Now what can you do with a mountain bike> To start off you can go and get it muddy. You have found out about the stock pedals and seat, but fairly shortly you will be wanting a better mud plugging tyre. Panaracer Fire XC,s and if you can afford them get the Kevlar beaded form. Then you can really hit the hills, and the trees, and the Bushes and the odd cow that suddenly stands up from the long grass in front of you. Yes I've done that too. These things are strong so no worries about that little 6" kerb to jump off. Going up them is different as you have to learn to bunny hop, but when you get accomplished at this skill, you can jump into the middle of that muddy puddle and spray every one for 20ft around with gunge. Then there are the hills. Forget about your long steep road hills. These things , with their low gears and grippy tyres will climb the side of a mountain if you want to. It will also help on raising your heart rate. Besides the effort involved on getting them to climb mountains- The thrill of going down the other side at 50 mph because you forgot to connect the brakes back up from when you repaired the 3rd puncture of the morning, will definitely get the HR up.- and yes I've done that aswell. Then there are the "Expeditions" to do. Get the wife to drop you off about 100 miles away at 6 am in the morning and ride back offroad home. Easyily manageable in a day, but try and do it on the longest day of the year- or carry lights with you. Oh thats the other thing- Get out Night riding. That is fantastic. Especially when you find out that the $150 lights you bought have the Power of *fork andles*and you can't see the state of the track in front of you. Don't know if that shadow is a hole, deep mud, dead fox, Or even worse a live one sleeping that does not take kindly to being woken up, so another Heart rate rise in the offing. What got me about those lights was that they worked completetly adequately on the road, but for offroading you do need good lights. Preferably two of them with the power of a searchlight.
What can you do with a mountain Bike- Anything you want except go fast on tarmac.
*Fork andles* Find out about the Infamous 2 Ronnies Sketch. Explanation will come later if the British sense of humour is not the same as yours.
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How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
Last edited by stapfam; 08-28-06 at 03:03 AM.