Roadies taking over the asylum?

manton69, true. I cherish my regular off road ride, even if it’s just once a week. At my age core strength goes rapidly so I use a very fast XC ride to keep some strength there. And was an essential part of my cyclo cross training.
One of my club mates is a very good time trial specialists, he has been out off road with me these last two days and can;t believe how many aches he has in places he didn’t think could ache.

Anyway, saw a good amount of MTBers out today. Though true to STW form all sat at the cafe at Ashridge 🙂

I’m a mountain biker at heart, but really enjoy getting out on the road. Its great to have the choice. Particularly on a sunny summer day after a wet spell, when you know the local (Chilterns) trails will be sloppy.

i bought a road bike ten years ago, rebuilt it about 4 years ago. Hardly ride on road now because of the dangerous, but increasing minority of bike hating car drivers.

Now gone back to off road, which is the superior form of unpowered two wheel recreation (IMHO).

sunny=mtb or road
wet=road
icy=mtb and fast frozen trails

ride more on the road now as its easier and doesn’t take up most of the day but enjoy the mtb more as i don’t go as often or slog through mud. i actually prefer it in subzero temps as the trails are fast, very little cleaning of the bike needed and less people about.

there’s more to life than riding/training

Trail bike for fun, Road bike for miles. They’re both great.

Having never owned anything with drop bars in me entire life (in 1990 I went straight from BMX to MTB), I recently bought a Surly Cross Check. Fun, fun, fun. 😀

Anyway, saw a good amount of MTBers out today. Though true to STW form all sat at the cafe at Ashridge

Perfect – while some of us got many hours in on deserted trails a bit further out ) Brilliant weekend’s riding. More fun than the Harp Hilly would’ve been anyway! (did it go ahead?)

Sadly a few just won’t have anything to do with MTBs, so I guess they’ll have to sit at home while we get some great off road riding in

This is irony, right? From the man who is constantly on the verge of getting rid of his mountain bike because he never rides it.

Sorry, that was unfair. It’s just great that guys in their 60s and 70s like you are sill out there riding bikes. Any bikes.

Sorry, that was unfair. It’s just great that guys in their 60s and 70s like you are sill out there riding bikes. Any bikes.

Interestingly my local road club ditched the idea of a Sunday club run today. Instead a few of us headed off road. 20 miles of snowy bridle ways and lanes was a much tougher workout than most road rides I do.

Judging by the trashed roads (potholes from the freeze) I think there are going to be some trashed road wheels out there. Some areas are so bad I may as well go mtbing as it would be smoother!

I’ve decided not to get rid of it, basically it’s so old it’s sort of composting by itself.

Been sorely tempted to road bike again this year – not ‘cos I don’t like mud – just the amount of time taken to clean the bike every flippin time I have been out for the last n months. BUT – have developed a cunning plan of using a road bike on a turbo and then out with the lads on the MTBs. This hasn’t solved the cleaning issue but the interval training on the turbo has meant that I can monster the climbs and keep going for longer. So the stamina from the turbo is really paying off – but I won’t be switching back. I will take my chances with deers, roots, badgers and trees rather than Mr White Van Man etc etc…..

That’s whar I’m doing all this week, unless it clears up.
Two to three hours very steady XC, then an evening on the turbos in the warmies.

Took a group of 18 (mostly roadies that own an MTB) to Cannock yesterday, numbers probably boosted by the local club cancelling Sundays road ride cos the roads are pretty lethal right now.

Enormous grins all round!

They’ve all asked me to organise more regular off road rides!

😀

I did the same with my club. Sadly I don’t think they’ll be trying it again. 🙁