MTB gotta love it (Mountain Biking in general)

Member Name: mr blonde

Product:	Mountain Biking in general
Date:	10/12/01 (246 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: extreme sport

Disadvantages: none

This is without doubt one of my top sports in the entire world, i love most aspects of the industry respectively, although my heart lies with the Downhill scene. I regualry ride a bit of street in my local area, but it doesn't even get near to ripping up the trails in my local woods or at my personal favourite, delamere forest, which i have already reviewed.

The sport itself involves all kinds of variety, which is one of the main reasons i like it, from cross country, to crazy downhillers, even to the excellent trials ridiers, who do some of the most crazy stuff i have ever seen, how they manage to keep balance aswell as that i have no idea, they all make the sport what it is today, and that is quite simply EXTREME.

The variation in the bikes themselves is also incredible, i remember thinking as a kid bikes only come with 2 wheels and gears, and now there is full suspension bikes, with all kinds of funky chain devices and loads of other weird and wonderful stuff. I personally, as many of my circle of freinds know, ride a full sus, which i have specced up a fair bit, well, to the extent i got new wheels the other day, and when i revalued the bike, it is now worth 900 quid, which as much as it may sound a lot, it was justified this weekend at delamere when the bike rode so much better than it has ever done before, i just can't wait to get the forks serviced when i next get paid, and it should feel class.

Also, the amount of types of bikes is phenominal, there are the ultra small trials bikes, with various wheel sizes, generally 20/26 inch, there are the ultra light , where even when fully built often weigh under 20lb, and then there are the big DH rigs, often weighing 50lb, discluding the brooklyn machine works tmx, that is just sick at 70lb, but it is steel, and it is unbreakable!

Even silly little things like tyres make a world of difference, whether it be width, tread pattern, thickness of the side walls, everything is a
ll critical to the feel of the ride. You are constantly having to question yourself, do i need skinny tyres because it is muddy, or is it dry enough to chance fatter tyres and go that bit faster knowing you will be able rail corners and berms accordingly? What hight do you want the seat? Do you want the seat to be laid back? What PSI do you want the tyres at? How stiff do you want the shock? Do you actually need the shock? Disc brakes or rim brakes? All of these have to be taken into account, no matter how small, they all make a difference.

Technically i am classed as a freerider, and have basically built my bike to be a beefed up cross country bike, but i am definately turning towards DH more and more, it is more technical, you have to be a lot sharper on the bike, and you push yourself mentally as opposed to just physically, i haven't yet rode an XC run, that compares to a DH run as far as scaring the living crap outta me, but that is just the thing that keeps me coming back for more, fear drives this sport, fear causes the adrenaline rush that i am addicted to, and fear is what makes this sport great, there isn't another sport like ours in the sense that we are constantly pushing ourselves, and out machines.

Let's keep this sport great, let us try and get the recognition and sponsorship that we so desperately need, there is a hell of a lot of excellent talent out there desperate to break through the ranks, Steve Peat is constantly showing what british riders are capable of when they are permitted to, why can't every other mountain biker show authorities how great our industry really is, even locally i and a few freinds have fought our asses off to try and get a section of the woods just for people like us, who have a need to ride, the woods are meant to be there for everyone's needs, yet they only cater for dog walkers and ramblers, i will finish with one question: Why can't we have parts of the woods just for o
ur sport? If we have bins there will be no litter problem, we do our own maintainence, and we will bring another part of the woods to life, AND WE DO NOT CRAP ON THE FOOTPATHS UNLIKE DOGS, AND IF YOU ASK ME, DOG WALKERS TOO!

Summary: