We’re not going to skew your answers, because, science… so let’s jump straight into the questions. There aren’t any repeats, but there are some similar questions – that’s deliberate. Try to answer them instinctively, rather than going back and changing what you said in light of further thought later! Once we’ve got a whole pile of answers from you, we’ll do some number crunching, and hopefully bring you an interesting analysis. And maybe the answer to the question ‘How good am I at mountain biking?’.
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.
What constitutes “doing a wheelie”? I can get the front wheel up and keep it there for a few pedal strokes (maybe 10 on a good day) but that’s about it.
Emphasis on other bike for me – fatbike, (suppose no sus, is still hardtail) and of course the tourer. Along with the navigation we need tide table interpretation too down here in Sandyland
What constitutes “doing a wheelie”? I can get the front wheel up and keep it there for a few pedal strokes (maybe 10 on a good day) but that’s about it.
🤷🏻♂️ I’d say a wheelie is getting it up and having control over when you put it down.
A few pedal strokes is a ‘dad wheelie’ and doesn’t count. 😔
Done. No idea what that colour grading corresponds to so I put red on the basis that Ainsa blacks sometimes have me walking down sections. A bit embarassing answering “no” to a wheelie but my idea of a wheelie is what the local Uber Eats guys can do.
Was amused by Nepal in the list of countries – that’s a bit specific 🙂
I actually got to tick that one! Went trekking for a few weeks the summer I left university, (very early version of student loan paid for it 👍) and managed to get a guided day ride from Kathmandu. The bikes were really nice Raleigh ones the bonded carbon tubes, which dates this story somewhat. I manged to OTB into a drainage ditch that was thankfully just full of weed growth and not water. A group of local ladies thought this was absolutely bloody hilarious.
Can’t wheelie, never have been able to. Never likely to learn. One of those things I can’t see a use for on an actual ride so no compulsion to practise it.
There were no explicit mentions of dad wheelies not counting so mine counted 😁 and you made that rule up. Or stole it from your teenage children. Dad wheelies obviously count they have the word wheelie in them. They count right they do.
Ooh, get you and your fancy modern MTB! Bet it had gears and everything! 😉
It’s funny really – I got into MTB in the early/mid 90’s, raced XC and enduro (back when enduro meant “a really long XC race”, not what it means now!), did some 24hr races etc. Did quite well, I was sort of mid-pack in Expert XC for a while and did loads of MTBing in Peak & Lake District plus MTB holidays in the Alps etc.
But that was all way back when – I rarely do MTB any more, I only have the one bike now – a very old Cove hardtail – and I’ve only ridden modern geometry MTBs a couple of times, both hire bikes. Honestly, if I was to go MTBing now, I would not be “expert” in any way, I’d be a complete newbie trying to get to grips with riding something with (to me) brand new geometry. I’m a very experienced MTBer – from back in the day. Honestly if you put me on a MTB now, I’d be shit! Embarrassingly so. Also, I’d be wondering why the stem was so short and WHY IS MY SEAT MOVING UP AND DOWN?!
SO if STW could pop that in as an answer to the questions, it’d pigeonhole me nicely! 😉
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