New bike, returning to MTBs after 20 years away

New bike, returning to MTBs after 20 years away

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R1 Dave

Original Poster:

7,158 posts

269 months

Friday 5th November 2021
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Ola! After 20 years away from MTBs in favour of their motorised cousins I decided to buy an MTB and get back into it. Watching YouTube videos led to a fair bit of budget creep and then last weekend I walked into a shop which had Orbea Occams in stock and walked out with an H30! Lovely bit of kit. I've put about 10 miles on it so far, crashing around the woods. I live close to Wind Hill bike park so I'll be heading over there at some point once I've got my confidence.

Anyway, here she is smile


Randy Winkman

17,244 posts

195 months

Saturday 6th November 2021
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Good luck to you. That bike park looks fun. I'd like an MTB or a gravel bike but where I live in SE London I'm just not sure where I'd take it.

Simes205

4,614 posts

234 months

Saturday 6th November 2021
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Randy Winkman said:
Good luck to you. That bike park looks fun. I'd like an MTB or a gravel bike but where I live in SE London I'm just not sure where I'd take it.
Loads of places out there.
Many bridleways south of Croydon and straight into good trails.
Here’s one but my Strava will reveal more.

https://strava.app.link/JYfvjMR2Xkb



Edited by Simes205 on Saturday 6th November 16:00


Edited by Simes205 on Saturday 6th November 16:01

MrOrange

2,037 posts

259 months

Sunday 7th November 2021
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R1 Dave said:
Ola! After 20 years away from MTBs in favour of their motorised cousins I decided to buy …
I went through a similar thing and bought an Orbea in May of this year … with one major difference. I bought the Wild FS e-bike.

It is epic. Do not under any circumstances try an e-bike as you will buy one.

interstellar

3,711 posts

152 months

Sunday 7th November 2021
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I have ridden windhill and for the poster in London get to Swinley at the top of the M3 for a good day out and it’s free.

E bikes are great. I ride both and the e bike is getting so much fun now, I never thought we would be racing up hills on mtb’s but with e bikes you can , it’s great.

I ride YT bikes and have a Jeffsy and a Decoy at the moment.


R1 Dave

Original Poster:

7,158 posts

269 months

Sunday 7th November 2021
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MrOrange said:
R1 Dave said:
Ola! After 20 years away from MTBs in favour of their motorised cousins I decided to buy …
I went through a similar thing and bought an Orbea in May of this year … with one major difference. I bought the Wild FS e-bike.

It is epic. Do not under any circumstances try an e-bike as you will buy one.
I did consider an e-bike and part of me wishes I'd tried one. I'm going to have to take your advice and avoid them now though as I suspect you're right and I'd end up buying one.

louiebaby

10,651 posts

197 months

Tuesday 9th November 2021
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I picked up a hardtail for last summer to chuck about the local trails alone, and with the kids. Top muddy fun!

Nice one OP!

mikeiow

5,944 posts

136 months

Tuesday 9th November 2021
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MrOrange said:
I went through a similar thing and bought an Orbea in May of this year … with one major difference. I bought the Wild FS e-bike.

It is epic. Do not under any circumstances try an e-bike as you will buy one.
Or….take Halfords up on their offer of a 6 hour eBike test…..& it might put you off, like it did me.
Strangely not that effective up the hills, and did indeed feel to me like ‘cheating’ when used on the flat!

In fairness, it was a bike that might cost around £1,200 with a hub motor….testing a £3-5k one might perhaps have seen a different result!

nails1979

612 posts

147 months

Tuesday 9th November 2021
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mikeiow said:
Or….take Halfords up on their offer of a 6 hour eBike test…..& it might put you off, like it did me.
Strangely not that effective up the hills, and did indeed feel to me like ‘cheating’ when used on the flat!

In fairness, it was a bike that might cost around £1,200 with a hub motor….testing a £3-5k one might perhaps have seen a different result!
Yeah hub motors don't apply the power and torque equally trough the gears and aren't as good at climbing as their mid mounted breathen.
Biggest issue with having an eeb is needing other eebs to ride with, I can ride at the slower pace but if they start pushing then it gets boring quick.

daddy cool

4,016 posts

235 months

Wednesday 10th November 2021
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interstellar said:
I have ridden windhill and for the poster in London get to Swinley at the top of the M3 for a good day out and it’s free.
I live right next to the Swinley trails, so if anyone is coming for the first time and wants some company (or to do some off piste bits) hit me up.

(Especially OP, as the Occam is my dream bike, so wouldnt mind trying it for size)

R1 Dave

Original Poster:

7,158 posts

269 months

Wednesday 10th November 2021
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daddy cool said:
interstellar said:
I have ridden windhill and for the poster in London get to Swinley at the top of the M3 for a good day out and it’s free.
I live right next to the Swinley trails, so if anyone is coming for the first time and wants some company (or to do some off piste bits) hit me up.

(Especially OP, as the Occam is my dream bike, so wouldnt mind trying it for size)
I suspect it'll be a while before I'm venturing far on mine so will concentrate on riding around the Longleat forest and Wind Hill for the time being. If you find yourself down here at any point though you'd be very welcome to try the Occam for size thumbup