n + 1: my first MTB!

[Ered_Lithui]

I took it out on its first ride Sunday. It was, for lack of a better word, terrifying. New type of bike + trails that are "kinda technical" (riding buddy is a Cat 1 MTBer) + residual nervousness about falling (tore my rotator cuff in November and it's still mending) = a long, hard slog with lots of walking. Glad my partner was patient.

It got a bit better over the course of a few hours as we tweaked the bike and I got a feel for how it handled. Still, it was a huge shift from road or cyclocross. The handling was a bigger adjustment than I ever would have guessed. I'm looking forward to the next time, perhaps on some easier trails.

And now, pictures! We had to replace the fork, and so for now it's known as the McDonald's Bike.