to the Netherlands. Its has excellent build quality and the kit is top notch. I could do with better stand over height, (I got the smallest they made) but finding a good ladies bike is near impossible, but its instills me with confidence and its so light, lack of stand over height does not appear to be a problem.
I agree with the clipless pedels, they are a must when off road, but I,ve a few moments in the past. And as for the not wanting to get dirty, those women don,t know what they are missing, the muddier and dirtier I get on a ride the better.
Sorry I am a bit slow off the mark and still finding my way about the site. The photos were excellent, but I am more into x country, single track and woods etc type riding, and my skills and nerves are not up to leaping of things.
Last year got my first full suspension bike - CUBE, its german, well they don,t do mountain bikes much here so I had it sent to the Netherlands. Its has excellent build quality and the kit is top notch. I could do with better stand over height, (I got the smallest they made) but finding a good ladies bike is near impossible, but its instills me with confidence and its so light, lack of stand over height does not appear to be a problem.
I agree with the clipless pedels, they are a must when off road, but I,ve a few moments in the past. And as for the not wanting to get dirty, those women don,t know what they are missing, the muddier and dirtier I get on a ride the better.
Sorry I am a bit slow off the mark and still finding my way about the site. The photos were excellent, but I am more into x country, single track and woods etc type riding, and my skills and nerves are not up to leaping of things.
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Well, I'm 56, took up mountain biking last year, bought a used one for $125.00, and worked on getting uphill, downhill, and around trees on eroded New England rocky and rooty single tracks all summer. What fun! I'm no expert, I fell and crashed and had to get off and walk lots, but I did improve and I can't wait to get back out there. So yes, SnowGlider, 50 year olds are allowed to mountain bike. I go alone. Now there's a funny thing to be doing these days, going out into the woods all alone. Given my age, that feels funny. But I do it anyway, and carry my cell phone. It's quite a workout, demands lots of brain work as well as balancing, and requires becoming one with the rocks. I don't wear armor, and I did get some scratches, but that's all. One with the rocks, that's what it's all about here north of Boston. And it's rocks all the way down, unless there are roots on top of the rocks. Anyway, I do recommend it for over-50s.
I'm not quite 50 yet but it's getting close. I will definitely be mountain biking when I'm in my 50's!
I don't know what year mountaing biking was invented but I was over 30 when I first learned to mountain bike.
I really don't know what to say about the age thing. I've not behaved any differently ever since I turned 30! Maybe I still think I'm 30? I refuse to grow old. I'm still learning new things, things "only young people do"!!! (examples: white water kayaking, new computer programming language).
well I,m 41 and I intend to grow old disgracefully. Mountain biking, skiing, golfing, suba diving. I started most of this stuff in my mid thirties and diving and skiing only a couple of years ago. Just because we are the other side of forty does not mean we shouldn't take up new things, after all life begins at forty!!
tradygirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My experience as a convert....
I've been MTBing pretty much my whole life. Granted, I was pretty half-assed about it for most of those years. I loved it, left it, and then found it again.
I bought a road bike in college and absolutely fell in love. I was triathlon nerd for a while after I graduated and hardly touched my beautiful new MTB for two seasons. My husband was a road racer, and the roadie scene pretty much ruled our life for a year or two. After training and finishing the 200mile Lotoja race, my husband needed a break. We headed to Moab for some Porcupine and Amasa Back therapy. Let's just say the road bikes went back down to the basement after that!
For the last two or three years, I have totally fallen back in love with MTB. I think it's the "fun factor" that just seemed to be lacking in road biking. I get to hang out with my friends, scare the %$@#$ out of myself, go on super-fun trips, and hang out in the mountains. I love the small victories....cleaning that one switchback that always gets me, finally getting up Puke Hill without stopping, cleaning a techy section with a clear mind, etc. I have to agree with Altagirl that mountain biking is a lot more mental than road biking, in terms of keeping your head under pressure. It reminds me a lot of skiing...pushing through the pain on the ascent, staying focused and calm in those "no-fall" situations, and grinning like a fool when everything's flowing just right.
Don't get me wrong...I like a good spin on the roadie every now and then, especially on those days in the early spring and late fall when there's a chill in the air. But, MTB has my heart. :D
I've been MTBing pretty much my whole life. Granted, I was pretty half-assed about it for most of those years. I loved it, left it, and then found it again.
I bought a road bike in college and absolutely fell in love. I was triathlon nerd for a while after I graduated and hardly touched my beautiful new MTB for two seasons. My husband was a road racer, and the roadie scene pretty much ruled our life for a year or two. After training and finishing the 200mile Lotoja race, my husband needed a break. We headed to Moab for some Porcupine and Amasa Back therapy. Let's just say the road bikes went back down to the basement after that!
For the last two or three years, I have totally fallen back in love with MTB. I think it's the "fun factor" that just seemed to be lacking in road biking. I get to hang out with my friends, scare the %$@#$ out of myself, go on super-fun trips, and hang out in the mountains. I love the small victories....cleaning that one switchback that always gets me, finally getting up Puke Hill without stopping, cleaning a techy section with a clear mind, etc. I have to agree with Altagirl that mountain biking is a lot more mental than road biking, in terms of keeping your head under pressure. It reminds me a lot of skiing...pushing through the pain on the ascent, staying focused and calm in those "no-fall" situations, and grinning like a fool when everything's flowing just right.
Don't get me wrong...I like a good spin on the roadie every now and then, especially on those days in the early spring and late fall when there's a chill in the air. But, MTB has my heart. :D
