What's your goal this summer?

[bluebug32]

I want to work on my technical skills a little (not freezing up when I see big things to hop over) and also try to transfer some of the climbing power I have on the road bike over to my mountain biking. Oh, and I'm going to try my first 6 hour endurance race.

What are your goals for the season?

[Trigress]

Trying not crash too often.

[bounceswoosh]

To enjoy every ride and not beat myself up if I'm not as fast as someone else, or as I remember myself being, or if I don't do as well on technical stuff as I think I should, or even if I walk it ...

Basically just to be kind to myself =)

Also to ride tougher technical stuff more confidently, and to do it without fear. I think that will come naturally, though, when I'm treating myself with love.

Don't I sound like a new age Boulder hippy =)

[kat_h]

I'm hoping to take a few days at the start of July to ride out to the badlands east of here and explore a couple of ghost towns, an abandoned coal mine, and some not-yet-ghost towns. It will be my first little tour and on the first and last days I'll have 99 km rides with no towns, restaurants, gas stations, or stores so I need to plan a bit more than I usually do. I'll carry a tent and sleeping bag but I'll be able to buy food each day, so that cuts down on the carrying.

[atombessy]

A general goal is to increase my time in the saddle, I can mtbike for about two hours comfortably right now, I'd like to be able to spend 3 or 4 out and about. I'm also debating doing a race in August, just for the challenge and something different! I have a lot to do though to get there, even in the beginner class.

And I'd like to do the occasional half century on my poor neglected road bike as well! Working on that will help with my general endurance on the mt bike I hope.

[limewave]

To actually get out and ride the trails a few times!

Last year I had mntn biked five or six times already. I haven't even had the time to think about it yet. It's depressing.

[teawoman]

A general goal is to increase my time in the saddle, I can mtbike for about two hours comfortably right now, I'd like to be able to spend 3 or 4 out and about.

Me too. Only on road bike.

[bluebug32]

A general goal is to increase my time in the saddle, I can mtbike for about two hours comfortably right now, I'd like to be able to spend 3 or 4 out and about. I'm also debating doing a race in August, just for the challenge and something different! I have a lot to do though to get there, even in the beginner class.

And I'd like to do the occasional half century on my poor neglected road bike as well! Working on that will help with my general endurance on the mt bike I hope.

I did a race after my first season of mtbing a couple of years ago. It's a great way to gauge where you're at and what you need to work on...oh, and if you like racing. It really forces you to push with everything you have. I was surprised. Going into it, I thought I would finish last or near to last. I rode hard, even crashed once, and came in 6th! It taught me that short endurance races aren't necessarily my cup of tea right now, but that I was a better mtber than I thought.

I've also just started road biking this season and I feel stronger on the mtb already! Especially climbing and endurance-wise.

Good luck to you!

[bounceswoosh]

I did a race after my first season of mtbing a couple of years ago. It's a great way to gauge where you're at and what you need to work on...oh, and if you like racing. It really forces you to push with everything you have. I was surprised. Going into it, I thought I would finish last or near to last. I rode hard, even crashed once, and came in 6th! It taught me that short endurance races aren't necessarily my cup of tea right now, but that I was a better mtber than I thought.

I've also just started road biking this season and I feel stronger on the mtb already! Especially climbing and endurance-wise.

Good luck to you!

Agreed -- I did one mtb race a couple of years ago. Came in dead last, but my bike skills improved monumentally after the race (for which I had done a fair amount of pre-riding of the course), and I was much more likely to keep riding than to stop half way up a tiring hill.

I did figure out that mtb races may not be my cup of tea -- a lot of people were faster than me by picking up their bikes and running over the technical or steep stuff. I'd much rather go slow but actually clear, or at least attempt everything. Even though I finished last, I did ride the entire length of the initial climb, whereas many faster people got off their bikes. And for my personal goals, I liked that I did that.

I find the whole dynamic of passing / allowing people to pass weird in racing. I guess if I really wanted to start racing, I would have to figure that out.

[atombessy]

thanks for the encouragement! I'm sure if I actually decide to go ahead with it I'll be full of questions for the board....

I'm encouraged by the running over obstacles scene that you encountered bounces, I'm normally rushing to keep up with people, so I've definitely gotten in the habit of hike a bike over something if I fall or slip....i guess that could work to my advantage in a race...

[Grog]

Discover new routes around the Vancouver area!

[alpinerabbit]

Go and test some MTBs and decide what I should buy. Then actually buy one come fall....

[7rider]

What are your goals for the season?

To do more Ride Like A Girl group rides with the folks from the Mid-Atlantic Offroad Enthusiasts: MORE. I did 2 or 3 rides last year and have done one (on-gravel) this year. I'd like to expand my horizons and venture to new locations, too.
(Related: to actually JOIN MORE - it's membership supported, and they've been sooo good and do so much good for trail advocacy that I really should pony up and support them with my wallet.)

To ride Rosaryville on a singlespeed. It's a hoot on my dualie. The bike sticks to the looping, swooping singletrack like it's on rails. But I'd love to try a rigid singlespeed, and this non-technical place would be the ideal spot to try.

[sundial]

I want to ride over a log. And then I want to get a full suspension bike so that my joints don't tattle on me.

[teawoman]

To enjoy every ride and not beat myself up if I'm not as fast as someone else, or as I remember myself being, or if I don't do as well on technical stuff as I think I should, or even if I walk it ...

Basically just to be kind to myself =)

Also to ride tougher technical stuff more confidently, and to do it without fear. I think that will come naturally, though, when I'm treating myself with love.

Don't I sound like a new age Boulder hippy =)

Nope, I love it. Very good to think about.