Novelty birds, Big Dummy? I don't believe I've ever ridden with you 
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Are you mountain biker, but not a thrill seeker?
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Posted 3 years ago #
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I have to feel scared, challenged or even defeated several times on a ride for it to be a truly great ride.
It can be by something fast or technical, up or down, or it might simply be the weather, length or pace of the ride but I don't get a massive amount of pleasure from riding easy familiar trails at a gentle pace. Obviously the social side of that sort of easy riding is still great, but in terms of the fun to be taken from the pedalling bit, I need to have some kind of thrill.
Posted 3 years ago # -
The odd time that I have been thrilled, e.g accidently getting air ( 'cos I have no skills to do it on purpose), or descending something tricky, then it's great.
Mostly I just like getting outdoors, meeting my friends, bird spotting, having banter and a giggle.
And CAKE.Posted 3 years ago # -
I just like being out in the hills, but also like a challenge and the odd one or two bricking it moments. A challenge could be steepness/length of climb, technicality of climb or descent, or length of ride. Good to be a bit nervous from time to time, not all the time, but would not attempt anything I was not 95% confident of making - the 5% chance is quite enough for my advanced years.
If you don't push yourself a bit you don't get the personal satisfaction from getting better. Stuff I do routinely now would have had me walking or soiling myself 18 months ago.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I have to feel scared, challenged or even defeated several times on a ride for it to be a truly great ride.
I'll remember that for the end of the month. I may send you up "the Ba$tard".
Posted 3 years ago # -
Oh, and what CaptainMainwaring said.
Posted 3 years ago # -
kunoichi - Member
No, it would be a waste of my time and energy. And coffeeking, I'm not a he....Sorry, I had no way of knowing as your profile says nothing and you hang out in the classifieds so I've no way of finding out through conversation. Either way you dont seem overly capable of conversation (or maybe just dont play well with others) so have a good day. Hope you buy something I sell some day
If you don't push yourself a bit you don't get the personal satisfaction from getting better.
I used to love the fitness pushing fun, back then riding was fun just for riding. Then I lost the fitness and found the scariness, scariness is overpowering and fitness is vey hard to find again!
Posted 3 years ago # -
I pretty much agree with Big Dummy
I quite like thrills, and am happy to seek them occasionally. But a lot goes on my my bike rides besides looking for thrills. In any given ride I may choose, in no particular order, to seek: thrills, novelty, companionship, a sun-tan, photographs, cake, that pleasant feeling of being quite knackered but not too far from home or somewhere interesting to visit.
But I think theres one point he's missed out, and thats that mountain biking CAN give all these different experiences.
Alot of other sport arent so diverse for instance I like footy but I cant say I fancy popping out to spend 6+ hours playing footy.
I like being outdoors so maybe I could go and play golf for 6 hours but then I cant mid course try and do something daring which will get my adrenalin going.
The best thing about mountain biking is if you've got a bike that isnt too light/heavy you can use it for lots of different types of activity even just transporting your self around ! Where as other with sports/activities theres not so much variety.
Posted 3 years ago # -
kunoichi - your name kind of gave your gender away for me if we ever meet I only hope you dont live up to it!!!! as i suspect does Coffeeking when he googles it!!!
Posted 3 years ago # -
Hmmm, explains a few things.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I actually chicken out on some technical bits and that is only riding on cannock chase - not exactly dangerous, I also have never managed the whole of the log bridge at Llandegla without getting off the bike cos I feel I am too high off the deck when I look down
- so therefore a rambler I must be.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Scu98rkr makes a good point. Mrs and I get very different things from riding but we can ride together fine by taking different lines and stuff. I often say "wait here a minute, I've just seen something I want to try", then, assuming I haven't died, we carry on with the ride.
"I may send you up "the Ba$tard"."
If that's a nasty steep hill, then bring it on!Posted 3 years ago # -
I'm a thrill seeker but mostly ride within my comfort zone. Once I push a new limit of my riding it very quickly becomes my comfort zone. I'm quite methodical and calculated in my riding so don't push limits without an aim to make it inside comfort zone and proper progression. I do enjoy relaxed riding sometimes.
I agree entirely with GW regarding your own definition of comfort zone. I'll often ride a trail slower but play around doing manuals, making the bike slide on purpose and chucking it about more. To someone else it might seem like I'm showing off but for me that's chilled fun riding.
Posted 3 years ago # -
It can be by something fast or technical, up or down, or it might simply be the weather, length or pace of the ride but I don't get a massive amount of pleasure from riding easy familiar trails at a gentle pace.
I don't mind a bit of length and pace. In fact I seek out length. I'm actually going to make an effort to do shorter rides this year as I've found that unless I can get out for five hours that I don't go out. With two young kids, that means I don't get out as often as I should. So, some shorter local rides are on the cards this year.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Even on a trip to the shops I have to double over the speed humps or use a kerb as a stunt ramp.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Closely spaced speed humps or a motorbike tow in, djlover?
Posted 3 years ago # -
Ooh definitley thrill seeker or maybe I should say I ride for the buzz, whether thats an adrenalin rush from fast downhills/scary drops or an endorphin high after pushing it so hard for so long that I only just make it home and collapse in a heap as soon as I get in. Either is good, both is even better
Posted 3 years ago # -
Closely spaced speed humps or a motorbike tow in, djlover?
Posted 3 years ago # -
I am a mountain biker not a thrill seaker anymore, I have done that & have decided that I am the wrong side of 40 to risk breaking stuff now.
I find it quite interesting the different ways people get their thrills & what does/does not scare people, I dont like steep stuff & try to ensure that my tyres never leave the ground or if they do then only by an inch or two ... however I like speed. With the peeps I cycle with I often bottle stuff they will do but am normally the fastest down the moderately tricky bits where they are all hauling on their anchors, so I guess it depends on how you define things.
Posted 3 years ago # -
To me a top mtb ride needs 3 components, scenery, good company and a bit of excitement. what proportions these 3 are in can vary greatly but without one component it is not a complete ride.
An all day ride just on estate roads / forestry roads is a bit dull, if you never get the chance to see any scenery its a bit dull and no one to share it with is also a bit dull.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I guess I'm a bit of a loner, and do most of my riding solo, so will make do with 2 of those. Possibly even one depending on what you call scenery as I'm also happy to go out in the fog (though in that case the scenery is what you can see within your little bubble, and providing that changes I'm happy
)
Posted 3 years ago # -
a top mtb ride needs 3 components, scenery, good company and a bit of excitement
our ride on Longridge last night had almost zero scenery due to thick mist, but fantastic (mostly) frozen mud riding conditions and brilliant enthusiastic company :o)
Posted 3 years ago # -
I raced MX, enduro and large road bikes when I wanted a fix. Now they don't really do much for me. But mountainbike thrills? Unless you travel the world looking for big mountains I don't see how that works (except for those easily excited maybe).
Mountainbikes are a good piece of gym equipment for me and I like getting covered in shit (which is discouraged in the gym).
Posted 3 years ago # -
I like the feeling of being anxious about trying something, finally trying it and then finding that it wasn't actually as bad as you thought.
Then there's the flipside that sometimes you try stuff and come a cropper but it is still enjoyable as you gave it a go and probably learnt something in the process.There are a few sections at Cwm Carn that I always struggled with a yr or so ago. When I went the other day, I rode over some of them without even realising that they were the bits that used to concern me, other bits I couldn't quite cleared but got a lot further than before and there was one or two bits that I couldn't do. Nothing majorly technical but I seem to struggle on tricky uphill sections keeping enough momentum up and the front of the bike down.
I know that the more I ride and the more i push myself (even just a bit) the better I will get and perhaps next time I go to Cwm Carn I will clear the whole trail with no bother.
I think for me it's all about challenging myself and trying to always improve a bit. Whether it is getting fitter or becoming more skilled. Both of which I still have lots of scope to work on!
It's a very individual sport but one that you can enjoy with many people. You get to see the countryside, hang out with mates, eat cake, drink tea, buy shiny gadgetry etc.Posted 3 years ago # -
Over the years of mountain-biking, always last down the hill, climbing and most recently skiing, I have finally discovered that at the grand old age of 50 ...
adrenalin is not my drug of choice
Posted 3 years ago # -
you're a climber and you dont like adrenalin?!
Posted 3 years ago # -
I do like conversations, but prefer them in real life :). I went through a phase in my more youthful youth of attempting to have discussions on forums and found it very frustrating (head/brickwall), so try and steer clear now. But this thread caught my attention because of a conversation (heaven forbid, a real life one ;)) I had at the weekend....
...Someone, i think on this forum, described themselves as a 'live, eat, sleep, breathe bikes' person. I guess I'm one of those. If I wasn't always pushing myself on my bike, then I don't think I would have become that. So the mindset of spending loads of money on expensive bikes, but not pushing them and yourself to the limits, doesn't make much sense to me. I can't stop anyone from just pootling around the woods (and just being in the woods is another one of my reasons for riding bikes so can totally understand that), but if that's all there was to riding bikes, I think I might have diverted my attention to something else by now.
I'm not sure but there used to be more stuff in my profile but haven't checked/updated it since the hack I'm afraid. I didn't expect anyone to know my gender, was just pointing it out so you didn't have to refer to me as 'he' should the 'conversation' continue...
Posted 3 years ago # -
I like getting covered in ****
Oh dear. Are you one of 'those' kind of people?
It's not hyghenic, you know.
Posted 3 years ago # -
the mindset of spending loads of money on expensive bikes, but not pushing them and yourself to the limits, doesn't make much sense to me.
There's more than one way of pushing yourself to the limit: messing about on jumps or riding a long way.
Posted 3 years ago # -
100!
Posted 3 years ago # -
i like (in no particular order);-
* going for a run out in the mountains and seeing spectacular scenery.
* having a laugh with mates, faffing about, eating cake, a bit of riding, comparing moobs & beers afterwards.
* being at the point of 'help ma boab' i nearly lost it there after sketching out.
* bottling out of something and eventually doing it.
* seeing one of your mates do something that they've been bottling out of.
* riding with someone far superior technically to understand how far away you are.so i guess i'm both.
Posted 3 years ago # -
It's not hyghenic, you know.
The best things in life rarely are Posted 3 years ago # -
But mountainbike thrills? Unless you travel the world looking for big mountains I don't see how that works
You don't need a mountain to scare yourself. Or even a trail.
Posted 3 years ago # -
You don't need a mountain to scare yourself. Or even a trail.
Yeah, I suspect hopping over that wall on a space-hopper is pretty scary too. You have to be pretty inventive to get a fix off a bicycle*. I lack the motivation to be inventive I guess. I've got motorbikes which can give me a buzz within 30 seconds of getting on. No imagination required.Bicycles = outdoors, muddy exercise and social stuff for me.
*If I lived at the bottom of a ski lift I'd have a different perspective...
Posted 3 years ago # -
5th elephant - interesting. I find 30mph on a MTB at least as exciting as 120mph on a motorbike. So much so I have pretty well given up on motorbikes as going fast enough to get that buzz was going to put me in jail eventually.
Posted 3 years ago #
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