Just getting started...need some advice.

[themattsavage]

Hi all, first off thanks for reading this and forgive me because I know naff all and will need serious help!

I've been looking for an outdoor sport/pursuit that I could combine with some hiking/hill walking and I stumbled onto mountain boarding which I believe would suit me down to the ground adrenaline wise. I'm not looking to do any of that fancy 'trick-riding', I'm all about the downhill thrill.

I've scouted the web but of course know from past experiences that it can only tell you so much - I'm 6'5" and weigh 14st 3lbs (around 91kg) and need a fairly inexpensive starter board that will get me into it for a few months. Then I'll look into fancy boards when I know more than can be written onto a postage stamp.

I have to admit, I'm not really looking to join a club straight off. I have a lot of commitments and this is meant to be something that on one of my days off will give me some down time and stress relief, and just time and space to think. I've done a lot of team sports and don't dig the vibe anymore, especially things like Rugby with the virtually all weekend commitment - So I'd appreciate that although it's not ideal to do this alone, I don't want a long term commitment to anything, I have enough of that as it is!

Sorry if that sounds a bit odd and against the spirit of the community, but just for the short term at least I'd appreciate an understanding and any help that anyone can offer

Best.

Matt

[Gaz]

Hi Matt. You don't want to buy too basic a board to start and being a big lad you will need something that will be able to take the strain without bottoming out but still maintain a degree of flex/pop. Go for something mid to pro range with decent channel trucks like MBS Comp or Pro range or Trampa 35*. Anything lesser will just need replaced sooner and hold you back as your abilities progress. Have a look at the Trampa and MBS websites to get a better idea of what is available, cost etc. I bought all my boards second hand but they were virtually new. Have a look in the for sale section on here or ebay, there are some excellent bargains.

[themattsavage]

Awesome, thanks, that helps a lot

[Gaz]

No problem.

[ade_mcc]

Matt - easiest thing to do is to is to have a look through the links I posted in the other thread and use them to discover the local knowledge such as places worth riding and the various larger sessions. No one's going to make you commit to anything and to be honest, there are plenty of solo riders round these parts and if you do injure yourself, there's probably a dog walker not too far away. Chances are, apart from the official ATBA events, there are guaranteed to be a session at somepoint in the near future at Hemlock Stone, Allestree Park, Macclesfield forest and other local favourites. Some people turn up for the day, others just for a couple of hours. With any luck, I'll pull out my finger and start up again the Monday night sessions in and around the Derby area - the philosophy being that it doesn't matter if you miss a session, there'll be another one before too long, but if you don't fancy riding alone, there'll probably be someone out. Either way, it's all fun and will be easier for everyone once the clocks change.

[themattsavage]

Thank you, I probably sounded a little ancy I guess but thank you for giving me the lowdown on how things in this community run, sounds much more like my thing!

[ade_mcc]

Point being that unlike the clubs associated with mountainboarding centres, we in the midlands are a little more fluid and adhoc with a pretty relaxed attitude to when we ride and what&where we ride. You don't usually know who's going to turn up on any one session but there is commonly new faces with a huge range of experience and abilities. Alternatively, there is a huge amount of fresh hills and trails to yet be discovered and ridden - if you find anything of interest let us know!
However, there are a good selection of smooth fairways, wooded trails, jumps, 1km+ tracks in the district so if you want a heads up on what's out there, just shout!

[themattsavage]

That's awesome thank you! As soon as I get kitted out I'll get right non it ta!