All through the summer I’ve been jealous of all the mountain bikers I’ve come across on my hikes. I really want to learn trail riding because it will open whole new doors for me (and it looks like a lot of fun!) so I got myself a real bike last week. I already had two bikes, neither of which were sufficient for real mountain biking – one of them being a hybrid and the other one… well, let’s just say that I had some trust issues with it. So I sold the cheap MTB and the hybrid will follow soon, because all I need is one really good bike that will do it all for me. And I do mean really good – the new bike is better than I will ever be!
It has a carbon fibre frame and 29″ wheels, which makes the bike very light and steady and it rolls beautifully over all the bumps and holes. Every component is up to competition quality (I am so in love with the gears, it’s like night and day compared to my old bikes) and the price reflects that. I would never even have dreamed of buying a bike this expensive, but this is a demo bike which was sold for nearly half the price and that put it right within my reach. I got to take it out for a test ride and didn’t want to let go of it!
So now I just need to start to train hard to be in good shape next summer. I’m already in much better shape than I was last year, but biking up and down the trails will require more of me than I’m capable of right now. I need to get stronger and have the endurance it takes to tackle all those hills and then next summer I just simply need to hit the trails to get used to the challenges of trail riding. I know there will be times during the winter when I’d rather just sit on the sofa than go to the gym, but I have to keep my mind on the goal – it will be all worth it when I’m standing on a mountain top that I conquered thanks to the bike!
Speaking of training, I tackled the Mittådalen road again. Including that lovely first hill where you gain 200m in altitude. Following the road is almost embarrassing on this bike which could take me off trail if only I was confident enough to do it. It’s like buying a Hasselblad and then learning how to shoot!
