rumrunn6

I'm guessing you followed him

but recently I started to wonder, if luck is when preparation meets opportunity, what is bad luck? lack of preparation?

Daspydyr 

I almost made it to the bottom, just a couple more twists.... gratefully the sand at the bottom was soft.

Bad luck comes in many forms, I have researched several. On a climb when I was still clipping in, I tried restarting and focused too much on getting clipped in. I fell on a large rock and had a deep bruise in my thigh. I could feel where it could broken the bone. Bad Luck, but fortunately I was able to limp home.

NoWhammies

This makes me feel better. While I am not 60+, I am definitely in the age bracket where taking out mountain biking is out of the ordinary. Gotta say, I am a little intimidated to be doing so at this age/stage of my life.

sumgy

Flats with pins if you are keen to see what the inside of your shins look like.

Trakhak

+1. Tried flats for a week when my road racer pals and I started mountain biking in 1984, and I have the scars to prove it. Ever since, I've used toe clips (at first with straps and then without). Keep your viscera where it belongs.

Daspydyr 

I enjoy getting away from traffic. I also enjoy the surprises of wildlife, interesting finds and constantly changing terrain with a mountain bike. I still ride my skinny tires 2/3s of the time. Plus in the desert SW, this time of year, the pavement runs 130 degrees from morning on. Gets hotter as the days get hotter. A dirt trail is always 40 degrees cooler.

BC probably avoids those issues.

rumrunn6

yup, I'm no downhill daredevil. just like exploring

Daspydyr 

DANG, that rock ridge looks dicey! Great scenery!

Daspydyr 

We need a new show me your scars thread. Mountain bikers tend to accumulate some interesting scars. Pinned platforms contribute to some colorful owies.

rumrunn6

actually it was a weird dirt ridge covered in grasses. wonder how it was formed. anyway, the top was well ridden so it was easy to follow where many others have ridden. but yeah I thought that was adventurous of me. I like the few raised boardwalks I've ridden too but not sure how smart it is


this was at the start of a little blizzard last year. something special about the quiet start of storms

rumrunn6

go for it. last spring I narrowly missed a pyramidal rock when I landed a knee on a small dirt patch

NoWhammies

@rumrunn6 those trail look exactly like the type of terrain I'd like to ride on. Thanks for sharing the videos.

@Daspydyr BC is getting in to the rainy season about now. Because I am no fan of riding my road bike in the rain, I'm thinking mountain biking will keep me on a bike and help keep my fitness up over the winter. Plus being in the trees is always a nice way to spend the day.

sweeks

Sadly, there was nothing soft when I landed on my knee on a road ride.
The wife was surprised when I got home!

NoWhammies

Well now thanks to @sweeks I'm thinking clipless is the way to go...

sweeks

Not that I'd disagree with that, but just so you know, those shoes have SPD cleats on them.
However, I was unclipped before I hit the tarmac.
(That was six years ago, 30 miles into a 75-mile ride, which I finished. I might have been crazy, but the knee was healed up enough to do a Century 3 weeks later, and has since healed completely.)

Alfadave

I have used clipless pedals on my mountain bikes, but just picked up some flat shoes and pedals to try. I think i will do better on downhill single track if i can use my feet, but will be careful of shin strikes. My age is beyond 65 so it takes my brain longer to adapt to changes but we will see. I will post my experience when i ride this weekend!!!

NoWhammies

@sweeks well it turns out the bike I bought came with SPD clipless. So it looks like I'll be running clipless after all.

@Alfadave 65 and beyond hey? You are an inspiration to me. Awesome.

sweeks

You'll like them. Practice at first on a grassy surface in case you need to fail to unclip.
The knack of using them should come quickly. After a few rides where you concentrate on unclipping as you approach a stop, you'll find yourself doing it automatically.
(FWIW, I just turned 69.)

Alfadave

My first experience with flat pedals was good. Did 10 miles of easy single track yesterday. It was strange changing foot positions while riding, and feet came off pedals over some whoops, but no big deal. I think I will like them. Bought Bontrager shoes because they seeemed to be the widest available.

spindlehead

Now, I'm not a super experienced mountain biker. Coming from a mostly road/commuting background, I am fairly addicted to the clipped-in feeling of clipless pedals. On my road/commuting rig, I ride with standard SPD (double sided) pedals and cleats. When I decided to explore mountain biking for a change of scenery and challenge, I did go for those flip-able pedals with the SPD on one side and the flat on the other. I often ride many miles on pavement to get to the trail and many miles on pavement to get home from the other side. I like having the SPDs for road, smooth, and uphill segments, while having the flat side for descents and fast parts (off road). I like the flats when I think I might need to put a boot to the ground. Anyway, I'm not a real mountain biker yet so I might change my mind, but in the mean time those flippy pedals work for me.