The Mountain Bike Thread

IMG_20250917_104853435_HDR.jpgNo turning back now. He was waiting inside the front door of school 5 minutes early with his bag packed and class room cleaned. Had an issue first day with the derailleur rubbing the tire. He rode from 2-7pm. Took it back and they adjusted it and threw a new tire on because he was bummed about the lettering being worn. They also order a new short derailleur that wasn't available when they designed the bike. They are going to throw it on when it arrives. I don't know anything about bikes but would recommend them based on customer service.
 
Been on the bikes everyday but one since he got it. He had a lesson at Duthie last Sunday in the rain. He rode from 9:30 to 1:30 until his hands and feet were cramping. Here his is from day two on a mountain bike. Fourth time down the jump he thought he would try to whip the tail out. Didn't know the jump was back there or he would have had the full face on.
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krusty said:
We're probably looking at a future downhill champion or Sam Pilgrim freestyle influencer!
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He likes the Sam Pilgrim videos. He wants to learn how to backflip so time will tell. He didn't pick the easiest hobby for a parent to watch. We also don't want to hold him back. He's our only kid so we don't really know what the hell we are doing. That new bike looks pretty slick also.
 
Scudley Do Right said:
He likes the Sam Pilgrim videos. He wants to learn how to backflip so time will tell. He didn't pick the easiest hobby for a parent to watch. We also don't want to hold him back. He's our only kid so we don't really know what the hell we are doing. That new bike looks pretty slick also.
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It's a great lifetime activity at any level...and modern safety gear mitigates the risk tremendously.

My grandparents (who both rode motorcycles in the 1913 era) had an only child (my mother) and they were so protective she was never allowed indulging in any sort of risk...riding a bicycle was completely out of the question.

Consequently she became a physically helpless individual. I don't believe I ever watched her walk further than from the house to a vehicle.

Fortunately I was enough of a shithead only child that I didn't listen to her about such things...so I fished, hunted, rode bicycles/motorcycles, skied, mountaineered, and enjoyed a stint in the Marine Corps.

As for parenting...nobody really knows what they're doing...and each kid is different.
 
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When I was riding a mountain bike, I always wore eye protection. I liked the glasses that allowed me to choose clear, yellow or dark lenses. I never went riding without some sort of glasses. Also I never went riding without gloves. Trail riding often involves tree branches, bushes etc.., so these items are a must IMHO. Knee pads, or better yet, full shin+knee pads always made it more fun. If you're going to ride a full suspension bike down a trail, it's more fun when you feel as protected as possible.... Also..Thanks for those photos.. It looks like he's having a blast!
 
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Jim in Anacortes said:
When I was riding a mountain bike, I always wore eye protection. I liked the glasses that allowed me to choose clear, yellow or dark lenses. I never went riding without some sort of glasses. Also I never went riding without gloves. Trail riding often involves tree branches, bushes etc.., so these items are a must IMHO. Knee pads, or better yet, full shin+knee pads always made it more fun. If you're going to ride a full suspension bike down a trail, it's more fun when you feel as protected as possible.... Also..Thanks for those photos.. It looks like he's having a blast!
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Thanks, in a few weeks he's getting gloves, goggles and a chest protector. He has knee pads for scooter and skateboard but doesn't like wearing them. Maybe we will try some MTB specific ones.
 
Scudley Do Right said:
Thanks, in a few weeks he's getting gloves, goggles and a chest protector. He has knee pads for scooter and skateboard but doesn't like wearing them. Maybe we will try some MTB specific ones.
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Good on you for getting him an appropriate helmet...protecting the old noggin is (of course!) the most important thing....and good on the pros who've made wearing them 'cool'!
 
Although I've over 200,000 miles on motorcycles my first love will always be bicycles...even more so than flyfishing.
 
Well, Abby soon having another birthday, she's asked us for a used bicycle to get started. We have 3 older ones sitting here, the 12 speed Takara road bike her dad, (my late baby brother) had, the Mongoose dirt/ street bike that had belonged to my middle brother, and another bike that was left behind inside our fence when a neighbor packed up and left. (Still haven't figured that out). We told her to take her pick, or we'd just go buy her a new girls bike suited for her age.

Last night we dropped the Mongoose off at GuyTown Bikes in Auburn for overhauls and repairs. The owner happily told Abby she make a good choice. Projected pick up time is about a week.

Meanwhile, new Giro bike helmet and bike lights on the way to help keep her safe. A bell and gloves also in the works.
 
Back at it with this recent nice weather. Has anyone else been out? He got a bmx for Christmas. When we can't make it to the dirt he hits the skatepark. What kinda of low risk drills do people do when you can't ride?. I landed on by bars about 8" below my chemo port so I'm not really supposed to be riding right now.
 
Scudley Do Right said:
Back at it with this recent nice weather. Has anyone else been out? He got a bmx for Christmas. When we can't make it to the dirt he hits the skatepark. What kinda of low risk drills do people do when you can't ride?. I landed on by bars about 8" below my chemo port so I'm not really supposed to be riding right now.
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Learn the pump track!
 
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I had been looking at racks since my wife and son's bikes don't fit correctly on the one we had. I found this refurbished demo model on Facebook. It looked stouter than the others I'd seen and all stainless/aluminum. I brought my son's bike out to see if it fit but with a Manitou fork and 20" wheel it was a no go. They said if I go grab some lunch and come back they would make it work at no extra charge. In under an hour and a half they had made a custom hoop. They said they are going to start offering them and would swap it out for a prettier one once they do at no charge. They even offered to run it across on the ferry. They are good dudes and service went above what I would expect. They are in Kingston if you're in the market for a vertical rack.
 
Scudley Do Right said:
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I had been looking at racks since my wife and son's bikes don't fit correctly on the one we had. I found this refurbished demo model on Facebook. It looked stouter than the others I'd seen and all stainless/aluminum. I brought my son's bike out to see if it fit but with a Manitou fork and 20" wheel it was a no go. They said if I go grab some lunch and come back they would make it work at no extra charge. In under an hour and a half they had made a custom hoop. They said they are going to start offering them and would swap it out for a prettier one once they do at no charge. They even offered to run it across on the ferry. They are good dudes and service went above what I would expect. They are in Kingston if you're in the market for a vertical rack.
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Now that is real service! Looks stout and very functional....I've never felt comfortable with those rack systems that cantilever a large number of bikes far off the vehicle via bumper hitch. The Kingston vertical style design puts the bikes/rack weight where it should be...not at the end of a long lever. I've also owned horizontal rooftop five bike racks for a van that was an absolute nightmare to use.

Looks like putting the bikes in (or extracting) would be very easy, with no need to do it sequentially. This rack style reminds me of how the SteadyRack storage system works....I've got five of my most frequently ridden bikes mounted on the wall in SteadyRacks in my shop, which makes them extraordinarily easy to access.

I've a lifelong mantra about stuff (especially recreational stuff like boats, RVs, and lake cabins)....things that are easy to use GET used. That's why there are always shitloads of lake places for sale (as well as storage lots, marinas, and garages/yards with power boats, trailers, and motorhomes that sit around unused and deteriorating for years because that stuff is very often a PITA to use once the initial purchase euphoria wears off).
 
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