Don’t be a cycle snob

I recently picked up a copy of your magazine after being bitten by the MTB bug. I’ve been an avid cyclist for as long as I can remember, but more on the roadie side of things and, with work and family commitments, that too has fallen by the wayside. A few years on, slightly heavier and with less capable legs, I’ve rediscovered the delights of cycling with a VooDoo Hoodoo from Halfords. I’ve spent ridiculous amounts of cash on road bikes in the past – trying to go harder, faster and cover more miles – but for £400, the Hoodoo has provided so much more fun. I’ve fallen off more times than I can count, but I’m still smiling!

The critics on MTB forums and the local bike shop trying to push me to spend at least twice as much couldn’t have been more wrong. Entry-level bikes get people riding, without being so worried about scratching them up. The fun I’ve been having has also made me dust off the road bike, to improve my fitness so that I can tackle the uphill bits without pushing! My missus hadn’t been on a bike since an accident a few years ago, but she got curious about where I’d been disappearing off to, so I bought her one too, and it’s given us the incentive to do as much as we can. So please don’t laugh at those with a cheaper bike, as it might put them off, and they’ll probably be having just as much fun as you anyway! Perhaps one day I’ll think about upgrading, however what I have is more than enough for now!

Sean Rayns, Leicestershire

It’s great that you and your wife are both out on the trails, Sean. We really hope you’ve not come across any judgmental attitudes or mockery based on what bike you ride, because we’d like to think that us MTBers are better than that. One word of advice though – don’t try out any bling, expensive full-suspension bikes, because it’ll only make you want one very badly! Once you catch the endless upgrading bug, you’ll discover that it’s chronic and incurable.