My last 5 years with MTB have been off and on due to injuries, kids coming along and the knowledge that 2 hours will give me 3 or 4 descents with a slog to get there where my road bike will give me 2 hours of speed. The MTB has become a second choice. Ive used the MTB 9 times in the last year and 90% was on the road or something that would have been fine on a gravel bike (i think). Such infrequent rides are also preventing my getting my confidence back after a injuries.
I do enjoy the option to explore about on the mtb as well as riding trails so im considering getting a gravel bike. At least i can jump on a fast is bike and hope and do some decent miles away on roads as well as though woodland etc. im guessing it will be good for Coast 2 coast style rides too.
Has anyone else found themselves in this position and moved to gravel riding?
my gravel bike got ridden more than anything else last year. its easy, it has full guards on it, its pretty capable xc bike and fast enough on the road. its nice to ride in shitty conditions. i can ride door to door and put it back in the garage and know it'll be good to go the next time I open the door.
I only get the mtb out now when the conditions are good.
I’ve constantly battled the wife to keep going out on my mtb at least once a week tbh. I don’t mind a road ride but mtb gives me far more satisfaction and chills me out more. Just stopping in the woods with no-one else about and just taking in the quiet / nature really helps my mind.
I also don’t get the same adrenaline rush with road riding - the consequences of coming off at the speeds needed to have fun / a rush aren’t worth thinking about for me.
If you struggle to get enough time to drive somewhere to mtb then a gravel bike could be a good option for you though - I think mainly fireroad bashing or very easy trails though. Should get you out in the woods - but I wouldn’t regeualrly want to try and hammer / pick my way down proper mtb trails on one personally.
Gravel bikes are ideal if you're time-poor and don't have trails from the door. Trails that are dull/a drag on the MTB can be enjoyable on a gravel bike in terms of being out and about, and they will do xc stuff & woodsy singletrack, albeit steep/chundery stuff is not it's forte. And quiet roads are not a chore, and can be perfectly pleasant.
I’ve constantly battled the wife to keep going out on my mtb at least once a week tbh. I don’t mind a road ride but mtb gives me far more satisfaction and chills me out more.
Absolutely this for me, I've now got a handful of mates that ride mtb (after years of going mostly solo) which helps with the 'sell' (ie they're going so why can't I). The kids are a bit older / more self sufficient now which helps and I'm also hoping to get my youngest daughter keen on mtb (current poor weather and lack of light not helping) which will also help get me on the mtb more.
I also ride road in the week when WFH to keep the fitness up or a longer ride when no-one wants to play mtb (I have some roadie mates too) and will start commuting on the bike again when the light / weather gets better. Gravel is OK but more like road than mtb to me (bear in mind my mtb preference is gravity / playing about in the woods rather than traditional XC) and the road is accessible out of the door, whereby I'd need to travel to get a good variety of gravel routes.
The opposite here. I'd love a gravel ride day, a beer, food.
It's all crazy descents, day in day out.
Summer I get 3-4 a week, winter it's only 1-2.
I could have written the OP myself. Gravel bikes are amazing just for getting out, despite the fact that some people just don't seem to understand them!
What form they take is up to you, drop bars or rigid 29er or even just a HT 29er they just work for jumping on and getting out.
I've got a Cotic Cascade and am just just about to try it out with some swept back bars instead of drops but it's great with drops anyway!
Get one and get out for a ride!
“ The opposite here. I’d love a gravel ride day, a beer, food.
It’s all crazy descents, day in day out.
Summer I get 3-4 a week, winter it’s only 1-2.”
Having one child who is old enough to ride faster than you do, is not a very relevant comparison to those of us with two or more younger children! Mine are 9, 7 and 3 and since starting another band I’m having to squeeze my MTBing into the odd longer commute as I’ve use up my one one night a week out making music.
Ive been here, ive got a 5 year old so riding time is very limited, espcially on the mtb so spent most of my time on the road bike, couple of hours here and there when i got the chance
Bought a cheap gravel bike to see if i could mix up a bit of off road and road riding, turns out i didnt enjoy ethier!
I found the gravel bike slow on the roads when using tyres that could handle a bit of off road riding and not that nice off road as there is no real gravel riding where i live so everything was quite rough
Best thing i found for short off road blasts for 1-2 hours was an e-mtb
I can load up the car, get to my riding spot, do 15 miles and 2000+ft of elevation whislt having loads of fun and be back home all within 2 hours
Maybe an ebike would take the slog out of your trip to and from the trails, and probably give an extra couple of descents in the same time?
I'd say it depends on your local terrain.
I bought a gravel bike (sold my fat bike and summer carbon road bike to fund) just before becoming a dad, as I knew that away days and time available driving to ride would be limited for the time being. My local area has lots of farm and estate tracks that aren't very exciting on a mtb but are still great for getting away from traffic. Gravel bike much easier (not necessarily faster) on the road than mtb, and makes mild off road feel more exciting. Was also a god send during lockdown as it kept off road speeds lower, while still enjoyable.
It's not the magical revelation a lot of people are hoping for and I wouldn't take one over an mtb as an only bike, but I don't regret selling the other two bikes for it.
Has anyone else found themselves in this position and moved to gravel riding?
Nope. We just bought a double trailer for the kids and kept doing mtb. 3 mile climb at 'degla with kid in trailer, send missus off round the black ( or just the red if she was proper pregnant at the time), head round the blue turfing the kid out to ride his tricycle/balance bike/weeb for little sections. Install wife and kid in cafe for 90 minutes then blast round the black.
As kids got older they rode more and more but up until at least 10 years old it involved me towing one or both of them up 3 mile climb.
Great way of getting exercise and getting them enthused for mtb
Buy a trailer
Oh good point @thegeneralist
Definitely buy a trailer. Got ours when he was one, just before the first lockdown. Have done over 600 miles with it over the three summers. He was asking to go out in it earlier today.
Having one child who is old enough to ride faster than you do, is not a very relevant comparison to those of us with two or more younger children
I never said it was, he asked "is anyone else. . "
Gravel biking sounds like the worst of both worlds. No smooth and fast descents like on a road bike and not the downhill fun of a mountain bike. Can't you negotiate some regular MTB riding time with your other half? My wife is into surfing so I frequently babysit on the beach whilst she's in the water. Equally whilst I'm out on my bike, she'll do a forest walk with the little one or cafe if it's raining. Fairly easy to coordinate IMO. Ultimately our son fits in with us and what we do. Hopefully he'll grow up a good surfer and mountain biker when he's a little bit older.
Road is for training, commuting and long distance exploring,
Gravel is for local exploring, or car then exploring. They're great versatile bikes that make gravel fun and gravel really is fun on a gravel bike.
MTB is for fun and relaxing, smiles and thrills. Mine may not gets used as much as my other bikes due to similar commitments to yours (and my local trails being destroyed by horses in the winter), but when it does, it's smiles I'm looking for, not miles. I'd never get shot of it, but relish the rare time I do get to spend with it.
MAKE time for it - it's like therapy for the busy life/mind.
What form they take is up to you, drop bars or rigid 29er or even just a HT 29er they just work for jumping on and getting out.
I like this. It’s not really that a gravel bike is a certain thing. It’s more about a bike that’s versatile on road and off road.
I do prefer the grave bike from the door. I have all the time in the world and the MTB stuff isn’t far away. But slinging the bike in the car often doesn’t appeal
To enable me to get out and have some genuine type one fun when having far too little time, I bought myself a dirt jumper. If I only have an hour and a half to ride, it's off to the pump track for a quick workout and some technique sharpening. There's a double that I'm currently eyeing up and have no hope of actually clearing without casing and scaring myself silly.
Gravel? Thats only type two fun. Why wouldn't you go enjoy yourself whilst rebuilding your confidence playing on shaped bumps in a park?
Gravel? Thats only type two fun. Why wouldn’t you go enjoy yourself whilst rebuilding your confidence playing on shaped bumps in a park?
Horses for courses innit, we're all wired differently. Skate parks/pump tracks just scare me, was never into skateboarding or BMXing as a kid, and have zero desire to start now.
Whereas a couple of hours out in the fresh air, exploring moors, woodland trails, quiet roads is just heavenly for me. I'd not trade it in for the fun & exhilaration of proper MTB, but gravel riding is definitely a type of type 1 fun for me.
Is this not why night riding was invented?
It’s a difficult one to be sure. I ride a lot less than I used to even with trails relatively close by. Don’t get any pleasure from road riding at all. If the option was road or nothing I’d give up completely. So it’s fair weather riding locally on the hardtail or towpath bimbling with the family for me.
The OP post sounds very similar to my own situation. There is no 'real' MTB on my doorstep so BC (Before Child) I would regularly drive to Thetford, Sherwood, the Peak district etc. and have weekends with mates in Wales or Scotland.
Since our daughter has arrived, it has been much harder to justify a 1hr+ drive each way for a couple of hours riding, as it ends up taking half of the day.
My mates now have kids too, so trying to arrange something we can all do seems virtually impossible.
I don't really enjoy road riding, but it has ended up being 90% of the riding I do - well, that & Zwift. Road riding to me is just a means of keeping fit.
I've got an Inbred with rigid forks that gets ridden relatively often locally & it is the bike I would use when I go out with my daughter locally.
My Stumpjumper FSR on the other hand....I bought some new brakes for it in Jan 2022 as the Avid Elixirs on it were in bad shape. They didn't get fitted until October 2022 & I still haven't ridden it once since buying those brakes. It seems pointless selling it, as it's 12 years old and has so many old standards it might as well have been found on the deck of the Mary Rose.
I am currently eyeing up a stupidly long short-list of gravel bikes and if I get one I'd probably clean up the Inbred & sell it, which would leave me with (new) gravel bike, full-sus & road bike.
I'm kinda hoping my knees hold out long enough that when my daughter is a bit more independent & doing her own thing, I'll get back into it a bit more.
Anyone battling their spouse has the wrong spouse. Bring married is shut mutual respect for the things that are important to the other individual surely?
Context - 3 kids - youngest is 2 so not taking from a nul point of view
Anyone battling their spouse has the wrong spouse.
Indeed, it never fails to amaze me that mates I go riding with have to get permission from their other halfs to ride. My partners knows I ride Saturday am she rides Sunday am and mid week rides can be fitted in as and when I mean we have to check in and see what's on when but usually works out.
Trailers an interesting idea. Any one used one around swinley (not in full winter conditions obviously!)? Are they any good on the road - slightly anxious riding with one on the road if i'm honest. Two kids - one is 2 the other is 2 months.
Where is your other half during all of this? And i dont mean that in a harsh or rude way.... and i certainly know everyone is different and households have many things going on, but.... my wife knows that riding is my hobby and passion, plus is excellent for my mental and physical health, therefore i get to go riding on a sunday morning and generally return early to mid afternoon, allowing me 4 or 5 hours in the woods with my mates (and an evening or two a week during the better weather).
She doesnt have hobbies as i do, hers are more socialising with friends, which is mostly done in the weekday evenings and the odd friday or saturday night. So she gets to do her thing, i get to do mine, and there is still plenty of time left for my 6 year old, my 16 year old (when she is over, as she is from a previous) and for me and the wife to hang out.
With hectic lives, i know time can be a precious commodity these days, but its important you find time to do your thing! 🙂
Having young kids is a phase and although it may not feel like it at the moment, it does pass. My kids are teenagers now and either ride with me or are fine to be left on their own while I head out.
When they were younger I would ride 1 or 2 evenings a week, I'd help with bedtime and ride at 8. Sometimes from the door and sometimes I'd drive to the start point. Bike and kit was always ready, roof bars always on the car so I could make the most of the time I had. With limited sleep and time I was often tempted to just not bother but it really helped my mental and physical health. Even my wife could see the difference and encouraged me to go.
Anyone battling their spouse has the wrong spouse. Bring married is shut mutual respect for the things that are important to the other individual surely?
I totally agree, but for me it was a case of my priorities changing. Before kids, it didn’t affect my wife if I went away from 6 til 6. Afterwards it did. The days I did go I always felt a bit guilty. Wife breastfed so it wasn’t the case she could ever get away. Tried expressing and using a bottle, but he just wouldn’t take it. Longest she could get away for was 2-3 hours.
Now he’s older I do the nursery runs, so even on my days off I have times I’m tied to. Bike doesn’t fit in car with the child seat in, so if I do drive to ride I have to head home to swap it over at each end.
If you live somewhere with good riding from the door it’s easier, but for me, my local mtb woods loop is just over an hour. Bigger loops involve linking up various small woodlands which is quicker and more fun on the gravel bike.
As for trailers. I splurged and bought a Hamax with suspension. We do a lot on local estate tracks and country parks and I think it was worth it. We live in a small village and have a good cycle path running next to the main road, but also use it on the minor road heading out the other direction. Most drivers here have been really good at giving plenty of space, but obviously depends on your local roads. When I first got it, I did my first ride without my son in it. Takes time to adjust to braking, pulling away from junctions and especially avoiding potholes with the back wheels. Get used to hitting them full on, so the back wheels avoid them.
Get dirt jump bike or BMX. Much less time* commitment to clean up travel most of the time.
*If you have a decent skatepark or spot near by. If you get into digging trails then you will have no free time and be digging at 10:00pm in winter with a head torch.
I moved from somewhere I had great MTB on the doorstep to somewhere that, well, doesn't! Which means MTB requires loading the car/van and a 30 minute minimum drive to trails and same home so I bought a CX/gravel bike. God its boring. Sold it and started running more instead but have started blocking out Saturday mornings to at least try and get out early on the big bike. Luckily the kids are at ages where they're enjoying coming out too so I'm more than happy with a couple of hours out with them...
As above take up running.
Far less faff than any type of biking, and you need less time to get the same amount of fitness return.
Other than that its short turbo sessions.....
One of the joys/downsides of having kids, your own time disappears but you do have to try and find some balance
Get rid of the family, problem solved.
Agree about the trailer
An ebike does sound like it would help you maximise your time
For me I try and book a few race or ride weekends away with mates well in advance so the Mum in law is booked in to come and help the wife.
Embrace night riding too, I do a weekly night ride, usually Thursday (tho will change if weather is bad) and yes a gravel ride if really wet
“Anyone battling their spouse has the wrong spouse” - whilst I can see people’s reasoning for saying this, it’s never quite as simple in real life, and context is everything.
My wife absolutely has always understood my need to ride, but as a kayaker and mtb’er herself, it can be very difficult for her to see me go out every week when she doesn’t have the opportunity to go in the same way. She’d never want me to not go, but she’d feel bad about not going herself at some point down the line. For lots of reasons, she has had less opportunities to to out than me over the years (friends having kids and then not being active in the same way, confidence etc). It’s actually more about me feeling guilty than her - she never doesn’t want me to go, but feels low so I then didn’t want to go to add to her feeling bad.
Having a regular group ride / routine has helped me (Sunday morning mates ride), but the big one is making sure my wife gets out in some way as well. She feels good, I don’t feel bad about going, eberyone’s a winner. Starting a realationship with someone who was well into outdoor activity (incl mtb) I thought was going to be all positive, but after 16 years together I now think it’s a double edged sword. Wouldn’t it be easier if she was into shopping or coffee with friends as she wouldn’t feel bad about not getting out herself?
Try to negotiate a routine. You do a ‘shift’ at some point during the week to get your riding points.
Also, I’ll echo what others have said about road riding - yes it’s easier to get a ride in but my god it’s dull compared to mtb’ing (for me, yes yes I know different strokes and all that). It’s 100% purely a fitness thing for me to help enjoy my mtb’ing more. If I didn’t mtb I probably wouldn’t road ride.
We all go through the phase. I was 'off the bike' for a few years with young kids and a lengthy drive to work (30 miles each way) for about 8 years whilst my kids were young. I managed to get a job nearer that was back within a bike commute when my eldest was about 7, youngest 5, which meant I was back to cycling withing the 'work day'. Didn't need to be out at weekends, but when I did, say a sportive, my fitness was right up there.
Mine are now 19 and 22. I still fit in the bike commute as it's still the most effective method of training and still faster than the car (10 miles each way). Means weekend rides can be for enjoyment. Luckily there is enough good MTB'ing and road riding direct from my door, and I only 'travel' a few times a year to a trail centre.
Anyone battling their spouse has the wrong spouse.
Agreed mostly but some mates have wives with very little interest in anything apart from shopping and family stuff. These are the ones who struggle to get 'permission' to come and do fun stuff. Those with wives (or husbands) who also have their own strong interests, be that singing or biking or pottery, whatever, always seem to be far more understanding of the others need for some time apart to do their hobbies, which were often the reason they were attracted to each other in the first place.
My winter riding becomes about 50/50 gravel and proper trails off road.
100% trails as soon as the winter dark/bogs start to recede. Just can’t be doing with roads/drivers in this country at all.
Agree with Hooli, you're probably time poor at the minute and it's a phase. Mine are now 5 and 8 so things are getting a bit easier, but for the past few years, if I've wanted to go to the gym or swim, I have to be up for 6:00am so that I can be there for opening, and home in time to help get the kids ready/be ready to start work at 9am.
Was training for a sprint tri, so the bike part of the training had to be commuting to work on the bike instead.
Things like my XBOX, guitars, drums see occasional use these days, it's easier than it was when they were younger, but taking the XBOX as an example, I've done 8 hours on the latest 'Call of Duty'. My colleague at work, without kids, is up to 8 days.
Agreed mostly but some mates have wives with very little interest in anything apart from shopping and family stuff. These are the ones who struggle to get ‘permission’ to come and do fun stuff.
This, to a degree. The struggle we still have in our house is that whilst I'd be quite happy to hold the fort while my wife has some 'her-time' after I've been out riding all Saturday morning, she doesn't always seem so inclined to do it! I think her idea of 'her-time' is to potter about the house, so I need to up my game and take our 5 year old out for several hours on a Sunday morning I guess. Perhaps that's a good new-year's resolution actually, take the 5 year old out for a walk every Sunday to give my wife some breathing space...
Oh, and plus 1 million for gravel/CX bikes if you're a time crunched MTBer. My poor Superfly just doesn't get a look in these days as it only trumps the CX bike on long/steep/gnarly descents, of which there are relatively few nearby (and I'm not wasting riding time packing/unpacking car and driving places). CX bike is nearest to MTB style kicks, you just need to find the muddiest trails you can (easy enough once you get your eye in, there's sections of skinny muddy dog walkers trail EVERYWHERE) and replace gravity with your legs. You can get it sideways everywhere if you just pedal hard enough!
My two main riding pals and I have had similar with young families and other time constraints.
One of them hardly rides at all these days, think he last had his bike out on the annual trip last May. Vicious circle as his fitness decline puts him off but that won't get any better while he's sitting at home.
The other went full gravel during lockdown after reading up about them. Sold his MTB and only has the GB these days. We had a couple of years with plenty of rides and he was fitter than he's ever been but that's really dropped off in the last year and I've been out with him once or twice since the May ride. His bike fitness will be pants now as well so the longer rides we used to do won't be happening any time soon.
As for me, I got a GB after my pal did, having not really taken any interest and found it great fun to just get out and ride. I'm a MTB'er at heart though so still have my full suss but time on it has been limited this year due to mates who don't ride and life getting in the way. I bought a Whippet as most of my riding was gentle but a trip to BPW made me realise I didn't need two bikes that covered the same bases so I sold that and started building a HT. That stalled as I developed a Tamiya habit again but it will be built by the time the weather improves and I'm determined to get out in the hills more in 2023.
I've been running and going to gym classes (HIIT, core, circuits, etc) rather than riding as time is limited but I not prepared to give up on MTB yet and my kids are getting older and less dependant.
I guess what I'm saying OP is that, yes, you should get a GB as they are great for what you are riding but try not to get rid of the MTB as you'll miss it!
I think it's an understatement to point out the reduction of 'hobby' time is just one of the smaller ways your life is turned upside down by parenthood. I think from a Dad's perspective, if you're not sometimes finding it tough and full of sacrifice/compromise, you need to look at whether you are pulling your weight. (Not aimed at any previous poster, more reflective TBF).
My two are now 10 and 6, and between school, swimming, Scouts, wrap-around clubs etc. the little time we have left as a couple we quite like to spend together. It doesn't help that Mrs LJ is an NHS worker (currently fun) and we both work different weekend rotas.
All that said, I don't think we do that badly. The last decade has featured a lot more dull road riding than it otherwise would have done, but we all ride and holidays and weekends away generally involve bikes. I also get a weekday off every fortnight to travel for some proper solo MTBing.
Anyone battling their spouse has the wrong spouse.
That made me chuckle 😀
I've long had a theory that 'If the Missus lets me' has long been a cut and paste excuse for blokes to duck out of social situations, rather than actually say 'I'm just not feeling it', or 'that other guy you ride with is a wally.'
In the same boat here really, and it's important to give yourself some slack. Parenting is bloody hard work, and family life does take up most of your life. Try not to be too hard on yourself for not getting out, because you then run the risk of not enjoying the times you do go out because they are shorter than you used to do, and you're less fit. And yes, the intensity of parenting young ones does ease, and it is a phase. I'm only just getting a sense of this with a 5 year old and 2.5 year old. But importantly I can see things are a bit easier and there are more opportunities to get out. Key things:
- Be prepared, make sure the bike and kit is ready
- 'Book' time in advance for a decent ride and stick to it no matter the weather or if you're tired
- Gravel bike has been my friend, as it's the best way to cover lots of varied terrain locally, and in the winter its got full mudgaurds and is less faff and mess than an MTB.
- Night riding in better weather/light: I find getting out on a damp evening in January bloody hard, as i'm usually pretty knackered by the time bedtime is done, and riding lanes and slop in the dark isn't so much fun for me. Different story in summer though.
- Change your expectations - key one really, you're not going to be as fit, have as much time, or be able to relax or ride with mates much. Embrace getting out in nature, embrace bimbling locally, embrace thrills in small doses.
You'll slowly get back to a version of how you want to ride, and have more time to do it.
EDIT - Yes, got a trailer and use it for school/nursery runs with them both and we all love it, excellent resistance training with 40kg of kids and trailer lugging behind you!
Has anyone else found themselves in this position and moved to gravel riding?
Sort of. I'd always ridden "gravel" pre-kids, using my commute home to explore local stuff. Kids/family life shifted the balance more towards that than extra evening MTB rides, although I still get out on weekly evening MTB rides with mates most weeks (or twice or more if weather decent). Weekend rides / away days took the kit though.
Easier for me to fit gravel rides in daily life compared to MTBing. It's riding from the door, e.g. 65min ride this morning on local forest paths and local trailcentre, even with breakfast with the family I was working from 8.30am. Compare that to the 20-25min drive to get to my nearest MTB-worthy trails which at this time of year are a bit of a mess, and I'm glad to have the gravel option.
I could never give up proper MTBing though.
once the kids grow up they then get into other things and need ferrying about. mine do cricket and music so there is always a pick up or dropoff time to meet.
i just rode less when the kids were smaller just because the wife needed a break and for family time.
i dabbled in road but it is not the same and its sat in the garage for 3 years not doing anything. i then started going to the skatepark and pump tracks, which was decent as the kids could bring their bikes/scooters and i got to scare myself and practice stuff. Again you only need an hour or 2.
luckily we have biking close to home and now i've an eeb now to maximise the time i get when i go to the steeper tracks/winter - i'll happily go to the steeper tracks just for an hour on the eeb as its worth it and you get a decent session in.
Has anyone else found themselves in this position and moved to gravel riding?
Got a gravel bike a couple of months ago and mainly use it as an alternative to running or quick from-the-door MTB rides of 1 to 1.5hrs. But I still do those as well.
Sounds like you're not that bothered about MTBing anyway? In which case a gravel bike might be just the ticket.
