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Describe Your First Ride

3K views 37 replies 33 participants last post by  herkimer81 
#1 · (Edited)
Or at least the ride that inspired you to MTB ride regularly. Here's mine...

In 1988 I was in my late 20s working a desk job, and I noticed I was starting to grow a gut. I was interested in finding a form of exercise that was fun enough to do for it’s own sake.

About that time, some friends and I went to Big Bear Lake, California. There were four of us, and two mountain bikes. Two of them were into running, but I hate running. So one of the guys with a bike agrees to run and I used his Stumpjumper.

So two of us ran and two of us rode the bikes up a dirt road for a mile or so, then down again. It was fall and it had snowed a few days earlier, so the surface varied between hard dirt, gravel, snow, puddles and mud. We were still two years away from suspension forks and I wore no helmet (those were for nerd wimps), but I immediately enjoyed the challenge of handling the bike on whatever kind of surface I was riding on.

It wasn’t long before I visited a bike shop and road away on a rigid-forked Univega mountain bike with Biopace chainrings. My ride now is nicer & plusher, but I still enjoy the zen of dealing with whatever your tires are rolling over.
 
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#32 ·
Damn, um, I know it wasn't an MTB but a Sears Freestyle something or other that evolved into a Frankenbike as I broke stuff and replaced with whatever I could afford. Late 70's, early 80's, grab some stuff in a back pack and go explore the hills around San Rafael. Follow the fire roads go along ridge lines to parts unknown. I think my first "real" MTB ride was borrowing a friend's extra MTB to explore Henry Coe State Park south of San Jose. That got us waaay out there, scared me a bit (not enough water or endurance) and set the hook to ride more.
 
#33 ·
I can't remember my first ride, but I remember a few good ones . . .

In '87 my family went to the Tahoe/Squaw Valley area to help out a friend who was running the Western States 100 mile run. I rented a Specialized Stumpjumper (much nicer than my Schwinn Sierra at home) and rode all over the place. I attempted to ride up the Squaw Valley ski hills - via service roads - at Squaw Valley every day, and was intercepted and instructed to turn around every day. First DH experience?? I think about 1/4 of the way up was the farthest I ever made it. The Stumpy had toe clips/straps. At one point I was riding down the road & attempted a "power slide" in some gravel. Of course my weight shifted to the high side, which was still firmly tied into the pedal so I fell over somewhat violently and slide through the gravel. A convertible with 3 pretty girls laughed loudly as they drove by.

I used to ride a bridle path in the Whipps ledges area (Hinckley, OH) frequently back in the 80's. Fun, fast rolling doubletrack. While I'd always dismount for the horse-folk, they'd get pissed anyway. Thus began my relationship with equestrians.

Myself and my step-dad went on a ride over logging roads in New York sometime in early '89. Most memorable experiences were (1) flying down a double track into a herd of deer that began to run along with me; and (2) accidentally peeing on a stump filled with bees.

Poaching more or less all of the Buckeye Trail (there were no legal bike trails in Ohio in the late 80's) with step-dad's friend who ran ultra marathons, begging him to stop for a break more or less the whole time. He kept promising to stop but never did.

First MTB Race (second was about one month ago - not much of a racer. . . ) was the Punxatawny PA Groundhog 50. My drivetrain got so fouled up by mud that I could only use largest three cogs without skipping. One of the downhills finished in a lake-sized mud puddle that was so much fun I pushed back up the hill & rode it again.
 
#34 ·
Hooked from the get go

My wife and I were shopping one day about a month ago and she mentioned that we should get some bikes so we could ride with our two kids, 5 and 6. So we went to Target (sorry I'm a complete noob) and go to off the shelf Schwinn Rangers. The bikes are terrible, but they are no where near what I already need 4 weeks down the trail. So my first ride was with a buddy from work at a local trail I researched, Rotary park in Clarksville, TN. He was pretty new to the sport as well with his big box store Mongoose. We hit the trail with no major expectations, and I was HOOKED! I loved the climbs, the turns, the descents, and the XC trail sections. I couldn't believe how much I was enjoying myself. We rode about 8 miles total that day and now ride every weekend looking for the next great trail. I have been lifting and running for years and being in the Army it has been hard to find a hobby that isn't running or lifting. I am now a fanatic of the sport and can't wait to get my next bike and see what I can/ can't accomplish.
 
#35 ·
I rode bikes all through my teens but hadn't touched one in about 20 years until June 1st of this year. I had been contemplating buying one for about 18 months but just wouldn't ever pull the trigger. A buddy of mine who had been out of riding for several years wanted to get a new bike and talked me into getting one too. Bought them on June 1st and that next Saturday we hit the trail. I thought I was in pretty good shape, doing cross fit once a week, boot camp workouts twice a week, kettle bells, weights, and running sprinkled in. After running through a few rock gardens and nearly exploding my lungs trying to climbs a few hills I realized I had a long way to go. I was scared to death riding along a trail that looked to be about 2 inches wide with a 40' drop on my right. As we rode I loosened up and once we hit some hard pack flowing down hill I was having a blast. We rode around 8 miles that day. I had no bike shorts and OEM seat that felt like it was made of iron LOL, but I was instantly hooked. I've been riding every weekend since and those hills that just about killed me that day would be a walk in the park now.
 
#36 ·
I can't remember my first MTB ride because I rode a BMX bike on trails first then got a MTB when I was ~10.

But I did take a co-worker friend out for his first real trail ride on Friday and although it wasn't the most exciting ride for me it was awesome to see him ride up with a grin on his face after his first single track ride ever. He had the reflectors all still on, a cotton t-shirt, crap plastic pedals, etc but I didn't say anything.. yet. I just wanted him to have fun so I left those little details out at first.

Then after our ride I offered to bring some old flat pedals I have next time with my pedal wrench to get him on some proper pedals. As for the reflectors, I will ask him if he plans on using the bike on the road a lot at night then suggest some lights in place of the reflectors. I just figured I wouldn't sit there and criticize his bike on our first ride and let him just enjoy the ride. Oh, and I will fill him in on better clothing material for the hot So Cal sun as we go along too.

Anyways, it was just fun to take someone out for their first ride to see them get all giddy about mountain biking. :cornut:
 
#37 ·
I have ridden bikes my whole life but my first "real" experience started at FATS in SC. Just moving to the Augusta area my brother and I heard that FATS was a fun biking place. He was newly licensed so we packed up our 2 Pacific toy store bikes and hit the trail head. We started down deep step both of us dying after the first uphill but once we hit the first downhill I knew I was HOOKED!!! By the end of the 6 mile trail our bikes were destroyed! And we were so tired we could hardly walk!! Now I work at a LBS and ride near daily and he rides 2k FS Motobecane. I could never be more glad we found the trail that day
 
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