I love rock n roll

[fixedgeargirl]

Yesterday I went for a mtb ride for the first time in months!! :D I've been using the mtb as an overpriced way to pull my son's tag-along, and focusing on road riding. After reading the miscellaneous ramblings thread, and being reminded there of the zen-here-and-now of mtbing, I determined that my once-a-week-whether-I-need-it-or-not (:rolleyes: I actually need it a lot more than that) ride would be on my beautiful, candy raspberry, tricked out mtb. And I was reminded of what I'm made of, where my passion is.

And as I was swooping around, bumping over rocks, looping here and there, the one thought that popped into my head was "I've got to share this with my new friends at TE!! They get it!!" :D

See, last fall, for family reasons, I moved from my hometown, the self-proclaimed Mtb Capital, to a city which is a hotbed of road cycling. Road cycling is nice and all, but I'm a mountain girl at heart, and my ride last night made me determined to make the extra effort, pack up the car every couple of weeks, to get to more single track around here. I may not get back to the actual mountains for a long while, but I can get out there on some trails and lump and bump and dip and swoop and let out a holler every now and then!!

Thanks gals!!

[nuthatch]

Good for you, FGGirl! Always good to hear someone made it outside and had a great time!

[Adventure Girl]

I started as a mountain biker. I got my road bike about 4 years later. I've never really LOVED road riding like mountain biking. There's one area I occasionally road ride where I can see the mountain biking trails that I often ride. When I’m out there on my road bike, I always look longingly at those trails!

I took a good friend mountain biking a few weeks ago. He's primarily a roadie. He hadn't been on his mountain bike for about 6 months. After riding a couple of perfect single track trails we stopped and talked about how much FUN mountain biking is. The skills required, challenges and mine set are so different than road riding! I love it!

my ride last night made me determined to make the extra effort, pack up the car every couple of weeks, to get to more single track around here. Great single track is worth the effort!! :D I'm glad you had a great ride!

[cindysue]

rock n roll - reminds me of sushi - yum!

[CorsairMac]

Love the avatar Cindy!!

and YEEEEHAAAAAA FGGirl!!......never tried MTB'ng but ya'll sure are getting the curiosity hackles standing up!!!

[Dirt Girl]

"I've got to share this with my new friends at TE!! They get it!!" :D

I may not get back to the actual mountains for a long while, but I can get out there on some trails and lump and bump and dip and swoop and let out a holler every now and then!!

Thanks gals!!

Woo-hoo! I'm getting that warm, fuzzy feeling just reading your post! Yep, just something about the dirt and the obstacles and the challenge and the focus...

Rock on!

[Adventure Girl]

YEEEEHAAAAAA FGGirl!!......never tried MTB'ng but ya'll sure are getting the curiosity hackles standing up!!!You should try it! Maybe your LBS or some bike buddies have a loaner bike you could take out! You don't have to do 12 foot drop-ins on your first ride. Just go out there and get dirty! You'd have a blast!

[CorsairMac]

right now - ya'll are all the biking buddies I got! (gosh don't I sound pitiful)....not a clue what it is with this town but everything seems to take place on Suns and I can't participate due to other obligations. So I ride alone - for now. There are places I could rent a MTB but having never done it before, I'm not sure what a "bad" trail vs a "good" trail would be. I have seriously considered just buying a Wal-Mart cheapie :eek: (ya I know) just to give some of the easier shared trails a try and see if I like it (which I'm afraid I would - Very Much!). Who Knows? my ex-husband (if a good husband is a DH is a bad husband an FH?) {ok...I'm prolly in trouble now with the admin :o } said I was the most well-thought-out implusive person he ever met! :p

[Irulan]

You should try it! Maybe your LBS or some bike buddies have a loaner bike you could take out! You don't have to do 12 foot drop-ins on your first ride. Just go out there and get dirty! You'd have a blast!

LOL, I've been mountain biking for years and I still don't do 12' drops! OK, I'll roll a 6' one..... :cool:

[mtnbikenmama]

be. I have seriously considered just buying a Wal-Mart cheapie :eek: (ya I know) just to give some of the easier shared trails a try and see if I like it

Try to borrow a good one, or come out to California and you can ride one of mine. 2 reasons:

1. Cheap bikes are cheap cause they are as heavy and handle like you know what! Which leads to #2

2. Your first experience will leave the lasting impression and if its too hard, uncomfortable and or scarey you'll never experience the joy us mtb'ers feel.

and one more they can be dangerous.

[LBTC]

thanks, mtnbikemama - you said it! Corsair, come up to BC. how tall are you again? around 5'2"? I've got a spare bike you'll love! and by summer time, the trails here are every type of mountain biking. and 12' drops are for silly kids who don't need to make mortgage payments and who don't know how a broken bone today means years of maintenance or years of pain. :eek: heehee give me hours of winding, treed, hilly single track, rocks, roots, steeps (up and down) interspersed at random. yup, that's where I live!

and fixedgeargirl your post was most inspiring! I can't wait to see what silliness comes out my brain through my fingers on the keyboard after my first wicked ride on the dirt. it could be in a week if the weather is better than predicted.

keep smiling, gang! you're the best group of riding partners I've met ever!! (though I'm trying to cultivate a few right here in person...)

Namaste,
~T~

[Barb]

Corsair- Don't you ride a Sedona? I used mine the first time I went on a singletrack. It was fine. If you have slicks on, you will want to swap out some tires. You'll get a good idea if you like it. I rode an easy trail with ups and downs and fields to cross. I love it and finally bought a real MTN bike just this week. Your LBS may have a loaner if you let them know you are thinking of buying a MTN bike and are just not sure.

[CorsairMac]

Corsair- Don't you ride a Sedona? I used mine the first time I went on a singletrack. Your LBS may have a loaner if you let them know you are thinking of buying a MTN bike and are just not sure.

No I ride a Trek 26" comfort bike re: commuter. It has hybrid tires. The problem here is I am a below Rank Novice - the trails here are all rated "intermediate or expert" for hikers and they are the same trails the MTB ppl are riding so I have not a clue if my hybrid tires would work on them or not. Part of my hestitation is I would be more comfortable if I could ride with someone whos ridden at least a MTB but preferably these trails so they can let me know which are the safest for new riders and how to ride some of the them.

???? might need to call my LBS...don't they make books about this? something like MTB'ng for Dummies?? that would be specific for my area?

[Irulan]

No I ride a Trek 26" comfort bike re: commuter. It has hybrid tires. The problem here is I am a below Rank Novice - the trails here are all rated "intermediate or expert" for hikers and they are the same trails the MTB ppl are riding so I have not a clue if my hybrid tires would work on them or not. Part of my hestitation is I would be more comfortable if I could ride with someone whos ridden at least a MTB but preferably these trails so they can let me know which are the safest for new riders and how to ride some of the them.

???? might need to call my LBS...don't they make books about this? something like MTB'ng for Dummies?? that would be specific for my area?

Most shops know of groups that lead rides, or lead them themselves. Or, ask about beginner trails. Or ask about a local club or guide book. My bike stuff link has lots of beginner tips. A good book is Ned Overend's Mountain Bike like a Champion,

here's a list of Albeuquerqe trails, surely there must be some easy ones:
http://content.mtbr.com/united-states-trails/trails-new-mexico/PLS_4565_918crx.aspx

irulan

[Irulan]

here's a list of New Mexico mountain bike clubs
http://www.imba.com/contacts/near_you/new_mexico.html

[snowtulip]

CorsairMac, when you're ready, give me an e-mail. I could start you out on the bosque trail (get used to the dirt in an obstacle free environment), then you could progress to Elena Gallegos foothills trail, then you will be so hooked that the east side of the mountains will be calling you!

You could borrow one of my bikes, but I'm 4'11, so everything is small. But Albuquerque and the surrounding areas has some of the best mountain biking in the whole USA.

Admittedly the wind has put me out of the riding realm this last week.

It's a scary jump to take for mountain biking at first, but it is so much fun!
Enjoy!

[CorsairMac]

Snow you got a deal. I'm only 5'2" so the diff in our height is only what...2", 3". Let me get thru this weekend and you betcha you'll be hearing from me. What a generous offer that I Will take you up on. Holy Smoke, first I found a road bike and now I found a fellow ABQ that'll teach me to MTB!!! and I have 2 dogs!! Life does NOT get any better than this!

[fixedgeargirl]

All right, Corsair!!! Make sure you get lots of sunscreen, sounds like you're going to spending a lot of time in the saddle!!!!!

Yee Haw!

[snowtulip]

Don't worry, CorsairMac will not only be excited with her road bike, but very soon will start dreaming of the beautiful mountain bike! The wind has let down and it looks like good weather is coming our way!