Hi all , myself and friend are mainly runners , having completed last years London Marathon , we’re now traing for next year , so we’ve got new bikes to add extra training etc etc . Were interested in riding trails but would like to know if our bikes are good enough ? I have a Voodoo hoodoo and my friend has a Carrera Valour ,please no sniggering and telling us to give the bikes to the scrap man . My bikes around the £500 mark and my friends is £280 , will the bikes cope ?
Cheers …slap13 …

Any bike will do, just make sure all the bolts are tight, the brakes work, and the handlebars etc. are straight. If you’re really not sure about it, take them to a proper bike shop for a checkup.

And as long as you don’t try to hurl yourself down a proper DH run, or get way out of your depth, you should be fine on what you’ve got. Check out photos from 15-20 years ago: people were riding the same routes on bikes that were far worse than yours!

Yeah. You’ll be fine. 🙂
They are probably both as good or better than the bikes most of us started MTBing on, to be fair.
Just get out and ride, but be aware that in a years time your new bikes will be worth about five times that…. 😉

Yes of course the bikes will be fine, keep an eye on maintenace & make sure stuff doesn’t come loose.
Enjoy the riding it will make a nice change from running, riding offroad is great.

EDIT.. beaten to it for the most part there.

Another point: don’t pump the tyres up too much. Somewhere around 35psi is probably OK, much lower and you run the risk of pinch-flatting, much higher and you’ll be pinging off every rock.

Heck, some of the niche-mongers on here choose to ride with no gears and no suspension so your bikes are already ‘better’ than theirs 😉 .

If you start riding a lot in mucky conditions then things will wear out and you can replace/upgrade them – try learning to do this yourselves, you’ll save a fortune.

The bikes are fine. Chill out and enjoy riding them.

One thought: make sure the saddles are at the right height and don’t be tempted to push big gears. Spin your legs round between 80 and 100 rpm and you’ll be more efficient and less prone to damaging your knees.

Thanks all , greatly appreciate the replys

Riding most offroad is fine on anything. More expensive bikes make riding tricky stuff easier and quicker. As long as you aren’t doing huge jumps and drop offs, you will be cool, and adding a bit more fun to your training.

I’ve always said that for getting fit, you want the heaviest crappiest bike out there!

Hello again , could I also ask ” What things we should take with us ” .Or “Things we need ” . Sorry to be a pain BUT ……We all have to start some where , and its best to get it right from the start ….
slap13

Depends on the length of the ride. Take plenty of water (I normally use about half a litre per hour but this might be too little)

I normally eat bananas and cereal bars.
I’m going to start experimenting with home made flapjacks soon because I like making a mess in the kitchen.

Spare inner tube
puncture kit
multi tool (and tyre levers)
pump

(water/food as necessary)

other than food/drink

multitool
tyre lever
spare tube
patches
pump

should be the basics

Oh. And take a spare inner tube, puncture repairs, tyre levers and a pump.
Take a multi tool if you have one. If not I’d probably buy one.

If its really muddy I take a rag and a small pot of chain lube just in case my drive train gets really bad (Only on long rides).

That’s one of the recurring debates on here – some folk ride with virtually nothing, others almost carry a spare bike, tent & 3 course meal.

All I’d add to the above is a mobile phone & emergency tenner, just in case.

Aldi and Decathlon are great places to pick up the basic bits and bobs you might need – usually good gear at reasonable prices.

Many people carry or fit a set of lights at this time of year – if it gets a bit grotty and you’re out a bit later than planned they give you a lot more confidence if you have to ride on the road.

You’ll need:

Spare tube, tyre levers and a pump
Multitool
Plenty of fluids
Your choice of Haribo
Money for the pub afterwards

Sorted

And don’t worry about the bikes. Even the rad-to-the-power-of-sick riding gods on here started with something similar

Go and get muddy and enjoy yourself 😀

next…. work out some good local routes.

Buy the two OS maps of where you live. Everything is right inbetween two OS maps, nobody is ever lucky enough to plot a route that is entirely on one.

soobalias – That is very true! My house sits right on the juncture of 2 OS maps. Its a pain

have you tried this app:

Outside Maps

Download OS maps to your GPS. Comes in very handy

You can order OS maps centred on a point of your choice I think. so you centre it your house and only need 1 map.

And make sure you actually know how to repair a puncture/replace a tube rather than just pack the kit. It’s not rocket science but best to do it first time in the comfort of your home/garage than when it’s pissing down in the back of beyond.

Fantastic thread. Thanks all.

I still feel somewhat conscious when riding round ‘degla on my 20 year old Giant Coldrock perhaps should now be renamed to “oldcock” !!

That said, it’s old and it’s heavy … and it’s doing a good job of getting me fitter!