TW Mountain Biking Thread

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:16 am

Any of you punks like to ride the iron horse? Its become one of my favourite past times over the last few years – nowt better than getting out & up into our surrounding hills, forests & moorlands and hurtling down some tracks or hopping along some rocky riverbed! I also love to ski, but that is reserved for one week a year - im finding the MTB a similar thrill - and you can do it in your own backyard!

Its incredible how much natural beauty there is on our own doorstep! Im constantly discovering new places I never knew existed!

I like to go out 2 or 3 times a week, up Holcombe moor, or scout moor, or Rivington – then maybe a trail centre at weekends, Lee Quarry, Coed Llandegla, Whinlatter, Grisdale, Gisburn, etc etc. Plus the occasional organised event.

So, what with bike sales going through the roof at the moment, and all these employers 'cycle schemes' I thought id start this thread so folk can post tips, trail ideas, rides you’ve been on, or shizzle about bikes, maintenance etc – share your knowledge!

What do you reckon?

Up coming epics for me include the coast to coast in august, which is spread over two days – and also the Mary Towneley Loop challenge in September, 47 miles!

Abdoulaye's Twin · Post by **Abdoulaye's Twin** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:22 am

Used off road a lot in Wales when I was younger. I worked in the industry back then and built my own bike. Some good riding to be had around Snowdonia, especially Betws-y-Coed and Coed-y-Brenin. The forest next to Newborough beach on Anglesey is good fun. Lots of sand on the flat tracks from the beach to skid around on

These days I don't have the time or inclination...or fitness

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:29 am

yeah Coed-y-Brenin is supposed to be the daddy - not been yet but hopefully get there soon, tie in with a visit to in inlaws i reckon - they live near Criccieth.

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:51 am

For the people in control of their bikes - all well and good.

For those who ain't, I'd combine "mountainbiking" with "clay pigeon shooting", especially in places like Grisedale.

Abdoulaye's Twin · Post by **Abdoulaye's Twin** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:09 am

General Mannerheim wrote:yeah Coed-y-Brenin is supposed to be the daddy - not been yet but hopefully get there soon, tie in with a visit to in inlaws i reckon - they live near Criccieth.

It's a good spot with plenty of uphill track and a choice of downhill track or gnarly technical (read hair raising) down hills. Betws-Y-Coed is fairly gentle and fun except for the initial uphill (turn right on the downhill into the village) a couple of hundred yards past Swallow Falls. It's a real bugger to get up but once up it's good up and down trail with a lake for a resting point. The downhill at the end is great fun but watch for the big U bend halfway down. I've seen people hit it at 30 + mph and only make 30% of the turn and end up in a heap in the forest!!! To achieve anything less than 20 mph on that downhill (you need to be at 15-20 max to make the turn) you need to sit on the brakes (gently) and skid through the stone channels. A bit hairy the 1st time you do it but great fun.

Gertie · Post by **Gertie** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:55 pm

I loved mountain biking in my younger, crazier days. Sadly 2 babies in 2 years has put an end to that. A good day out was up winter hill then down into Horwich finishing with a pint at the Bob Smithy. France is also really great for mountain biking holidays. Been to Les Arcs where they adapt the ski lifts so you can hang your bike on them and then it's a grand ride home.

Going to get one of those seats to put my older daughter on the back of my bike, but a bit worried as I'm v. clumsy and worried about falling off a lot.

BTW what will happen to the Winter Hill transmitter when we all go digical??

Montreal Wanderer · Post by **Montreal Wanderer** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:10 pm

Gertie wrote:I loved mountain biking in my younger, crazier days. Sadly 2 babies in 2 years has put an end to that. A good day out was up winter hill then down into Horwich finishing with a pint at the Bob Smithy. France is also really great for mountain biking holidays. Been to Les Arcs where they adapt the ski lifts so you can hang your bike on them and then it's a grand ride home.

Going to get one of those seats to put my older daughter on the back of my bike, but a bit worried as I'm v. clumsy and worried about falling off a lot.

BTW what will happen to the Winter Hill transmitter when we all go digical??

I do seem to remember a photo of a bicycle with two legs sticking out of a ditch beside it.

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:11 pm

Not cycled outdoors for years, though with the TDF on atm I've been caining it in the gym. I try and alternate between spinning and the video bike (riding to a pre set route with a video screen in front of ye...) and am getting the hang of it, in fact, I'll probably get one before I go back to uni.

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:23 pm

Olympians and Tour De France-ians are doing a demo in Blackpool this coming weekend......

Hoboh · Post by **Hoboh** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:34 pm

Just recently we've been all over the back yard of Lancs on the bikes, love it! Speed cameras are a pest as is unmarked cars though! Trough of Bowland is real knee down.

enfieldwhite · Post by **enfieldwhite** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:46 pm

I'm a bit of a wimp on the old bike but I did Whinlatter last year (slowly)

I love getting out on the bike and bought Mrs EW one too so we can all go out into Trent Park and around Forty Hall (beautiful countryside, if quite flat)

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:47 pm

Gertie wrote:I loved mountain biking in my younger, crazier days. Sadly 2 babies in 2 years has put an end to that. A good day out was up winter hill then down into Horwich finishing with a pint at the Bob Smithy. France is also really great for mountain biking holidays. Been to Les Arcs where they adapt the ski lifts so you can hang your bike on them and then it's a grand ride home.

Going to get one of those seats to put my older daughter on the back of my bike, but a bit worried as I'm v. clumsy and worried about falling off a lot.

BTW what will happen to the Winter Hill transmitter when we all go digical??

Yeah, thats the what i wanna do soon, chairlifts & cablecars - no more climbing!

been to Les Arcs skiing, is a great place! not sure id get away with a 'mountain biking holiday' as well as a ski trip though! not for a year or two anyway!

jimbo · Post by **jimbo** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:48 pm

I'm more in to road biking. Growing up on the Fylde coast with a lack of anything approaching a hill sort of infuenced that. I bought a good road bike about 2 years ago and was getting really good until about April this year when I broke my foot playing cricket meaning I couldn't ride for 6 weeks, which set me back a lot. I'd love to be able to join a club but I don't have the time so now I'm in the summer hols I'm out every day trying to get up to a half decent standard. Did about 40 miles this morning which was enjoyable, and I'm thinking more of the same tomorrow.

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:26 pm

jimbo wrote:I'm more in to road biking. Growing up on the Fylde coast with a lack of anything approaching a hill sort of infuenced that. I bought a good road bike about 2 years ago and was getting really good until about April this year when I broke my foot playing cricket meaning I couldn't ride for 6 weeks, which set me back a lot. I'd love to be able to join a club but I don't have the time so now I'm in the summer hols I'm out every day trying to get up to a half decent standard. Did about 40 miles this morning which was enjoyable, and I'm thinking more of the same tomorrow.

i used a really good road bike for the manchester/blackpool ride the other week - really enjoyed the speed and how much easier the climbs were, and effortlessly gliding past mtb riders blowing out of their arses - but it didnt make me want to buy a road bike - for me its all about getting to the normally inaccessible places, getting muddy and flying down tracks. i cant go anywhere on a racer that i cant go in a car.

Gertie · Post by **Gertie** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:57 pm

Montreal Wanderer wrote:
Gertie wrote:I loved mountain biking in my younger, crazier days. Sadly 2 babies in 2 years has put an end to that. A good day out was up winter hill then down into Horwich finishing with a pint at the Bob Smithy. France is also really great for mountain biking holidays. Been to Les Arcs where they adapt the ski lifts so you can hang your bike on them and then it's a grand ride home.

Going to get one of those seats to put my older daughter on the back of my bike, but a bit worried as I'm v. clumsy and worried about falling off a lot.

BTW what will happen to the Winter Hill transmitter when we all go digical??
I do seem to remember a photo of a bicycle with two legs sticking out of a ditch beside it.

haha I'd forgotten about that, yes it was at a place called something like Gunnerside somewhere in Yorkshire I tumbled into the ditch and everyone took photos. I knew there was a reason I'd stopped biking and now I remember why, I was rubbish at it.

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:05 pm

if your into biking you should defo check out here... http://www.coedllandegla.com/

Dujon · Post by **Dujon** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:20 am

My son used to do a lot of MB riding along some of the trails in my neck of the woods and which I understand are numerous, rugged and require a good sense of balance and quick reactions. He loved it. He started off with a basic mountain bike (whatever that is) and moved up to some extraordinarily expensive piece of kit with all sorts of adjustments available, including shock absorbers front and rear. If memory serves me correctly he spent something like $2,000 (£1,000) on the later unit and then something equivalent on upgrading wheels, spokes, the shock absorbers, tyres, gears and whatever else he thought important.

When I was in my mid-teens I saved up and bought a second-hand three speed 'bike. In those days I and a couple of mates would run the mile and a half to the 'local' milk bar to grab a milk shake. We'd take a few minutes to drink them, whilst chatting to Jack, the owner, and then run home again. The thing that I found surprising was that, although I was good at running distances, different muscles seemed to come into play when riding and that it took me a week or two to get up to speed on the 'bike.

Many years later (I would have been in my late 'thirties' at a guess) I bought a new 'bike. It was just a general purpose 10 gear unit and I began to ride around the local area for fitness purposes. One day on the trip home from the shops and on a bit of a steep climb which is only about 200 - 250 metres in length I was puffing and panting 'high in the saddle' and in a mind boggling low gear when a couple of lycra clad youngsters passed me by, obviously using a much longer gear than I was, having a bit of a chat as they did so. I felt so humiliated and inadequate that I sold the 'bike shortly after.

Therefore I wish you and your fellow bikers well, General. It is fun, it does keep you fit and it provides that needed risk factor.

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 12:08 pm

Put my name down for this in a few weeks http://www.c2cplaces2stay.co.uk/index.html

doing it in two days, with a stop-over in Alston.

anyone done it / know owt about it???

be p!ssed off if its mostly on roads.

officer_dibble · Post by **officer_dibble** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:37 pm

I'm interested in starting I think; whats a good price for starters etc? I think we are hoping to move house at some point then I would have somewhere to store a bike!

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:03 pm

officer_dibble wrote:I'm interested in starting I think; whats a good price for starters etc? I think we are hoping to move house at some point then I would have somewhere to store a bike!

What Mountain Bike is a good starting point - they usually list top tens in different price brackets for different types of bikes (hardtails, full sus, big wheel etc) - they usually go by the rule that you should spend no less that 500 notes for a decent entry level bike, brand new.

Also, more and more people i know are taking advantage of the governments cycle to work scheme, where you can spend up to 1000 notes on a bike & accessories but only pay back 60% over 12 months.

500 sounds like a lot when your starting from scratch. I bought one for that much and thought i was riding round on the rolls royce of bikes, but as i got more into it i soon realised i needed to invest more. the main thing you get for your money is a lighter frame, and when you have done a few long rides with some tough climbs, and parts where you need to carry your bike or where your always having to hoist it over styles & gates etc, you soon learn where the extra money goes! not to mention more efficient suspension, brakes and transmission! Obviously you can buy cheaper from Halfords etc but if you think you might start to take it more seriously then you should not waste your time with these? There are always plenty of good bikes on ebay, but it helps if you know what your after first. the choice is astronomical! if your not 100% id look at bikes that are currently going for 750-1000 quid, then see if you can get a 2nd hand earlier model for maybe 350-400 - you will probably end up with a better bike than if you spent 500 on summat brand new!?

or, get yourself to a good trail centre - Llandegla, or Grisdale etc where you can hire a good bike for the day and throw yourself down some tracks! you will soon decide whether its for you or not!

Either way, if you do get into it, it wont be long before your looking at upgrading - its an expensive hobby!

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