First mountain bike ride:

[PHAT TIRE]

Good topic! Mine was in 1994. During college in Inidana on a small local singletrack. I was on a rigid Specialized Hardrock. It was sweet until I endo-ed over a tree root. Beat myself up but was hooked for life. I learned that Indiana was nothing when I moved out here in 1997 and my buddy Gary took me out on the luge. Luge on a rigid is no picnic, the next week I picked up a full suspension Trek....Happy Trails!

[ka0t1c07]

My first mountain experienced was about a year and a half ago. My cousins and friends would always invite me to ride with them on the wash to Santa Fe Dam and at Marshall Canyon. I would always brush them off because I think they are crazy to ride in the hot summer heat. Then one Sunday I was like what the hell, lets give it a try. It was at Marshall Canyon. Man, the first small incline was so challenging. I was breathing like crazy. Then the climb came and I was dying. To make things worse, I think I was riding either a Toys-R-Us bike or a Specialized HT with road tires. The tires kept on slipping up the climbs. I had only 1 bottle of water. I had thoughts of giving up Mountain biking on every climb that I had to do. But then on the downhill part, it totally changed my mind. I had so much fun , enjoyed what mother nature got in store, the peacefullness, meeting nice people, and luckly didnt get hurt, it got me hooked. Then after a couple of more rides, I decided to buy the Nicolai and that gave me a double workout every time. Now im totally hooked and with the addition of the light weight of the Stumpie, I love it more. Oh yeah, two weeks ago, I rode twice in a day.

[Evel Knievel]

This makes me feel old because it predates the word mountainbike and involves Schwinn cruisers , Vans and skateboard helmet and gloves .

[pshloss]

My earliest riding was pre-1998 on a full rigid "Mountain Project", which was really my wife's bike that I put knobbies on. One ride that I remember was going to El Moro about 9:00 am in the summer with my then 12-year-old son (1995).

Got out of the car and his rear tire was flat. Turned out there was no quick release and it took a 13 mm box wrench to get the wheel off. Unfortunately, I did not have one. So we went into Corona Del Mar to the hardware store. It didn't open until 11:00, so by the time we actually started riding it was high noon.

So the climb up was punishingly hot, we had heavy bikes, we were in marginal shape, and bees (or wasps or something) were attacking us for our sweat.

In 1998, I got a "real" mountain bike (GT Avalanche, then a year later a Canondale VR-2000), with my first rides being at Fully Loop and Chino Hills. I remember the first time climbing up South Ridge and thinking it was impossibly long and steep...

A year or two after that, we went to Mammoth and did Lower Rock Creek. Check out this web page I created at the time:
http://members.aol.com/pshloss/page2.html

[Wrecker]

My first ride in the dirt was only about one block long, in Irvine Regional Park, with one other person...I fell and cut my leg. But, I loved being in the dirt. So, here I am, 3 yrs later and still hooked

[ShinKen]

Originally Posted by Chelle

My first ride in the dirt was only about one block long, in Irvine Regional Park, with one other person...I fell and cut my leg. But, I loved being in the dirt. So, here I am, 3 yrs later and still hooked

whoah!! only 3? u're one tuff cookie!!

[Stray_Bullit]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Where?

Group or solo?

How long?

Anything unusual?

Where? Palos Verdes ... I had just bought a '98 GT Tequesta (Just because it had cool flames on it) It was around $600.00 and didn't have any shocks, front or rear.

How long? I rode around the entire PV Peninsula.....

Anything unusual? No, besides being really sore for the next few days.

I got bit by the MTB bug after that. I started going to Kenter and jumping my bike. I destroyed it after a few times there. Been buying bikes ever since. Made the HUGE mistake of taking my GT Avalanche to Big Bear... I wanted a DH bike SO BAD! Took me a few years but I finally got the DH bike. Rode at Big Bear 3 times and they closed forever. Since sold the DH bike and got my (dream bike) Santa Cruz Bullit. LOVE LOVE LOVE my bike. I have a few thousand into it and my wife and co-workers think I am nuts...but you guys understand, right?

[boboso]

Where?
Aliso & Wood Canyons back in 1998

Group or solo?
Me and a girl from work. She is now my wife.

How long?
Down Wood Canyon, back out - 1-2 hours.

Anything unusual?
She asked me to go riding with her and a group of people. She lived in Aliso when all that was here was a kMart (no toll road etc). We got into the trails at what is now Canyon Vista Park. We now live accross the street from the park. I had to go and buy a bike to ride casue I did not have one and bought a Raliegh M-80 that I broke in about 4 rides. She had no idea of the monster she created... I was totaled on that first ride, could not make it up WOOD CANYON! Had to walk some of it. She no longer rides, but I have had 8 bikes in the last 8 years (Raliegh, GT LTS, Giant, Specialized, Chuck CR-FS, Tracer, 5.5, SS). The Boys take yearly trips with touring groups to Moab, Oregon, Colorado, BC etc. We got a condo in Mammoth, use it more for MTB than skiiing (I don't ski well). I spent $400 to ride with a girl whom I married. Now I spend up to $2k on a frame, continue to break components, bleed, get dirty, hurt and upgrade like noboby's business. Best $400 I ever spent...

[Stray_Bullit]

Originally Posted by boboso

Best $400 I ever spent...

Great story! How true....as in "She didn't know the monster she created"

[Andrew]

Where: Marin County, CA
Age: Not sure, less than 10.
Bike: Cheap (no gears)

This was a ride with parents, in the late 80's. So, they both had rigid geared bikes, mine I don't think had any gears; my parents wern't serious MTB'rs, just general outdorsy people. My memory of it is mostly faded, so this is short on the gory details. We refered to this as our "death ride".

The ride was mostly on fireroad, but it didn't end up going where my dad expected it to. We got quite lost, all ran out of water, and eventually ended up on a street. I wasn't able to ride at this point, so the bike was getting pushed. We eventually ended up a private golf course, and were able to a get some water. We called my Grandpa from the phone to pick us up (since we wern't anywhere near our car as planned). He was upset about having his gin time interrupted.

It was truely a misarable experience. In the following years I went on occasional mountain bike rides (like once a year) but didn't really get into it until I started college.

[pshloss]

Originally Posted by Andrew

... but it didn't end up going where my dad expected it to...

I think my son would have the same kind of summary of our early riding. I used to always get us lost. I think as a result I have turned into a bit of a map freak, but still don't own a GPS.