I was always into watching Xtreme sports when i was a kid and i loved watching x games, i did grow up in Cornwall so skateboarding and surfing i knew there was a scene and knew there was a bmx scene but no idea about mountain bikes. I had one when they first came out when i was young but i since found drink drugs clubs and forgot all about the xtreme sports love i once had.
I did a few rides down the canal and enjoyed the freedom it gave me the times i did not have my son, gave me something to do and got me out. Then a Facebook friend commented on a page about a mountain bike trail near me being built, i was intrigued as to what i would find and pedalled down for a visit. Now its only a small place, little 5 min loop and 2 short jump lines. But i was hooked, i was scared Haha. I knew straight away i needed a better bike ! At least i needed disc brakes as i had never dealt with gravity along the canal.
The rock rider went and luck would have it that the business was picking up through the week and i could just about afford a giant trance hardtail, it was great, the brakes worked and the suspension actually moved a little. But i thought it was too big in medium for me, i am 5,7. I sold it and got a small frame which felt better for me at that time, more control and more fun. The adventures started from there as on this little local trail i met “proper mountain bikers” they were on full sus bikes and they could go much faster than me, some of them could even jump the 18ft table top jump (funny story to come later about this jump) and these people told me about these places called trail centres. What was this ? A place like this but bigger ? That sounds like fun.
A couple Sunday’s later i didnt have Luca so off i went on my first trip to Llandegla (degla) i was advised to do the blue as i had never rode anything like this before. Now if you have been reading the previous 2 posts you will know that i am not fit at all, i am overweight and spent 15 years drinking doing no kind of exercise at all. Well the climb ............ i pretty much walked 😩 but then the blue is mostly downhill back to the centre. I frigging loved it ! Being battered about on my hardtail, going to quick on a corner, being bucked off the bike on a roller (i had no idea about riding positioning or anything) wow what an adrenaline rush this was. before i knew it i was back at the car park and gutted the ride was over, it was 12:30pm so decided i would have my butties and give the red a go. Why not the blue was pretty easy and fun and i had been told about a fire road back to the top.
Dinner eaten and up the fire road i went (walking again its just as steep) now the red was a little more bumpy but i was loving it, between puffing for some kind air in my lungs and wishing the aches and pains would go away. It seemed to go on forever, surely i was near the end now ? How long is this trail ? I hit Julias trail, those who have been will know the climb that awaits, yes its a climb pretty much back to the trail centre. I was dead ! I walked pretty much all off this uphill section and asked myself why did i do 2 runs 🙄 lesson learnt but finished the day with a very strange feeling, i was absolulty knackered, could barley get my dripping wet clothes off to get changed, struggled to get the bike back in the car and felt like i had been run over by a train. But ....... but i also felt good, felt like i had achieved something, remebered the adrenalin pumping as i went downhill faster than i had ever been on a bike, well fast for me at the time. I was hooked ! That was it, i had found my hobby, what i thought was a hobby anyway, a year or so on i found out this was an obsession, an expensive one at that 🙈😆
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