Your letters and photos, including riding towards peak physique, refusing to be brought down by illness and more of your best riding snaps
Weight savings – and not the carbon kind
I’m Chris, and I thought I’d write in to share my mountain bike journey with you all. When I bought my first hardtail last autumn, I was almost the heaviest I’ve ever been. As you can see from the photo [1], being morbidly obese isn’t sustainable, and I’m lucky not to have developed any serious medical problems.
Having a young family, I was concerned that my life expectancy was decreasing. We started riding as a family in the Forest of Dean, typically on fireroads and green trails, and that’s what got me hooked on the buzz of mountain biking. The Pedalabikeaway trail centre is such an amazing place, that caters to every sort of rider.
Although my weight continued to go up and down, this year my mindset fully clicked into gear. I joined a slimming group and have achieved some great results – losing 6st 9.5lb in 2019, and a total of 8st 7lb since purchasing my Cube hardtail. The weight loss is down to diet, but my true motivation comes from biking. The second photo of me [2] was taken a few weeks ago following an awesome after-work ride with a good friend (the Rocky Mountain was my treat for achieving my 5st weight loss award!).
We have an absolute blast getting out riding every week and it’s great to be at a stage where I can ride with him without being a burden. I’ve got aspirations of riding in bigger groups as my fitness improves, too. I’m riding weekly with my two eldest sons as well, and my five-year-old in particular is loving it.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that my lifestyle has been completely transformed and I have mountain biking to thank for it. I’m not quite at a ‘normal’ weight yet, but I’m on the journey and making great progress. More importantly, I’m absolutely loving my new lifestyle. Yes, I might be slow. Yes, I’m not very brave. But I’m having a great time and as well as losing weight, I’m gaining a life. Hopefully by writing this I may inspire others in a similar position to where I’ve been.
Chris Green, Hereford
Nice one, Chris! We’re really impressed by the dedication and willpower it must’ve taken to achieve what you’ve managed in such a short time. Now you’ve just got to stick with it, but seeing as how you’ve obviously been bitten by the MTB bug, we doubt that’ll be a problem! Here’s a GPS device – it’ll help you track your progress and propel you on even further.
When life gives you lemons…
Here’s a photo [3] of my 16-year-old son Ethan with his fettled, groomed and much-loved Calibre Line 10. He’s an avid mountain biker and reader of MBUK (as well as a vocal critic of other magazines!). Unfortunately, Ethan has cystic fibrosis – a genetic disease that causes real problems for the lungs and digestive system. He’s currently stuck in hospital in Southampton, breathing through what he describes as a “whale foreskin”. This letter isn’t sympathy-fishing, but a message to all you folk who are worried you’ve not got the time, or your bike’s a bit too heavy, or the route’s too hilly, or whether you can be arsed going out. Get out there while you can! Matthew Harvey, via email
Wise words, Matthew. We can only imagine how tough and frustrating this condition must be, especially when you’re only 16. It’s great to hear Ethan’s not letting it get the better of him though. Fingers crossed he’ll be able to get back on his bike soon.