Mountain Bike advice

[General Mannerheim]

General M, that track looks incredibly manicured.

Are there no real 'mountain bush tracks' in your neck of the woods?

For comparison, check out some of these:

http://users.on.net/~fathers/

My son used to be a keen mountain biker and spent far too much money on his chargers. He has ridden most of the tracks shown on the referenced site. He is now old enough to have more sense and has effectively retired from the hobby.

Yeah that can be the trouble with some of these specific trial centres, a little too manicured. But most a generally a lot more technical than the pictures, that bit is just a little added section where you can just free wheel and get some mega speed up. But yeah, there are plenty of natural trials, paths and bridleways to be found. Where I live I have unlimited moorland to explore from Chorley in the west right over to Hebdon Bridge in the East. Brilliant scenic cross country riding if that’s your thing, but for exhilaration the fun fast, technical bits are few and far between. Which is why a TC is a good now and again as it packs as much as it can into maybe 25k loop. Some of them, or parts of some of them like the Marin at Bets-y-Coed or the Dragonback at Coed-y-Brenin are so old and bedded in, its hard to believe its man made at all.

also, its funny how forgiving some hills look in photos taken face on, compared to when your stood at the friggin top, trembling!

[Dujon]

Fair enough, General, I thought that there'd be more than I was beginning, reluctantly, to suspect. Thanks for the information.

You are right about photographs and perspective. There is a motor racing track at Bathurst, a couple of hours drive from me, which is normally public roads. Parts of it are really steep. I've driven around it many times and have walked much of it when attending meets as a spectator, but photographs and television coverage fail to convey the reality.

[ebby]

i went up to Healy Nab by the end of Anglesarke Resi near Chorley the other week, decent enough trail there and nice and local to Horwich where i'm living...didn't go round all the routes but the Red run was good, fairly technical...i was shattered as it took me 1 1/2 hours to get there and find it so didn't make the most of it but plan to go back soon

[Bruce Rioja]

excuse my ignorance - but aren't canals basically flat?

They're in flat sections but use those 'lock' jobbies to deal with gradients, no?

As such, I imagine that the towpaths will have to have inclines in them as well.

Talking of canals though, how come parts of Der Nederland don't just fill up if 20+ odd% of them are below sea-level?

Here's a bit of triv for you too. The control tower at Schiphol is below sea-level.

Bruce = ITFK!

[Worthy4England]

excuse my ignorance - but aren't canals basically flat?

They're in flat sections but use those 'lock' jobbies to deal with gradients, no?

As such, I imagine that the towpaths will have to have inclines in them as well.

Talking of canals though, how come parts of Der Nederland don't just fill up if 20+ odd% of them are below sea-level?

Here's a bit of triv for you too. The control tower at Schiphol is below sea-level.

Bruce = ITFK!

The top of it, or the bottom of it???!

[General Mannerheim]

just noticed this on ebay, stone me its an absolute belter of a bargain! you should all bid on it now...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Giant-Anthem-X2-F ... _994wt_932" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bruce Rioja]

just noticed this on ebay, stone me its an absolute belter of a bargain! you should all bid on it now...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Giant-Anthem-X2-F ... _994wt_932" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Push iron! Meh!

[General Mannerheim]

tbh i had an alterior motive for posting that... but fear not it sold with in hours!

[Prufrock]

Would never have guessed

[Annoyed Grunt]

Quick bit of advice....are Raleigh mountain bikes any good? Or would you go for a Trek?

[General Mannerheim]

depends what you want it for, occasional plods along bridleways and canal paths then they are fine. but they are not in the same league as a Trek. Given that the most expensive Raleigh bike i could find was less than £400, you probably wouldnt get the cheapest of the cheap Trek for that.

i dont know why but even Trek has a reputation for not being very cool amongst keen riders, the new Fuel Ex9.9 looks tremendous to me! http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/mo ... uel_ex_9_9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

so yeah, id go for the Trek all day long, but im a snob.

[Annoyed Grunt]

Just the occasional plod with my lad.

The Trek I've seen is this:

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/121367.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[General Mannerheim]

you would probably get more bike for your money with the Raleigh, but you'll always have more kudos with the trek.

[Annoyed Grunt]

you would probably get more bike for your money with the Raleigh, but you'll always have more kudos with the trek.

Seeing as I can be a bit of a snob, the Trek it is

[General Mannerheim]

you should get one of these... http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Scott-Scale-899 ... =Froogle01" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ouch!

[Annoyed Grunt]

It is nice though.

[Annoyed Grunt]

Have just seen this one: http://www.very.co.uk/raleigh-26-inch-f ... 4294957680" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... any good?

[Lofthouse Lower]

Mate has one of these bad boys - http://www.elliptigo.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[boltonboris]

I had a Trek for over a decade, battered it senseless and it's only just packed in

[Gary the Enfield]

Mate has one of these bad boys - http://www.elliptigo.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He must also have more money than sense!!!! £1,800?