Posts
27
Joined
6/16/2017
Location
Tucson, AZ
US
ZachOT
9/5/2018 1:28am
9/5/2018 1:28am
So as the title describes I'm an ex motocross guy stationed in AZ (Tucson) and tried my hand at MTB this time last year prior to my deployment. Picked up a 2017 Remedy 7 and rode it a whopping one time and decided it wasnt for me. Can't remember the exact trail but it was not the easiest jump into the sport, I just remember hating the climb and constantly feeling like I was gonna get off the trail and hit a cactus or rocks, etc. Left thinking why do so many people love this. Well here I am with lots of ex moto friends saying I didnt really give it a chance with only one ride thinking they maybe right. I loved being able to throw the bike in the back of the truck in the morning, hit a trail, then head home at lunch for a beer, was a way easier hobby in my opinion than moto ever was. So my question for you guys would be should I give it another shot? Did you instantly fall in love with MTB'ing? Or was it something that came with time like anything else. Looking back at all the times I crashed and sucked when I was first was learning moto but kept pushing I can see parallels to my first and only MTB experience. Perhaps I should have got a different bike like the the 29'er Fuel EX I was looking at instead of the Remedy? Part of me still thinks I would enjoy MTB but just didnt give it a fair chance. Figured I'd ask the Vital experts before reinvesting in the possible new hobby of MTB. Thanks in advance.
Zach
Zach
The other thing that I've found is for me, the adventure is half the adrenaline rush. I've tried to travel around and hit as many places as I can this summer and I'm finding that even if I don't have the best ride and don't feel like I pushed my riding to another level, it was still one hell of a time going someplace new and jetting off into the woods under your own power. Granted, I don't have gps or anything, still on the rand mcnally program, so everything isn't laid out in front of me which can get the heart rate going when riding a new place. When it came to moto, it was the same tracks, same layouts, and occasionally you just hit those slumps where you don't feel improvement and kinda get down on the whole thing. Its also hard to maintain a track on CO so we'd occasionally go through slumps where the tracks were in bad shape and weren't fun to ride either. The mtb trail quality here though is stellar and I'm never leaving thinking, man, that place sucked today.
Sounds like you're kinda where I was at earlier this year and I would say give it another shot. Be realistic though and give yourself 2 months or so to get your biking legs under you. Start on some easier climbs and get used to the bike first. Lastly, don't expect to save a boatload of money, they're both still hobbies and have moving parts that break. Especially rims if you're coming off moto, ask me how I know
Last year when I sold all the moto stuff I picked up a sweet Remedy, the gear and decided to give MTB a shot. As I mentioned that first ride was a struggle. I'm an active guy (run 6-7 miles 3 times a week and weight train) but trying to climb that trail hill I felt discouraged, coupled with the descent feeling like I was a bit out of control and not ready for the cactus and rocks everywhere left me rethinking my first foray into MTB and not what I was expecting. So I sold the bike to a good friend and became a boring adult. My ex moto friends who are crazy obsessed MTB'rs now told me I didn't give it enough time and part of me thinks they may be right. I mean moto wasn't easy at first either. So here I am thinking about the benefits of MTB, fresh air, good exercise/training, new hobby/goals, meet new people, explore new trails/places and am thinking about buying another bike and trying again but wanted to see from you guys and gals if you were in the same place when you first started MTB. The sucky hill climb, not so sweet feeling descent, etc. or was it instant love?
Thanks for the input man and happy trail riding.
i LOL'd pretty hard at this piece of honesty - "So I sold the bike to a good friend and became a boring adult." - you'll find the spark!
Best piece of advice I can give is to try and go on as many group or bike shop rides as you can that are appropriate for your skill level. If you don't have anything like that around you, try to find a few easy trails and ride them over and over until you feel like you have them dialed then take a step up in difficulty. But definitely be patient and keep on pushing.
Trust the process! haha
Fast forward 9 years and I just finished a stint as a service manager in a bike shop, and moved to Colorado to pursue more mountain biking! Getting started is hard, frustrating, and can be tricky mentally, but it's all worth it in the end. Take your time, go at your own pace, find some trails you like, and take it from there.
I do think one of the things that really helped me was just riding a shit ton. I'd ride around my neighborhood, build sketchy features in the dirt lot down the road, I just spent so much time on a bike that I got comfortable on it. I was riding for an hour or two at least every day after school. Made a huge difference once I got to the gnarlier stuff.
The best advice I can give anyone at any skill level, just have fun! Even if the climb sucks, or the decent is a bit hairy, you're out there for fun. Don't stress the ride, don't get mad at yourself, just enjoy it. If you're ever in the Denver area hit me up! I'll show ya some fun stuff!
Here is the bottom line: Mountain biking is HARD. It challenges your physical and mental capabilities. It will also NEVER get easier. You constantly push your limit and continue to grow in strength, endurance, and mental fortitude. Every ride will take you further, hence the never getting easier part.
The payoff is that it gets you fit, is great fun, and a great stress reliever (like all exercise).
If this sound like something you are into, then yes, you should get a bike and go for it - Just don't quit after one ride because its 'hard'.
If it is intimidating, maybe rent a bike a few times to get a feel for it. Then decide.
If it sounds like too much work, too hard, then you shouldn't. But remember, most things in life worth doing aren't easy.
Personally, I say go for it. There is a reason it is such a popular sport....
Ride it on some intermediate level trials, starting with rides in the 1-2 hour range. It’s gonna suck the first 5 or 6 times as you begin to build your pedaling fitness.
Take your time on the climbs. Go at a pace that is a good sustainable workout but not so hard that your totally sucking wind and generating lactic acid. The fitter you get the more speed you can make and carry and the more fun it is, but you can still have tremendous fun with even modest, novice levels of pedaling fitness, especially if you have some Moto skills to get you going fast downhill.
Go to the local shop and get some trail info. Pick some fun loops with a good climb or two and a good descent or two. Tucson has to have some of that besides the epic big rides on Lemon.
Keep riding. Find other people to ride with. Mountain bikers are generally a fun and friendly group of people who are happy to have company (barring a few overcrowded locations where localism is starting to creep in.)
By the 12th or 15th ride, my guess is that you will reach a reasonable level of fitness and the pedaling part won’t suck as much. You might even start to like it, like many of us do. As a Moto guy, you will start digging the downhills and rolling sections of trail where you can jump some terrain and nail some steep crux move that previously intimidated you into submission. You will start peggin corners you know faster and faster. You will start challenging yourself and you might really like the sport. These moments of personal glory will stick in your head like some of your best memories do. You will find yourself daydreaming about riding at work, or at the dinner table, or when you are supposed to be listening to the person who is talking at you. It is then that you are a mountain biker.
The fitness will come, and so will the comfort level for riding downhill sections. Just apply the same skills you would use on a motorcycle and you'll be (mostly) fine. I find that the only major difference between MTB and Motocross is that you cannot "blip the throttle" on takeoffs or drops; you have to adjust for that.
For perspective, I've been riding motocross for 30+ years and only started riding MTB seriously for the last 3 years or so. It's like a new frontier for me.
Biking isn't for everyone but Tucson is a great spot to be a mountain biker since we have everything from mellow desert singletrack to super gnar up on the mountain and everything in between.
Enjoy
MTB
MTB riding access in many trail areas nearby
MTB trails are free to ride in many areas
MTB maintenance intervals are less than moto
MTB parts / gear are relatively affordable
MTB bikes are very capable bikes uphill / downhill
MTB is great exercise
MTB risk of injury is still high, but less than moto
MTB is affordable to own multiple bikes
MTB is affordable to ride mutliple MTB disciplines
MTB is affordable to race
MOTO
Moto riding is limited in many areas
Moto tracks are expensive & crowded
Moto maintenance intervals are high & expensive
Moto parts / gear are expensive
Moto bikes are expensive
Moto risk of injury is very high
Moto is very expensive to race
Think I found a nice 17 Remedy 8 in Wyoming on Pinkbike I may snag and go from there. I appreciate all the encouragement, perspectives, thoughts and recommendations. MTB clan seems like a great group to be a part of. Now to figure out pedals, gear, etc. again.
Post a reply to: Newb interested in trying MTB again.