I have now sold all my bikes bar my shopper/single speed tag-a-long thingy.

I have pretty much given up mountain biking. Mainly the cost has made it impossible for me to enjoy it the way I have for so long.

I know I will come back to it, but I wanted to know if anyone else has had a few years off the bike and if they regretted it or it revitalised their riding when they got back into it?

Awwww Rich 🙁

Yeah I had many years off, rode motorbikes, BMX etc……

I regret every ride I miss except a few nutter ones like Nan Bield and Whernside

blimey Rich that's a shocker, just push Pete off and use his bike! 😀

In what way has cost made it impossible?

Rich, if you fancy a ride up my neck of the woods sometime, I can lend you a bike if a 16in Inbred isn't to diddy… 🙂

woody2000 my personal circumstances have changed massivly!

Had a few years off due to kids/work after racing almost every weekend for 8 years.

Came back to it 'socially', still do the odd race (just mountain mayhem as a team actually now) but ride for fun, no pressure, lots of beer.

Just had 10 weeks off due to broken collar bone, first night ride tonight, cant wait!!

As to cost, yes it can be a lot. Sorry all your bikes are gone, but its really 'not about the bike'. I still have more fun on a £500 singlespeed than I had on anything else. Have the winter off and wait for a few warm, dry spring sundays and you'll soon be back out on anything thats rideable!

I took about 2-3 years out (relocated etc…) and have been back into it for about 6 months now, the worst thing was missing the mates you ride with and you feel older! Looking at all the old biking photos, wanting to get fit and have a laugh helped 'force' me to get back on my bike. I kept my bikes though which helped, had a weekend at CYB a few weeks back and it was top notch. 8)

As to cost, yes it can be a lot.

Not wrong there, I feel like I've spent a small fortune sorting bits out, getting biking clothes and stuff. I shouldn't have left my bikes out side for a few years 😆

I have been going through a "I'm bored with this"phase for a few years now. Still enjoyed being out with my mates but the riding became secondary. I stopped racing, slowly changed what I did on the bike i.e. factored in road rides, hard and fast as well as long and slow rides and eventually all the pieced began to slot back into place. I don't know what I'd do without my bikes – the serve as much of a function as a stress release mechanism as a way of having fun. And, I don't think you need an expensive bike to have a laugh/enjoy yourself. My all time favourite bike for a long time was my rigid SS. I have just traded it in (effectively) for a large wheeled, rigid SS so hopefully I'll have as much of a blast on that.

A rest may do you good, stops you becoming jaded so it could be a good thing, as long as you don't let it last forever………

Thanks Pete, I doubt I will take you up on the offer, but its appreciated.

The cost is more than I realised to be honest. Simple things like a set of cranks start at £60 I just cant justify them. Clothes for winter riding are a so important. I can still get out on my SS but I know I wont be riding ever week anymore. I dont have the time at the weekends or after work anymore either.

I have even started running which I thought I never would.

Not done it, but feeling exactly the same as you. Constantly wearing things out/breaking parts and a severe lack of spare cash means I'm not only going off biking due to cost, but I'm actively beginning to resent it due to the way it drains all my money.

The problem is that I then go out for a ride and love it again.

EDIT: Ha – I've also started running after years of deriding it…

We need a "STW spare parts pool", there must be loads of people on here with a lot of spare parts that are well usable but they CBA to sell and don't want to throw out. As long as it wasn't taken advantage of people could dip in it they were in real need of the parts.

I know I've got bit's I don't need.

We need a "STW spare parts pool", there must be loads of people on here with a lot of spare parts that are well usable but they CBA to sell and don't want to throw out. As long as it wasn't taken advantage of people could dip in it they were in real need of the parts.

I know I've got bit's I don't need.

It has to be said I'm sitting here kicking myself for selling a pair of wheels and some brakes recently……… 🙁

Rich you know youare more than welcome to use the bike of mine that's at WCA while I am not here.
And I am serious about it.

had a long winter off last year, only bike broke, couldnt afford winter clothes and repair bill.

started again in july and its better than ever!

enjoy your break. 🙂

nightmare mate!!! You'll be back maybe you need a ride to wake the spark up a bit if you want I'll show you how not to ride lordswood!!!

Rich

I gave up riding for 7-8 years when I got into Sailing and then when I moved it was the catalyst to start riding again. And I haven't set foot on a boat since, despite being top of my game on yachts and having started to teach etc and dinghy sailing each weekend. Have now sold my boats and feel no need to go back. Dont regret the time spent sailing and love cycling again.

Cycling isn't going anywhere and you still have your SS (shonky speed)!

Andy

I am sorry to hear that Rich. Look upon it as an opportunity to investigate other sports. You need to do other things and running is so much more accessible, less faffing and cleaning, definitely less expense. Also, don't underestimate walking.

Understand perfectly about expense of mountain biking. I'm just holding off putting my bikes up for sale but it will be coming. Funnily enough, I feel OK about it cos there's worse things that could happen.

Good luck.

Howdy Rich,

One bike is enough, and can keep that spark alive that can only be attained with the freedom that comes from cycling – on-road, off-road, whatever, it's all free.

Try other things, use your bike for getting about and shopping, keep up the running and one day you'll find a sweet, cheap ATB and head for teh hills again.

(Love the idea of a stock of bits peeps can dip into: I've got mountains of junk that I'm sure lots of guys 'n' gals could make use of. Maybe we could have a freecycle/swapping sort of system…?)

A rest may do you good, stops you becoming jaded

isn't it the other way round, if you're not jaded there's no need to stop riding ?

A while ago there was interest in donating spares to build a bike. A STW'er even volunteered to do the build.

The problem was collecting the parts and getting them to where they needed to be, which could be anywhere.

Perhaps this idea should be resurrected? I would be happy for folk to bring spare parts to the Swinley Forest on Sunday.

Perhaps this idea should be resurrected?

Definitely!

We can just all post whatever bits to whoever needs them, it's not that expensive and sometimes they're not on strike 😉

(I'll happily volunteer – I work in a jolly decent workshop and can do all the wrenching and post the bike out to wherever it needs to go – possibly to the winner of some sort of charity auction/comp/thingy?)

To be fair I would guess 90% of my biking is done on/ and added to my daily commute, it is not rad/ gnarr/ or xxxc flo core, and it's done on a sub £200 bike. I struggle to feel your pain on having to take up running, 'owt that keeps you fit is good, maybe a bit less bed wetting is required.

Actually there was a Northern spare parts collection that looked as though a dozen bikes were going to get built. Wonder what happened to it.

bananaworld – why not start a new thread?

bananaworld – why not start a new thread?

I'm scared that no one will reply…

Rich – sorry to hijack your thread, dude. If this thing kicks off though, maybe needy souls such as yourself could get a vaguely serviceable ATB to play on and rekindle that off-road joy. In your case I think you might need to have a rethink about what you actually need in order to have fun off-road: sure, a plastic Cannondale full-susser is quicker than an old hi-ten iron Trek, but I've had loads of fun rides on shonky bikes, so see what local skips and adverts in rags can throw up. Enjoy! 🙂

rich, you been on this forum for ages.
things change , you may never mtb again but then again you may feel rejuvinated.
i never look at one aspect of cycling . giving up cycling altogether ,for me will never happen.
it dont matter what you ride rich, it just matters that you do

Sad to hear your interest has waned Rich. Like others I can remember you on this forum since year dot (since you owned that Soma Groove). I can relate to your comments about the expense of cycling and I've been doing the secondhand route or hunting out the bargains.

I try and get out once-a-week. Readying up is a faff. And weather is unpredictable. I ride less. I run more. But not quite given in. From the number of bikes I still own you'd think I was training up for something.

Just for the record – my cranks are still sq. taper or octalink type!

Sorry to hear of your lost love for bikes,
I still get the same buzz/high i did 35yrs ago ,
Don't mater what bike,maybe try something different (two wheeled)

Hi guys, I havn't lost my passion for bikes and am still involved in putting on the Big Bike Bash 2010. Hopefully will see you all there in August!

I just cant do trips away which is what I enjoyed the most over the last 12 months. Riding with the Southern Shandy Drinkers is some of the best riding I have ever done. I am sure I will be back at it next year. I need to save some serious cash and I have priorities that are higher than riding at the moment.

Thanks everyone 🙂

Hey Rich,
I know it must be hard for you at the moment. This time last year I actually preferred running to cycling. In addition to the expenditure issues that you identified, running gives you the same buzz as cycling, racing is waaaaay cheaper and you don't have to go through the same preparatory faff. My advice would be to stick to the xc running though. In the 6 months that I was running on the roads, I ended up putting an awful lot of wear on my knee cartilage. I can't run more than half a mile now…so it's back to bikes for me.
You'll be back…perhaps with 26" wheels next time so I can keep up with you!!! 😉

A rest may do you good, stops you becoming jaded

isn't it the other way round, if you're not jaded there's no need to stop riding ?

If you do the same thing over and over, so you get bored and do it half heartedly, you can get jaded. That's where I am right now. I think I just need some new terrain.

Know what you mean Soma, big trips away are great fun but rarely cheap. Especially when you start breaking stuff. Sure when you get the cash back and get back into it it'll feel fresher & more fun 🙂

i took a couple of years away, sold my mtb – rode a KTM Duke2 instead – until the forks fell off 😯

did some gym work and took an all ability running group out from there, which was fun

i'd kept my cx bike and then started commuting again

garage is full of damn bicycles again 😀

Mainly the cost has made it impossible for me to enjoy it the way I have for so long.

Whilst the industry gets richer and richer.