eyemage

I ride regularly on my road bike 30 to 75 miles at a time. I'm going mountain biking for the first time next week. Are there huge differences between the two? Any suggestions on my first time out?

nocondorfx

yes. its totally different, but kind of the same. You'll probably have a blast. I love mountain biking- though I haven't been out for a month.

Yukonart

I've been distance-riding my mountain bike, as I'm in the market for a road bike, as it were. Just be sure not to take your road bike mountain biking!

bsyptak

if really_mountain_biking #, i.e. on a mountain
_then
__Bring a first aid kit;
__Don't ride clipless;
__Prepare to suffer;
_else #assumes you're just trail riding
__Dirt is slicker than pavement
fi;

giant rules!!!

I agree with them all except for not riding clipless. I mtb all the time and I always ride clipped in (you have more power and more control over your bike)

Duke of Earl

Yeah, why would you not ride clipless? Unless freeriding although I kind of doubt eyemange is doing that his first time out...

Run your tires as low as you can without dinging the rim. Bring a spare tube and don't worry about suffering. Enjoy the scenery and lack of cars...

Gest24

Clipless is the way to go on the dirt.

My advice, look ahead. Pick a clean line and keep a good amount of distance between riders.

UtahWasatch

My poor mtb gets no love since I started road riding!

I wouldn't think of riding without clipless as allows for tons more power. Mtb great but hard to keep up sustained heart rate, etc. Have a great time!

punksurfer024

dont worry about time or distance, just have fun and try not to wreck (even though its inevitable at a trail that is new to you )

bsyptak

Wouldn't ride clipless on my FIRST ever REAL mountain bike ride.

Freaknhell

They compliment each other. Hopefully you will have a blast!

delay

Mountain biking is more of a full body workout... expect your back to be sore by the time you are done.

stapfam

If you are used to clipless- then you won't be able to MTB on platforms.

Be prepared to take a rest at the top of the hills to let the group Get back together- unless its you they are waiting for. Cut the milage from the 70. 30 will take it out of you. And take it steady when gravity takes over. A Loose rock at 40 mph will still give you road rash. And on the Heart rate- You will be normally be on the lower levels you reach but you will peak above your normal max very quickly and often.

patentcad

I'll say 30 miles in the dirt will take it out of you. We did 19 on single track last month on a hot Sunday. The ride took 2.5 hours. It almost killed me. Mostly the 3 crashes in the last hour almost killed me. I felt like I played rugby afterwards. I generally spend a couple of hours in the woods each week. That's enough.

That being said riding the MTB can be Big Fun for Freds and Road Nazis alike. Very nice break from all the road miles.

scorpio516

I went shopping for a MTB last week. When I took one for a spin, it took a little while to keep my feet from lifting off the platforms

patentcad

Road Nazis in the woods are a threat to themselves, others, and the indigenous wildlife as well.



Remember Pcad's MTB Credo: Any ride you can walk away from is a good ride.

rb07

Do you know what type of trails are you going to be riding? Guessing that you'll be riding XC style:

Depending on the trail, it can be very different or pretty similar. If you are riding double-track/roads/rail trail, it's typically the same. If you're riding singletrack, it can be very different: climbing grades can be different very different, handling and picking lines is more constant, etc.

I would say one of the big differences, riding wise, is your position on the bike is key to overcoming a lot of trail obstacles. Climbing for instance, you aggressively need to keep enough weight forward (to keep your front wheel on the deck) and enough weight back to maintain traction. Depending on the descents, you may need to get your butt back over the rear wheel. Turns can be tighter and grade tends to change more often.

One piece of advice (which is true on both, but it's something you learn to pay attention while MTB): look where you want to go, not where you don't! If you're riding a narrow bit of track bench cut in the side of a hill, look at the track, not the steep hill you don't want to ride down!

You can also post this in the MTB forum and check out this post: https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...69&postcount=5.

Have fun!

mrt10x

I think the number one lesson for riding a MT Bike is to make sure you look at where you want your bike to go, not at what you want to miss. If you watch that rock/stump/squirrel/body coming up, you will hit it every time. Watch where you want your wheels to go and they will. Of course the same applies to road bikes, and motorcycle, just seems to be a lesson I learn a lot on the MT bike.

mrt10x

beat me to it by a minute you *******

Cyclist01012

It's not if you crash, its when you crash. Tight single track you will hit tress.
Hitting dirt hurts less then hitting pavement, but 3' dia oak logs break ribs.

Gest24

My first ride with clipless was a real mountain bike ride... No better way to learn!

patentcad

Make sure your health insurance is current and it covers severe injury while pursuing idiotic hobbies.

kudude

if you see a short steep hill coming up -- pick a gear that won't bog you down and pedal your balls off, or you'll fall over still clipped in

patentcad

Here's what I've learned (re-learned) after two months of riding in the woods twice weekly: middle or big ring on the fire roads. Always, always in the LITTLE ring on the single track, unless it's flat for a longer distance than we ever get where I ride. That latter hint helps me clear many more obstacles, rock gardens, steep little unexpected upgrades, roots, etc.

Industrial

Good advice above. Another thing I wish someone told me when I went on my first ride was:

If you are in the middle of a technical climb and end up stopped. Don't try to start back up on that climb(unless it's a very long climb). Carry or walk your bike to the next closest flatish section, get your momentum back or go back down and get some momentum to tackle that technical climb. I wasted a ton of energy just trying to get going everytime I got stopped on a technical climb.