My journey into Indiana mountain biking

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  • esrice

    Certified Regular Guy
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    Jan 16, 2008
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    Indy
    First, let me give you a little background.

    In the 90's I loved the BMX/freestyle/flatland genre of biking. Between the ages of 10 and 14 I could often be found on my MOSH skooled freestyle bike tearing up the quiet streets of Nashville, Indiana. I also rode all over my parents' hometown of Union City, Indiana. I enjoyed the freedom and responsibility that biking gave me at that age, and I have many fond memories of spending countless hours trying to perfect tricks that now seem plain or silly.

    At 15 years old I discovered cars and driving, and never gave bicycling a second thought. I was in love with internal combustion and 4-wheel conveyance and spent all of high school driving riced-out tuner cars (Civic and Integra). Again I think it was the feeling of freedom that cruising on a summer evening brings that I was really addicted to.

    As a married adult with children I was given a 26" Schwinn mountain bike by my father-in-law. It was something he picked up at a garage sale and he thought I'd enjoy riding with the kids. He was right, and my wife and I have enjoyed many neighborhood bike rides with our kids.

    The bike I was gifted was a mid-90's model Schwinn that probably sold new for $150 at Walmart. It worked for the easy tasks I used it for, but its heavy steel frame, clunky front suspension, outdated rim brakes, and awkward grip shifter left it totally unfit for any serious riding (especially off-road riding).

    Which brings us to today.

    Recently I had been considering spending more time on a bicycle. I had various motivations for this idea, like wanting to spend more time outdoors, having a hobby that actually increased my fitness level, and having fun while shaking off work and family stress. Then I had to decide between road biking and mountain biking. Though road biking is probably more practical for me as a suburbanite, the draw of wooded trails and challenging terrain was just too much for me to ignore. That, and I don't do Spandex.

    So mountain biking it is. And as with any new endeavor that I set my sights on, first came the research phase. I quickly found that, like guns, the learning curve for mountain biking is quite steep. I found myself much like the newbie INGOer, searching for an acronym glossary and explanations as to the various hobby-specific terminology. Some of the more technical articles I found appeared to be written in an entirely different language. And once I started to figure out the bikes themselves, I was still clueless as to all the other facets, like accessories, riding styles and techniques, common enthusiast debates, and industry issues.

    While in my research phase I was lucky enough to come across an acquaintance who rides trails a couple times a week after work. Though we had never met he was kind enough to invite me out to Southwestway Park on the southwest side of Indy to ride for a few hours. I took along my not-so-trusty Schwinn and tried my best to keep up. I didn't. :D After the first 20 minutes I thought my lungs were going to explode and that I had made a terrible mistake. But after sticking with it I learned a few things and had an absolute blast. It was a great experience and it gave me a taste of what the hobby was about. I was hooked.

    But I needed a different bike. I realize that new gear won't make up for a lack of experience or bad technique, but the ol' Schwinn was an accident waiting to happen. I wanted to benefit from the advances in bicycle technology over the past 20 years.

    There were two pieces of shopping advice for noobs that I kept seeing, so I thought they had some merit:

    • Buy the right size bike that fits your body and riding style
    • Buy from a local bike shop so you can ride and compare bikes to find the one that fits you best

    At first I considered finding a bike on Craigslist, as there appeared to be many "good deals" on gently used bikes priced much lower than retail. But I stuck to the above advice and looking back I'm glad I did. I visited 2 local bike shops and got a chance to ride and compare 5 different bikes. Though they were all somewhat similar, it was the small differences that made one fit more comfortably over another.

    My first stop was at Bicycle Garage Indy South. The sales lady was very nice and helpful. I started by trying a 19" frame but quickly found it didn't quite fit my short-legged long-torso body. I was stretching too much and it was locking out my arms. Switching to a 17.5" frame was the solution. Knowing that, I then tried entry-level mountain bikes from Trek, Giant, and Cannondale. Of those I liked the Trek best, then the Cannondale, then the Giant.

    Next stop was at Gray Goat Sports. I liked the salesman there better than the gal at BGI. While working on an initial fitting he agreed that the 17.5" frame was best suited to me. He showed me bikes from Specialized and Raleigh. I knew in the first 10 seconds of riding that the Specialized was my fit. It's tough to describe, but I simply felt more natural and in control on the Specialized.

    I'll admit to experiencing some initial sticker shock when I first began shopping for a bike. Coming from guns I understand that quality parts cost more $$, but I still wasn't expecting to see price tags in the $3,000-$12,000 range for something I first enjoyed as a child (and that I power myself). After that initial shock I did find that entry-level bikes for beginners can be found for around $600. So that's where I was aiming.

    The bike I finally settled on was a 2014 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc 29er from Gray Goat Sports. I felt this bike fit me the best, and I liked the people at the shop. One thing they offer is complimentary tune-ups for the first 5 years. As someone new to biking this maintenance-free aspect was very enticing. BGI didn't offer such a warranty. Gray Goat also offered complimentary fitting, wherein they adjust various features of the bike to optimize the controls for me personally. BGI offered a $35 coupon toward their $100 fitting service. Gray Goat gives their customers 10% off all accessory purchases for the first year, while BGI gives 10% off accessories with the initial bike purchase. I paid $669 for the bike which came to $715.83 after tax. For my money I got a new-generation bike that I can begin exploring the hobby with, and a local shop that will stand behind me as I go. I went looking for a good value and I think I found it.

    The day after purchase I went back to Gray Goat Sports to browse their selection of accessories. One of the sales guys, Ben, spent over an hour with me going over everything from helmets to riding shorts to gloves to headlights to clipless pedals and beyond. I ended up buying my first ever bike helmet. I also stayed for their free Tuesday night maintenance clinic, wherein they let customers bring in their bikes and teach them how to perform basic maintenance functions. Did I mention this education was FREE? I was paired up with one of their part-time techs and he showed me how to repair a flat tire while on the trail. I removed my own rear tire on my own bike, once under supervision and once on my own. It was a cool learning experience and it helped to take some of the mystery out of the bike. I look forward to attending more of the clinics.

    And of course, as these things go, between work and the rain, I've gotten about 20 minutes of riding in over the past 4 days. I'm dying to get out and break in the bike on some back roads. Then I'll take it back to the shop to have things tightened and re-adjusted before I hit more trails.

    So that's where I'm currently at. Still VERY new, but knowing more now than I did 4 weeks ago. There was a moment during my first trail ride when I was all alone (because I'm slow . . . ) and I was able to look around, admire the scenery, and take in a big deep breath. It was amazingly relaxing, yet exciting, and I'm looking forward to spending more time out there learning something new.

    I'll continue to update this thread as I progress. I realize its not gun-related but I consider all INGOers to be my friends and have enjoyed sharing other experiences with the group. Do we have any other mountain bikers here in the Great Outdoors subforum? I'd love to hear your thoughts on best practices and perhaps pitfalls to avoid for a noob.

    Oh yeah, almost forgot the obligitory picture . . .

    21c712r.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    phylodog

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    Have fun and be careful. I gave it a shot a couple of years ago and realized that it hurts worse and for a lot longer than I remember from when I was a kid. I much prefer keeping both wheels firmly planted on pavement with my road bike but my brother loves the trails.
     

    amhenry

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    Sep 21, 2010
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    Bloomington
    I spent lots of time on my bike from 2002-2007. I didn't own my first car until after college, so anywhere I needed to go, I pedaled to (or bummed rides from friends).

    After getting married in 2009 and changing jobs a few times, I wasn't getting out on my bikes much at all.

    Last year I made a change that I'd been considering for awhile. I went simple. I sold off my Trek 1200 road bike and my Kona MTB and bought a Redline Monocog: a single speed, rigid frame 29er. It's about as simple as a MTB can get, and I love it.

    I never realized how much attention and focus was absorbed by anticipating and executing shifts until I was out in the woods with one gear. On a SS you can just roll. You ride, and enjoy the scenery. It has forced me to be much more deliberate about the lines I choose since the rigid frame is unforgiving on hard drops or sharp bumps. Also, climbs are brutal, but rewarding. I can't get the kind of downhill speeds that I used to, but I like the feel of "flowing" over the terrain at a more consistent speed, rather than speeding up and slowing down all the time.

    Overall, I enjoy riding single-track more now that I ever did before. Brown County State Park is especially nice.
     

    esrice

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    I never realized how much attention and focus was absorbed by anticipating and executing shifts until I was out in the woods with one gear.

    Gear selection is certainly something I need to work on. I was surprised at bad I was at it while on the trail. It's VERY different than when riding on the road.

    I'll admit that the simplicity of a 1x9 or SS setup is enticing. Obviously I'm just starting out so I'll be learning on a 3x9.
     

    iChokePeople

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    Typical excellent review, thanks for doing it.

    A big new Mountain biking park is coming south of Terre Haute, maybe you can come out sometime.
     

    gregkl

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    Esrice, great post and great start! You will have a lot of fun!

    I have been a avid road biker but after I trained for and completed and Ironman triathlon, I put the road bike up for the most part. I road so many miles the year of my training and had so many close calls with cars, the I will admit I got kind of unnerved.

    I had a mountain bike and did that for awhile and really enjoyed it. I wish I wouldn't have sold it but around here there is not much off-road biking. Maybe one day I will try again even though I did get banged up a few times off road.

    One thing that I didn't care for was the bikers who got pissed because I rode on some muddy trails. I get the erosion effects and all that, but isn't that what those knobby tires are made for?:)
     

    esrice

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    I FINALLY got some riding time in! I worked overnight last night so I went out for a 7am ride through some back country roads in southern Marion County and northern Johnson County. Round trip was 10.6 miles.

    I'm glad I got to shake things out on the road and not on the trails because I can tell some things will need minor readjustment. It also gave me time to start getting used to the gear selections and working through them up and down.

    I'm noticing that the first 10-15 minutes sucks. I feel more winded and tired than any other time during the ride. Once I get going I'm able to get into a rhythm and keep things moving. It's funny how seemingly minor elevation changes in the road surface quickly equate to increased effort on my part. I did enjoy the sun rising and the fresh atmosphere that mornings bring. It was also nice to look around and see things that go unnoticed while driving.

    So it looks like biking has satisfied my checklist so far--
    -- get outside, check
    -- get some exercise, check
    -- have fun doing it, check

    Here I am at the 5-mile marker. As one INGOer pointed out on FB, I'll eventually need to find a UV filtering helmet liner to keep from getting sunburned "racing stripes".

    2iurz9y.jpg



    A big new Mountain biking park is coming south of Terre Haute, maybe you can come out sometime.

    I read about that somewhere. Definitely interested to see what its about.

    One thing that I didn't care for was the bikers who got pissed because I rode on some muddy trails. I get the erosion effects and all that, but isn't that what those knobby tires are made for?:)

    As I learn more about the culture I've seen this issue come up. As a newcomer I can see both sides of the argument.
     

    dprimm

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    One thing that I didn't care for was the bikers who got pissed because I rode on some muddy trails. I get the erosion effects and all that, but isn't that what those knobby tires are made for?:)

    Quite simply, because the mountain bikers are the ones who build and mantain the trails. Come out for some work days and you will have a good appreciation of what it takes to create and maintain them.

    How do you feel abuut those who trash a range? Leave cr*p everywhere, destroy stands, etc?

    To the OP, SWW has really grown in the past 2 years. HMBA has more trails going in s well. Ft Ben s good.

    To all, indiana is now for many a destination for mountain biking. Brown county state park is known nationally for its awesomeness. So many incredble trails round the state ...
     

    lovemachine

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    Here I am at the 5-mile marker. As one INGOer pointed out on FB, I'll eventually need to find a UV filtering helmet liner to keep from getting sunburned "racing stripes".

    I just use 100 UV spray on sun block. It works great, especially since I like my hair cut short. And also, I'm extremely sensitive to the sun, it works great.
     

    magic man

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    Nice choice Evan. I have a 2013 Hardrock Disc 29er. I wish I would have bought the Sport with the hydraulic brakes. Mine seem like they need to be adjusted constantly if I do anything more than ride on the road. I couldn't believe the difference in braking ability, even with entry level discs, compared to rim brakes.

     

    magic man

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    I like it! How do you like the Body Geometry grips? They looked odd at first but now I love 'em.



    Same here. Night and day difference.


    I really like the grips. They're pretty comfortable. I need to find a way to secure them as they tend to twist downwards.
     

    gregkl

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    I really like the grips. They're pretty comfortable. I need to find a way to secure them as they tend to twist downwards.

    If you can pull them off, get some hair spray and spray it on the bar and quickly slide them back on. They will not move anymore.
     
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