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The people I see pushing these days are unfit people on slightly-too-heavy "all mountain" bikes. Sort of acceptable if they're stupidly fast on the descents, but they never are.
I'm chubby and ride a slightly too heavy all mountain bike like a bit of a pansy, want to make something of it skinny boy?
On a serious note, AM bikes are (generaly) faster downhill than XC bikes, a slow rider would be even slower downhill on an XC bike, so why shouldn't they ride AM bikes and get the same downhill buzz as everyone else?
If Mr Armstrong was out on an MTB ride and overtook a group of STWers, should they be relegated to turbo training as they clearly aren't fast enough to deserve to ride MTB's, or road bikes anywhere where they might be seen by the public? No matter how lie surf-mat you are, there will always be someone faster.
Just going to leave this here
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thisisnotaspoon - Member
On a serious note, AM bikes are (generaly) faster downhill than XC bikes, a slow rider would be even slower downhill on an XC bike, so why shouldn't they ride AM bikes and get the same downhill buzz as everyone else?
Given that 'most' people don't ride anywhere near the limit of the capability of their bike downhill(or even make any [i]attempt[/i] to set up any suspension they have) and that technical and downhill riding is mostly about confidence, I reckon that 'most' riders would probably be as 'fast' downhill (other than the rockiest) on a moderately light, tough hardtail with a decent, medium-travel fork and much quicker up.
They might not be as comfortable as they crash over obstacles though...
Before anybody says it, no, I'm not awesome 😉 I'm quite partial to a technical or fast downhill and like to set my fairly humble bikes up as well as I can. I'm not a fast climber, but I do try to ride uphill as far as I can. Lots of pushing-up to do a small amount of downhilling doesn't appeal to me much.
Surely it's all about the context - if the guy had just left the car-park then it's probably valid to think it a bit odd to be pushing up a slight incline, but he could have been out all day for all you know.
I did a 50 mile ride across Dartmoor a few weeks back. I didn't take on enough calories during the first 25 miles which were pretty much all uphill, consequently had a massive bonk and bombed out shortly before the halfway point... even after inhaling everything edible in my pack, cycling on the flat still hurt like hell until the glycogen kicked in so I ended up pushing on even the slightest incline for a good 40 mins or so, after which I was fine and completed the ride.
I was barely able to mutter a sentence during this time and was probably equally rude to anyone asking if I needed assistance.
so why shouldn't they ride AM bikes and get the same downhill buzz as everyone else?
'cos they could have got the buzz of riding up the hill as well.
Thought a high percentage of cyclists enjoyed riding up hills:
Maybe my legs are a funny shape or something, but i find it harder work to actually push my bike up a hill that to cycle it? I often see people who try to walh down with their bike over some obsticle or other and it looks more dangerous and likely to result in a fall than just cycling down it! But, it takes allsorts, if you're happy to get off and push then go right ahead 😉
Maybe my legs are a funny shape or something, but i find it harder work to actually push my bike up a hill that to cycle it?
Me too. I find pushing utterly knackering, and will avoid it at all costs unless it's really too steep or all my pedalling muscles are completely done for.
I have a condition called CMT, one major symptom of this is very high arches, hammer toes, weak ankles and almost no 'spring' in the instep.
Consequently, walking over rough ground whilst wearing SPD shoes is a close approximation of Purgatory for me, so i'll try to rid up pretty much everything i come up against.
Oh yes, i weigh 9 stone and my bike weighs 33lb.. 😛
Maybe my legs are a funny shape or something, but i find it harder work to actually push my bike up a hill that to cycle it?
its just what your use to. when i first got a bike i found it easier to push.
but know its probably less tiring if I just keep cycling.
Funny how an observation can turn into a "gang up" on the original poster but in all fairness who cares whether other people walk, climb in granny, power up the hill flat out. We're all stronger in certain aspects of our riding than others. For me it depends on the type of ride it is - if it's a flat out XC ride then I'd rather try and stay on the bike whether that means granny ring or not. If it's more of a chilled one and the group prefer to walk it then that's cool. Funny thing is nobody would actually stop mid ride and question a complete stranger "why aren't you riding up this hill" or "why are you using your granny ring" - maybe that's the way to go ?
Nicknoxx - Member
Jedi + (another) 1
POSTED 2 WEEKS AGO #
I'm with you too Jedi! Please stop feeding this troll!! Are we all not lovers of two wheels regardless of pushing or riding! 😀
Maybe my legs are a funny shape or something, but i find it harder work to actually push my bike up a hill that to cycle it?
I ride up hills until I no longer can then I get off and walk. you can walk a bike uphill slower than you can ride - thus it takes less power to push it up
Had to resort to pushing up a bit of a climb today. I have no shame
Oh shit, sometimes me and my mate walk so we can talk, it's a sociable thing , sorry- I'll get mi coat.
What Jedi said.
I seem to be much bette at walking up the hill than cycling.Annoyingly.
It's not a proper lakes ride unless you push/carry end of (Anything that is a graded scramble probably can't be ridden up anyway)
I did a rare bit of pushing recently, on the climb up to Truleigh Hill on the South Downs. Hopefully you lot will make an exception as I was about 80 miles into a 90 miler...I would have been over the moon to be able to 'winch' my way up in 1st though :d