And reading through the Stiff et al ads innthe mags, comparing best prices for latest bits..

6 page CRC adverts.

CRC actually delivering stuff next day (RM 1st class) for free

the two massive stw forum meets we had at glentress

Riding – working mostly nights at the moment, so can’t do our weekly local night ride which can be anywhere between 3 and 15 or so folk. The rest of the time it’s finding motivation

Bravery – up until last year, I’d attack every section without much fear. Then I came off and broke my jaw

Everyone going to the pub after a ride – the majority seem to slink off home now either before, or straight from the car park. There’s only every a small few of us have the obligatory post ride pint

Days before Strava – how about just going out for fun, rather having to beat your PR, or try for a KOM on every single section? It puts noobs off too.

tbc night rides.

The sheer joy in discovering tracks round Rothiemurchus and Glen Feshie for the first time.

Other than that, not much. Other than the past few months I’m doing more MTB riding than ever and I’ve not being doing it long enough to develop nostalgia.

Riding with my kids. ex-Teen1 is at Uni and Teen2 developed and allergy to physical exercise. Except… joy of joys, he’s asked to go mountain biking on his brother’s Trance# 😀 . Happy days and maybe a trip to BPW (he’s ridden Afan and FoD a few times already).

#This may be related to me letting him ride my old race bike to school, and he’s remembered that nice bikes are actually fun.

-The fearlessness and reckless enthusiasm of my teenage years

-Silver wrapped MBUK coming through the door once a month in the early 90’s

-Weds night TBC rides

-Before enduro

Actual standards.

Being a better rider than ‘er indoors.

My gold and black Giro E2.

GT splatter paint schemes.

Silver finishing kit.

Marzocchi MX forks.

26ers.

Shimano brakes that worked.

Purple.

My mojo and fitness, both robbed by my brain

Wednesday night rides in the Wyre or Kinver, and mates from said rides

Not knowing where I am.

These days I have maps and GPS.

Getting lost and serendipity was fun. 🙂

The southern trailquest series run by Trailbreak

Wed night Thetford rides – rain or shine

+1 for scanning MBUK ads

That feeling when I first saw the 1996 Stumpjumper

When entries were cheaper

3k would get you top end with full XTR

1 size BB/headset/axle etc etc

Not thinking “this is gonna hurt”

Peak District riding, or at least the novelty of riding it in the early years just heading out as a bunch of underprepared, wild eyed teenagers for long days out, returning covered in sweat, dust, stings and bloody scrapes to still dick about on the jumps behind our houses then get pissed on a 4 pack of fosters.

The miles and miles of woodland singletrack down where I used to live in Herts. Was back three just the other day enjoying bone dry trails, which are a pipe dream up here at this time of year.

But I do have real hills and plenty of rocks now, do on balance I think I’m ahead.

-Imagining new trails round every corner and in every remote glen, until I ruined it by trying to explore them all with a tent and a trailer 🙄

-TBC Night Rides 8)

-EBC Night Rides: mostly EBC staff, almost exclusively running Cat Eye halogens with the stick batteries that mounted either side of your bottle cage, doing pretty much the exact same Pentlands routes that we did on long summer days 😀

I miss the lack of a huge expanse of fatness I’ve produced over the last 20 years.

Doesn’t stop me riding, or the amount of joy I get from it but, does prevent me from living how I know I should.

Still, only got myself to blame – pass me the biscuits….

This year I’ve been out more just to explore , to look for routes etc just out on the bike with no planned route or real goal.

Best riding year in ages

or I only do jumps I’m 100% sure I can land rather than the 50/50 ones that would actually get me to progress.

Seriously attempting something that would have a 50% chance of the outcome being a Crash ?!

There is no way I’d do that! I feel like I’m pushing it too far if I think there is even a 1% chance I will crash on something.

Being young, being new to mtb any all bike parts being soooo sexy, saving for months for bike parts, riding with a massive hangover.

Winter mud not being a cleaning chore but actually fun!

grannyjone – Member
or I only do jumps I’m 100% sure I can land rather than the 50/50 ones that would actually get me to progress.
Seriously attempting something that would have a 50% chance of the outcome being a Crash ?!

There is no way I’d do that! I feel like I’m pushing it too far if I think there is even a 1% chance I will crash on something.

Yeah, can relate to that. 🙁

That said, had my worst crash in the summer for a long time. Nothing broken, just shook up.

Funny thing is…. I now look back on the crash with a smile and realise I’m not quite as fragile as I think I am. 🙂

All this being fields

People mostly, who’ve vanished in the ebb and flow of life and geography and kids and other stuff. The rest of it is mostly the same but different.

Finding riders who just don’t want to ride their local trails to death. Youngster don’t want to explore anymore. When i was a student we were exploring every week end every corner of the county/country.

Riding with friends and someone other than me planning the route.
OH! and mountains!

Seriously attempting something that would have a 50% chance of the outcome being a Crash ?!

Maybe 50/50 of landing cleanly would be a better phrasing. I only jump when I know the landing isn’t going to be a squirrely mess, just nice, smooth and with both wheels together.

BadlyWiredDog – Member
People mostly, who’ve vanished in the ebb and flow of life and geography and kids and other stuff…

It has always been so, even in the 1890s

Being new, so everything was an adventure. First time to glentress, first black route, first race, first expensive bike, first race that wasn’t riding in circles being bored, first uplift, first riding holiday, first trip to the alps… Firsts are great and you use them up fast. First trips to new places, first time down a new trail, first ride with a new person are pretty much endlessly refilling though.

And I miss not being able to ride stuff! Not crazy stuff, I have no problem with not doing big gaps or whatever. But everyday stuff. It was a constant breadcrumb trail of things to do next time. The line between “hit that line better” or “gap it further” or whatever is way smaller, for me it takes away some of that big feeling of progress and achievement.

Lastly I kind of miss pentlands wednesday rides. But I’m realistic about that one, I just didn’t dig it very much when I tried to restart those, I like the memory more than the reality.

Feeling like I can ride all day without guilt.

Having kids is great though.

Secondary, CRC sending stuff out within a day or two of it being ordered…

I could list a lot actually,

Lycra shorts and a polo shirt, rigid bike with bar ends just exploring riding wherever I could, the tingling feeling in bed after a long day or evening out on the bike from all the nettle stings (still get that sometimes), getting lost/getting so far from home I had to get a train/lift home.

Essentially, adventure is what I miss. I love my local trails, I’ve managed some adventure this year (1st bivvy trip, and a go on a “local” loop that was long enough to not be most people’s idea of local, one new munro in horrendous conditions)

For me, the simplicity.

BITD the bikes were basic but so were my expectations. Just go ride!

Now the bikes are far superior but then you/riding buddies/group spend ages faffing about and rides can be ruined by over thinking and/over analysis. Or riding around with loads of spares etc waiting for some impending mechanical doom.

^reading this might highlight I’m not in the best place today 😆