UK Yank

Hello all. I'm getting back on the bike after years away now that I am the proud owner of knees that told me the other day, "Mate, you are too old to run every day!" I've been digging through a really nice forum over here in the UK, but as I am a Yank I wanted to come here and get the US version of Mountain Biking Reality.

I've discovered that "things have changed" in the years I've been away from riding. I'm over here in the UK for another 16 months, so won't be buying anything over here, but I realise my 15 YEAR old Cannodale no-suspension cantilever break Pleistocene fossil will probably not cut it in the long run. Oh yeah, the guys at the bike shop over here where I turned the bike in to get refurbished LOVED the mirror my wife had added to the end of the bar.

"Mate, we can even move your mirror to the proper side..." He was, of course, joking, although I missed the humor. I'll get him back when I asked for my mandatory bell to be put on gratis.

Good news - I work right on the Salisbury Plain training area so I literally can walk out the front door and go ride to my heart's content through all the hills and mud I want. Only down side - Salisbury Plain is the only place I've been where this time of year no matter which direction you face, you ride into a 30 kt head wind. Now how does THAT work??

Hope this finds you all well, and my knees and I are glad to be back into biking.

Paul

Johnny_Monkey

Doesn't the army do exercises on Salisbury plain?

UK Yank

They do, but there are plenty of rights of way across the plain. We've gotten used to looking out for land rovers, Challenger 2s and Warriors while running for the past year, so I can't see why riding is any different. At any rate, I'm in the Army, albeit on exchange to the British Army, so we are comfortble out there. As long as you practice some common sense and don't run/ride through an exercise, you're generally OK.

Paul