dirt bike rider buys a mountain bike how hard can it be ?

MINKY

Finding my (electric) wheels
Oct 30, 2017
9
14
64
lancashire
hello just a line to say hello and a few obwervations of my mountain bike expiriance

im brand new out of the box when it comes to e /bikes i had a old carrera hybrid which i used for small loops in the summer but nowt seroius

i told the bloke in the shop i wanted a hybrid 50/50 type bike and he steered me towards the cube reaction and the hiabike hard 7
you could flip a coin ..but i thought the cube was a bigger machine for my frame and maby a tad more suited to racks ect..need the ability to carry me flask puncture stuff take layers on and off ...i set it up for comfort im fully aware that i have the handlebars wrong and too wide and the seatpost wrong for entering the world cup ... im just on a pony treck .. i do drop the seatpost now in the woods and park me ass on the rear bag now and again .i figured that out by crunching me nuts too many times

any way the cube it wasDSC_0854 by minkyhead56, on Flickr

DSC_0988 by minkyhead56, on Flickr

i never intended doin owt spectacular or too hard on it but looking at some of the reviews and videos it seems to have more than enough capability for a novice to be going on with

ive been riding dirtbikes for 40 years and thought some of that would rub off on the moutain bike ...how wrong could i be ?? very very wrong ..steep declines on me dirtbike are assisted by engine braking and tyres .. sure i use the frant and rear brakes ...but on the pushbike its all brakes position and tyres ..i want too bad getting some control as im used to wheel lock its just the amount of brake an pressure is hugely increased

you use the pegs a lot to steer or change direction on me motorbikes but thats not happening to easy on cranked pedels he he

going up stuff its pretty comical right gear right assist level trying to get the pedels to clear tree roots has resulted in some crushed nuts and impromtue wheelies ..i mean stuff i would consider eassy on a dirtbike take on a whole lot more diffficulty ..i am getting a bit more switched on and improving bit by bit tbo i never intended anything spectacular ,,,i actually asked the guy for a mk 1 landrover and in that respect i think i got the right bike ...i could have spent 3000 quid more and not really done alot better ..i need to get the basics in place ...as with me dirtbikes ..its no use buying a high end ktm unless you know what to do when your on it

anyway i had the intention of just doing tracks and trails mostly local using me garmin with landranger maps all the places me dirtbikes are banned from .. and its been most exelent the garmin is amazing on the mountain bike i can get miles and miles on tracks that you would not know exist take all the guesswork out but you will get the odd swing gate and styles but bugger me it been amaxing where i can get too ..makes the ride mega interesting ive even carried it down strean to get around a locked gate that shouldnt be

..at least the one thing im used to is the tyres slipping sideways and keeping going ..and some of me braking skills transfer well too
...again i have been pretty impressed by what these little tyres will float over ..i never really thought they would for instance let me pedel over a ploughed feild ..but hey they do great

ive read lots of stuff where folks go ages without a puncture ..but me ..i were getting splatted by them ..like every ride ...five in one hit ?? so ive converted to tubless with that stans stuff in and all is much much better ...

so there you go a novices tail ..im getting about real well and dont really clock milage but im usualy out 3/4 hours in the boon docks and use very very little road ... easy trails the odd hill and woddy bit ..i have a little practice here nad there and its great fun and generlaly low speed when i land on me ass so all good
quite happy on me mk1 landrover ..it bloody weighs as much as landrover too when you have to lift it over fences .. keep well



rally /url] by minkyhead56, on Flickr[/IMG]

rally by minkyhead56, on Flickr

this is just a spoof i did for me dirtbike pals and tbo thats pretty much as hard as i will go ..really liking its ability to get me off the beaten track ..i wanst quite sure how id take to it ..if id wain and lose interest but no 6 months on i use it a lot ..in motorbike terms i like a duel purpose bike ..and this cube seems pretty spot on for basic tracks and trails seems to have a reasonble ability on rugged tracks and rides nice on the road . its .all good fun and for a first bike from a novices point of view it seems to be more than capable of anything i feel like trying with my limited skill set ..its certainly more capable than the rider ..for a comuter ..which im not and for a bit of non hardcore off road fun reasonable trails .. it seems to fit the bill very well
two things i dont like ...tubed tyres ..and its heavy ..not to ride but to lift ..im a fairly strong guy but its a awkward thing to get over fences ..maby a set of very steep steps ..but other than that im pretty happy with it




DSC_0971 by minkyhead56, on Flickr

DSC_0973 by minkyhead56, on Flickr

DSC_0988 by minkyhead56, on Flickr
 
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Tom Rae

Pedelecer
Jan 14, 2017
128
49
Edinburgh Scotland
Great post, thanks and you didn't mention improved fitness? I found more and more places dirt riding was becoming unacceptable whereas mtb'ing was fine, I went electric only recently and it is nice and quiet too :)

Tom
 
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STEVEMANFA

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 27, 2015
731
359
60
Forest of Dean
Nice review
I'm a motorcycle guy as well, not dirt bikes just road bikes, I did have a ktm 200 for a spot of green laning a fer years back but it was hard to try and find someone to go out with, and I didn't feel safe out on my own, so I sold it on and then made the move to the MTB, and for me it's just fab.

Enjoy your new ride and welcome aboard.
 
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MINKY

Finding my (electric) wheels
Oct 30, 2017
9
14
64
lancashire
yes thanks guys

i think my fitness is helped with the mountain bike ..im a social user but even in the winter ive been managing two braaaaps around 6 hours a week ..so a lot of mud /snow ect ..
thats why i love the electric bike peddling through 300 meters of waterlogged grass on a ordinary bike has zero interest to me im out for pleasure and some excercise not to pull me tripe out ..it like having a ecersise bike where you can work as hard or as little as i like ..somdays i realy do get a sweat on and somtimes i go al cheaty ..but either way they dont go without effort so its good
i travel a lot on me duel bikes and there is lots of trails open for motorbikes im often two three days away from home ..and abroad north africa albania turkey greece france portugal .. all over the place

im already wanting a car rack for the bike so i can do some loops further affield on the leccy bike i know a lot of places from me travels on motorbikes that would suit me skill set so ill try and sort that soon ...
it will be nice to dump thed fishermans wellies ..its been pretty cold ..
me army stuff and me wellies have been very good at keeping me dry and warm in the snow and deep water and mud ..not conventional i guess but the goretex leggings are brilliant for cycling in the wet

but me wellies have sub zero liners and will be far to hot now ..i was wondering what some guys use for water proof footwear and foot and ankle protection
thanks keep well

DSC_1012 by minkyhead56, on Flickr
 
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MINKY

Finding my (electric) wheels
Oct 30, 2017
9
14
64
lancashire
ahh good im not the only one that find wellies pretty good for the foul weather ..quite a few using them ..

also come accross quite a bit of blanking out by the proffesional lycra types ..dont think they like the cheaty bikes
some of the younger guys look like they have come right off team sky ..some of the older guys look pretty dam stupid ..youd think their missus would have a quiet word ..what are they thinking ...little beer bellies ..man boobs .. and a little mushroom bulge shoehorned into a fetish suit two sizes too small ....not a good look imho

thinking maby using some kind of light walking boot .. and then i could tape the gortex around them above the ankle ..if it turned a bit too wet
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,120
6,313
also come accross quite a bit of blanking out by the proffesional lycra types ..dont think they like the cheaty bikes
not seen anyone that can keep up with me and im on more drugs than all of them ;)
 
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MINKY

Finding my (electric) wheels
Oct 30, 2017
9
14
64
lancashire
not seen anyone that can keep up with me and im on more drugs than all of them ;)

strewth bruce thats not a cheaty bike ,,,this is a cheaty bike :cool::D
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,120
6,313
same motor but the batt is massive ;(
 

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