11 things for Mountain Bikers
As a Mountain Bike rider (as opposed to someone who just talks about MTB riding), here’s a few things you may want to do at some stage. I was going to call this post ’11 things for Mountain Bikers to do before you die’ but felt that was a tweak too far on the nose of Fate.
If you have anything to add, you can stick it in the comments.
- Visit a foreign country to go Mountain Biking. Please note that Scotland and Wales don’t really count even if, like us, you’re based on the North Downs in Surrey.
- Visit a different area of the UK to go riding with local riders. For your own safety and self esteem, never, ever overstate your riding abilities beforehand. Best to respond to queries about skill level as vaguely as possible.
- Visit a purpose built MTB trail centre. These are built by Mountain Bikers for Mountain Bikers to offer weekend respite to riders with young families, providing you leave them at home.
- Learn to manual and wheelie on your bike. Accept that for many of us, this is just an aspirational statement.
- Buy yourself your dream bike or a completely pimp component when there’s a perfectly usable alternative. This may actually be the point of Mountain Biking.
- Go night riding. Exaggerate the dangers wildly to your wife but omit to mention your route goes past a pub.
- Take part in a 24 hour race. There may be some humour in this but you’d have to wait for the pre-dawn hallucinatory stage first.
- Try road biking, if for no other reason than to buy a new bike and set of clothing. Understand that road biking involves pedalling for more than ten minutes without stopping to admire the view or eat cake.
- Consider (briefly) the benefits of singlespeeding.
- Ride in to work, including the ‘walk of shame’ through the office dressed in your riding kit. Optionally, forget to pack your underpants and/or deodorant.
- Ride in the snow. Fall off repeatedly but still find it funny when your companions do the same.
About the author
Matt is one of the founding Molefathers of the Muddymoles, and is the designer and main administrator of the website.
Having ridden a 2007 Orange Five for many years then a 2016 YT Industries Jeffsy 29er, he now rocks a Bird Aether 9 and a Pace RC-627.
An early On-One Inbred still lurks in the back of the stable as a reminder of how things have moved on. You can even find him on road bikes - currently a 2019 Cannondale Topstone 105 SE, a much-used 2011 Specialized Secteur and very niche belt drive Trek District 1.
If you've ever wondered how we got into mountain biking and how the MuddyMoles started, well wonder no more.
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MarkLH says:
1. Off to France this Summer
2. Done
3. Done
4. Tried, Failed
5. That would be my Klein Frame
6. It’s dangerous when your light fails on BKB
7. Only done 12hrs as a pair
8.Never, REPEAT Never going to happen
9. Singlespeeded in Swinley forest. The bad thing was, it was quite good. Damn.
10. Done
11. Wished it snowed round here more often.
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Posted on April 27, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Rob Eatwell says:
Just found your site – excellent stuff !
Keep it up
Rob
Her’s my 1-11 things
1. Going to Moab and Crested Butte in Sept. First time abroad
2. Done that a few times but most notably the Dark Peaks
3. 7Stanes in 7 days – absolutely awesome, amongst other trips to Wales etc..
4. Can do these but badly !
5. My double squidger was and is my dream bike – suitably “blinged” !
6. Night riding is a right giggle – forget the BW’s of Surrey. Go to Holmbury and Pitch with MarkLH and you’ll have the best night of the year !
7. Not ridden a 24 hour race… yet. Who wants to join my team then as I am not gonna do one solo !
8. Bought a road bike and had neck and back ache the whole time I owned it. Got superfit and went to lots of places a long way from my front door ! However, not for me, so sold it to Huey.
9. I briefly did it- then my knee caps fell off. It is now my “urban street bike” (or the one I use to go to the sweet shop)
10. I rode to work today on the Love Hate – 18 mile round trip. I will do this 3 times a week up to the Rough Ride 2007 – I am determined not to suffer this year. I took pants and a roll-on !
11. Next time it snows I will go
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Posted on May 9, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Muddymoles says:
Singlespeeding
Last week’s night ride was a less relentless pace to the previous week. With the gears on my Inbred continuing to play up, preventing me selecting the granny ring, I started to toy with an idea I alluded to in…
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Posted on May 14, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Muddymoles says:
9. Consider (briefly) the benefits of singlespeeding
So the best way for me to consider singlespeeding is to buy a brand new On-One Inbred Slot Dropout complete bike and while I’m about it, lets have some funny 29er sized wheels! Oh hang on, he said “(briefly)”…bugger….
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Posted on June 6, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Muddymoles says:
Help with commuting by bike
Matt’s after a free ride (sponsored by the Government if possible).
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Posted on August 28, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Muddymoles says:
Riding the South Downs Way (SDW)
Read about Jez’s experiences as he rides the South Downs Way (SDW) from Winchester to Eastbourne.
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Posted on October 1, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Related: Singlespeeding | Rides | Muddymoles: Mountain biking (MTB) in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley
Related: 9. Consider (briefly) the benefits of singlespeeding | Reviews, Bikes | Muddymoles: Mountain biking (MTB) in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley
Related: Help with commuting by bike | Mutterings, Lifestyle | Muddymoles: Mountain biking (MTB) in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley
Related: Riding the South Downs Way (SDW) | Rides | Muddymoles: Mountain biking (MTB) in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley