[Closed] Are you mountain biker, but not a thrill seeker?

I guess I'm a bit of a loner, and do most of my riding solo, so will make do with 2 of those. Possibly even one depending on what you call scenery as I'm also happy to go out in the fog (though in that case the scenery is what you can see within your little bubble, and providing that changes I'm happy 😀 )

a top mtb ride needs 3 components, scenery, good company and a bit of excitement

our ride on Longridge last night had almost zero scenery due to thick mist, but fantastic (mostly) frozen mud riding conditions and brilliant enthusiastic company :o)

I raced MX, enduro and large road bikes when I wanted a fix. Now they don't really do much for me. But mountainbike thrills? Unless you travel the world looking for big mountains I don't see how that works (except for those easily excited maybe).

Mountainbikes are a good piece of gym equipment for me and I like getting covered in shit (which is discouraged in the gym).

I like the feeling of being anxious about trying something, finally trying it and then finding that it wasn't actually as bad as you thought.
Then there's the flipside that sometimes you try stuff and come a cropper but it is still enjoyable as you gave it a go and probably learnt something in the process.

There are a few sections at Cwm Carn that I always struggled with a yr or so ago. When I went the other day, I rode over some of them without even realising that they were the bits that used to concern me, other bits I couldn't quite cleared but got a lot further than before and there was one or two bits that I couldn't do. Nothing majorly technical but I seem to struggle on tricky uphill sections keeping enough momentum up and the front of the bike down.

I know that the more I ride and the more i push myself (even just a bit) the better I will get and perhaps next time I go to Cwm Carn I will clear the whole trail with no bother.

I think for me it's all about challenging myself and trying to always improve a bit. Whether it is getting fitter or becoming more skilled. Both of which I still have lots of scope to work on!
It's a very individual sport but one that you can enjoy with many people. You get to see the countryside, hang out with mates, eat cake, drink tea, buy shiny gadgetry etc.

Over the years of mountain-biking, always last down the hill, climbing and most recently skiing, I have finally discovered that at the grand old age of 50 ...

[b]adrenalin is not my drug of choice[/b]

you're a climber and you dont like adrenalin?!

I do like conversations, but prefer them in real life :). I went through a phase in my more youthful youth of attempting to have discussions on forums and found it very frustrating (head/brickwall), so try and steer clear now. But this thread caught my attention because of a conversation (heaven forbid, a real life one ;)) I had at the weekend....

...Someone, i think on this forum, described themselves as a 'live, eat, sleep, breathe bikes' person. I guess I'm one of those. If I wasn't always pushing myself on my bike, then I don't think I would have become that. So the mindset of spending loads of money on expensive bikes, but not pushing them and yourself to the limits, doesn't make much sense to me. I can't stop anyone from just pootling around the woods (and just being in the woods is another one of my reasons for riding bikes so can totally understand that), but if that's all there was to riding bikes, I think I might have diverted my attention to something else by now.

I'm not sure but there used to be more stuff in my profile but haven't checked/updated it since the hack I'm afraid. I didn't expect anyone to know my gender, was just pointing it out so you didn't have to refer to me as 'he' should the 'conversation' continue...

I like getting covered in ****

Oh dear. Are you one of 'those' kind of people?

It's not hyghenic, you know. 🙁

the mindset of spending loads of money on expensive bikes, but not pushing them and yourself to the limits, doesn't make much sense to me.

There's more than one way of pushing yourself to the limit: messing about on jumps or riding a long way.

100!

i like (in no particular order);-

* going for a run out in the mountains and seeing spectacular scenery.
* having a laugh with mates, faffing about, eating cake, a bit of riding, comparing moobs & beers afterwards.
* being at the point of 'help ma boab' i nearly lost it there after sketching out.
* bottling out of something and eventually doing it.
* seeing one of your mates do something that they've been bottling out of.
* riding with someone far superior technically to understand how far away you are.

so i guess i'm both.

It's not hyghenic, you know.

But mountainbike thrills? Unless you travel the world looking for big mountains I don't see how that works

You don't need a mountain to scare yourself. Or even a trail.

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You don't need a mountain to scare yourself. Or even a trail.

Bicycles = outdoors, muddy exercise and social stuff for me.

*If I lived at the bottom of a ski lift I'd have a different perspective...

5th elephant - interesting. I find 30mph on a MTB at least as exciting as 120mph on a motorbike. So much so I have pretty well given up on motorbikes as going fast enough to get that buzz was going to put me in jail eventually.

if you have imagination you don't need the motorbike :o)

I've done all sorts of biking competitively for about 25 years, ridden motocross and had fast sports bikes. I just like all bikes and seeing what you can do on them. Sometimes its a buzz, sometimes its hell (Strathpuffer 2007...)

Occasionally at work its necessary for me to run into burning buildings while everyone else is running out. Now thats an adrenalin buzz, but its not why i do it.

Bit old to be thrill seeker these days and having broken most of my bones at least once, i'll leave that stuff to the youngsters.

But mountainbike thrills? Unless you travel the world looking for big mountains I don't see how that works

I've traveled all over the Alps, riding some pretty dam hard/good singletrack and proper dh courses. I still find some of the UK dh tracks far more of a challenge and thrill to ride fast.