Is it right to be scared of a bike ?

My first real bike was a Cindercone (metallic khaki-ish green - 89? 90?), that got stolen and replaced with some saving by an 1992 Explosif Pro in a sell-off at the end of the year (got it for £700 from an LBS after price matching a national but without noticing or being told they or Kona took the ti bar off which is grrr now I check the catalogue). Upgraded it to maggies and some bits and pieces, a couple of repaints. Anyway, that lasted me until 2000, loved that thing. Never got into suspension, loved the directness. Moved to London in 1997 and the off-road died off around 1999 but it was my transport day to day for almost a decade (prolonged student life). Then more and more and bits started to fail with use, when I got a salary I ordered what I thought was my dream bike rather than repairing further - a Roberts dogs etc, lots of lovely parts. Rode it a couple of times, and fell out of love with bicycles, it felt so dead and boring, cumbersome and slow. Even the disk brakes (hope m2) were worse than the maggies I had put on the Kona.

Then I snapped one of my achilles - complete rupture - and I left bikes alone until about two years ago when I needed to keep up with my son on his. The Roberts seems ok to me now as a fat old bstard. At the same time while I am not riding in anything near the same way I did it then, it still has a more lazy feeling than I still expect/like/feel comfortable with.

My Kona is still in bits in the cellar somewhere and has to be revived. Stick with it, it won't kill you - it will reward you. Same reason, I would love to try Yo Eddy and other out of reach (for me) things at the time.
 
Re:

When my Torus was 18lb it was really unpredictable over rocks etc, very twitchy.
Back to 23lbs ands it's a lot better!
 
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Felt brave tonight so I mounted the Sinister Kona again :twisted:

4 mile scream through Bryanston Woods, amazing bike :D

Although it still scares me a little ;)
 
Well if you enjoyed that last ride on the Kona even though you were feeling a tad timid then you'll just have to do it again ..
 
Muddy paw":5z7msg1e said:
Well if you enjoyed that last ride on the Kona even though you were feeling a tad timid then you'll just have to do it again ..

Getting used to the bike, its like sitting on a rodeo horse and sticking a pin in its arse :p
 
widowmaker":1hzs5say said:
Jake":1hzs5say said:
That's the feeling I missed. Not donkey, bolting horse.

I feel like a kid again, like riding my BMX :cool:

I tried riding a Muddy fox on a bmx course years ago which was great fun so get out there mate before you get old like me :facepalm: .
 

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