Thats a solid first MTB!

My advice: beat the crap out of it and enjoy every minute of it. Dont run into trees, it ruins your training for a while.

Nice ! I'm a big fan of Specialized mtb's . Thats spec'd real sweet, so just ride & enjoy.

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Seeing him in deep torment, I said. " You can have my last GU , but its been down my pants for most of the run". - John Hirsch

Take care of your body, its by far the coolest thing you're going to ever own.- Can't remember who told me this, but I love it.

Thanks, from my 1st short ride and a few 2 ft drops, I guess the trick is staying loose- not tightening up- and letting the bike do what it's meant too...

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goals, personal:
- under same username post st rr of Kona m80-84ag mop, tail end of the dopers finish
- shoot age from tips on par 72
- beat SuperDave in one-on-one
all within single wk- Viva Chopin, Fryderyk; Faulk, Peter; Helmsley, Sherman; Palillo, Ron; Rogers, Fred McFeely; Sanford, John Elroy; Snuka, Jimmy- and the water bottle isn't half fuller on the other side

An advice? Why of course, this is ST.

Do a trackstand right there. Then a manual up onto the coffee table, bunny hop sideways onto the sofa, and then wheelie drop onto the floor.
Keep practicing this routine until you have skills like Hans Rey or get divorced, whichever comes first ;-)


Serious advice - look where you want to go, not at what you want to avoid. See the line.
Or else you will get target fixation and hit that which you most wanted not to.

Ride lots, learn how to fall, you'll get plenty o' practice at first.

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float , hammer , and jog

Very nice! My advice? Get her dirty... real dirty! She'll clean up and you'll have fun. I love my Mtb (which just happens to be a Specialized right now as well), I'll never be without one as long as I'm still able to get on a bike and ride. The first thing I do when I get a new whitewater kayak is go do a rock splat or rock 360 and get a scratch or two on it. The first thing I do with a new Mtb is hit the trails, the nastier the better, and get it dirty. That way you can stop worrying about it and just have fun.

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"A bucket...if you haven't puked in it you could be going harder."
- Lazy Ben

Good advice I am sure...

Dr. Bob Rotella- sports psychologist- (mainly for pro golfers) says that to a very high degree the mind doesn't understand the thought don't... in other words, in golf, if you are thinking, "whatever you do, don't go into the water on the left!" guess where your ball will end up. :)

I don't see how it could be any different in mtbing...

Jack Brooks Park has an obstacle course and some very technical sections that were scary as hell just jogging through...- that's what made me want to get the mtb! =)

Jeff

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goals, personal:
- under same username post st rr of Kona m80-84ag mop, tail end of the dopers finish
- shoot age from tips on par 72
- beat SuperDave in one-on-one
all within single wk- Viva Chopin, Fryderyk; Faulk, Peter; Helmsley, Sherman; Palillo, Ron; Rogers, Fred McFeely; Sanford, John Elroy; Snuka, Jimmy- and the water bottle isn't half fuller on the other side

stay loose, learn how to move your body smoothly up off the saddle and back and forth, side to side over the bike. Learn how to use your arms to suck up bumps or to push the front end into dips. Speed is your friend (to a point...), brake hard in a straight line, feather in a corner and last but no least get a spare helmet for backup:)

Advice? Tell me how you did that effect to the sides of the photo! Love it.

Also, ride her a lot! I'm an XTERRA freak, get out and race! Also, prepare to fall. If you never crash, you aren't pushing hard enough. Learn how to fall easily so you don't break anything. Avoid falling off of cliffs (on accident, if you mean to do it good luck!) and avoid trees.

Other than that, ride the bike and let it do the work!

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"Lemond is cycling's version of Rev Jessie Jackson." -johnnyperu 5/18/07
"Just because I suck doesn't mean my bike has to" -rickn 9/2/08

I agree with most of your post ... until the very end. I was going to buy a second helmet for the same reason and decided against it because that would be bad Juju. I don't expect to fall, so this helmet should last me a long time :)

Oh yeah, advice, almost forgot. Do an XTERRA!

Very nice bike, I love the black and white frame too. Is that a 2007 scheme? What's the exact model? I ask as I seem to recall something about an Epic XC having a longer top tube but no more than that.

You'll love the sidis, great shoes.

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS

If you never crash, you aren't pushing hard enough. Learn how to fall easily so you don't break anything. Avoid falling off of cliffs (on accident, if you mean to do it good luck!) and avoid trees.
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LOL, sounds like we are singing from the same songsheet! I have got to remember to stay in the comfort envelope a short wjile oterwise I'll never recover! e.g. 4 weeks without swimming since my last XC race due to shoulder damage :-(

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS

Nice bike, enjoy. I do agree if you don't fall you've not challenged yourself enough. Although I really try to avoid falls. Learning to fall/keep your balance is an important skill. On a grass field practice with a friend bumping into each other and keep from falling. If you do get knock down learn how to bail from the bike. Anyway you want to enjoy the bike is up to you. Just ride it and enjoy!




A few of MTB from my stable.

Thanks for the good practical advice, I'll be sure to reread it before hitting the trails.

One thing going for me...- I am kinda crazy but usually very capable when my life is in my own hands... ;/

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goals, personal:
- under same username post st rr of Kona m80-84ag mop, tail end of the dopers finish
- shoot age from tips on par 72
- beat SuperDave in one-on-one
all within single wk- Viva Chopin, Fryderyk; Faulk, Peter; Helmsley, Sherman; Palillo, Ron; Rogers, Fred McFeely; Sanford, John Elroy; Snuka, Jimmy- and the water bottle isn't half fuller on the other side

The side effects are from Corel Picture Shop or something- came with the laptop as a trial software- just restored my factory settings, so got the software back. :)

Jeff

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goals, personal:
- under same username post st rr of Kona m80-84ag mop, tail end of the dopers finish
- shoot age from tips on par 72
- beat SuperDave in one-on-one
all within single wk- Viva Chopin, Fryderyk; Faulk, Peter; Helmsley, Sherman; Palillo, Ron; Rogers, Fred McFeely; Sanford, John Elroy; Snuka, Jimmy- and the water bottle isn't half fuller on the other side

Thanks, it does look nice doesn't it?

2007 FSRxc Comp

Jeff

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goals, personal:
- under same username post st rr of Kona m80-84ag mop, tail end of the dopers finish
- shoot age from tips on par 72
- beat SuperDave in one-on-one
all within single wk- Viva Chopin, Fryderyk; Faulk, Peter; Helmsley, Sherman; Palillo, Ron; Rogers, Fred McFeely; Sanford, John Elroy; Snuka, Jimmy- and the water bottle isn't half fuller on the other side

On a grass field practice with a friend bumping into each other and keep from falling.
================================================================
You are joking both of my training partners could knock me clean through a brick wall like that! The other is an ex-schollboy cycle speedway champ whose handling skills mean that he climbs hills holding a sustained wheelie whilst chatting, fat chance!

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS

Avoid falling off of cliffs (on accident, if you mean to do it good luck!) and avoid trees.

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Luckily (or maybe unluckily), I am living in Houston, so I don't think cliffs will be too much of a problem, if I see some trees coming I'll just remeber- SERENITY NOW!!!

Jeef

---

goals, personal:
- under same username post st rr of Kona m80-84ag mop, tail end of the dopers finish
- shoot age from tips on par 72
- beat SuperDave in one-on-one
all within single wk- Viva Chopin, Fryderyk; Faulk, Peter; Helmsley, Sherman; Palillo, Ron; Rogers, Fred McFeely; Sanford, John Elroy; Snuka, Jimmy- and the water bottle isn't half fuller on the other side