I'm wasting an opportunity

[Tollers]

After reading this thread last night and watching the TV programme, i had a bit of an epiphany last night. It dawned on me that i'm living 15 miles from the home of mountain biking but i have not been down any trails on Mount Tamalpais, the Muir Woods, or in fact anywhere off road since i've been here.

The excuse i'll use for now is that carbon road bikes aren't exactly the most rugged bikes, but then again I did recently fit my little Cannondale Badboy with knobblies. However, my question to you lot is......is knobblies on a hybrid really gonna cut it? It's got 26", hardtailed, heavy as a tank and always coped very nicely with the potholes of London, but i'm worried that the real off roads and downhills of California might be too much for it (assuming i can get up to the top to start with).

As a kid, i was much more a MTB guy than a roadie, but it's been quite a while and technology has moved on so far. Should i really be thinking about front suspension, full sus so that i can learn off road again? If so, i'm guessing that the badboy's components would fit most proper mountain bike frames? Hmmm. I'm clueless here.

Tollers

 

[Steve H]

I guess in depends what kind of off-roading you are wanting to do. Hard-packed bridle ways etc will be fine. Heavy duty rock gardens, steps and drop offs will be no-go without a bit of suspension to ease the way.

 

[dan_bo]

That Bad boy frame's the same as any other cannondale MTB frame of the same vintage. Ride it.

 

[Tollers]

Something like this for starters
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWwZQ7wyLfE&feature=related
, but this is probably more me
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85dKS6-5nwM
(or it was me me when i was young and fearless)

 

[Aperitif]

Go for it Mark! I was speaking to a friend (from London) of mine who lives in Marin County. He knows all about SF, the 'roots' of cycling etc but he doesn't ride a bike

(He works for Bank of America if you want an intro - he tells fantastic jokes and is even older than me!!)

Don't miss the opportunity to do the different stuff - normality awaits...

 

[spence]

Get yourself along to Caeser's Cyclery just off Francis Drake in San Anselmo, hire a bike - they do some pretty good full suss - then ride up through Fairfax and take Iron Springs rd up the hill, then a couple of laps of the Tamarancho trail. Excellent introduction, some short sharp climbs, fast single track, lots of swoopiness. As an alternative try China Camp.

If you want the full Mt. Tam experience, a lung buster of a climb up the Eldrige Grade and a balls out back down.

Excellent place, just a shame I won't be back there this year, but the alternative around Seattle in May looks good.

 

[Muddy Ground]

Just go for it on the 'dale - if it copes with the potholes here in grey London [what are you missing!], it can cope with anything! Ride it until you break it, or feel the need to upgrade bits, and by then you'll know exactly what you'll need from a bike; i.e what you can do and what you expect of a bike. No point splashing $3k's worth of green backs [correct term??] on a bijou MTB then find you can't be arsed driving there in the first instance, let alone ride the trails in anger.

Can't be many people who've bought a 'dale here in London, then exprted the thing back to the states.... Coals to Newcastle.

www.workshopmanualman.co.uk

 

[Tollers]

Thanks all. I'll give the Cannondale a go and see how it performs as a hard tail. If i end up too beaten up by it then i'll think about getting a full-sus frame. Hopefully all the bits will compatible with any new frame standards.

 

[Muddy Ground]

Why go full-suss? Lots of people now use a hardtail with 140mm+ front suspension; they weigh less, can do pretty much the same as a susser plus you have less maintenance issues.

Good luck with the 'dale by the way - one ride and you'll give up entirely, or get to two rides and you'll be putting a deposit onto a new bike!