No mountain biking recently, but I have just been away on holiday and did 2 rides. Both were on a cycle path and on the road, but 2 different routes which I will upload at a later date.
In total, I did 40km over the two rides.
Tomorrow I plan to go for a ride in the hills…
One day you will crash. Learn how to crash without injuring yourself too much.
From BikeRadar.com: http://foxyurl.com/MYp
Dirt jumps can be very intimidating to ride, especially when you see top riders gliding through them as though they’re on rails.
Here is a very informative article on BikeRadar on how to hit dirt jumps: Riding dirt jumps
Fitness would probably be the main reason, but BikeRadar have a list of 32 more reasons!
Check out their article here: 33 Reasons to Cycle
On Saturday I had to go into Melbourne’s CBD, so I thought I’d take my bike with me and ride around the city.
Mistake number one: It was the Myer Christmas Parade and half the city streets were shut off.
Mistake number two: They were working on the Springvale Road underpass, so there were no trains between Ringwood and Blackburn. As I had my bike, I wasn’t allowed on the rail replacement bus. This meant that I had to cycle from the one station to the other.
I didn’t mind the extra exercise – I cycled 30km instead of the planned 10km – but it was 35C outside on Saturday!
I got up at 7am this morning to go for a ride on the Warburton Rail Trail. By the time I hit the trail, the temperature was already hovering around the 21°C mark. I parked at the Cog Cafe and headed down the hill.
There weren’t many people about as a breezed down the first section. I cut off to the left into the short single-track section. I kept an eye open for the usual early morning critters – rabbits, spiders, rosellas – only to be surprised when I rounded a corner and there was a huge horse in front of me! I slammed on the brakes which spooked the horse and the rider! I apologised profusely to the rider. She said it was okay to pass, but I was a little nervous considering the size of the horse. It didn’t kick out, so I carried on my ride.
Once off the singletrack, I headed back up Wellington Road onto the Rail Trail. After 45minutes, I was at Killara station where I decided to turn around and head back.
The ride back was pretty uneventful and by the time I got back to the Cog Cafe, the mercury was drifting up to the 26°C level.
I dragged my lazy arse off the couch today and went for a short ride along the Eastlink bike path again.
A lazy 13km in 40 mins.
Found a great article on BikeRadar about what equipment a beginner might need. It’s interesting to note in the comments that most people recommend hiring a mountain bike at a riding centre first to see if you enjoy riding before going out and spending the big bucks. Makes sense.
Have you ever wondered what equipment you would need to start mountain biking? Or even where to go? For people who love the sport, these kinds of questions are second nature. They already have all the kit and know the best venues and routes for their skill level.
Essential equipment:
- Bike – Rigid, Hardtail or Full-Suss
- Helmet – A MUST HAVE
- Gloves – Keeps out the cold, keeps the skin on your hands if you fall
- Pump, puncture repair kit & multi-tool – always useful if you get a puncture out on the trail
For more detail, read the article here: Beginner’s Guide to Mountain Biking, Part I
This is the video of my ride from a few weeks ago. Not very exciting. Have had tonsilitis, so not much riding been happening. And lots of bad storms and rain. Hopefully this weekend I can get out there again!
