Getting to the trails

To go mountain biking, you need to find the mountains and sometimes that involves a fair bit of travelling. What’s worse is when you spend more time in the car than you do on your bike! Suckers for punishment that we are though, no two trails are the same and we must ride them all. Check out our Where To Ride MTB guides here for trail inspiration.

Climbing – and not the fun kind

You have to “earn your turns” as they say, and to earn the fun descents, you have to climb. How much a mountain biker hates to climb will come down to their bike, the terrain and the gradient… and the fact it can be really boring. Climbing is a great way to get fit, but often leaves us needing a serious water break when we get to the top.

Descents are over too soon

You climb for what feels like forever, only to have the fun descent over in a blink of an eye.

Open wide

Mud, bugs, grit and grime. If your eyes and mouth are open, something is going in which can often lead to a coughing fit, or franticly rubbing at your eyes on the side of the trail. Fortunately there are some pretty good sunglasses and goggles out there, but you’ll have to remember to breathe through your nose a little more often!

Getting eaten alive

More so in the summer, or if you are lucky to ride overseas, but having your legs and arms nipped at by insects just leaves you with irritating bites to last all week.

Rogue wildlife

A majority of us will love and respect the wildlife and natural beauty of mountain biking, it’s a big reason why we ride so much. Although having a family of wild boar run out across a trail, is one of the most terrifying experiences I’ve ever had – if you ride at FoD, you know what I mean.

Wildlife can be squirrels, birds flying too low and even your own trail dog/cat companion who strafes into your line.

Trail phobias

We all have that one trail nemesis, for me that’s wet roots. I see them, I freeze up and my front wheel washes out. While technical features can be fun, and certainly not hated, you end up cursing yourself for not being able to clear them with ease, or confidence.

Injury

No one likes having an accident, or coming off their bike. It sucks. Hurting yourself can really put a damper on your ride, and more importantly, your confidence. Don’t let the fear take over, fight back and get on the saddle.

Littering

Littering is the worst thing to see on a trail. It takes nothing to stuff your rubbish into your pockets, or bag and take it with you if there are no bins around. Littering doesn’t just ruin your pretty mountain bike selfie, it’s harmful to the wildlife and gives us mountain bikers a bad rep.

Never being ahead of the curve

The cycling industry is forever making things lighter, stronger and more awesome looking. It’s hard to keep up with the trend, and your bank account certainly won’t let you. Just as you’ve saved up for a new dropper post, a better one comes out – typical!

Car ride home

That muddy sweaty car ride home can’t be over soon enough. Your poor car is caked in mud and grimr, your seats are damp and you’re itching to get in for a hot shower. At least you get some downtime to reflect on an awesome day of riding you had.

Mud everywhere

It’s on your clothing, it’s clinging onto your skin and even when you remove your shoes and socks, you’ll find mud has been tracked into your house. Best strip off at the front door and make a quick naked dash to the shower!

Operation: Clean up

This is usually the last thing you want to do when you get home, but in order to keep your bike running smoothly and prevent rust, cleaning your bike is super important. Give it a good shower as  you would yourself. The same goes for our clothes and kit too, get it rinsed off and in the washing machine, pronto!

Not having enough time to ride more

The absolute worst thing about mountain biking, is not being able to ride enough!

While it sounds as if there’s a lot of hate about mountain biking, all of these points are mere niggles in the grand scheme of the sport. All the high points monstrously outweigh the low points of riding, which is why we can’t get enough. 

You may also enjoy:

 7 Reasons to visit your old favourites

15 Essential ingredients for the perfect trail centre

6 of the Best things about wet weather mountain biking