Learning a new discipline

It’s always good to learn new things about cycling. I love to learn and research anything I can to further my bike knowledge. Usually that refers to components or bike fit. Sometimes it refers to a different type of cycling entirely. I have gone from single bikes to tandems. Believe me they are not the same. Where a single bike can be nimble, darting from one way to another a tandem can be cumbersome. Where a single might fly upwards, tandems trudge along like a slug.

But this time I wanted to learn something different. So over the next few weeks I am going to try a new type of riding. I am trying to learn all I can about it, asking people questions, reading up on Internet forums and magazines.

As many who know me already know, I do not particularly care for riding where there are no roads. The dangers, and fear, are too great. I am not interested in getting muddy or dusty. I don’t want trees jumping out in front of me or roots coming out of the ground to envelope me. I am simply not interested in mountain biking in any shape or form. I did, during a brief period of insanity, consider cyclo-cross. I came to the realization that those thing I didn’t like about mountain biking were still there, and on top of that those crazy cyclo-crossers at times get off their bikes and run with them. How insane is that, kind of like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

Maybe I am just being unfair. Some of my family, many friends and acquaintances enjoy a good romp through the woods. Still this is not enough reason for me to confront my inner demons and try it for myself. I must say that I do own a mountain hardtail, it is in pieces, unridable,  but I do own one. Maybe someday, just not today!

So as I get closer to making my debut I will continue to research, read and ask questions. In future posts I will have complete pictorials of the build process and try to pass on some of the things I am learning. Watch this space…