Off Road = Much harder than on road!

[Jetfire]

So, went for my first off road type ride today. I been focusing on getting a cycle in whenever i can and at least 30 mins. This usually means Ive been doing road rides of about 5 - 7 miles in around 40 mins. Decided to try out a local trail today (Lech Llyn Owen in Carmarthenshire) and found I was done for after about 20 mins but made myself do another 10 mins.

Is this normal? Anyone interested in my sports-tracker.com account, my user id is jetfire (funnily enough!)

 

[Red Light]

Pretty normal. On road you can sit and spin at a steady pace but off road is not only much more power on and off but also uses your upper body much more. You'll get used to it with time though - just need to allow the new muscles you are using and the new ways you are using the old muscles to adapt.

 

[Boris Bajic]

It is normal.

The surface just sucks the speed out of your wheels.

Tarmac is a wonderful thing. Slick tyres at high pressure are also wonderful things.

10 vigorous miles off-road are more exhausting and more muscle-wearying than 10 vigorous miles on normal, not-too-hilly blacktop.

 

[rollinstok]

Much harder, with the bonus of being much safer

 

[HovR]

Much harder, with the bonus of being much safer

I think you just started a whole new controversial topic right there!

 

[Boris Bajic]

Much harder, with the bonus of being much safer

Says the cyclist who's never skidded across a cow pat on his face. I could have got Mad Cow Disease or anything!

Off-Road is highly dangerous and only the select few should be allowed to ride there.

 

[rollinstok]

Says the cyclist who's never skidded across a cow pat on his face. I could have got Mad Cow Disease or anything!

Off-Road is highly dangerous and only the select few should be allowed to ride there.

And you are one of the select few are you ?
Dodging cow pats is much preferable to dodging lunatic drivers in big metal boxes

 

[Boris Bajic]

And you are one of the select few are you ?
Dodging cow pats is much preferable to dodging lunatic drivers in big metal boxes

Sadly... I am not. And in truth I was dodging some other cow pats on a fast descent on wet grass when I lost the front and face-ploughed through the offending item.

If the sentence has the word 'select' in it, it is not referring to me.

 

[rollinstok]

Sadly... I am not. And in truth I was dodging some other cow pats on a fast descent on wet grass when I lost the front and face-ploughed through the offending item.

If the sentence has the word 'select' in it, it is not referring to me.

Well at least the dung gave you a thumbs up, better luck next time. Still better than going for a spin under the wheels of an artic

 

[HovR]

Still better than going for a spin under the wheels of an artic

Not many of those on 1 lane country roads.

 

[Red Light]

Much harder, with the bonus of being much safer

Depends what you ride off-road. There are about 10 off-roaders sent to hospital per weekend at the Glentress mountain biking centre out of about 4,000 mountain biking visitors per weekend. Compare that with 9 million Boris Bike journeys in London with no serious injuries and its difficult to see that mountain biking is less dangerous.

 

[rollinstok]

Point taken

Depends what you ride off-road. There are about 10 off-roaders sent to hospital per weekend at the Glentress mountain biking centre out of about 4,000 mountain biking visitors per weekend. Compare that with 9 million Boris Bike journeys in London with no serious injuries and its difficult to see that mountain biking is less dangerous.

Point taken. I dare say there are lots of broken bones with off roaders. I'll bet there are a fair few a&e visits with the boris bike journeys too but these figures arent easy to obtain. Off road rides dont carry the same risk of serious injury/death as cycling on road does though.

 

[Hacienda71]

Mmmm not so sure about that. I knew a guy who broke his neck on a forrest trail.

 

[ushills]

I can also add that hitting tarmac hurts a lot more than hitting grass, mud or sand.

Friend saw someone go over handlebars MTB'ing at weekend and she got up with a slightly hurt ankle, me hitting road and trying to brake with face and teeth hurts a lot.

 

[rollinstok]

Mmmm not so sure about that. I knew a guy who broke his neck on a forrest trail.

Its easy to quote isolated or individual cases, but surely you agree that it is much more dangerous to ride on road. I think a fair chunk of people know someone who has been seriously injured or killed by drivers on the road, not many know someone who has broke their neck on a forest trail.