I rebuilt my bike last year after a period away from riding, hope wheels and shiney new parts, I got it perfect rode it during the summer a bit and it hasn’t been touched since.

I’ve just no interest going out on the bike it’s too much like hard work; the breaking of parts, the breaking of me, the dirt, the clean up, doing a physical dirty job all week I don’t have it in me to go riding, I’d rather sit in the sun drink coffee with my friends or with a book.

Oh a guess what I’m 23.. shocking

But I can’t be alone here, so go on fess up, who else has stopped mountain biking and why..

Nope, 13 years and keener than ever.

But hobbies / passions come and go, if it’s not working for you, quit – you can always come back to it.

MTBing is a bit of a time monster, I couldn’t have two hobbies with my job / family commitments and I don’t go out socialising much.

I only stop riding when I’m injured. 🙁

And I count the days until I can ride again. 🙂

I stopped mtbing at about 21/22. The guys I was riding with generally moved away from Bristol – a couple to London mainly. Then my other mate who stayed in bristol got too lazy.

I got bored of going out on my own / got into car modifying etc etc.

Got back into it in 2015 so on my 3rd summer now back on it (I’m now 36). Loving the biking these days – far less mud slogging with the trail centres that weren’t about 15 years ago and more facilities. And bikes have come on a long way.

I stopped 14 or so years ago when the Mrs took a hold of my life and began to control everything… sadly its taken these 14 years to venture out on the field again (well hopefully… looking to buy a fatty next week or so – ill be keeping that one a secret from her for now… :lol:)

I’ve not completely stopped but have massively reduced the amount that I ride my MTB and when I do I’m much more risk averse than previously. Feb 16 I came off and snapped my patellar tendon. Had a proper sulk on and sold the MTB, vowing to stick to my road bike from then on (previously it was probably a 50-50 split).

By summer I was massively missing the occasional off road ride so bought a 29er hard tail. I do enjoy it but locally the road riding is much better than the MTB so while I manage to get out on a ride around 4 times a week I tend to grab the road bike or the cx. Haven’t touched the MTB since May.

Oh and I’m 48 and working around 60-70 hrs a week at the minute.

doing a physical dirty job all week I don’t have it in me to go riding, I’d rather sit in the sun drink coffee with my friends or with a book.

I can understand that to a degree – one friend who’s a gardener pretty much stops riding over each winter because she gets sick of the wet and mud. Whilst I, who spends too much time indoors driving a computer, will take the long muddy way to work off-road and happily do half-solo 4-5 hour night rides in filthy conditions, because it makes me feel alive!

Do what makes you happy – and if you fancy riding your bike again, don’t forget that it gets much easier and thus more fun as your bike fitness (not just pedalling fitness, all the other stuff too) returns. 🙂

Never, really. It’s been more or less continuous since I was 14 (now 36).

I did have a difficult time during Foot & Mouth (2001 – like a lot of others I suspect), during which I put slick tyres on my MTB to keep moving.

I do far less “mountain” biking since having kids, but I’ve kept it going thanks to a couple of good local man-made loops.

I have not quit but ride very infrequently. Due to it being time heavy.

1. Closest riding is 45 min +1hr away. Nice but limited xc (perbecks). Xc for me means a decent BN length ride so 3-4hr plus travel means most of a day.
2. Qecp is 1hr away good for a blast but add in the travel and it’s 4hr out of day.
3. Wales etc 3hr away so am entire w.e or a very long day.

Add clean up and maintenance time.

At 36 I now ride BMX more than anything as I can do so in all weathers due to a local indoor park. Zero clean up and minimal maintenance. A quick hour play travel is a real workout and fun.

Still really enjoy mtb but it’s pretty time heavy.

I’ve done about 40 miles this year all together. CBA while the wife’s not well.

My riding goes in fits and starts. MTB and road. Sometimes work interferes and sometimes I focus on other stuff and other times the drive to the trails and the tidying up after just seems like too much faff (a lot like the brick but I’m nearer QE and further from the Purbecks).

We’ve just bought a sailing dinghy and I’m really ploughing time in to that as a whole family thing (like the bikes) while we have good weather. Sailing has been my other big passion but it went on hold when mini GD one arrived. Now both mini GD’s are old enough I get to try and share my passion for it with them. 😆

I’m doing a 230 mile cycle challenge with work, so have ridden my drop handle a lot,
The last few week I’ve realised how boring riding on the roads is..
So been riding rough off-road and woods for the past few weeks, love it, been planning a few new routes up in Calderdale, and got ardrock and a trip to the lakes coming up, need to squeeze in some road miles, but I find it so dull

Not here, but driving anywhere to mountain bike is out of the question now as a routine thing. When I was younger I didn’t notice an hour’s drive to ride somewhere good.
If I lived somewhere poor for MTBing I’d have shelved it for the road a while back.

I had to stop a while back due illness. I now never take a ride for granted. I make myself go out even if I don’t feel like it, on the basis that I can, now, but in the future may not be so fortunate as to have a choice….

No.

I do ride my gnarmac bike more than my MTBs these days, but that’s mainly location and timing dependent. However, given a chance to get out on “Daddy’s BIG bike” as the children call it, I jump at it!

Can’t remember the last time I rode my MTB.
Used to do loads, back in the day when XC racing was still big, did the first 8-9 (maybe more) years of Mountain Mayhem without missing a beat.

Rode loads when I moved up to Lancaster, shift work meant I could be out on the hills at crack of dawn, do 4hrs and be back at the café for breakfast and still have the rest of the day to clean it, fix it etc.

But then it just became a chore – the need to drive anywhere to ride, the fact that a 3hr ride then meant 3hrs of cleaning the bike and kit and road riding was just easier.

I do a lot of CX now which sort of mixes the best of both worlds. The only reason I’ve still got the MTB is because it’s all completely obsolete and it’s worth more to me to keep it and use it once in a blue moon than it is to try and sell a 26″ wheeled, 3×9 hardtail with 120mm suspension forks and an ISIS BB!

I keep looking at my bike, but can’t bring myself to sell it in case I regret it, but it hasn’t been ridden in almost a year.

I live in North Leeds so can’t complain on the riding front

You’re too young OP, once you get a bit older, you’ll realise that your time is precious and you’ll be out as much as ever.

No but gave up Triathlon when got bored with it (and pricing). Interested that the very vibrant tri forums died a death at about the same time. Wonder if the same might happen with mtb? Time will tell….

I’ve changed how and what I ride. Mainly ride a 29er with semi slicks. Bridleways three ply tarmac canals cycle paths. Ride mainly to get out and do a bit of distance but hardly anything on the road if possible. It can tackle most things. Keep thinking about an adventure road/gravel bike but the 29er will go anywhere and it regularly does. All riding is good. My gnarr days are past me for now anyway.

No but gave up Triathlon when got bored with it (and pricing). Interested that the very vibrant tri forums died a death at about the same time. Wonder if the same might happen with mtb? Time will tell….

Really can’t see it, my local trails are busier than ever, by a country mile. There’s more folks building too, access has improved and people are more aware of their fitness and well being, onward and upward.

I did between around 2003 – 2008. Not that long really and took up running and going to the gym instead! Also didn’t do much between 2011 and 2014 when renovating a house.

I’m quite lucky as I only live 20 minutes or so drive from Coed y Brenin, Penmachno and the Marin, so can get out and back home in a morning.

I also have sn office job so cannot wait to get outside, whatever it may be doing!

Apart from injury this last winter is the first time Ive ever had a gap in my mtb riding (7months ) and even this last few months mtb rides have not been that often.

No reason for it , it’s just not happened

Been at it thirty years and still love it. Just got back from a months Alps trip and enjoyed every run except the last one. Even that was fun till I face planted. First day back at work will be with a black eye, fat lip, bruised cheek and chin.

I’ve not done much MTBing recently.

I got an hybrid and tend to use that most. My MTBing has never been more than Bridleways and bits of XC and I’ve never been one for jumping off rocks etc so the Hybrid can do a bit of that and on road as well.

Went out on the road bike a few weeks ago and it felt like a rocket compared to the hybrid. Think I’ve just got bored of riding local stuff on the MTB. Might have to chuck it in the Van one day and have a mooch to the Lakes or somewhere and get my interest back.

Feel the same as OP,currently trying to justify purchasing another bike to try to kickstart the feeling again.Ridden constantly for the last 6 years and am getting bored with riding the same trails,I”m in Bristol but have ridden all of the local and S Wales trails to the point of boredom,but don”t really have the inclination to spread my wings any further at the moment.

I don’t really class myself as a cyclist, MTB in the hills is what gets me going. If frinstance I had some injury that meant I couldn’t MTB, I wouldn’t road bike or anything, I’d go back to hill walking or hill running.

That butterfly in your abdomen just as you drop into a huge mountain descent, or even a well known local bit of singletrack, that is the fire that burns.

Been at it 25 years. Had a break and got fat in my mid 20’s. Then another little break when i had kids in my mid 30’s. Rapidly approaching mid 40’s and can’t see myself stopping. Although i do quite fancy a walking holiday where I don’t have to think about gearing and tyre choice.

Stopped when I moved to Harrogate, no riding from the door here, and everything else is a decent drive away. Road ride instead!

NOt ridden much the last year ( unless you count the tandem)- but I am sure I will again at some point. Just been doing other things

I really don’t get the pont a couple of folk have made about spending hours cleaning the bike after a ride. Takes 5 mins to do and usually I don’t bother anyway. Chains putolined tho so the drivetrain is clean and well lubed all the time. why bother doing anything other than shake the mud off whan dry?

I stopped because of lack of opportunity and injury. Would like to get back into it but I’ve got a dog now so it’s not even possible any more. I do miss it but I wonder if I miss wanting to ride more.

Spot on TJ – the great faff myth is exactly that.

I had a filthy ride this afternoon. 5 minutes to give her a good hose down and chain lube.

I’ve had a break due to moving house but I’ve been back on it recently and loving every minute.

Faff is greatly dependant on the rider.
Have a friend that’s totally OCD, cleans and polishes bike so you can see reflection in cassette at all times.
I’m at the other end of the spectrum, and by a few weeks into the winter you cant actually tell what type of bike is under the mud – so long as wheels and chain go round i’m happy enough.

Can’t get enough of riding atm, not been on the MTB in a few months as i’ve been doing road events this year, but will be back on the MTB in September.
Doesn’t really matter which bike for me, just like riding, and when i’m not riding, i’m thinking about riding.
Think if i won the lottery i’d probably just live on a training camp somewhere – thats probably a bit sad, but if the cap fits….

Feel the same as OP,currently trying to justify purchasing another bike to try to kickstart the feeling again.

Don’t do it! If you buy a new bike you will just be trying to reassure youself that you haven’t wasted a lot of money and justify this by riding when you don’t want to. It will then become a chore to ride.

just get out and ride your old bike and it will put a smile back on your face without the cost. Then if you get the bug again, then upgrade your bike.

If you really struggle to scratch the new bike itch, maybe swap stem and handlebars. Will give it a ‘new’ feel at minimal cost.

Have a friend that’s totally OCD, cleans and polishes bike so you can see reflection in cassette at all times

Sounds like me! Lol

Doesn’t really matter which bike for me, just like riding, and when i’m not riding, i’m thinking about riding

Yep, definitely me!

Not really ridden in 7 months but that’s mostly because I have been indulging in a big old backpacking trip from Asia to the UK. Absolutely gagging to get back on a bike, especially as I haven’t ridden in the UK for nearly 7 years. I suspect it will be the road bike first but looking forward to riding more than I have for ages now.

In Australia I often didn’t ride the MTB much over summer because it was too blinky hot, and in some ways I think the break did me good as I could try out other stuff but always come back to the trails.

Definitely having to people to ride with helps. I was always a solitary rider but in OZ net a few good riding mates and when they all lost jobs and moved back to the UK my motivation took a massive hit.

If it’s the faff try a bit of urban street style riding? Doesn’t really seem to be a thing anymore but I have fond / painful memories or riding down stairs and dropping stuff around Bristol CBD when at Uni.

Saying that (god that was a long post for me!) Anyone around the Henley on Thames area do regular rides? I’m probably horribly unfit but keen! I used to know the trails backwards but it’s been awhile.
Dave

I was the world’s most fanatical mountain biker for 21 years from 1989 but I’ve just broken up my bike and sold the bits, only the wheels are left to Ebay now. I have absolutely not one shred of regret; I grew tired of the mud, the need to drive to ride, the late night changes in a freezing garage so as not to spread mud all around the house, the constant need for maintenance and repairs and the bitching and bickering that went on in my club. In 2009 I found an unused 2006 Specialized Roubaix dumped in a river, handed it to the Police then got it back a month later and that was when I started road cycling. Now I’m considerably fitter than when I used to mountain bike and spending much less money on spares and repairs. Road cycling has revived my love of cycling especially for the craic and the companionship it gives me.

I have stopped on and off over the years when busy doing some other sport, hockey, climbing. But always come back. Now 42 after starting riding when I was 15 and loving mtb more than ever. Really more picky when and where I ride with mtb in the summer and road in the winter. Short and sharp is what I do now as riding is close by and it then doesn’t effect the rest of my life, wife and kids too much.

Don’t usually stop cycling these days, keeps me alive and active which keeps the nurse happy when I go for the twice yearly diabetes checkups.

Mountain biking less so, I live near some great rural road cycling so most of my riding has been roads and farm tracks the past 18 months – with a bit of Zwift for the hills.

I did go to a trail centre for the first time in 18 months a few weeks back and really enjoyed it – didn’t enjoy the drive to get there.