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If you've lost your mtb mojo then either
1) change things- ride new places, ride at night, try singlespeed/rigid etc
2) embrace having found your road mojo. When you get back into mtb you'll be fitter than ever.
It got me thinking a bit, you wouldn't go fast on a motor cycle with a live frame would you? Maybe it's time for the road bike suspension revolution..
[url= http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/pictures/mike-hawthorne-3/ ]Fast vintage racers[/url]
It was a few combining circumstance that led to me virtually quiting MTB.
Cost of fuel getting anywhere inc local woods. £10 of fuel a few times a week adds up.
Time to get away on mtb after having our first kid
Started it and realised I'm actually pretty damn good at roading
Lost 4.5 stone in about 14 months
In lat 2 days I've done about 100miles of roading from my door at 20mph + avg work out the calorise from that.
I downgraded my MTB as it was just sitting there, MTB mates all told me I was mad but it allowed me to get a super road bike and I love it an don't miss my five at all. I've got a c456 if I fancy the odd day.
Be carefull though the money you save on fuel for MTB trips you will spend on gear that makes you look like a total tart. I love all the aesthetics part of roading and I'm fully signed up to that.
If I was to return to MTB it would probably be the whole euro xc stuff and dabble in xc racing.
I really enjoy riding in the winter, it's really great to get out on a crisp winters day, or head out on a night ride in the mud (and finish in the pub).
then comes summer, there is the longer days and good fitness from all the rides in the winter which mean really making the most of those lovely dry, fast trails and long days (finished in the pub of course)
except everything is still 6" deep in mud, and to be honest - i'm not enjoying it, it's upset my natural rhythm, as much as i've enjoyed winter, it's knowing summer's round the corner that makes it fun
Get in! Just Got a PB on Strava, looked through my history, in march my local climb was taking 8:11 tonight 4:04!
This forum seems to be mostly populated by roadies these days.
Lets see what an Indian summer brings. Or what happens when the clocks go back, or when it's sub zero, icy and snowing.
Even this Sunday spending four hours in the p***ing rain stopping to fix mates punctures and trying to stay upright on diesel coated roundabouts wasn't that great.
@captain-bastard. Yes, agree totally.
captain_bastard +1. Well put sir!
I don't mind putting all the layers, waterproofs, Sealskins socks etc on for a dark, cold January night ride. I just expect it. Like I just expect to get coated head to toe in filth
In this miserable summer though, I find I just can't be arsed and make lame excuses. After all, why the **** should I? I've [i]earned[/i] my dry dusty trails with all that dark, cold winter riding.
As a result, over the last few years of absolutely lousy summers, I've ended up doing more miles in the winter. Hey ho
Actually, the best riding for the past few years has been October/November
Agree with OP - the thing that is bugging me at the moment is the rate of equipment failure in these conditions. Getting tired of trips to LBS. Need to sort out broken spokes this morning, but just felt "FI" lets just stick to the road this week and forget MTB for a while. Too bl@@dy expense with the constant repairs.
Oddly, I actually enjoy cleaning a really muddy bike, there is more of an incentive to do a good job. Its too easy to not bother if the bike is only slightly dirty.
I wonder how sales are going this year? With this weather I am so glad that I have held off on new bike. The sound of local mud and sand grinding away at my gears is bad enough on old faithful.
+2 Cap'n B'stard, the reason I took that monstrosity out yesterday was because I've got bloody SAD syndrome and it's s'posed to be summer, but in truth for me Mountain Biking has always been pretty much a winter sport, the trails round here get so nettled up, we have so much narrow single track, but even the bridle ways have closed out with this amount of rain, the nettle growth has been mental.
This is what temporarily alleviated my melancholy, a bit of weirdness tbh, but it did convince me road biking is still as wrong as it ever was..
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Edit, it has rat traps not SPD's so I haven't totally transgressed.
I have just replaced the entire drive train on my HT and I just don't have the heart to go out and begin the process of reducing it to rusting sh*te again. I actually chose this time of year to do it on the naive assumption it would get a few months of stress free use with barely even a clean before winter kicked in. It's so wet I can hardly be bothered to go out on my road bike, it takes 3 days for my shoes to dry out! So instead I have been buying stuff I won't wear and books on the internet. Going up to wharfedale next week and was looking forward to big climbs and great views but debating whether to take the bike at all now and just walk [or hang about in pubs]