Where to start??

irishkopite 2011

I’m hoping to get some advice on here, I have always want to try mountain biking but like everything there was something else that would crop up. Also great idea for a forum.
I would like to give it a try now but know nothing about it. So my questions are
Where are there good trails for a beginner(I live in the midlands)?
Is it something that is enjoyable even on your own?
Is it really the type of sport that can be taken up when your on the wrong side of thirty, as I imagine it can be tough on the body?
Do you need to be fit (my fitness wouldn’t be great)?

Thanks in advance

JJJJNR

I'm older and only got into it myself as an alternative to running, best thing you could do is pick up a hard tail and helmet off adverts or donedeal, and head for where ever the nearest coilte forest is, check out GMBN on youtube its a great channel for starting out, great tips. You could also see if theres a club in the midlands that do an intro spin but bear in mind they do require you to be reasonably fit for that too, so get some practice in one your own, its great and I love going out on my own for a head space spin.

goreyhead

Hi
I took up mountain biking and road biking to at the wrong side of 40, so Your the right side of 40 it be no bother to you,fitness like any type of sport comes with time , just get out and enjoy and the fitness get better as you go , sorry I in Dublin and Wexford so don’t know trails in the mid lands but ask local bike shop or join local club and they see you right

Hurrache

JJJJNR wrote: »

Icheck out GMBN on youtube its a great channel for starting out, great tips.

Coincidentally I spent a good portion of my lunch hour falling into the YouTube abyss of their channel after initially looking up one video.

OP, re the age thing, 30s is a young age! And it's only hard on your body if you fall!

JJJJNR

p.s. also live by Murphys law i.e. consider that anything that can go wrong will, and at the worst possible time. ! so bring

Charged mobile phone and backup battery pack charger Spare tubes if your bike isn't setup tubeless bring them anyway first aid kit plenty of food and water (think survival mode) water proof jacket (even if its not supposed to rain) tyre levers puncture repair kit spare light Also if your out on your own, let someone know where your going and what time to expect you back.

steamsey

Good advice to get a 2nd hand hardtail, lid, some pads and give it a go. Can't help much with midlands trails.

For me anyway, it's thoroughly enjoyable on my own. Lot easier though to get out on your own in summer. In winter, usually find that others going for a spin is much needed motivation when it's minging outside!

I think you could take it up at any age. Most of the official trails are really geared towards beginners so you can take them easy when you're beginning - and at your own pace until you get more comfortable on the bike.

Fitness definitely helps! Will probably hurt a bit at the start but it gets easier. Hopefully whatever bike you get has decent XC level gearing to help up the hills at first.

I'm sure if you had any bikes in mind and stuck ideas up here, you'd get some decent responses.

irishkopite 2011

Thanks for all the advice. Seems like the closest trail to me is the bike park in Tipperary, might give it ago soon

Wanderer78

irishkopite 2011 wrote:

Thanks for all the advice. Seems like the closest trail to me is the bike park in Tipperary, might give it ago soon

First things first, don't go near bike park Ireland , it's an advanced park, even though they do cater for beginners with a green trail, you ll be bored very quickly by it, and maybe put off by the advanced nature of the place, even though it's an amazing place. Secondly, don't buy a damn thing, make your way to somewhere like ballyhoura, rent a hardtail, and check out the activity for yourself, it ll cost far less than buying a few bits and bobs, and you won't have spent too much if you find its just not for you, lads love advising lads to spend money off the bat, it's ridiculous! I ll post some links in a bit that might help. Best of luck

burrows

I would second that advice about renting to start with.


However, if you find yourself enjoying it and doing it regularly, I would continue to rent bikes while your decide what bike you need (don't spend too much too soon) but definitely consider investing in your own helmet, pads etc.



Trail wise it depends on what you're looking for, the bike parks (BPI and GAP) do have trails for cycling up the hill, but they are very much focused on the uplift service (van to carry you up) so your fitness will not really see much gain. If you're looking for the adrenaline side of things this is fine.


However the trail centers offer a mix of climbing and descending so if you're looking for a good long cycle (a few hours) then that is the way to go.

Hurrache

burrows wrote: »

However, if you find yourself enjoying it and doing it regularly, I would continue to rent bikes while your decide what bike you need (don't spend too much too soon) but definitely consider investing in your own helmet, pads etc.

At around €30 a go though it can add up to a decent bit extra on a new bike if you were to go buy.

emeraldmtb

I would agree with the advice to hire a bike to begin with. AndI would add that if you like it after the first go, hire a hardtail one day, then a full suspension bike the next time and get a feel for what suits you. You'll also get a better idea of what type of riding you prefer. All of which will help you decide what style of bike to buy. I've seen more than one rider go out and buy a bike, new or secondhand, only to find out after a few rides it isn't really suited to the type of mountain biking they like to do. i.e. They like the gravity trails but have a cross country bike, and vice versa.

And I would also agree to avoid the bike parks for the time being. Go to places like Ballyhoura or Ticknock as they offer a much more beginner friendly range of trails.

And welcome to mountain biking! Final warning: if the bug bites, it will cost you money

steamsey

I think the general advice of starting small is good advice. Don't go out and spend a load before you know whether you like the sport. You will need a lid and pads though from the get go.

I'm just wondering how many times you'd rent before it becomes a complete waste of money - 3 / 4 times tops?

For a couple of hundred quid you can get a working hardtail, like a Cube. I'm not suggesting a big commitment. If you can afford a few hundred quid, and are serious about getting into this - then just buy a bike. Doesn't matter if it's not great, or if in 6 months you realise it's not for you - you can always sell it on. You'll learn a lot more by buying and having your own bike than by renting.

I'd say stick with hardtails at the start - not because of the traditional advice, but because they are cheaper, and less to figure out when you're beginning. Chances are that a beginner would be on Coillte trails for a while so no need for a full suss.

bogmanfan

When I started I bought a second hand bike on adverts for €500 and booked a 2 hour intro course in Ballinastoe.

I bought a bike as I figured I could just sell it on if I didn't take to the sport and wouldn't lose any money. Otherwise I could spend €100+ renting before buying.

The intro course was a great help. Taught me some of the basic principles like body position and braking, and got me confident on the coillte trails right from the get go.

irishkopite 2011

Really appreciate all the advice so far. I would definitely be renting to start with but would buy after a while if I was enjoying and getting to go often.
It looks like my first trip will be to Derroura in Galway, anyone every been to it?

JJJJNR

renting is a good idea if your looking at buying a full suss and putting serious money into it, it gets stupid expensive quickly, my first dip into it cost 200 euro which included, lights, camel pac, helmet, spare tubes, pump + shock pump.tyre repair kit and a decent bike (giant talon) from someone on donedeal. If you cycled a bmx bike as a kid you know what to expect.

ec18

irishkopite 2011 wrote: »

Really appreciate all the advice so far. I would definitely be renting to start with but would buy after a while if I was enjoying and getting to go often.
It looks like my first trip will be to Derroura in Galway, anyone every been to it?

Been there earlier this year....It's a great trail run, the long loop climb is a bit of a slog up to the top but view from the top is worth it, nice sport for lunch.

When I started I used the bike to work scheme to get nearly everything I needed. (bike, pads, helmet, camelbak), can use that too if you it's offered by your emploer

ianobrien

OP, if this is of any use to you, I started into it last year on the wrong side of 40 and very unfit. I started off after a mate of mine bought a hardtail. I started off renting bikes in Ballyhoura's a few times and I thought the Green Loop twice (12km) would kill me. After trying the Brown loop (and nearly dying - it took 3 hours!) I bit the bullet and bought a Trek Hardtail and just did all the types of terrain I could find, Coillte Single track in the Ballyhoura's, XC mix of trails, fireroad & bogs (a bit of hike the bike).

After a while, I realized I prefer the XC stuff rather than single-track and I'm happy just exploring old paths/trails with a map and GPS rather than tearing down a Single-track.

For fitness, that just comes with seat time. For example, over the weekend I did 38km of a mix of fireroad and trails, with 600m climbing and I didn't kill myself. This time last year, if you said that I'd do that on a Sunday Lunchtime Spin I'd say you were daft!

As you are in the Midland's, one possibility for keeping up the fitness over the workday evenings during winter is on the Athlone to Mullingar cycle path or on the canal towpaths. Yes it's not really MTB terrain, but it keeps you moving...

xxyyzz

irishkopite 2011 wrote: »

I’m hoping to get some advice on here, I have always want to try mountain biking but like everything there was something else that would crop up. Also great idea for a forum.
I would like to give it a try now but know nothing about it. So my questions are
Where are there good trails for a beginner(I live in the midlands)?
Is it something that is enjoyable even on your own?
Is it really the type of sport that can be taken up when your on the wrong side of thirty, as I imagine it can be tough on the body?
Do you need to be fit (my fitness wouldn’t be great)?

Thanks in advance

What part of the Midlands are you in? There is a new trail centre opening in Offaly near Kinnitty Castle before the end of the year. There will be be a 35km loop built in phase 1. There are some very low-tech Coillte trails in Portumna forest Park also.

ec18

xxyyzz wrote: »

What part of the Midlands are you in? There is a new trail centre opening in Offaly near Kinnitty Castle before the end of the year. There will be be a 35km loop built in phase 1. There are some very low-tech Coillte trails in Portumna forest Park also.

Is there a website or FB page for the offaly one? or is it part of the slievebloom one?

booooonzo

don't go to Derroura for your first trip! it will put you off mountain biking!

BPI or Gap, get the uplifts and enjoy the day cruising the greens and blues and getting used of your bike. only job

muckwarrior

irishkopite 2011 wrote: »

Where are there good trails for a beginner(I live in the midlands)?

Best for beginners would be the coilte trail centres, i.e. Ticknock in Dublin, Balinastoe in Wicklow, and Ballyhoura in Limerick. They all also offer bike rental, and possibly beginner lessons too.

irishkopite 2011 wrote: »

Is it something that is enjoyable even on your own?

Most definitely yes, although IMO it's even more enjoyable as part of a group. It's nice to have someone to talk to on the climbs.

irishkopite 2011 wrote: »

Is it really the type of sport that can be taken up when your on the wrong side of thirty, as I imagine it can be tough on the body?

Do you plan on being a world champion? If so, then yes you're probably too late. Otherwise, absolutely not! You'll find plenty of extremely quick guys racing well in their 50s.

irishkopite 2011 wrote: »

Do you need to be fit (my fitness wouldn’t be great)?

Not necessarily. You'll find that it's much better fun after you build up a bit of fitness; climbing hills can be hard and may seem like it's not worth it if you're very unfit, but stick with it! Mountain Biking is a great way to build your fitness, and if you manage to get out regularly you'll find it gets easier each time.

xxyyzz

ec18 wrote: »

Is there a website or FB page for the offaly one? or is it part of the slievebloom one?

It's the slieve bloom one. No official website.

rizzodun

Op, it might be worth also looking into joining a club.

It's not for everyone, but it's a very good way of finding out about kit, skills, and really getting a flying start into the sport, and will also help with places to ride, meeting new people, and saves you heading out on your own.

No idea where in the midlands you are, but this directory may help, you can contact a few clubs and see if they have a MTB group.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1J6MruV4-W-sZyQ757zj-hOOVfbw&ll=53.32063283184573%2C-7.5293854142972805&z=9

irishkopite 2011

xxyyzz wrote: »

What part of the Midlands are you in? There is a new trail centre opening in Offaly near Kinnitty Castle before the end of the year. There will be be a 35km loop built in phase 1. There are some very low-tech Coillte trails in Portumna forest Park also.

I live in Athlone so the Kinnitty one will be the closest to me when it opens. I have looked up about the Portumna park but there doesn’t seem to be any mountain bike rental, they just seem to rent normal (non suspension) bikes.

irishkopite 2011

booooonzo wrote: »

don't go to Derroura for your first trip! it will put you off mountain biking!

BPI or Gap, get the uplifts and enjoy the day cruising the greens and blues and getting used of your bike. only job

Is it the cycle to the top that is the off putting part or just the trails themselves?

Wanderer78

irishkopite 2011 wrote:

Is it the cycle to the top that is the off putting part or just the trails themselves?

I'd second the opinions of avoiding places such as bike park Ireland and gap while starting out, and just stick to coillte run parks for a while. Places such as bike park etc are advanced parks, and may actually put you off.

Lemming

Wanderer78 wrote: »

I'd second the opinions of avoiding places such as bike park Ireland and gap while starting out, and just stick to coillte run parks for a while. Places such as bike park etc are advanced parks, and may actually put you off.

Can't speak for BPI, but the GAP will be fine unless you are literally getting on a bicycle for the first time or have never ventured off-road before. Whilst the "easiest" trail is a blue and there are no green trails, the blues have next to nothing on them that would trip you up. I brought my other half just after the gap had opened and it was her first time on a mountain bike in over ten years having done not much more than fire-trail roads in the past and she was fine. Slow and a bit hesitant, but fine. She's since been back with her own bike and quite content to hit the red trails.

There are two blue trails at the gap, and a couple of the reds might be passable depending on how quickly you pick up on handling a bike and how confident you are. The reds with step-downs/jumps less so, such as Witches Cauldron & Sacred Stones, but again it's horses for courses.

On the other hand, the risk in going to a bike park is that you'll try a red or a black, or a particular feature therein that might otherwise be avoidable with an optional line, because everyone else is doing it when you shouldn't (yet). So something to bear in mind.

booooonzo

Wanderer78 wrote: »

I'd second the opinions of avoiding places such as bike park Ireland and gap while starting out, and just stick to coillte run parks for a while. Places such as bike park etc are advanced parks, and may actually put you off.

I disagree with this, bike parks are designed to cater for total novices.

I brought my girlfriend to BPI and she loved it.

Gap is similar. they are graded trails and built right. Coillte trails, not so much.

Anyway, you'll have a blast on either or both. Don't worry about it too much, it's addictive!

Wanderer78

booooonzo wrote:

I disagree with this, bike parks are designed to cater for total novices.

This is subjective but if you take into account a person that potentially could be nervous on a bike, I'd still always send people towards cross country first, just so they get the feel of the activity, you never know how they're gonna react, and the last thing you wanna do is exasperate that fear, I.e. it may in fact aid encouragement into the activity, both bike park and the gap are great facilities though, it's great to have them.

prunudo

Another plus for the bike parks is that they have the uplift service. So somebody who is put off trying mountain biking because of their fitness level can still try it out and see if they enjoy it without being disheartened by thr climbs.

irishkopite 2011

So I managed to get out over the weekend in Derroura, Galway. I found the start quite tough but settled into it after a while. There was only one red mountain bike trail for almost all of it(16km), towards the end it linked in with a green trail. Overall I really enjoyed it and thankfully no falls.
The bike I rented was a hardtail.
I’m hoping to get going to ballyhoura in limerick in the next couple of weeks.

booooonzo

well you picked the 2 most boring places to start with so it can only get better from here
Keep at it!

emeraldmtb

They're probably not the most exciting trails if you like gravity fed biking and are confident, but (I have never been to Derroura) Ballyhoura is fine for cross-country riding and for building confidence. And if you fancy stepping things up, you can try the tech trails or ask someone to show you some of the Enduro stages

luisspellcast

hey man - i've plenty of time to spare so i'll type an essay for ya - i've recently ruptured my achilles tendon at foxhunt so while i'm at home, might as well stay productive and pass on expertise on the matter ( not my opinion, because you know what they say about people's opinions )

mountain biking is a very broad sport with very distinct categories who caters for various types of people, i.e. their riding styles, body types, personalities, etc.. - unfortunately, it'll only come with a bit of time and practice and experience until you find which path you want to take

renting a bike is your first safe bet, provided you don't rent the cheapest thing money can buy - this is a sport where "bang for buck" doesn't apply most times and if you rent a bike that isn't your size or has bad components, that'll hinder your ride, turning into bad experience, and mtb won't be fun after all - i'm not saying "spend a few hundred everytime you rent a bike," i'm saying "make sure the bike is good so you get a true experience out of it" - free is the most expensive

don't limit yourself to hardtail rentals... see if a trail bike suits, maybe an all-mountain ? i always follow my heart when it comes to chosing what i want to ride - we had an old saying back home when people would ask us which board they should buy first to start surfing and everyone would reply "buy the board you want to surf" - because "learn surfing" and "start surfing" are two very different things; the former could be a disposible activity, the later it's a commitment - only you can say where you really stand - i believe in finding your way and make and educated buy, commit and own your choice

arguably, the second thing you want to do is figure out your gear - some of us have a backlog of a few decades trying and destroying and replacing gear - but what works for me most likely won't work for you - this is where a club comes handy if the people have the knowledge to pass on - keep in mind there's a reason why an aldi helmet and pads will set you back 50euro when you can find the exact some stuff online 10 times that price - the key is to find what works for you somewhere between those two extremes

if you don't have access to a club, or someone that can help you with sizing, stores like chainreactioncycles provide the answer for that question - one way to figure out is buying a set of pads Medium and Large and return the ones that don't fit - sounds daunting but i can guarantee you everyone bought a set of gear that thought it was their size and returned it

when chosing gear, the usual suspects are a) helmet, b) knee pads, c) gloves, d) backpack - first two are self-explanatory, the third is optional but advised, the later will carry the rest of the things you'd find should you chose to go deeper the rabbit hole - down there there's a n) water bottle, n) multi-tool, n) pump and flat repair-kit

pack up your bag and add a couple chocolate cereal bars to it; if on your won, let someone know what you're about to do and when to expect you to text back, bring the phone with you and start pedalling that fire road up --

people love to diss derroura but i believe it's a very good trail - it has a mix of everything and it's close to home - if anything, it's good to go back after months away from it so you can tell how much you've improved - it's like a fitness gauge - there's no money to explore the true potential that the place has but if you don't have any other place to go, it's good enough - i try to distance my real opinion of what any given place is ( or could be ) and chose to think what do i get from going there; what do i learn from being in that place; how can i use the place to improve myself

bike parks are total different beast - give them a go, regardless of your skills as they cater for everyone - however, you gotta know your limits and you gotta know what are you setting yourself for - things get very fast very quickly and that's when things happen - if possible, go with someone experienced or make friends and ask someone on the uplift to show you around - if you're riding behind someone fast you'll rub on some speed, if you're riding in front they might give you some pointers - apart from foxhunt ( where i got a chance to meet the absolute scum of mountain biking during race day ) i have never ever seen a mountain biker that isn't willing to help, specially on bike parks - one last time to keep in mind is that an aldi helmet/pads will only do so much on a place where full-face/body-armour is king - always stay humble, before the trails humble you

and if you don't feel like doing any of that, you can always ride urban - i do it all the time - no friends, phone on silent, headphones and good music and just go practice balacing skills, pedalling on flatland, grab a hot chocolate and watch people jump from blackrock - it's all the little things that make the sport and there's no need to pressure yourself to do things you dont' want to do - and, to answer your question...

.. there is no right or wrong side of the spectrum to pick up the sport - at foxhunt there was a 71 year old fella there - some stuff is just steep and scary but he did it - it always hurts when you fall regardless of your age, except some need to make it to work monday and others don't; or, some will recover in a week and others in a month... again, the key is to know your limits - know when it's time to prevent swelling or manage that internal pain - that comes from you and you alone...

"fitness" in mtb is subjective - my best friend struggles to do a 30kg set of lat, and i do it as a warmup with one hand - however, we've been biking together for ages and i have never ever was able to keep up with him if the words "pedalling" and "climbing" go in the same sentence... that goes to say that body type plays some role into this, so keep in mind sometimes you gotta chose your battles - and if for some reason you find yourself following a group of mtb'ers up the hills, there'll be a fine line between how much fun you're having and how much are you killing yourself just to keep up - they say "it gets easier" but it doesn't, you'll just get better and continue improving

ultimately, figure out what you want to take from this sport and make it your goal - it's a great world - huge world - and i find it most fun when enjoyed with my friends - i do hope you can find your way and do what's best for you - find out what makes you happy when your riding a bike and make it paramount - godspeed !