New Rider (battery provided)

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A new reader and rider sent us this piece, before he’s even hit the trails. Welcome to mountain biking, Gareth, we hope you like what you find. So I’ve just bought a mountain bike, my first one, that I have no idea how I will ride, where I will ride or how often I will ride it.  I am 49 years old and weigh 107kgs so obviously my new bike has a motor. I can’t…

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Author Profile Picture
Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
  • New Rider (battery provided)
  • 2
    centripedal
    Free Member

    Welcome Gareth – good luck – you’re gonna have a great time. Nice write up.

    I ride all kinds of acoustic road/TT/Gravel/MTB bikes currently; but I’ll have no qualms about adding a motor when my rugby knees finally start to creak a bit too much for it to be fun.

    Posted 1 year ago
    2
    leegee
    Full Member

    Welcome Gareth, Look into some coaching if you haven’t already.

    Posted 1 year ago
    kayak23
    Full Member

    Sup Gareth.
    Have fun 👊

    Posted 1 year ago
    stanley
    Full Member

    Great stuff. I’m sure you’re going to have a lot of fun whilst getting fitter.

    I’m always happy to help people find new routes, fettle bikes, etc. (based in Stockport area)

    Posted 1 year ago
    2
    tthew
    Full Member

    Nice article! A new starter to MRBing isn’t a perspective we read about often on here.

    Posted 1 year ago
    1
    gdm4
    Full Member

    That’s a great write up and based on the fact you want to get out and enjoy the view you’ll fit in perfectly. The rest is just noise.
    Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.

    Posted 1 year ago
    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    See you on the trails.

    Posted 1 year ago
    hillsplease
    Full Member

    Welcome and good luck. At 125 kg post 12 months of injury and illness I applaud your use of a motor – more fun for the same effort. Hope to see you out there, I’ll be wheezing along at the back with a note from Matron doing my best to whittle down to a racy 105kg……

    Posted 1 year ago
    2
    neilupnorth
    Full Member

    Welcome to the dark side. Just get out there and enjoy it, battery and all, as it’s all about the experience of mud/dirt/slop and even dust. Oh, and get a little bit of coaching, you’d be surprised what you’ll learn in just a few hours and how much more you enjoy it all. All the best with it.

    Posted 1 year ago
    nickc
    Full Member

    Welcome. Embrace the dirt!

    Don’t worry about the e-bike thing, no one really cares, and they’re heaps of fun anyway. There’s something meditative about MTB that I’ve never really got on a road bike, maybe it’s the lack of close passes and traffic fumes?

     

    Posted 1 year ago
    andyspaceman
    Full Member

    A nicely written piece Gareth, and welcome to the sport. I started on fat tyres in the ’90’s, went to road for a few years, and now enjoy my MTB again. I still ride my road bike sometimes, but unless the roads are quiet it’s no fun.

    I’ll second what @leegee and @neilupnorth have said about getting some coaching on core skills. Whilst mountain biking is definitely safer from a motorised traffic standpoint, you will appreciate that the countryside is less predictable when it comes to surfacing. Being able to brake and corner safely on loose or slippery ground will go a long way towards keeping you upright. Being able to unweight and lift the front end of the bike confidently will add to the safety and fun factor too, enabling you to get up or down modest sized steps and obstacles, even if encountered unexpectedly.

    Good luck and enjoy.

    Posted 1 year ago
    Poopscoop
    Full Member

    Just wanted to say, I loved the write-up!

    Have an amazing Summer of adventures.

    Posted 1 year ago
    dyna-ti
    Full Member

    Interesting to hear what it was you’ve blown the cash on. Make, model etc.

    I don’t think it can be classed as ‘advertising’ as theres a fair old few disciplines in the Ebiking world from lighter XC to full fat.

    It’s a lot of cash isn’t it 😆

    Posted 1 year ago
Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

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