I wanna do this

[GraysonKelly]

Your bike sounds fine. Disc brakes are all the thing now, but you really only NEED them if you ride in consistently wet conditions.

The general philosophy that most folks I know go by is, "it aint the bike it's the rider". Sounds like you have a good set of bike handling skills. For some ideas on mountain bike specific skills, I've got a good list on my website,
http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/pen...g/ridetips.asp

Probably the biggest difference in getting on the trail is how much more time you spend OUT of the saddle, using your whole body.

Now go have some fun.

Thanks! I'll go check out your website here in a just a few. This is a list of components on my bike. http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...2874&Type=bike I don't know what any of it means though. As far as if I need something or not. It's from bike pedia and my bike has all of the factory components except for the pedals which are the shimano ones that are regular pedals on one side and clipless on the other. I know I need different tires just because mine are kind of worn. I was actually wondering about the rear cassette. Should I change it? And the brakes. Anyway, if you or anyone else could look at this and give me some advice I'd appreciate it. I'm mainly going to be road riding but I thought maybe MTB in the winter if it's not too wet would be a good time to kind of practice. On some less technical trails of course.
Thanks again,
Gray

[Aggie_Ama]

That should be enough bike to get started, I see people riding Walmart bikes on the trail. Maybe get a tune up if needed but you are just trying it. You will likely want to upgrade if you get into it but you have somewhere to start.

[GraysonKelly]

That should be enough bike to get started, I see people riding Walmart bikes on the trail. Maybe get a tune up if needed but you are just trying it. You will likely want to upgrade if you get into it but you have somewhere to start.

Thanks Aggie! (Is it ok to call you that?)
Anyway, what kind of upgrades? I'm a little OCD. I like to know a lot about a subject, at least enough to have a conversation or to plan ahead when I start something. (eg I researched my watch for 3 months before I bought it!) Anyway, what kind of upgrades are we talking about? I'm planning on doing MTB and Road Biking pretty much equally in the summer.

Irulan, I did find a clinic that I can attend in the spring and another one in Sept. Your website is awesome. I do have a question though...Should the bike fit be done with me in "neutral" position? Does that make a difference?
Thanks again, Ladies!
Gray

[Irulan]

bike fit would be done sitting in the saddle, not out of the saddle.

I'm with Aggie, don't worry about upgrades. Just go ride the heck out of the dam thing until you break something.

A $360 bike is not worth upgrading. Ride it like you stole it and save your $$ for an upgrade bike.

[GraysonKelly]

bike fit would be done sitting in the saddle, not out of the saddle.

I'm with Aggie, don't worry about upgrades. Just go ride the heck out of the dam thing until you break something.

A $360 bike is not worth upgrading. Ride it like you stole it and save your $$ for an upgrade bike.

Okay, I can do that. Thanks again. I think I'll go play a little. Have a great day.
Gray

[Aggie_Ama]

You can call me Aggie or Ama, just don't call me a longhorn.

Yes, I meant upgrading the whole thing after you ride it into the ground. My Tess (her name) was a Craigslist find, she is about a $500-600 bike when she was new and there are definitely nicer bikes. My eye is on a nice Full Suspension rig when I get a new one. But I will probably keep Tess around too. The stable is full but what the heck.

I am eager to hear how you like the dirt when you get to try it. I didn't think I would like it and it frustrates me some because there is a lot to learn as you try harder stuff but it is a blast! You will find mountain biking engages the muscles differently the road riding, be prepared to be a bit sore in different places. I was really shocked by that after my first few rides.

[GraysonKelly]

Hi Aggie,
I was actually thinking of getting started pretty soon. It's a little wet today so I was just gonna go out in the parking lot and ride around a bit (I"m bored) and play. Since the parks are closed for the winter now I'm not sure I'm allowed to hit the trails there, but I live in a university town that has a Core Arboretum that has some bike paths (and a really steep relatively long access road. I thought maybe I could practice out there. The cold doesn't really bother me if I'm not on the road so I thought that might be fun to do instead of strictly riding the trainer (although I do love it). I'm anxious to get started on this. It should be fun.
Talk to you later, I promise to keep you posted.
Gray