[Closed] Life After MTB - What Did You Replace it With?

cycle touring.

What ton said.

I'm very into wildlife and bird spotting, I've combined this into walks, so it gives me something to do other than getting from a - b on foot.

I'm still mtbing but have been doing quite a bit of road riding on our tandem.

Fishing? What sort of budget do you have? Do you want something you can do locally or something to get you travelling around the place?
Given your username perhaps shooting?

I still MTB fairly regularly, but I could totally see myself replace it with hiking at the more scrambley end of the scale. Satisfies my desire for challenge and mini adventure, whilst being quite accessible without oodles of kit and specialist skills. Do a bit now, mostly in Snowdonia and it’s ace.

If I can't enjoy MTBs, I'll buy an e-bike and make sure nobody else can.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/e-wnkers/

I’ve ruled out golf due to my reverse snobbery.

I've never really understood this.

Where I live, golf is very much an ordinary working mans game. You're much more  likely to see a works van in the  golf club car park than a Mercedes.

cycle touring.

Yep, and running as well for me . Local cycle touring, or 'bimbling', is ace.

I think a lot of people think that to 'MTB' or to be an 'MTBer' you need to go (drive, usually) somewhere with 'M'. You don't, you can 'ATB' instead on your MTB to a nice pub which I think is now called 'gravel biking', having changed its name by deed poll a couple of years ago because 'just going for a ride' wasn't cool any more or had already been marketed to death or something and the bike manufacturers couldn't sell you a new bike for something you already do.

I know there are quite a few on here who no longer really ride.

Don't be ridiculous! Next you'll be saying there are people on Mumsnet who aren't mothers!

Anyway, yeah, I'd take up art, or get an ebike if I really had to give up 😉

I've just come back (to road riding) after a 12 year hiatus during which I tried Olympic Lifting, power lifting and Crossfit. The main downside is that I no longer have a cyclists upper body and have gone from a Medium to XXL in cycling tops, plus being 12kg heavier, hills are a lot tougher....

52 (eek) on Friday. No chance of giving up yet. Although I did write an article for STW wheN I hit 40 saying I had about five years left 😉

I can’t see me ever stopping riding. Guess I’ll stop riding some of the higher consequence stuff and mix it up with touring. Really enjoyed our first attempt at that this year.

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Oh and I’m always go to do ‘something’ outside in the hills, so might get back into this. Have 11 gliders or so ‘resting’ between the joists in my shed.

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Road, grave and occasional mtb bimbles. Had 5 years of no cycling due to injury, it was a very dark time...got a dog, took her for lots of walks.

some health issues are moving me from regular MTB to ebike, but I do find I am doing more gravel, touring, exploring type stuff these days (non ebike, but not busting a gut)

I went the other way. Gave up road riding due to the injuries I sustained at driver's fault. I was very nearly parylised (major spinal fracture), and I've seen too many stories since where people receive life changing injuries. It took me a long time to recover, mentally and physically.

I've got 3 very nice road bikes hung up in the garage (one is on the turbo), but only use my 90's classic MTB or mainly the newer FS trail bike. The 90's bike is great for sloppy rides that aren't too technical.

I don't ride as much as I did as I commuted by bike, but I'm not getting stressed with the stupid driving.

I enjoy the MTB, and if I crash, it's my fault. I also use Zwift a bit in winter as I don't always want covering head to toe in mud (winter road riding is less messy).

Road, grave and occasional mtb bimbles.

I'm impressed. Those six foot drop-offs can be tricky.

Don't feel pushed to ride hard - what about a bimble round bridleways and canals, and pop out for a pub lunch.

Recently picked up a rather nice BMC fourstroke for my wife (mate was selling it for an absolute song). It's massively overkill for her, but her other bike is a hybrid, and not so good on farm tracks and canals - rather 'uncomfortable'. We've been out a few times for a pub tea on FS bikes.

Similar to Fossy, got taken out a few years ago by a car, not as bad injuries but a separated shoulder. I commute everyday and used to enjoy a decent road ride at the weekend. Dont know if its a hightened sense of ****ish driving but I don't want to put myself at the mercy of drivers if I can help it. (commute now is mostly traffic free). So I'm mtb a lot more.

Whats the reason you're contemplating giving up?

Thanks for the replies. One of my big issues is I struggle to find a good fit on modern geo bikes. I'm borderline L and XL height and everything is slightly too small or slightly too big. Long back and average legs don't help either. That has moved me off bike permutations.

I understand Percypanther's comment. Local golf club is shamelessly snobbish and work colleagues who play make no secret of the fact they are doing it to rub shoulders with senior management. I understand other people's experiences may be different.

"Where I live, golf is very much an ordinary working mans game."
But I think Perchy lives in Scotland? So there'll be lots of council-owned public golf courses. Whereas in England, they tend to be private, expensive and snobby.

Sailing fast dinghies seems to be distracting me from bikes..

"Long back and average legs don’t help either"
. . . but are ideal for kayaking and canoeing. Either flat water bimbling, or a bit of the rough stuff - whatever takes your fancy!

Doesn't matter who plays it, golf is still a shite sport.

But I think Perchy lives in Scotland? So there’ll be lots of council-owned public golf courses. Whereas in England, they tend to be private, expensive and snobby.

There are lots of municipal courses but many more private courses which are equally accessible to ordinary punters.

English folks  are just weird. 😉

58 here and broken meaning no MTBing for the last 4 months and none for the foreseeable future. Walking / trekking is my answer. You don't get the adrenaline but you do see more of the scenery.

Also the injury has made me realise that I no longer bounce well - so its pootling / bimbling for me from now on

When I'm not riding my bikes, (injuries etc) masturbation tends to be my go to😁

I'm 54 and was starting to struggle with rides with lads that are a minimum of 10 years younger than me. Brought an e-bike and after the initial micky taking they just get on with it. I'm actually riding for longer and more often as I'm not totally ruined at the end of a ride. There been a report done on weight control and loss and they reckon e-bikes are better for keeping your HR in the fat burning "zone" rather than the energy burning zone.

Don't give up just change the way you ride.

Arguing with strangers on the internet*

*not really, I still fully shred the gnar on my rig.

Trail Running

“Where I live, golf is very much an ordinary working mans game.”
But I think Perchy lives in Scotland? So there’ll be lots of council-owned public golf courses. Whereas in England, they tend to be private, expensive and snobby.

Apart from the odd elite course in Scotland, the vast, vast majority of courses are financially reachable for yer average Joe/Jo. Around 6-800 quid a year for 12 months golf, compare it to other 'working man's sport' like going to watch football, it's good value.

I've worked with guys who earn 30k and were members of Turnberry, Royal Troon and Old Prestwick. Turnberry works out at about 35 quid a week, for 7 days golf.

I think there's a lot if folk, even down south, that just assume it's an elite sport because they've never been involved.

But then mibbe that's just England, where you can't start a cycle at a cafe....

😎

Motorbiking, for the kicks, hill walking for the hills, and the gym a few times a week to try to keep the chub off. These seem to fit with work and life a bit better than the regular mountain biking did. Mind you I'm determined to do something on a bike before the year end.

Running mainly. And road riding.
Very time efficient and works well for me.

Thanks for the replies. One of my big issues is I struggle to find a good fit on modern geo bikes

I assume you're not giving up just for that reason? You would have to be mental to do that when you could just get an older bike or something.

I ride with a couple guys around 60 that are just as fit if not fitter than me, and I sold a full suss frame a while back to a 74 year old so health permitting I plan on being on a mtb for a long time yet.

There been a report done on weight control and loss and they reckon e-bikes are better for keeping your HR in the fat burning “zone” rather than the energy burning zone.

I wouldnt trust that report!!!

You would have to be mental to do that when you could just get an older bike

That was my thought too. Still plenty of bikes around not following the current fad.

Edit: 60 and still setting MTB PRs

*not really, I still fully shred the gnar on my rig.

Do the what to the what on your what now? Is that even legal nowadays?

I went back to my previous interest in rock climbing, at which point my obsession with MTBing dwindled quite a lot.
You could try an indoor bouldering session if you have a facility nearby.

Tj,perhaps a fs bike would have prolonged your career?Hard tails are never a sensible solution long term.

72 here. I split my outdoor time between mtbing and fell walking mainly in West & North Yorkshire.
Yorkshire Dales moorland singletrack:
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Edit: also climbed, caved & skied but back troubles stopped these 🙁

xc runner, hill walker, climber, mountaineer, mtber. They're all intertwined as far as I'm concerned and on any day you can pick and choose accordingly. I took up mtb for areas I considered too tame for hill walking, we took mtbs to the alps for when the weather ruled out climbing big peaks. xc running, mtb for doorstep exercise. Hill walking for weekends away. If I was only an mtber, yes I think I'd have got fed up with it years ago. I've had a few lay offs from mtb but always known I'd come back to it.

Tj,perhaps a fs bike would have prolonged your career?Hard tails are never a sensible solution long term.

NOpe - its a shoulder injury. Ridden hardtails for 40+ years offroad

Hiking for me. But I do it as well as MTBing,not as a replacement. Sometimes both in the same holiday. Borrowdale Bash one day, hike Skiddaw the next. Burma road on day 1, hike to the top of Cairngorm (sod the funicular) the following day.
Less faff and hassle to hike a route where you'd have to shoulder the bike, and also you can get to a lot more places. Often when MTBing I'll find routes that would be better hiking, and when hiking find routes that would make fun MTBing (but possibly "cheeky"). Easier to carry the big camera too when hiking than it is in my camelback. Desn't even have to be the highest Wainright/Munro summits either - view is better from the less high hills imho.

Golf would bore me senseless.

Still trucking along with the MTBing - if I had to / wanted to stop think I'd try weightlifting - not the most exciting choice but has a lot of intensity, and meant to be very good for you as you hit your 50s and 60s (I play bridge as a hobby, which is a game popular with the older generation, and the physical state of your average bridge room is alarmingly bad, sad to say - so many old people who missed the boat with getting active and have now just given up).

As said above, though, the grand vets at the races are impressive to see. Not just the outlying, talented guys who can crush it in their 60s, but the main field in a V50 cyclocross race, say, are fit fellas who still ride with a lot of intensity. Hope to do the same.

Golf is OK but unless you are extremely lucky with your swing requires a lot of practise to be any good - might not matter but if you start doing any competitions, even the monthly medal, then you may get very frustrated with it.

Combined with it being sod-all exercise it could be detrimental to your physical and mental health.

It can be very addictive though so difficult to give up.

I gave up at 30 for both those reasons and switched to mtbing 🙂

If you do take it up get a nice set of soft forged blades and buy the Hogan 'Modern Fundamentals' book and ignore all the little bits of advice mates will give you or you might read in magazines...

xc runner, hill walker, climber, mountaineer, mtber. They’re all intertwined as far as I’m concerned

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