newbie

lloydie said:

ok i want to take up mountain-biking but i`m totally new to it, i
want to start off, on road and light trail to start with as i am very
unfit and completely smashed my elbow up in a big motorbike accident
many years ago i have very restrictive movement in the joint, i want
something that can be upgraded if required so where do i start ? i
have about £500 to spend on the bike .

"LBS" -- local bike shop. Tell 'em exactly what you just told us, try a few
rides on a few models, go to another shop if necessary, and buy the bike
that "feels" right to you and is within your budget. (You'll need
accessories, too, so factor those in to the equation.)

Generally I'd say you DON'T need a full-suspension bike; or maybe not even
front suspension. A rigid mountain bike with semi-slick tires (for mostly
road) should do nicely to get you started -- and will serve as a good
back-up bike if indeed you stick with the sport and get more into it later.

Good luck and have fun!

Bill S.

Bill Sornson said:

lloydie said:

ok i want to take up mountain-biking but i`m totally new to it, i
want to start off, on road and light trail to start with as i am very
unfit and completely smashed my elbow up in a big motorbike accident
many years ago i have very restrictive movement in the joint, i want
something that can be upgraded if required so where do i start ? i
have about £500 to spend on the bike .

"LBS" -- local bike shop. Tell 'em exactly what you just told us, try a few
rides on a few models, go to another shop if necessary, and buy the bike
that "feels" right to you and is within your budget. (You'll need
accessories, too, so factor those in to the equation.)

Generally I'd say you DON'T need a full-suspension bike; or maybe not even
front suspension. A rigid mountain bike with semi-slick tires (for mostly
road) should do nicely to get you started -- and will serve as a good
back-up bike if indeed you stick with the sport and get more into it later.

Good luck and have fun!

Bill S.

Yep. It's true.

I just wanted to chime in on the elbow situation. I shattered my elbow
skiing years ago and also have limited range of motion. I tried a bunch
of different setups and found a somewhat upright position put much less
stress on my bad arm (actually both arms). So keep that in mind when you
do some test rides. Shops can usually swap out stems, bars, and other
components to help with fit. If they say they can't, find a shop that
will (because they can, they just may not want to).

Matt

If you want to take up mountain biking, be sure to read the rules of
the trail before venturing out and heed them after you do.

JD

thanks for the help, i`ve been to the local bike shop and they have been
very helpful, even offering to change bits n bobs to suit, going for some
test rides next week.
last time i bought a bike (20 yrs ago) it was a very different experience
,hence my question on here
cheers
"lloydie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ok i want to take up mountain-biking but i`m totally new to it, i want to
start off, on road and light trail to start with as i am very unfit and
completely smashed my elbow up in a big motorbike accident many years ago
i have very restrictive movement in the joint, i want something that can
be upgraded if required so where do i start ? i have about £500 to spend
on the bike .

cheers