I can’t see myself getting too many “yes” responses on an MTB forum, but I’ve found that mountain biking isn’t giving me the same “whoo hooo!” that it used to. It came to a head at Kirroughtree back in September where I just wasn’t enjoying it as much as I remembered…and I remember absolutely loving it (especially the long, sunny days in Spain).

I’m loving my road biking more than ever, but I just can’t get inspired to get kitted up for a mountain bike ride. I’ve never been bothered about cold, dark, wet night rides either, so I’m just not sure what this funk is about.

Anyone else??

It’s all bikes. Your love for Mountain biking may come round again. Just enjoy riding.

I said this in another post a week ago, I still love mountain biking but I don’t love the associated faff around it.

What I mean is that once I am out riding on the hills I love it still but it is the putting the bike in the car/30 min road ride first and the masses of muddy kit that is putting me off it at the moment. the road bike I just get dressed and go which for me works a whole lot better.

Yes.But Ive got road/cx/bmx to keep me amused till I can be arsed again.

Yes this has happenned to me recently. I think its a combination of a loss of confidence, riding the same old trails and bike technical problems just killing it a bit for me the second half of this summer. However I know it will come back, cos I’m sorting the bikes and I’m finding new stuff to ride… 🙂

‘He what is tired of mountain biking is tired of life’

-Dr Samuel Johnson

You could be on to something there lunge. I live in spitting distance of the Peak District but there isn’t any real quality mountain biking from my doorstep. There is some superb road riding that I can see from my kitchen window though.

‘He what is tired of mountain biking is tired of life’

^^ this

I’m the same, just can’t motivate myself to get out on my mtb during the week. I make up the time with running now as it keeps the fitness ticking over (well, in fact its increasing my fitness and dropping weight) until the lighter nights. I don’t know where this has came from, I used to love night riding but just can’t seem to get myself out.

This is compounded by pressure for time on weekends, it only takes one night on the beer and it can sometimes be 2/3 weeks between visits to the bike 🙁

Yeah I have sold my mtbs only have two cx bikes now

He who has no life ,has mountainbiking.FIFYAgain

Happens. I’ve been mostly road riding this year. But I also fitted some CX tyres to my tourer and I’m really enjoying that type of “mountain biking”.

No, but I do get a bit bored of having to spend ages cleaning all my kit late a night when I’ve finished riding, so am turboing during the week.
Currently have totally dead legs thanks to last nights session 😀 😕

Compared to what? Compared to an exercise bike mtbing is great. Compared to a motocross bike it’s dull.

It’s remarkably safe and very little maintenance/hassle is involved, so MTB offers a lot of plus for very little minus.

I dont have a mountain bike at present. CX and road bike are getting plenty use though.

Winter’s here. The best riding season.

Yes.But Ive got road/cx/bmx to keep me amused till I can be arsed again.

Just ordered a cx bike to keep me entertained until Spring. Don’t seem to have much fun on the trails when it’s cold wet and miserable (at least when I’m on my own).

I went from MTB to road riding a few years ago but recently went back to MTB and loving it more than ever, I think you need a good mix of Road and MTB or you will get bored.

Try entering a winter event/enduro or similar. That will help motivate you to get out and ride or you will suffer come race/ride day.

Haven’t lost my love for mountain biking (was out last weekend and had a fantastic ride). But I do more road riding, partly cos I love that too, and also becuase there’s so many great routes straight from the door. Plus the lack of ‘faffage’ involved in road riding makes so much difference – especially not having to find the time to clean bike / kit etc.

But I’m a bit of a ‘jack of all trades’ when it comes to outdoor pursuits, and also spend a lot of time hiking / mountaineering / climbing. So time for mountain biking gets increasingly squeezed.

But then maybe we should just feel lucky that we have so many fun things to choose to do 🙂 (after all, the majority of the population seem to spend their weekends trailing round the shops …)

Sometimes you need to take a break from it. I did for a couple of months. Now i’m back riding and loving it.

Yep, tired of riding the same old mtb trails. Ridden the normal areas in the dark peak too many times, as well as some of the more esoteric white peak trails.

Ridden my CX bike far more for the last 6 months, and love discovering new areas with longer rides (albeit less technical). Making a return to mountain walking/scrambling too. Exposure and locations that you just don’t get on a bike.

I’ve had an extraordinary twelve months on MTB’s and come to the same conclusion.

I’ve blown over £15K on bikes and bits and it’s got me nowhere fast. I should really write a book about my obsession with wasting money and mountain bikes and as I write this I’ve got my two bikes in FS section as I seriously can’t be bothered no more.

They were a way for me to get distracted from an unhappy relationship, riding four to five times a week and when I got out of the relationship I spent more time with my daughter and met someone else. Ive had bad injuries from crashing and don’t have the time.

I’ve been reckless with cash and bought all the latest gizmo’s, sold them for way less than I bought and when I lost my job regretted it hugely. I started in 2009 with a Spesh FSR XC which was a £1300 bike which got me everywhere and was brilliant, when I got a rare £13k bonus in Nove 2010 I went out and spent £2700 on a Cube Stereo, but got wrong size. I crashed that in March 2011 and bought a £3300 Trek Rumblefish 29er a month after spending £2k on a Niner Air 9 which I needed for the softer rides. I sold the Cube for £1700 at same time.

Sold the Niner in June for £1300

In April I bought a Cube £1000 road bike which got used about 5 times and sold in October 2011 for £480
In July I sold the Rumblefish as trek wouldn’t change the shock for the correct one (a long story) and sold it and bought a Lapierre Zesty 514 which gelled with me more than any of them but lost my job in August and despite getting a decent redundancy payment I still haemorrhaged cash like the NHS. I got another job quickly but still felt the need to buy an On One Single Speed for the winter rides.

I’m now in a position where my other hobby of Roller Derby (roller skating) is easier, keeping me fit and share it with my daughter so we spend quality time together.

The bikes barely get ridden and are assets I need to sell. I have loads of top quality kit and hoping to hang on to one bike as I would like to get my mojo back soon and enjoy it, but for the moment my bikes are a way of raising funds for christmas presents until my job starts paying in the new year.

I’m also looking for funds to get some CBT as my life in 2011 has been a mess and whilst I should be sitting pretty having had over £40K go through my account I have **** all. I don’t had any debt which is good and I’m generally happy but internally i’m at a loss as to why I got here………

Plus the lack of ‘faffage’ involved in road riding makes so much difference

Pfft. It’s a right bloody faff taking a pannier rack off and bunging it back on again, I can tell you….

I would just love to get out on the mountain bike more. I’m not anti-road at all, but just don’t see what there is to enjoy? Maybe if roads were actually smooth.

Compared to what?

I used to love it, now not so. I’m comparing mountain biking with mountain biking

The only bits about mountain biking that bore me are the road bits I have to ride on before I get to the woods.

Just get out there – what is this associated faff with getting kitted up?

Just keep your lights on the bike, helmet and shoes by the door, and put on a pair of trousers/shorts and a top and gloves and you’re away.

I don’t even take a bag if I just fancy a quick spin and there is always riding nearby, even if you live in the middle of a city.

there is always riding nearby

For some people just riding is enough. I’m finding that’s not the case anymore. It’s quality not quantity and I just can’t find the quality (other than the many many miles of quality road riding).

I found myself getting a bit bored with long teious climbs on some routes but I think the answer is to mix up yer riding a lot. Keep up a wee bit xc for fitness,have a burn at a trail centre,take the bike out into town and mix it up with traffic or head for an uplift day. If ya get bored of one try another! Ive also found a wee spot of trail tailoring has helped to maintain my interest as well. Head off up the woods with my gardeners multi tool . That keeps my interest up due to seeing how the trail develops and ya gotta ride it to get there!

I just can’t find the quality (other than the many many miles of quality road riding).

This is an alien concept to me, for that reason, I am out.

🙂

Just get out there – what is this associated faff with getting kitted up?

If you live somewhere like where SueW does, in North Wales, you don’t just grab yer bike and go. Speshly in colder weather and winter and that. You make sure you’ve got everything you need for riding in actual mountains. Make sure you’ve the ability to be able to get to safety or at least survive until help arrives, if you or someone else is injured or suffers a bad mechanical or something.

Riding on roads, it’s highly likely someone will be along in a car at some stage, who can then help you out if needed. Not going to happen in some remote off-road part of the Carneddi. You’ll simply die and not be discovered until Spring…

MTBing is more faff, but more rewarding imo.

I seem to be riding the BMX 90% more than the MTB these days… doesn’t mean I got bored of it…

I find this concept of faffage with MTBing odd. Put your riding kit on, get on bike, ride. come home, put bike away, put muddy sweaty kit in washing basket /machine.

Surely your kit gets just as sweaty roadriding and still needs to be washed? have decent mudguards you don’t get very muddy

I find this concept of faffage with MTBing odd. Put your riding kit on, get on bike, ride. come home, put bike away, put muddy sweaty kit in washing basket /machine.

MTBs require more maintenance though, and you need to check yer bike carefully before riding in mountains, as well as ensuring you’ve got all yer spare necessaries etc. On the road, you can stop for lunch at a cafe etc. There aren’t too many up in the mountains. So you need to take food and stuff, innit?

Jeeze I know this and I live in London. Do you actually ride in any flippin mountains TJ? 😡

If you live somewhere like where SueW does, in North Wales, you don’t just grab yer bike and go. Speshly in colder weather and winter and that. You make sure you’ve got everything you need for riding in actual mountains. Make sure you’ve the ability to be able to get to safety or at least survive until help arrives, if you or someone else is injured or suffers a bad mechanical or something.

Riding on roads, it’s highly likely someone will be along in a car at some stage, who can then help you out if needed. Not going to happen in some remote off-road part of the Carneddi. You’ll simply die and not be discovered until Spring…

MTBing is more faff, but more rewarding imo.

Nonsense – Just excuses. Put mobile phone in bag, keep emergency whistle in there with a foil blanket, job done. Wales is not the Siberian Tundra.

well did a 2000 ft climb last week in the ochills.

I have a kit in a saddlebag of everything I need that lives on the bike, I do check it over – takes 30 seconds. Lunch – If I am going to be out more than 4 or 5 hours

The faff is not the reason i’m bored. I’m more than capable of “just nipping out” on my MTB, I just choose not to ‘cos I’m finding it a bit dull. I’d rather nip down the Monsal Trail with my kiddies than head out on some “real” riding. As others have said, I’m sure it’ll come back. I just wondered if anyone else had similar experiences. The answer is – I’m pleased to see – yes.

you’re all getting old 🙂

sort it out.

Put mobile phone in bag, keep emergency whistle in there with a foil blanket, job done. Wales is not the Siberian Tundra.

Ah, yeah, cos mobile ‘phones work great in some mountainous areas especially valleys…

MTBing requires a bit more thought and preparation. That’s all. I mean, you mention the whistle and space blanket; you woon’t be carrying such things on a road ride, normally.

So you’ve kind of proved my point really. 🙂

Try entering a winter event/enduro or similar. That will help motivate you to get out and ride or you will suffer come race/ride day.

The faff and journey to get to decent trails was taking up too much time as well. Esp in the winter. So have entered the Brass Monkeys series and am doing a lot more riding from my door. With my expectation levels of the trail quality suitably adjusted, i find that i’m just enjoying getting out and knocking off the extra 90mins or more it takes to load car, drive, unpack car etc.