 Poster: A snowHead
|
I absolutely love skiing - and am feeling quite depressed that I will not be going on any more trips this side of the New year, BUT i took up mountain biking last year and it is currently the only thing that gives me a similar level of satisfaction to skiing.
Am i the only one, or do other snowheads mountain bike too?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
I do.
However, having wrecked my hamstring on my last ski trip, I am currently not able to MTB 
That said, I have just been allowed to start road cycling again (short distance flat stuff only).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I'm not an expert mountain biker, but I do own one, and use it every week in the summer. 16km on Monday, 5km yesterday (first rides of the season, and my bum is sore). Will try for another >10km tonight.
I don't use it for "mountains" though - just as a means of outdoor exercise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Yep, try to go out once every week or 2 on it. Don't always succeed though!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I do now.
Used to time-trial and do what would these days be called Audax as a teenager, and do about 5000 miles a year, but then discovered girls and that doing that many miles made certain bits ache which I felt might hinder what I wanted to do to the same girls...
Now getting more and more into being in the woods and find it the closest thrill to skiing (apart from windsurfing - which is just to dependent on capricious wind conditions). My new trek arrives tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
mr ted, I used to feel the same about skins - but now I have tried it a few times - feel I would want to do it once or twice a year - very much the same feeling as doing a long steady climb at your own pace.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
Yep, road biking and mountain biking. Nothing too extreme on the MTB.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've finally got back into riding. Used to enjoy the occasional 50 mile road bike ride all around Sussex of a Sunday morning with a couple of friends about 17 years ago, but all became a bit of a chore after Saturday night and not getting in till 5am. But now I've got me new second hand MTB I'm having a great time again over the Downs. Trouble is, one of my dogs (Border Terrier X Jack Russell) has a hard time keeping up. The other dog (similar but with a dose of Lakeland and hence longer legs) loves it. Eldest 2 daughters enjoy, wife enjoys, still trying to get the younger 2 somewhere near capable (they're both useless at the moment even with stabilisers on the pavement!!!!)
I agree there is a good similarity to skiing, and I love flying down hills, steering with my feet and legs and slaloming around cow pats!
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Wed 11-04-07 13:36; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Road biking on a mountain bike (to get a small enough frame where I can reach the handlebars). summer hols are cycle camping (touring) or taking bikes with us. I get v nervous on uneven surfaces - you won't see me anywhere off road. Mr HL does off road when I'm not looking. stoatsbrother, Mr HL also did Audax and got his brevet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
I Mountain Bike (read "Hill Bike").
There's a mountain bike group who meet every Friday here to go mountain biking in the local Vienna forrest. I try to attend at least once every two weeks. Also do mountainbike rides on my own and with friends (up to 80km and 1500 hm so far). The local smaller ski resorts are great places to bike in the summer. 3 marked routes go past my house and there's another 40 or so routes locally.
http://www.mbike.at/mbike/ww/
click on "alle strecken" to see the routes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After skiing, it's my favourite sport. Gives me a similar buzz, but much more accessible. Fast flowing forest downhill singletrack with a few small drops, fast berms and jumps is the most fun. We get out there pretty much every weekend. Great for fitness too, better than skiing in that respect.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
There are some important downsides though - stopping and changing direction is much slower and the ground is considerably harder without snow on it! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Me! For me MTB has overtaken skiing on my popularity charts. I spend any spare time I can get riding around the mountains between Garmisch and Innsbruck. Fantastic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Yip me too, but more hills and dodgy country roads really, did Cork to Castletown Bear (spelling) and back last summer and may do something similar this summer
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
rayscoops, How about having a go at either the Coast to Coast (Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors ending at Robin Hood's Bay) or the West Country Way (Plymouth to Minehead going across Dartmoor and Exmoor)?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Most definatley! Mountain biking is great, so simular to ski touring, I think the adrenaline rush of doing a downhill descent is amazing, i have only been biking around three years and tend to get out 3 times a week, those of you that love single track try the North face trail, Grizedale forest smooth uphill, and downhill descents, and some great northshore. Its only a 10mile loop, so if your up for it do it again even faster! 
Of to the Marin trail on saturday, for the first time anyone ridden it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
jmdohanlon, I may have a look at that. i also fancy riding around the coast from Swansea, through Gower and heading to west Wales. Any bit of country side really. The Cork/CTB trip was convenient because an over night ferry went from Swansea to Cork, and we wanted to go to McCarthys Bar in CTB for a beer  .
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
rayscoops, riding round the Gower penninsular sounds good. Should be fabulous scenery.
Can't fault your reasoning for the Irish jaunt
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liam, I haven't ridden the Marin trail for about 4 years. It was quite a good trail then with plenty of singletrack sections. The last section to the car park was especially good fun
Let us know how you get on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
Just put air in my tyres, she'll sleep upside down to bathe the forks tonight. Oh yeah then got collered for my Shop Tab! This bike lark is expensive!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SMALLZOOKEEPER, Do you get to bike out in Chamonix in the summer?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Liam, Yeah, Le Tour, Brevent, Flegere and Les Houches.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
rayscoops, The Gower peninsula is gorgeous. The terrain is a bit road oriented for my liking but as it is a flat and easy journey there's lot of time for stop offs and dips in the sea to refresh! Have you done any of the Afon Trail around Port Talbot? That's next on my list.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SMALLZOOKEEPER, Nice, im supposed to be heading out to Morzine for a mates B,day although it aint until next summer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
2 Summers ago, I MTB'd down "The Wall' on the Luc Alphand. Feeling elated afterwards, as I cycled home on the flat of the valley floor, I hit a tree stump, crashed and cracked 2 ribs. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
How about a snowHeads pedal around one of the better areas of the country?
It's been mooted before, but nothing ever happened. The boy Kramers' in Notts I think, NBT's in South Manc and I'm a bit more North than that, so I still say that the Peaks are a good bet.
Anyone fancy a pedal?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Quote: |
Wait until you take your mountain bike to a ski resort and put it on the lift!
|
Yeah, it's good fun - but I still like to do some of the climbs. Last time in Morzine we used the lifts sometimes but on XCs we were able to access far more terrain than the downhillers simply because we could cycle up to it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
My fitness is still an issue at this particular time. Part of the reason that I bought the bike is to help work on it, and I feel that I need to get some more miles under my belt before I start attempting anything too serious or strenuous, so ask me towards the end of the summer when I've had more time to work on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Liam wrote: |
Of to the Marin trail on saturday, for the first time anyone ridden it? |
Yeah, it's a quality trail. Loads of fast flowing bermed singletrack, plenty of climbing etc. Pretty typical Welsh purpose built trail, which is no bad thing. Technically fairly easy, but you can make it as hard as you like with speed
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Mosha Marc wrote: |
How about a snowHeads pedal around one of the better areas of the country?
It's been mooted before, but nothing ever happened. The boy Kramers' in Notts I think, NBT's in South Manc and I'm a bit more North than that, so I still say that the Peaks are a good bet.
Anyone fancy a pedal? |
Great Nottinghamshire bike ride is a nice easy one....... 50 miles, dead flat.... £8. End of June.
http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/leisure/l-cycling/bikeride.htm
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
I would be up for a meet in the peaks, meet some fellow northern snowheads! Theres some great rides up there, i did a gruesome trail around Ladybower resovoir a couple of weeks ago.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Caspar wrote: |
| Quote: |
Wait until you take your mountain bike to a ski resort and put it on the lift!
|
Yeah, it's good fun - but I still like to do some of the climbs. Last time in Morzine we used the lifts sometimes but on XCs we were able to access far more terrain than the downhillers simply because we could cycle up to it. |
Let's face it, we climb so we can descend!
The mistake ski-resort-turn-downhill-mountain-bike-resort made was to have their trails coming STRIGHT DOWN the front face of the mountain. It demands a different kind of skill and a different type of enjoyment. Not always what many mountain biker from flat land are looking for. Some resorts are finally learning to cater to the x-c bikers with "lift assisted x-c"! 
When I was in California, I did a trail in the Sierra that's probably more to the liking of x-c riders:
First, the shuttle van (not lift) drop the bikers off 1000m above the village. Then, you wonder about the forest for hours, climbing and descending alternatively but more descend than climb. By the end of the day, you rack up a good 30-50km distance and 2000m vertical descend!
Without the "lift" of the shuttle van, it would have taken a super strong rider, which I'm not, to cover that much distance and vertical. And had so much fun!
I heard Mammoth has lots of trails like that from the top of the lift where they drop you off.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
abc, I know what you mean
Part of the thing in Morzine was that the downhillers were all running the same few trails accessed by the lifts whilst we headed off onto some fantastic trails that they were surely missing out on because it took some uphill work to get to them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
abc, The French lift assisted downhills are too hardcore for me and they beat your bike to a pulp. I much prefer the Welsh man-made singletrack, with plenty of ups and downs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
although i think this is mountain bike specific because there is no way i am buying skins whilst there are perfectly good chair lifts to be getting on!! Did my longest ride so far on Sunday - 44km, felt good! 
Which make the climb worthwhile 
