Never too late to start?!

[Koops]

Just ordered a 2019 KTM Macina Chacana 293 at a great price. My first EMTB. Intend to explore trails near my home of Melksham, so Salisbury plain direction. I found few reviews on this bike but the spec looks ok and i think it looks great in orange! One review mentioned that ‘the cockpit’ is a bit long, so I’ll consider a different stem if it doesn’t suit me. Keen to understand Bosch CX gen 2 motor and whether any useful performance tweaks. Now to get fit...58 years young

 

[Stihldog]

Welcome Koops. Hope you like your first eMTB.
On my first ride I started off slow …then I tapered off. I kept on doing that until figured it out.

 

[Marley]

You'll be fine my friend......I'm 60 and still enjoy but no jumping. Lol

 

[steve_sordy]

Just ordered a 2019 KTM Macina Chacana 293 at a great price. My first EMTB. Intend to explore trails near my home of Melksham, so Salisbury plain direction. I found few reviews on this bike but the spec looks ok and i think it looks great in orange! One review mentioned that ‘the cockpit’ is a bit long, so I’ll consider a different stem if it doesn’t suit me. Keen to understand Bosch CX gen 2 motor and whether any useful performance tweaks. Now to get fit...58 years young

I started mtb at 57 and with a bad back. Now 69 and a half and still loving it. MTB is the business! You are doing the right thing.

 

[Stihldog]

I started mtb at 57 and with a bad back. Now 69 and a half and still loving it. MTB is the business! You are doing the right thing.

So what I hear you saying is; “It’s a good time to upgrade some parts”
?

 

[steve_sordy]

So what I hear you saying is; “It’s a good time to upgrade some parts” ?

If I could have upgraded some of my parts I would have done so long before now!
Taking up Pilates 12 years ago was as close as I could get to an upgrade.
The emtb itself had the same effect as an upgrade for my knee joints; they don't trouble me as much, at least I don't hobble when I walk after riding my bike any more!

 

[The Hodge]

I started mtb'ing at 39 and rode at least twice a week ( now 63 ) ..about a year ago due to the physicality and time constraints of the work I was doing I stopped riding ..other than taking time out to heal broken ribs ( twice) this was the longest time I had been off the bike and it was the worst thing I could have done for my knee(s) .I've had two injections into my left knee which undoubtedly helped .. and to get my mojo back bought an ebike last October ..Im riding regularly again and the knee problems have gone away ..
As others have said start slowly and build up ..but I've no doubt you are going to love it ..and get fitter at the same time ..

 

[Marley]

What I find strange is, if I'm off my bike for a given length of time, my lower back flares up.......ride consistently and 60 yr old back is fine.

 

[Koops]

Thanks all for your inspiring replies. Hoping to find someone locally to ride with. There’s a fairly active TRF group here (well, before covid anyway) but I think they’re motorcycles only!

 

[steve_sordy]

What I find strange is, if I'm off my bike for a given length of time, my lower back flares up.......ride consistently and 60 yr old back is fine.

Same here!
I am convinced that it is the mobilisation of the spine resulting from pedalling that helps. That plus the mobility and strengthening from my body being in constant motion. I do some Pilate's exercises every single morning, without fail. If I haven't ridden my bike for three days, I go on my exercise bike for 30 mins. It all keeps the disabling back spasms away.

 

[Marley]

Same here!
I am convinced that it is the mobilisation of the spine resulting from pedalling that helps. That plus the mobility and strengthening from my body being in constant motion. I do some Pilate's exercises every single morning, without fail. If I haven't ridden my bike for three days, I go on my exercise bike for 30 mins. It all keeps the disabling back spasms away.

I do much the same, pilate's, strength training and stretching daily.
I'm also blessed with degenerative disks.
Keep up the regimen ?

 

[CBSTD]

Thanks all for your inspiring replies. Hoping to find someone locally to ride with. There’s a fairly active TRF group here (well, before covid anyway) but I think they’re motorcycles only!

Ye the TRF is purely a motorbikes group and you’ll probably find there will be MTB and EMTB’ers in their midst, can be a great source of knowledge and information but some can be a bit of a closed shop, there again half the fun is getting lost and going down blind alleys, keep on cranking

 

[Koops]

Ye the TRF is purely a motorbikes group but can be a great source of knowledge and information but some can be a bit of a closed shop, there again half the fun is getting lost and going down blind alleys, keep on cranking

Better take my satnav then!

 

[motocrossman1967]

Just ordered a 2019 KTM Macina Chacana 293 at a great price. My first EMTB. Intend to explore trails near my home of Melksham, so Salisbury plain direction. I found few reviews on this bike but the spec looks ok and i think it looks great in orange! One review mentioned that ‘the cockpit’ is a bit long, so I’ll consider a different stem if it doesn’t suit me. Keen to understand Bosch CX gen 2 motor and whether any useful performance tweaks. Now to get fit...58 years young

I'm in my fifties and just bought my first ebike (whyte e150) at end of last year.
Born and brought up on Salisbury Plain and have ridden mtbs there for almost 30 years. Now live about 30 mins away so if you feel like a ride out sometime?

 

[Koops]

I'm in my fifties and just bought my first ebike (whyte e150) at end of last year.
Born and brought up on Salisbury Plain and have ridden mtbs there for almost 30 years. Now live about 30 mins away so if you feel like a ride out sometime?

Sounds great! Whereabouts are you?

 

[Guyt]

You'll be fine my friend......I'm 60 and still enjoy but no jumping. Lol

Beat you on that!

Started MTB last Spring at 66, 1,312 km of intermediate/advanced trails. Don't expect to buy a eMTB until I reach 70, but will be happy to have a eFattie for next Winter, as I find a bit demanding fatbiking on snow trails. Still managed to pedal 940 km of trails so far

 

[Marley]

Beat you on that!

Started MTB last Spring at 66, 1,312 km of intermediate/advanced trails. Don't expect to buy a eMTB until I reach 70, but will be happy to have a eFattie for next Winter, as I find a bit demanding fatbiking on snow trails. Still managed to pedal 940 km of trails so far

I aspire to be like you. ?

 

[Guyt]

Marley, a little story for you. Last week, I was chatting with a guy in a chairlift at my local ski center, Mont Saint-Anne. Because of covid-19 restrictions, we are required to cover our faces, so I couldn't tell how old he was, but he sounded quite young. He was telling me he prefers humpback ski slopes, even if he should avoid them. I asked him if he had a knee or hip problem. "No, I am 82 years old" he answered.

 

[motocrossman1967]

Sounds great! Whereabouts are you?

Soz, only just logged on and seen the message. Currently live in Swindon. Went out on the Plain at the weekend. Lovely!