MTBers - why oh why?

[Joe Low]

Following on from the "mtbiking disappointing" thread i thought i'd ask a question, in a genuine spirit of enquiry, rather than hijack that one.

 

 

Am on the rd south of Jhb and see a lot of mtbers and very often they'll ride two feet parallel to the road on dirt. Why make life hard for yourselves b4 you plunge off into the bush proper - if there's a road there what's the problem in using it?

 

Do you enter a world where you block out all man-made things and transport yourselves to some far-flung Eden whose magic requires you stay on dirt at all times? Cos in reality ur still riding over litter and broken glass and condoms and body parts with Tokoza's finest whizzin by in their non-roadworthy Heinz 57 motors less than a chicken spit away.

 

If u ride on the road u get to the better bits quicker no?

 

I did see the point when I went riding with Thug and instead of going on tar he rode over people's front gardens - thought that was pretty cool in a middle aged radical kind of way. Me on mtb - rode three times, fell three times - know when someone is tellin me something , so stopped.

 

 

Joe Low2009-03-22 09:32:14

[Tumbleweed]

If u ride on the road u get to the better bits quicker no?

 

?

 

 

 

there's you answer. no.

[Nancy Drew]

It's a little known fact Joe, that tar actually does untold damage to our tyres.  So the answer to your question is that it's in the interest of our trusty steeds that we avoid the tar.  The other problem with tar is that it's littered with Roadies, so we'll take our chances with used condoms and body parts

[Joe Low]

Hmmm nothing much useful there from the brains trust, tho' i can see HR is tryin to reach me with a vital concept I'm not quite graspin. R u saying "any dirt is better than tar"? and if so, why? 

 

Am not buyin Nancy's tyre story & it's been reported to J Bornman to deal with - so expect a clinical destruction of that theory.

 

I see meanwhile that Cyclone has folded on the "disappointing" thread, so that's a nice end to the day.

Joe Low2009-03-22 09:45:52

[Tumbleweed]

Hmmm nothing much useful there from the brains trust' date=' tho' i can see HR is tryin to reach me with a vital concept I'm not quite graspin. R u saying "any dirt is better than tar"? and if so, why??

 

?

 

Am not buyin?Nancy's tyre story?& it's been?reported to J Bornman to deal with - so expect a clinical destruction of that theory.

[/quote']

 

 

 

if you're on the road, you're missing the better bits.

[Tumbleweed]

...and if you have to ask...

 

 

 

 

[Joe Low]

...and if you have to ask...

 

Yeah that's probably the thing HR - but really i dont get it & wondered if anyone cud explain - it looks so damn silly to me.

 

 

Goin to watch l'pool / villa now & get all worked up - hmmm maybe that looks silly to some folk? Nah, can't think why that wud be.

 

Joe Low2009-03-22 09:51:36

[GTRacing]

Hmmm nothing much useful there from the brains trust' date=' tho' i can see HR is tryin to reach me with a vital concept I'm not quite graspin. R u saying "any dirt is better than tar"? and if so, why? 

 

Am not buyin Nancy's tyre story & it's been reported to J Bornman to deal with - so expect a clinical destruction of that theory.

[/quote']

if you're on the road, you're missing the better bits.

 

Holly said it...

It's just to easy on the road, and the dirt is were the fun starts.

 

[Tumbleweed]

...and if you have to ask...

 

?

 

Yeah that's probably the thing HR - but really i dont get?it & wondered if anyone cud explain - it looks so damn silly to me.

 

?

 

?

 

Goin to watch l'pool / villa now & get all worked up -?hmmm maybe that looks silly to some folk? Nah' date=' can't think why that wud be.

 

?

[/quote']

 

 

 

go the brummie boys...

 

 

 

you can't explain it. have to do it...

[Dirt*girl™]

I don?t want to get into this but?..either you are an mtber or you aren?t.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

It?s a culture?.it?s a passion?.it?s a way of life?.you eat it, you drink it, you talk it, you sleep it?you even wee it.

 

You understand it, you understand your brother riding along you?.you will share your tubes, your lube?your GU?.

 

You will always look for more dirt to ride on?you feed off it?you need more..you can never have enough?never

 

When you are all kitted out?one with your bike?you don?t insult it by sitting on the easier tar bits.

 

Get it

 

[MtBryda]

I am one of those in the South that ride on the gravel, to give the roadies more room to ride 3 abreast.

[cat-i]

that's where the fun bits are.

 

duh!

 

and there's also fewer cars

 

[Serendipity]

If you had to ask, you probably won't understand the answer.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

that, and the fact that you can go where you WANT to go, and not fear a 2mm thorn in your path, or a couple of loose stones.

 

Fact is, riding off the road is just more fun. More obstacles, more chance to hop them, and you get more training into your ride off the tar - more rolling resistance = more effort to go same speed.

 

As for the tar eating away tires - yes, it does. Tar is alot harder (and more abrasive) than gravel/sand/hardpack and that has an effect on the trailing edge of the tread, in that it gets eaten away alot faster than it would off the road.

 

Bottom line though - I do it because it's more fun. And it gives me more space to play in, rather than fighting for my 1m of road space.

 

[jagwil]

It?s a culture?.it?s a passion?.it?s a way of life?.you eat it, you drink it, you talk it, you sleep it?you even wee it.( Dirt*Girl)

 

You omitted to mention that.... you even DREAM ABOUT IT

 

[Danger Dassie]

Enough of all this debate..... dirt is pure!

 

Nuff zed