The cycling dark side that is. Last summer my son aged eleven got his first adult MTB it's an X-Small with the seat right down but it is definitely a real MTB, a move away from his previous MTB looking toy bikes Then came the inevitable...'Daaaadddddddd, can we go on some trails.' After years of Road biking. I looked at my two steeds both roadies and decided neither was suitable for even gravel paths. I started looking for an MTB on the internet, unfortunately my wife caught me and I got the 'Don't even think about it' speech, space in the garage and a year old carbon road bike being her two perfectly acceptable reasons.
However synchronicity reared its head and my older road 'winter' bike was due a service and while dropping it off, I had an interesting conversation with the bike shop owner, he revealed he needed a demo bike for a new interactive turbo trainer demonstrator. I left not with a five year old newly serviced Giant Defy but a brand new Python MTB as straight swap. No money changed hands and one bike went and another took its place so my wife was happy. Instead of two bikes that did the same thing just in different weathers, I now had two bikes each with different purpose.
A month or two later and we are both commuting on them (him to school, me to work instead of using the winter road bike) but more importantly we have visited our local trails at Hicks Lodge in Derbyshire and also Cannock Chase. Only the basic family trails for now but hopefully we will gain confidence together and grow our skills. Its got him off his console and computer and I've got a ride partner instead of some of the solo road riding miles. We are having some great father and son time. Hopefully having just turned fifty I can be the old dog who learns new tricks.
I've bought a roof mounted bike rack and the only question is where to go on mine and Ben's annual camping 'Beano' this time with the bikes.... The Lakes (Grizedale and Whinlatter) or the Forest of Dean......Decisions.....
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