AeroTechDesigns

We can definitely do that. North Park is actually closer to me but everyone I ride with goes to South Park. I'd be down to get some people together and go out for a day.

tass1

Wow, new to cycling and just googled your username. Had no idea there was clothing manufacturer in the area. Cool.

urbanknight

You're scaring me.

kbtommy

No kidding. I'm adding that to my already lengthy "con" list.

Blackdays

Great! Not to sound creepy, but where do you live?

I live in Wexford, literally about a 2 minute drive away from North Park. Have you ever ridden the trails up here before?

schnee

From someone who rides both road and MTB...

If you rode fast enough to break fingers and a helmet on your first ride, you were pushing waaay too hard, and the people you rode with weren't being aware enough to dial it down for you.

You will definitely crash, but the first few times should be embarrassing, not life-threatening. Remember that when you hit, it's not a smooth flat surface nearly as often. Lots more opportunities to twist, tear, contort, etc.

Next-door neighbor of my work riding buddy is paralyzed for life from a MTB crash. Be careful.

Blackdays

Here's a detailed scenario of what happened:

We started on the trail, my friend shot off in front of me (he's a lot more experienced), I decided to mash to catch up, and before I knew it I hit a steep descent...with a sharp bank.

I couldn't corner fast enough, and went right into a tree. I ended up breaking the fingers because I attempted to stop the inevitable with my hands but that didn't help.

schnee

Yeah, I hear you. Just to be totally clear, that wasn't a slam or negative judgment on them or you. Stuff just happens. Teaching is hard.

I also did the same thing as you one time, but just bruised some ribs. Luckily I just hit dirt, not a tree.

RJM

I used to mountain bike quite a bit and in 1996 saved up for a Specialized Stumpjumper with a Judy XC fork. Man it was great. It was nothing to crash, get up dust off and motor off. I loved the feel of balance on the bike, trying to not get killed while picking the right line through a singletrack. My poor Stumpy sits in the garage right now and the fork is trashed. I have often thought about replacing the fork and getting back onto the trails, but I am doing the road thing right now. Hmmm, maybe I can swing the cash for a new fork in the next month or two.

AeroTechDesigns

I'm from Moon Twp. Our shop is in Coraopolis. No I haven't made it to North Park yet. I'm waiting on a few parts to come in for my bike. I might be able to check it out by the end of this week if I get them in.

@Tass1 Thanks. We're located almost at mile 0 on the Montour Trail if you know where that is. What part of the city are you from?

tass1

I'm on the eastern side of the county in North Versailles. Mostly ride solo around here and around westmoreland county.

I'll definitely be looking you guys up for my next gear purchase.

big john

I'm 56 and I still mtb sometimes, thinking about a new bike, actually.
Lots of skills to learn before you are any good. Take your time, read a lot and listen to other riders who are smooth on the bike. Practice on the easy stuff and later when you get in trouble your memory will bail you out. Don't be an "all balls, no brains" rider, you might hurt yourself or someone else.
There are some good riders in my age group, guys who can hop over logs, balance on boulders, etc. Use your head and in 40 years you could be one of them.

C_Heath

MTB rules. It helps on the road bike. What really is king is when a really good roadie gets hooked on the woods and uses that big road bike motor, in the woods. If he/she can handle the trail, he/she is untouchable.

cshell

DataJunkie

I think it would be a blast but I live an hour from any decent trails and I hate driving.

rushbikes

+1! Also works the other way around. MTBing enhanced my technical skills on the road bike for cornering at the limit, slow speed balance, and WHEELIES!

rumrunn6

OUCH! whoa! too bad. get well soon. wutz the prognosis for the fingers?

Blackdays

It's not horrible. There's a few hairline fractures. Doc said they should heal in 2 months, maybe a little less.

rumrunn6

can you use them? ride? when does your road bike get road ready again? fingers hurt? painkillers? swollen? are they wrapped? are you keeping them elevated? it may feel ridiculous but hand iunjuires feel better when the hand is raised. they even have special rigs or jigs you can wear that holds your hand/arm up like you're back in school.

Blackdays

Well, my bike is ready again tomorrow, however I don't think I'm going to be able to shift/break with my left hand at all. It feels fine when being left straight, or bending a little, but if I put any pressure on it it swells up and hurts pretty bad.

I'm on vicodins right now, so that keeps the swelling down. I've been icing them pretty regularly as well. They are in splints.

I haven't tried elevating them, but that's a good suggestion. I've been sitting around a lot lately so I'll do it then.

rumrunn6

tough break, no pun intended. definitely elevated (above the heart). if holding it up in a chair gets tiresome I think lying down with your hand on your chest will help as well. the bikes can wait.

cwk132

I had my first time mountain biking today... I was feeling somewhat confident because I've been riding my road bike a lot, but ended up crashing within the first two miles. My friend and I continued on into the expert loop and although he showed me up by a large margin, I still managed to finish. To me the singletrack all just seemed so hectic and required so much more attentiveness compared to road biking where you can find your groove and zone out somewhat. Looking back it kind of makes sense that singletrack riding seemed hectic and somewhat scary because my other sport is rowing, a sport where all that matters once it comes to racing is emptying your mind and just pulling hard, you don't even have to steer! It was a learning experience though, and I'll definitely do it again but I think I'll take it slower, even steering was hectic for me because my mountain bike handled soooo much more differently that my road bike.

TwoHeadsBrewing

I ride 2-3 times per week in the spring/summer/fall, as long as there is good daylight before or after work. I started off MTB'ing, but I'm not sure I would have kept with it if not for a good friend that helped and encouraged me. The trails around here are rough, and were rougher 10 years ago when I started riding. It's easy to crash, and I still crash about once each ride. The trick is to be VERY careful on the downhill sections until you know the trails. You can crash on a climb or technical section and not mess yourself up too bad. BUT, as you found out, serious injury or death is a total possibility when hurtling downhill through boulders, deadfalls, trees, and dropoffs @ > 20mph.

My advice is to seek out a buddy or acquaintance that can show you the local trails and give you pointers on technique. It helps a lot to have someone just show you the correct line on a technical stretch or serious downhill. Congrats on the first crash though, hope you heal fast and get right back on that horse. MTB'ing is great cross training for road, and vice versa.

Blackdays

I went for a 75 mile ride today with broken fingers. They are so swelled up, and I probably did myself in...but it was so worth it.

It was such a pretty day...

under18cyclists

That's cheap?