My first mountain bike experience

Yeah so.... I'm such a llama

My first time ever mountain biking today. I have a $150 walmart full suspension bike.

I decided to go on the blue trail today (medium-hard)... I figured I was in good enough shape.

I now know why all of you love this sport soo much. This was one of the funnest things I've done in a long ass time. The obstacles are fricken insane. I think I did pretty well. I made it over most of everything. Helmets are not for pussies. I first got there and relised I was the only one without one. So I ran to walmart and got my self a $16 helmet. Holy shit I'm glad I did that. I fucking ate it like 10 times today. The first time wrecked it was over an oak tree root that made me flip over the front of my bike, with my bike landing on top of me. I also learned that I should probly see whats on the other side of the more radical obstacles. I made it to the end of the trail and then I fucking blew out my back tire. I had to walk my bike back 2 hours to the trailhead.

Overall it was a really good experience, I didn't mind walking the bike because I was pretty wore out anyway... I learned a whole lot. I really like the way the full suspension feels over the really rough shit. I'm just going to keep using the bike till things wear off, then just replace with better quality things. I think the frame will be fine for me...

What should I bring for supplies? I did this without anything and I feel like a fool. I'm thinking maybe I should get a little backpack and keep a hand pump, extra innertube, maybe a roll of gause and some tape, and a water bottle? of course keep my keys and phone in there. Should I keep any tools in there?

cliffs

- first time ever mountain biking on cheap walmart bike
- made it over most obstacles, wrecked a few times
- tire blew out and made me realize I need to prepare better
- overall had a good time

Its addicting eh? I could spend hours on the trails here and never get sick of them.

The only things I take are a leatherman multi-tool, a couple protien bars, my phone/keys and Camelbak MULE(100oz), and a fixed blade knife.

I dont go on any long distance rides, maybe 5 to 8 miles but im always within 2 hours walking of my car, therefore I dont bring any spare parts.

I will eventually get a spare tube and pump but for now its just stuff to keep my healthy.

And in a few weeks when you realize you love doing it, scrap together some money and get a quality bike.
I started out on a $60 wally world dual suspension and then upgraded to a Specialized Hardrock Hardtail, the difference in the ride is night and day.

My bike except I have it in yellow.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45759&eid=4340

MTB'ing is awesome fun.

Your bike however is an accident waiting to happen. Most of those super-cheapo mountain bikes aren't built for any sort of off-road use.

The components on it will probably wear out in less than 10 rides and it could suffer a catastrophic frame failure. Seriously those wally-world specials are unsafe.

Anyways. Aside from a new bike, I would get a camelbak and throw at lease a spare tube, tire tools (little plastic hook/lever dealies), and a hand pump in there.

And never stop riding, it is the ultimate zen experience.

you seriously need a better bike.

my friend had a similiar bike and the frame just split into two pieces...
granted it was funny to look at.

Would it be smart to get a nice bike like what Thumper posted if you were trying to get into biking though? I would think you'd want to learn/fall on the cheap ass stuff before getting a nicer bike to beat up on.

Was thinking about getting my own bike but I was going to rent the first couple times.

I spent about $250 on a used 2001 Cannondale F400. It was a foot in the door. I beat the shit out of it but it keeps asking for more. It really is addicting. I've only been doing it for 2 months now, but I just did my first two ride day yesterday, and I'm doing another today.

Once you start riding and doing research, you find out that there's different disciplines...there is no just "mountain biking". There's XC, freeride, downhill, and all-mountain sub-genres. Pick one you really like, and then spend some decent money on equipment.

Personally, I'm an XC guy. There's a shitload of climbing, so you need a light bike. My buddy is loaning me his 2005 Giant VT 1 (http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=2005&Brand=Giant&Model=VT%201&Type=bike) so that I can try out my first full suspension bike.

Here is a list of equipment I suggest you bring:
1. Camelbak with cargo compartments. If you're going to do long rides, i suggest a 2 liter capacity.
2. Spare tube, pump, plastic tire irons and a patch kit. I got a pinch flat before, and I'm glad my buddy had a spare tube or else I would've been walking.
3. Driver's License, credit card & some cash in case you're gonna hit a bar after the ride. ;-)
4. Hydration supplements. You don't want to put Gatorade in your Camelbak cuz then you'd have to clean it all the time. If you just fill it with water, you just need to clean the bite valve and replace the water before a ride.
5. I got a dogtag with my name, home phone and blood type in case someone finds me dying on a trail. :-)
6. If you have an iPhone 3G or 3GS, buy b.Icycle from the app store. It turns your iPhone into a $500 GPS cycle computer for $10.

I forgot to mention that since I'm a family man and I take my kids to school in the morning, I ride at 5:30 AM. Right now, that's still dark. So here's an amendment to my list above:

1. I invested $100 on a Minewt X2 LED light on eBay. This bad boy puts out 150 lumens. I put it on my helmet so that I can see where I'm going, and I shine it on drivers at intersections just so I know that they know I'm there.
2. Blinking rear flasher light.
3. Clipless pedals and matching shoes. Yes, you are going to fall quite a bit when you use these, at least until you get used to them. When you do a lot of climbing like me, it's just awesome that you can exert force by pulling up on the pedals, not just pushing down.
4. And finally, check out SportLegs. I swear by these supplements. For me, they dramatically reduce the burning in my legs during my rides.

Awesome posts Kali. Thanks :sunny:

Would it be smart to get a nice bike like what Thumper posted if you were trying to get into biking though? I would think you'd want to learn/fall on the cheap ass stuff before getting a nicer bike to beat up on.

Was thinking about getting my own bike but I was going to rent the first couple times.

I rode on a wally world NEXT for about a month or so. I have been riding BMX since I was old enough to handle two wheels so MTB'ing wasn't that hard to adapt too.

The bike I posted is nice and an entry level one. I love it and will stick with it for a long, long time.

Next time will be a higher end Full suspension but that is many years in the future.

Thanks for all the awsome advice! Yeah I think I'll just ride this bike until it's no longer ridable.

I actually got screwed over by TB&W so I'm really broke for a few months.

I'm pissed because I work/school mon-fri and only get to ride on the weekends, and it's really rainy shitty outside today :-(

Here's a video of one of the trails where I ride
TNePGBRlCds

this is supposed to be more difficult, but I had some really big drops / climbs on the trail I was on last weekend. I think I'm in pretty good shape, because I rode almost the entire path without walking my bike (cept when my tire blew).

Awesome posts Kali. Thanks :sunny:

glad you found it useful. :)

just hit up your local craigslist

people are falling in and out of love with bikes all the time

should be a joke to get a great one for cheap

That trail posted does't look to bad but it sure looks like a lot of fun.

The trails around here that I ride on are similar but one in MD is a fricken pain in the ass.

Yeah so.... I'm such a llama

My first time ever mountain biking today. I have a $150 walmart full suspension bike.

I decided to go on the blue trail today (medium-hard)... I figured I was in good enough shape.

I now know why all of you love this sport soo much. This was one of the funnest things I've done in a long ass time. The obstacles are fricken insane. I think I did pretty well. I made it over most of everything. Helmets are not for pussies. I first got there and relised I was the only one without one. So I ran to walmart and got my self a $16 helmet. Holy shit I'm glad I did that. I fucking ate it like 10 times today. The first time wrecked it was over an oak tree root that made me flip over the front of my bike, with my bike landing on top of me. I also learned that I should probly see whats on the other side of the more radical obstacles. I made it to the end of the trail and then I fucking blew out my back tire. I had to walk my bike back 2 hours to the trailhead.

Overall it was a really good experience, I didn't mind walking the bike because I was pretty wore out anyway... I learned a whole lot. I really like the way the full suspension feels over the really rough shit. I'm just going to keep using the bike till things wear off, then just replace with better quality things. I think the frame will be fine for me...

What should I bring for supplies? I did this without anything and I feel like a fool. I'm thinking maybe I should get a little backpack and keep a hand pump, extra innertube, maybe a roll of gause and some tape, and a water bottle? of course keep my keys and phone in there. Should I keep any tools in there?

cliffs

- first time ever mountain biking on cheap walmart bike
- made it over most obstacles, wrecked a few times
- tire blew out and made me realize I need to prepare better
- overall had a good time

Nice to see other TW MTB'ers.. Ive been doin it for a year and its a great work out and fun to do. Things i can recommend.. if u plan on doing it often get a better quality bike.. The walmart ones will work ok for a lil while but a better quality bike is going to satisfy you more.. I have a Giant Rincon and have rode it over 500 miles this year. Just maintaining it every few weeks it sitll runs like a champ. ive wrecked alot too so its a tough bike. Things i take biking with me, Hydration Pack, its not always about water.. i fell in a 6ft hole on by back and was ok cuz the backpack and water helped break the fall. needle nose, bike tool, extra tube with slime already in it so i dont have to fuck with it. Of course a helmet as well. Ive had my ankle sprain to my back slipping a disk falling off my bike. That 6ft drop i was talking about i hit my head on a rock and there is a dent in the back of my helmet from it.. Thing that sucks about the place that i ride is there is alot of loose rock and sand.. which anyone who rides trials knows that sucks.. Anyway we all know its a blast.. have fun! BTW.. oddest thing ive seen on the trail? dude in a minivan parked right in the middle of the trail eating out some chick..

yeah, make sure you wear a helmet. i just ate it saturday doing a downhill. broke my wrist, and would've probably broken my head if it wasn't for my helmet. There's a big dent on the front, and it's cracked all the way through. if not for the helmet, that would've been my skull.

hey dweeb, I bought a walmart huffy mountainbike and completely ruined it in less than 100 miles. I bent or broke everything on the bike except the frame, I think. Then i bought a decent rockhopper from ernies for 600 and I've beaten the piss out of it for a few weeks daily. I go to Quail Hollow once or twice a week, I have a spare trek 800 you could borrow if you're up here and want to ride with me. We can make out in the woods

I'm stoked, meeting the stark bike club tomorrow at the old career center for a 58 mile ride around ride around Hartville etc.

you should definitely upgrade, for no other reason than the cheap frame is totally unsafe. If you crack it in half (which is likely) you could get seriously hurt. You can always pick up use mb's on craigslist. I sold my old trek for like 200 bucks on CL. you are getting used components, which will obviously have a shorter life than buying new, but you could also save a few hundred bucks. when / if you are REALLY into it, then maybe you spend 500+ on something new.

Firstly, mountain biking rocks.

I've been mountain bike since I was 10. Up until my college years, I always rode my Dad's extra $4k mountain bike. Go from that, to a $100 Walmart bike. It sucks.

That said, here are supplies to take on the trail so long as you're never farther than 2 or 3 miles from your vehicle: Multi-tool (mainly allen wrenches, pliers, etc). A knife. PLENTY of fluids, whether your carry it in a backpack, on your bike, or a camelbak. Cell phone, or someway for someone to locate you just in case. Patch kit. A couple extra chain lengths, plus a tool to repair the chain. Driver's License/Identification. An extra tube and a handheld pump. Maybe a pair of pliers in case you have to n[I]i/I]gger rig something.

Always have slime in your tubes. Make sure someone knows when and where you're riding, and when to expect you to be done.

Don't be afraid to push the limits (to a reasonable limit). Try different geographic areas or types of trails. I live and ride in West Texas on the caprocks. Riding in the mountains or desert is a completely different experience. Technical, rocky trails, or blazing fast trails in the desert. You'll learn to love and appreciate them all for different reasons.