• Do you ever think how many amazing memories of mountain biking you have had?

• Or how many more things you are yet to learn and do?

• Do you ever wonder how much of your life you spend thinking about biking, your biking buddies, your bike, your favourite trails, the skills you are learning, the ones you want to learn, the ones you can only dream of learning and the trails you don't even know exist but one day will send you to sleep with a grin?

• I sense if you are still reading.. you might be one of those lucky enough to have discovered mountain biking and more define yourself as a mountain biker. Or maybe you have only just born the curiosity or recenly got bit.

The site is about sharing so here are some other thoughts that have helped guide me and that I have been lucky enough to pick up from my riding buddies along the way. I'm looking forward to the undiscovered ones I'm yet to learn out on the trails meeting new riders...

You are only competing with yourself...

Another thought I often have is that the skills you learn are not comparable to your friends they are only comparable to you and where you are. You are not competing with your riding buddies. They are there to move you forward and pick you up when you fall. You are though I believe competing with yourself. Only you..

We are all learning...

No one is there yet. But you have at times probably amazed and suprised yourself and deep down you know you will at some point do it again. This thought sets you free.

All biking is good...

Actually, great.  Biking has so many disciplines and I sense they will merge more and more. I used to be a bike snob and have met and continue to meet many. I have learnt!. I started as a cross country rider only into trails with a map and compass. Then I moved to trail centres. Became a downhiller and then back to cross country. If they build a Dirt Park/ BMX racing track on my doorstep then I know where I will go next. This afternoon I took my racer out for a two hour blast as I wanted speed. I find my biking goes through so many phases of love, indifference, frustration and love again. I love all biking and respect anyone who rides whatever they ride.

Try something new..

As mentioned above there are so many disciplines. Try something new once in a while you will be suprised how a day of beginners shore or an afternoon at a dirt park will improve you cross country or downhill riding and vica versa.

Just get out and ride...

You don't need all the gear and a fancy bike... just put on your trainers, your jeans a helmet and gloves and explore outside your front door.

Spend your money on biking not your bike...

Biking can be as much fun on a £100 quid bike from Halfords as a £4000 one from a top manufacturer. Spend your money on getting to your destination and riding.

Love your bike...

Care for her, learn about her, take time to understand how she works. She will take you to new heights if you do.. trust me.

Ride with all abilites...

The pleasure of introducing someone new, enthusing them with your passion and see them progress is as wonderful and at times as challenging a skill as learning something new from a more experienced rider and moving your boundaries. Mix it up. Don't be a skill snob. It's worth it.

Do it t'ill (if) you find something better...

So many sports give similar things to people but for me I'm yet to find anything that is as much fun and until I do this is what I will do and strive to become better at. Enjoy it.

It's more fun with friends..

They will push you, tease you, mock you, teach you, learn from you, pick you up when you fall, push you a little if you need a push, forgive you when you hold them up to fix your bike. Remember when you ride together you are a unit so stay together.

We all have something to share...

Brand new ,or long in the tooth. Your view and take on the sport is special. That's why this site existsand that's is purpose.

Life is an adventure of nothing at all...

I have always believed that you need to push your boundaries. At a controlled rate, but to always be pushing them. This is where the belief I hold  that life is an adventure or nothing at all stems from. I used to believe there were mainly benefits of doing this when you are young as then you are in a position to take more knocks and recover. The logic being that then you can continue riding into much later in life as the core skills become inate and intrinsic to our body movement. You are sort of prepared. I have learned that this argument is flawed as I have ridden and more learnt with young teenagers in Harlow and then with folks in their mid 60's in Yorkshire as well as with others in their 70's in the Mountains and deserts of the middle East. They were all pushing their boundaries and are a testament of the longevity and agelessness of biking and more they never stopped believing they could do more.

Daniel (AKA stumpy_dan)