You have to start somewhere, right?

[han-grrl]

That's right.

baby steps.

I'm going to tell you something though. with mtb. yes, there is falling. scrapes and bruises. war wounds. its unfortunately part of the sport. Its not on purpose - but a good part of the technical aspect requires balance and coordination.

this is why when i teach people, i take them on the fire roads first. or plain dirt trails. to get the feel of the bike. the shifting the breaking and the body position. there is a lot of movement on the bike, which does take getting used to.

I really recommend taking a beginners lesson. we have them here
http://www.mountainbikeschool.ca/pdf/NEWWOWAgenda.pdf (at the beginning of summer.

They are a great way to get some basic skills and comfort. and not get into an argument with hubby, when he tells you to "just ride" as he tries to explain stuff

[Crankin]

AA, I'm quite familiar with the way you feel, including my incredibly horrible depth perception. Every year in school, I would get referred for a vision evaluation because I would always see the apple off the table, instead of on the table in that stupid vision test schools gave every year. Road riding has improved this a little, but it's probably the main reason I am a cautious descender. I really love mountain biking and being in the woods, but I'll never be great at it. Some of it is because I don't practice enough and weather often plays a part in whether or not we can go out on the trails. It is a real feeling of accomplishment for me to do 3-5 miles on rocky, rooty trails. I compare that to a 25 mile road ride with climbing.

[han-grrl]

miles on trail is very different than miles on road...

especially on rooty rocky terrain...

I like the feel of the trail as well, its hard to explain.

[atombessy]

Aggie, just some thoughts on crashing/falling/bruising etc, I ride my mt and my road bike fairly equally, and although I crash way more often on my mountain bike, road crashes hurt WAY WAY worse. Omg, road rash is the worst, lol. Seriously, mountain bike bumps and bruises really aren't that bad! The thing I hate most about mt bike crashes 1) frequently they are caused because I couldn't clip out (still working that, lol) and 2) sometimes when I fall clipped in I can't get out, I"m like a turtle on it's back. So embarrassing! But anyways! welcome to the dirty side sounds like you're well on your way! good luck!