The MTB thread

[yorkie_chris]

I nearly parked it on my head a minute ago. They work!

Not a new bike, dunno how old it is.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

I nearly parked it on my head a minute ago. They work!

Not a new bike, dunno how old it is.

Aye they do! I was well disapointed when I got my new bike a while back because the front brake was crap, single pot caliper on a 160mm disc (compair that to a V brake which is 26" disc twin calliper, in a sense...) So I got a 4 pot calliper on a 203mm disc and OMFG, stops so well its mental! More than I think ill ever need, but nice to know its there to call on.

[yorkie_chris]

Well, that didn't take long. It was shiny as fook yesterday


Good fun, really easy to break the back tyre loose in anything but really shallow mud though.

Are those not really meant for mud-plugging?


Chavtastic red anodised sprocket! (is that a jockey wheel?)


Do people clean these motorless contraptions then?

...stuff to wear.

Being new to this MTB lark, I was trying to work out what will be most practical / comfortable when I'm out on the bike & trying not to fall off...

I figured a helmet is a must, and I picked up a pair of gloves from a bike shop in town yesterday, but other than that I'm not too sure.

I'm on a fairly tight budget so the less 'specialist' gear I have to buy, the better. What do you guys wear / recommend for a mixture of road & off-road riding?

[northwind]

Depends... I commute on the road and I don't really wear anything special, an old pair of combat trousers and whatever random base layer is lying about, plus when it's cold a biking softshell top I bought in Lidl for £11 And my helmet, and a pair of old cheap Akito motorbike gloves (or my winter gloves when it's cold)

Waterproofing is worth spending money on, a nice compact waterproof will go in your pocket or bag so you're never caught out, and breathability is essential. Just like motorbikes really, protection and waterproofing are worth investing a little, everything else is just window dressing

MTB guys get a bit carried away with gear... Though it's true that cotton tshirts etc are bad news because they go horrible with sweat. So, a technical base layer on top is a good idea. I have a couple, I got some Puma t-shirt ones from Matalan for a fiver each, and a couple of long-sleeve ones from Mountain Warehouse for £7 each. Oh, and a Nike vest top to show off my guns These particular guns being rusty derringers. They all do the job brilliantly, people spend £40 on base layers for reasons unknown to me.

Over the top, pretty much anything... I got a cheap Fox mtb top which I like, but in colder weather I just wear a cheap fleece. Rugby/football tops are good too, basically cotton is to be avoided.

Shorts... Well, as far as I'm concerned anything will do, half the time I wear a random old pair of combat shorts which work fine, the other half I have a decent pair of Altura cycling shorts which are slightly better, but not much. They dry faster though.

I'm wearing old, cheap Akito summer motorbike gloves, they're not too sweaty so far and very protective, and have decent feel. I might get proper cycling gloves or mitts come summer, these might be too hot.

Ah, socks. Here it makes sense to spend a little I reckon, I got a pair of Sealskinz waterproof socks and they're awesome. Oops, stood in a reservoir... Doesn't matter! And with thermal liners in they're all-day warm. I love these, they're really class.

And, armour. I wear pads, like a big woman, but as far as I'm concerned knee pads for offroading are just common sense- if you fall off, you hit your knees most times, and you will definately fall off. Knees are easy to temporarily disable, pads aren't expensive, they're not inconvenient or uncomfortable, and they can mean you keep riding after a fall. They can also prevent bigger injuries. I'm very fond of my 661 Kyle Straits, they're all day comfy and hugely protective.

[northwind]

But, that's a pretty long list. If I wanted a basic set of riding kit for offroad use, it'd be this:

Any old shorts
Any old fleece for the cold
Cheap base layer, £5-£10
Cheap top, or old sporting strip, or similiar, £10 or so
Old bike gloves if you have 'em
Flat-soled trainers/skate shoes
AS good a helmet as you can afford- doesn't have to be expensive, Bell Faction is a great skate-style helmet for £25, my Giro Hex was £32 and it's a fine piece of kit.
And I'd blow anything left on socks, knee pads and a waterproof top. I love my Montaine H20, it's the size of an apple but very waterproof and not too sweaty. £30 well spent IMO. My other waterproof is a £9 Lidl job, it's frankly s***, now I know how boil in the bag rice feels.

Sorry off topic but ... Good evening Northey !!!

Cheers Northy that's a really comprehensive post, much appreciated.

Most of that I already have in some form or other and the rest I think I can get from the local GoOutdoors & Matalan, I think a shopping trip is in order!

But more importantly, tomorrow I'm picking up one of these:



http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/pr...Disc_Bike_2009

Originally Posted by El Saxo

Cheers Northy that's a really comprehensive post, much appreciated.

Most of that I already have in some form or other and the rest I think I can get from the local GoOutdoors & Matalan, I think a shopping trip is in order!

But more importantly, tomorrow I'm picking up one of these:



http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/pr...Disc_Bike_2009

Thats Girths place isnt it?

[Girth]

Originally Posted by robchester

Thats Girths place isnt it?

Sorting him out with a few extra bits aswell.

Its a real bargain the Giant Rainier though £299 down from £424 and its a 2009!