Seriously into running xc, 10ks etc. Got past 30 and injuries became a regular problem. Got back on a bike to give myself a break but maintain fitness. Mtb’s looked like a good way to get of the beaten track. Voila! I found a new money pit. Fortunately Mrs is similarly inclined.

Started riding MX at the age of five. Then by the time i was twelve BMX came onto the scene and everyone I raced with got one for extra training.

This caried on until I started doing Enduros at the age of seventeen ( as soon as I could get a road licence)
The BMX kind of went out the window at this point but was replaced with MTB’s as soon as they became available in the UK. Again as a kind of extra training aid.
At the age of twenty three I gave up the Enduro scene but have kept on with the MTBs and have no intention of stopping. 😀

1983 was into bmx(raleigh burner, wanted a skway ta) living in cambridge. used to see ads appearing in the usa bmx mags for mountain bikes….1984 my parents split and i moved with dad to cranham in the cotswolds. i bmxed all the woods and beacons. got my first mtb in ’86 a shitty emmelle cougar that my dad made me by when i wanted a muddyfox(i had some cash left to me from granny and was gonna blow the lot on a bike) still it was a start and inspired me to save and get a better bike – specialized rockhopper of an american mate. wanted an overburys pioneer but it all made sense with a ’89 explosif….now im 34 and again(london, somerset, devon and india in the meantime with various bikes) living next to cranham woods and riding a steel hardtail, so is my 9 year old daughter and wife!

I’ve always ridden bicycles of road as a kid in the the 60’s.Probably because my father used to race scrambles (motocross)and I wanted to be like him.When I starded racing MX myself it seemed the logical thing to do, to keep fit.Eventually I gave up the MX and just keep riding Mountain bikes.

I bought a 10 speed Coventry Eagle in 1984 and started bike riding again. Very quickly I began to start venturing off road on it across the south downs as a short cut to areas with better roads for cycling. Despite it being not exactly ideal for hilly off road use having drop bars side pull brakes and and 42/52 rings with 14-28 cogs I began to spend more and more time on the off road sections. By 1986 the frame of the Coventry Eagle was a a bit bent out of shape and the forks were pretty knackered meaning that the front and back wheel no longer wanted to go in the same direction so I bought a Rockhopper. The main thing I that sticks in my mind from that time is just how few mountain bikes were around. I could spend all day out on the downs and never see another bike.

Moved to within a stones throw of Swinley a few years ago and thought I had best make use of such a good resource!

parents moved to the side of a hill in the Peak District in 1988 when i was 10 and i started mountain biking out of necessity. Haven’t stopped since.

My brother wanted a riding partner, he’s 8 years older than me. As soon as I could fit a “decent” mountain bike I was expected to follow 🙂 Enjoyed years of trips in his maestro van to various parts of the country. Wish I still lived near him as we’d both be more likely to ride more often!

Mrdomino had a shiney GT Zaskar sitting in the corner of the room when I met him. When we moved in together he persuaded me to get a bike and I got my first mountain bike.

Got into it late, about 2001. Horrendous marriage break-up, sympathetic friend “bullied” (well a bit) me into trying it to get me doing stuff. I have been eternally grateful and never looked back. I just wish I’d started younger of course, especially when I was college in Sheffield.

Always rode a bike (racer with inverted curly bars), done a 12mile commute while doing a YTS back in the days of yore. Got older put on 5stone, got married, had 2 kids, lost 5 stone, bought a bike in Halfords sale for the huge sum £100 (half price) had a spring in the middle and the forks moved about 20mm. Started riding in the local country park which is 5minutes from my door.

4years on and now have a 3 bikes to choose from. Ride trail centres, natural trails and do a 28 mile commute as many times as weather, family and work allow. Even managed a days guided ride on the family holiday this year.

This years plan is big mountain rides..

I started in 2006 after giving up rugby. I kept getting injured and having time off work so decided to give cycling a go as I always enjoyed getting out and about on the bike and hopefully it will be a little safer for me.

So far so good….

I took it up around 1999, perversely perhaps as physio for a dodgy knee, which was swollen and not straightening properly and as a result of the limp some of the muscles around the knee were wasting away. I built a bike out of bits from my brothers loft – a mix of hi-ten lumpen steel, thumbies, full five finger plastic brake levers and a mismash of misaligned drivetrain and other fun, including a chainset with two different brands of crank and biopace rings.

Took it to the lakes with my brother and did a lap of Skiddaw, had a riot on the way up, then rattled my eyeballs out on the way down. Coasting back into Keswick I discovered the wonder that is the autumn-end-of-season-bike-shop-sale and bought a nice plush pair of Bombers with still rattling hands that i could hardly hold a pen with to sign my name. I figured that if I’m going to do this properly it would be nice to see and feel what I’m doing.

Of course the bombers wouldn’t fit the frame, so I had to buy a frame (which I still run as my about town bike), and then of course non of the components on my rat bike fitted the new frame and within two days I was a fully fledged bike tart.

Some fantastic stories on here! Great thread; one of the best in ages.

In 1988, I was 16, and had a bit of money saved up. wanted to buy a bike. My mum wanted me to get a traditional roadster type thing, Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub, chainguard, mudguards, etc. I went, on e day, to Chamberlaines in Kentish Town, and came home with a purple-splatter Raleigh Mustang. 15 gears. Caliper brakes. Steel rims. 36lbs. No mudguards. No chainguard. My mum was not impressed.

There being a slight lack of mountainous terrain in London, the most exciting riding was up to Hampstead Heath, where a tiny bit of ‘off-road’ stuff was to be found. And bloody fast road downhills!

Had several bikes over the years, with each major new one being better than the last. Mostly went out by myself in the early years, but gradually got to know others into the sport, at various stages. Started to go up to Epping, and further afield. Occasional trips to Wales, Norway, USA, Australia. Discovered STW about 2 years ago, and have since done a lot more mountain biking, and meeting nice folk. Learned new skills, become a better rider. Got stronger and fitter.

I currently own 5 bikes, and loads of bits and pieces.

And 20 years of memories.

And my mum is still not impressed. 😀

As a young’un I’d always ridden bikes around the estate etc. etc.
It wasn’t until high school I got bought a Giant ATX 200 (or something similar) and a few mates use to head out over the local downs. In the final year of high school and through college I sold the giant and got into trials riding big style. Did this for a good few years, then went on to uni. Needed a bike to ride to classes on, so switched from trials to a rigid singlespeed and played around on the streets with it for a bit! That got nicked so I built myself up an HT freeride bike on the cheap and messed about in Lordswood (and on the street still….!) – I bounced better in those days!
Got a job in Dorset and decided the area was so nice I needed to do some proper riding so a GP mate sold me a Scott genius at a bargain price and I fell in love with ‘proper’ riding, not just hooning off a 10′ dropp over and over! However, a part of me still wanted to hoon so I sold the scott and got my meta…..

Present day…..

Incidently – I got the rigid SS back by beating a pikey off it who I saw riding it out of the blue!

DrP

Yep, really good thread. Everybody’s story is interesting simply because it’s obvious how much MTBing means to them.

I was a teenager in the home counties in the late ’80s, bikes were our means of transport and independence – MTBs were starting to appear and a mate offered to sell me his Raleigh Montage for around £100.

It was a bit bigger than my racer, but how was I to know that a 5ft 8in boy didn’t need a 24in frame. I think I was a bit of a sucker when I was younger.

Anyway, soon flogged that and put together a parts bins special on a 16in 4130 frame, and suddenly riding the singletrack round the local woods and parks became our main passtime.

Rode and raced a couple of more ritzy rigid steel bikes for years until I shook off my luddite ways and embraced full suspension (as well) in 2007.

Never been more into it than I am now, and wish I’d spent more of my misspent youth in the saddle.

Always used to hillwalk and road cycle so mountain biking was the natural way to go. Bought a Dawes from Freemans staff sale in Peterborororough in 1987: 25″ frame (knew no better), 501 frame, LX Biopace stuff. Then moved to Swindon to find work during the recession in ’91 and started riding the Marlborough downs, ridgeway etc and was hooked.

In 1992 bought my first proper MTB; one of the first Orange P7s with a 1″ headset. Left the sport for 10 years when got into yachting. Year before last started again and couldn’t believe I had ever stopped. Never been on a boat since.

Rode the ridgeway last year for the first time in 10 years; brought back a smile.

Good thread, good stories.

blimey 15 years between recessions who would have thought!

really enjoyed reading all these responses this morning. I think the reason i asked is because i was chatting to a fella i used to play football with on Friday night in the pub. he couldn’t believe that i didn’t play or coach anymore, (knowing how much i loved football), but i said it so much nicer just being able to go out when i want, i don’t have to worry about getting lumps kicked out of me, and i know when i wake up monday morning i’m going to be able to walk. but most of all i just bloody love it.

I always used to ride with my parents across fields and hills as a kid. Never was a mountainbiker, I just rode my bike wherever I could.

Always ridden bikes from being a small kid, started on a Raleigh Striker when I was 6 years old and it has just rolled on from there, age 11 got a Super Burner (non mag wheels) cos my dad said it was lighter. Used that for about 5 years then started using a road bike till I started my first job.
I had been craving after a Dawes Wildcat for weeks on end as I had to walk past the bike shop in York when I got off the bus.
Kerching…purchased and then started using straight away for my commute 18 miles each way.

Leap forward to 1994, moved to Somerset and started back into the MTB thing as football was cr4p, bought a Sarcin innit’ and took it over the Mendips, this first ride over dirt proper changed my life, all bad habits went and the money pit known as bikes opened, 15 years later and 16 bikes I still enjoy every single thing about it.

MTB for 21 years for me, hopefully a load more too.

1991…………..I could not ride a bike, never learned when I was a kid 😥 the doctors told me I would not be able to play rugby or football again and I should take up cycling I was like cannot cycle so my wife bought me a 21 inch KHS mtn bike (massive bike) at a auction for a fiver and taught me to ride that summer…………………been trying to learn ever since :D……..alsoit has been a really good excuse when I have bought a new bike “well you did introduce me to mtn biking.”
Sold the bike to a 6ft 5 bloke for £30.00 I am 6ft that is how big the bike was

Used to be a fairly serious motorbike trail rider and simultaneously as that got more and more ‘clamped/confrontational’ I was at Centre Parcs on holiday and we hired the Dutch cowhorn singlespeeders and did all the trails and loved it. Conveniently one of the trail riders was a bike dealer – Giant Terrago, Shimano Deaore DX, which one of my mates missues now uses as a get down the stable bike.

You’ll probably think this is old git rant be we live in a very privileged age – the sports I love became technologically/cost possible – mountain biing, surfing, windsurfing, kiting …….

My Dad used to ride MX when he was younger in South Africa and in his old age, (40ish) he decided to take up mountain biking. Been doing it with him ever since, but now I’m getting into motorbikes and road bikes. Still love the old xc ride though.

Was a keen BMX’er back in the early eighties. Many a Saturday spent at Birmingham Wheels, then bikes on the train up to Stetchford to drool at Hutch Beartrap Pedals & Pro-Neck stems etc. Always had a bike ever since I was a kid. Got in to MTB in about 1990 when I bought a pair of Raleigh Dakota MTB’s from Halfords for me & my GF. Brother bought a pair for him & his missus also, & we had a few outings. The girls soon gave up but after a ride over Cannock Chase me & bro were hooked. Soon roped our brother-in-law in & we did a few trips out. Family commitments took their toll eventually & I was the only one to continue.
Hooked up with a chap at work who was very keen, & bloody fit, & we rode together for a while. He then left & I continued solo, & rode solo for a good few years after that. Did a good many all-day epics, indeed today’s 2hr family commitment-dictated outings seem pretty tame by comparison.!!!
Then a chap started work in my office & I noticed him on the net one day looking at MTB’s. We soon organised an office outing & had about 8 on the first run. A year later we were down to a core of about 4 & we’ve continued ever since. We still get together about once or twice a year, but we’ve either moved, retired, & moved on into other sub-groups. Funny how it works really, each of us has branched out & have regular smaller groups.
I called in a rep from a company we buy stuff from at work. Turns out he’s a keen MTB’er & we’ve had a few runs now.
I love MTB. Its always been there however low life gets.

I revolted, as a youth, from a parental obsession with road rsing rsf and tt. In rural wales hanging around with farmers you either became a young farmer, played rugby or got a motorbike. The main goal was always events, trials and later enduro at national level, in a competative group life could not have got better. By the mid 80’s I was getting knee problems the doc said swim or cycle to help it, since I could not swim there was no choice. I did not want to un-rebel and go back to skinny tyres and I preferred my fat tyres flat handlebars and slithering around in the mud.

A mate was hanging around with the Muddy Fox guys and he got me one on loan.. it was fun but never seemed capable of getting more fun than motorbikes. I then bought a Scott with indexing, my knees were improving and the competitor in me discovered Max Glaskin’s Mountain BIke Club, for a number of years I rode the MBC and NEMBA races which like enduros led me to travel to every end of the country meeting other nuts which allowed a kind of fanaticism to develop.

Fed up of leaving North Wales to travel to Norfolk to mtb race, I got together with Sian and Dafydd Roberts and decided to put on an mtb race which in 1989 was an outstanding success. From that we ended up hosting mbc races at Beddgelert and Coed y Brenin, and as far as running an early bmbf NPS and the first National Downhill Championships by which time I had but almost ceased to be a motorbike rider, I still have one in a shed but it is only ever used if needed to lay out xc circuits. I still have my second Scott from 1989 and at 4 Coves in the kitchen and have ridden most of the uk, mountainous europe and america

Always had bikes from an early age. Single parent family, so no car but we all cycled everywhere. Used to cycle 8 miles to school on my Raleigh racer rather than take the bus. Saw a bright yellow Specialized Rockhopper in Johns’ bikes in Bath (84??) and had to have it. my boss gave me a loan to pay back weekly to pay for it and have been MTBing ever since.

i’ve rode bikes ever since i was a kid. BMX in the early 80’s was the first type of cycling that i really remember being into. we’d try and ride them on the south downs, but it was too much like hard work so we just used to build jumps out of anything we could find and fall off a lot. stopped riding when i got into skateboarding in the late 80’s. discovered mountain bikes in the early 90’s when some mates at work were doing it and been doing it ever since.

Always rode bikes as long as`I can remember, inspired by Richard’s Bicycle Book. Gradually went further and further on the road as age and fitness permitted then got really into motorbikes before I was old enough to have one. Tearing round on a bicycle was the next best thing – I remember going out in old clothes and well padded trying to get my knee down round the corners.

Used to cycle everywhere at Uni and loved exploring in and out of town. On a family holiday in Ullapool Brant’s dad had brought a couple of mountainbikes so we did a 20 odd mile circuit down a valley, lug up a hill then blast down the other side. He had some kind of sprung stem to help with the bumps. We did that circuit at least twice that week and I distinctly remember the moment when I realised you have to think about the back wheel as well as the front.

Next borrowed a Saracen Tuff Trax from a friend (it was blue, his wife’s was pink) and used it so much I had to buy it as it was pretty trashed. That was my bike until Brant sold me a 29er three years ago and rekindled an obsession . . .

MX bike at 3 years old(1973, yikes), bmx from ’82 till now, alpinestars e-stay in 90ish (still in mums garage, all original bits if anyone wants it for a decent price). Mostly ignored mountain bikes from 91-2003 until i smashed myself too much bmxing and needed something hmm ‘safe’ to do instead. Not really ‘in’ to mtbing like i was with bmx. Got a road bike too.

Ruptured cruciate ligament 16 years ago meant my football ‘career’ was over. A couple of years sitting drinking beer, watching football on telly meant I put on about 3 stonne. Decided I had do do something and bought a GT Avalanche.

Came about through my brother! When I was 13 him and a mate ad £100 bikes and went out and for some reason bought MBUK .. this was May 1993! They started riding a lot and bro went out and bought a Marin Pine Mountain and his mate got a Raleigh Lizard! I inherited my bro’s old Emmelle Cheetah (£99 Halfords bike). Started tagging along and got roped into a local race .. turned up a won in my jeans and rugby shirt! Met a load of boys from local bike shop at the race so joined what was then Cardiff Cycle Centre! Spent all my hours getting muddy and saving up for new bike! In October 93 bought a Kona Fire Mountain, grey and purple .. loved that bike and after 3 months it got nicked! was gutted .. and as New Year began I had to buy the 1994 Fire Mountain .. remember I was gutted as it was red and I didn’t like it! Soon grew to love it with my Onza pedals and Nike Poo Bah shoes!!

Cardiff Cycle Centre closed down so we all decided to start a new club, since there was a roadie club called Cardiff ajax we decided to call ourselves Cardiff JIF as a pi** take!! Cyclopaedia opened and everything revolved around the shop! I remember bunking off school to go there and help them paint the walls! Sitting on milk crates dealing in 2nd hand bikes with the odd chain set on the wall!

Was racing lots around Wales and winning! Was welsh cyclo cross champ and Welsh Junior champ in 1996.

I still have that Kona running like a beauty and now it’s all XTR’d up! about 3 years ago I put some old PACE RC35 suspension forks on and took it to Morzine .. ground the elastamers away in 2 days and formed a newly rigid bike again!!

It was only 2 years ago I bought a new bike, Giant Reign 2!! Still have my Kona as my winter bike but love it as it has so many fond memories of my youth!

cannot imagine life without my MTB! Morzine downhilling every year for the last 5!! Off to Morocco in April on a tour.

Cardiff JIF running strong and produced some great cyclists … Geraint Thomas (infamous team pursuiter from Beijing) was a member! Ian Jeremiah (who owns Cyclopaedia) was 14th in Commonwealths in Manchester! shop is still running strongly.

Oh my youth of spending all summer in the mountains with squashed sandwiches and my Dad so understanding letting his 15 yr old daughter out MTBing all day with lads of 20-25yrs old (and yes it was completely all innocent!).

As you can gather I LOVE MTBING!!!!!

Very similar story to munqe-chick!!!

My brother got me into mtb-ing…hired a bike and went ’round Grizedale, but my chain snapped and bro’ had gone on ahead!! What fun that was!!

Then spent months and months reading MBUK and got myself a Marin Pine Mountain. How I loved that bike!!

For me, i’ve always enjoyed riding bikes, over the last 6-7 years what with doing lots of landscape photography, hiking and mountaineering over the uk it was a natural progression onto two wheels. Why walk when you can ride? 😛

After visiting Glencoe in Scotland and seeing the DH course at Fort William last summer, i thought i want to give that a go! So i saved up for a bike, and brought a Spec’ SX Trail. Love the idea of just grabbing the bike and heading out on the Yorkshire Moors!

[oops, this is jojoA1 posting on hairyscarys’s account]I was brought up in an ‘outdoorsy’ family living at outdoor pursuits centres in Scotland and the Lake District. Bikes and hitchhiking were the main means of transport as there was very limited public transport. We just rode everywhere, on all types of trails other than properly rocky ones. My first ‘proper’ MTB was a Shogun TB 2 in bright pink, probably the same as MikeTually’s. I was more into rockclimbing until 2004 when my boyfriend started taking me out riding more and too much wet weather made climbing a rare occurence. We’re now a fully fledged biking family with my 7yr old daughter just starting to ride off road now. I asked her the other day if she wanted to ride the primary schools’ races at the SXC this season and her reply was “Humm, I’m not sure my skills are up to it yet.”.

My dad has always been into road bikes but bowed to fashion and got me and my sister matching splatter finish GT Timberlines in the early ’90s. They didn’t get ridden much off-road (Lincolnshire not being the biggest mountain biking hotspot in the UK) but we would go on holiday to the Lake District and rag round the tracks on the campsite, round the shores of Coniston, and occasionally longer rides too. I remember seeing a couple of guys riding down Walna Scar road and one of them nutting himself properly on the cross bar after hitting a rock, we were very amused. I also remember my cousin (who had been exposed to MBUK and wanted some make of bike I’d never heard of called a Kona) trying to demonstrate a proper bunny hop, missing the pedals and breaking my saddle off, half way through a 10-mile loop.

Fast forward a few years and I was mainly using my bike for commuting, tried dabbling in a bit of off-road but wasn’t really fit or skilled enough to enjoy it. The turning point came when I moved to Bristol and a friend took me riding round the local trails, back when they were still semi-secret. I was rubbish at it but was enthusiastic enough to order a proper mountain bike (a Merlin Malt 2). At the same time I cycled across Spain with a couple of friends from uni which helped my fitness a bit. Got back to Bristol, fitness vanished after a bout of holiday-borne food poisoning and my spanking new bike promptly got nicked. But I got another bike a few months later and the enthusiasm hasn’t waned since.

Have been into travelling and hill walking for ever, but there’s not that many worthwhile hill walks in Somerset so got a cheap hybrid in 1993 as something occasionally to do locally. Found myself seeking off-road more, then I crashed a lot and broke the bike so got my first proper MTB in 1998. My riding was still sporadic though. Then started riding XC more with a mate from fitness class in 2004. This coincided with not being able to travel for hill-walking as much so it became my major sport. Two more bikes later I’m still at it!

Mid 90’s I broke my elbow on a tree stump and didnt ride again until 2001 when I needed to drop some weight. Bought a 01 Rocky Mountain Vertex 🙂

always ahd various bikes, mainly kids type MTB style ones. Then started riding singletrack and sliding all over the place (and loving it!) on a 24″ wheeled diamondback.

Progressed to my dads raleigh maverick, and used it to get fit on, riding local cyclepaths etc.

Got my first “propper” mtb, a saracen rufftrax, christmass 98 and rode it till it broke (gears worn to the point that the chain just slipped, wheels bent, tires shreaded etc). Got intorduced to propper mtb’ing on that one, including nightriding with no lights (just sit behind/ infront of people who can see where theyr going)! but had to take a break as no cash for a better bike when it was termianly knackered.

Graduated to a carrera fury, good spec (sub 30lb, full deore, ritchey RockShox etc) but rubbish geometry. Rode ti till it was almost no more, then added bomber z4’s, hope disks, XT/317’s, big raisers, etc and took it to the peaks when i went to uni (sheffield)

That lasted till about 2006, when i began the new build arround a DMR switchback frame, handled like a pig but was better thant he carrera in the peaks. Crashed ont he second outing and was off bikes for nearly 2 years. Rebuilt in 2007 after my knee op, with new forks/tires. Now handles liek a dream. A proper ballance between point an shoot, but changes direction as soon as you think about it!

Takisawa2 – “It’s always there no matter how low life gets” – Spot on mate, captures it perfectly.

I brought a Carera from Halfords and was pretty pleased with myself until I told workmates (Takisawa2 and crew) and they told me about Wed eve rides they did on the Chase. So I went feeling proud of my wheels – soon found out it was like a roman chariot but got hooked by the riding and the great laughs and beers after. Got rid of the chariot for a better frame and eventually upgraded to Spec ‘S Works HT’ but now also ride a trance cos its bullet proof.. need to get out more now tho…