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A great MTB community


amarkie's picture

By amarkie - Posted on 06 June 2012

I just wanted to say a few words about the MTB community and specifically the guys that frequent the trails on the Northern Beaches.

I’ve been actively riding my MTB on the Northern Beaches tracks and trails for the last 12 months. Up until recently I was riding a piece of crap Big W bike but I never copped any shit for it, people accepted that I was just out having a go and were always friendly. In fact when I busted a chain at the end of the Long Track at Duffy’s Forest every rider who came past stopped to check if I was ok and many offered to check if they had a spare link.

After walking back 12km to the car I realized it was time to start building my pack spares and a tool kit. That stuff costs money and if you have a “leader of the opposition” like mine you have to forgo weekend wines in order to build the kit.

Recently I got a Giant Reign 1, yeah god knows how I got that one through the committee, but it happened.

Day 2 walking the bike up an incline at Red Hill I popped a tire. GOD KNOWS HOW! There are two 5mm slits going right through the innertube across the tube???

Anywho …While I had a puncture kit I didn’t have a pump so when some guys rode past I asked if I could use their pump. They jumped to it and told me it sounded pretty terminal and the reality was I was only a few hundred metres from the trail head, so I told them I wouldn’t waste their time trying to fix it on the trail. The truth is I needed to go home and watch some YouTube videos on how to fix a puncture Smiling

Just chatting with these guys was great they gave me some good advice. One of them from Ulladulla offered to leave a spare tube at my car! I had to tell him not to but I sware if I hadn’t beaten him back to the car he would have left it. What a guy, and his mate with the pump turned out to work at Belrose Bicycles, so to return the favour I drove straight to the store and bought a pump and a couple of spare tubes.

The MTB community is very cool, sometimes I wish we could get these lunatics like the lady against the trails in Bantry Bay to just stand in some bike gear halfway along a track and see what kind of people MTB types are.

chrischris's picture

Completely agree. I have been blown away by the positive attitude of all the MTB riders I've met.

The Pato 24hr was just icing on the cake. I can't add much more to what you've said. As I've learned more, I am attempting to become a MTB 'helper' more than a MTB 'receiver'! Tubes, chains, derailleurs, brakes are now all fixable - thanks to friendly riders & the Big Blue Book.

jht013's picture

I too have only been riding for 6 months. I was in the middle of a race at Awada, had a moment, ended up on my back blood leaking from my shin. At least two riders stopped to check if I was ok. At the rock wallaby as a part of the pre race briefing was a announcement that it is expected that you stop. I know other sports the sentiment would be completely different. Makes you feel a part of something special.

jht013's picture

I too have only been riding for 6 months. I was in the middle of a race at Awada, had a moment, ended up on my back blood leaking from my shin. At least two riders stopped to check if I was ok. At the rock wallaby as a part of the pre race briefing was a announcement that it is expected that you stop. I know other sports the sentiment would be completely different. Makes you feel a part of something special.

BIGnige's picture

Good innit. Whenever you're in strife at the side of the track you'll spend as much time telling every passing bike that you're fine as you will fixing the problem. And we're painted as nature hating Vikings!!! I like the idea of getting old grumpy lady to stand around in bike gear.

amarkie's picture

I think you just summarised my post in two lines Laughing out loud

Burt de Ernie's picture

Im sure it was you that I stopped to have a chat to up on Red hill.......Were you up there last saturday morning?

i was the dude on teh 2011 reign.

amarkie's picture

Yes mate sure was

hawkeye's picture

Big difference to surfing, where it's competitive and aggressive and newbies get killed and eaten if they get in the way. Evil

When I went OTB at Manly Dam weekend before last, the guys at the bottom couldn't have raced up more quickly to lend a hand.... although it was "interesting" they went to rescue the bike first. Smiling


http://youtu.be/VrGloB6sp4s

Hans's picture
jht013's picture

Hawkeye
That's hilarious, i have done the same thing....multiple times, obviously im a slow learner.

Love the boys looked after the bike first, at least they asked if you were OK Eye-wink

amarkie's picture

Thats awesome .. they allowed you to save face but rescued your investment Laughing out loud

I had the opportunity to return the favour today. Ran into a guy who broke his chain near the end of the Long Track at Duffy's Forest today almost exactly where I did mine a few months ago. Showed him how to use my Chain Breaker tool and off he went. I guess it worked because he got back to his car before I did.

Full circle

hawkeye's picture

... I like it Smiling

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