[tk421a]

Hi didn't fully stop, but always respected Tyler Landman for pausing climbing to go become a doctor.

From legendary Dosage outings with Dave Graham, and nabbing Smiling Buttress, then off to med school in the states.

He made finals at the BBCs last year

[stone]

It's great to hear Rich Simpson is climbing again. I hope he is enjoying himself. He may have been an abject pants-on-fire liar but he was always great fun at the crag.

Hmmm, perhaps I had a very one-sided impression.

[SA Chris]

From mine and shurt's experiences, I'm the same sided as Stone...

[Paul B]

He made finals at the BBCs last year

Did he actually stop or just competitions and replace that with being an absolute monster on a bike?

[cheque]

In common with many people who haven’t quit climbing I find absolutely nothing appealing about road cycling (well cycling in general really but road biking in particular) and I can’t see that it has anything in common with climbing apart from taking place in the countryside and favouring the slimmer physique.

What do people think causes so many climbers to switch to it? Is it because it has so few similarities? Do climbers who approach climbing differently to me feel that it is similar? It’s always puzzled me.

[SA Chris]

Lots of things that appeal to the middle aged gent; you start something new after plateauing at climbing for quite a while and rapidly progress. When initial progress drops you can make gains by dropping a load of cash. It's actually pretty social, and can involve a lot of cafe and tea stops. It means you can fill a lot of time out the house not actually doing anything productive other than riding around in circles. You can choose your level of suffering dependant on your mood.

I got quite into it for a while, and did a couple of etapes and other rides, but when kid's activities started eating into free time, I stopped due to the amount of time needed to be out on the road to improve, and started running instead.

[andy popp]

I think Sean Myles stopped completely, and pretty suddenly.

I suppose I should admit (to myself) that I've stopped, though certainly not suddenly and even less by conscious decision.

[mrjonathanr]

What do people think causes so many climbers to switch to it? Is it because it has so few similarities?

I suspect that it scratches a similarly obsessive itch. That said, it’s clearly the Devil’s work and those who indulge should be forever cast into the darkness.

[webbo]

What do people think causes so many climbers to switch to it? Is it because it has so few similarities?

I suspect that it scratches a similarly obsessive itch. That said, it’s clearly the Devil’s work and those who indulge should be forever cast into the darkness.

It is the ideal thing to do when you find yourself living in East Yorkshire.😳

[mrjonathanr]

Already cast out, then 

[SA Chris]

Between Hell and Hole is Hull

[Wellsy]

If I had to stop bouldering then I'd do Weightlifting five times a week I think

Never understood the appeal of cardio lol

[Will Hunt]

Cycling is OK but its a real mental thing as well as physical. You can ride up a hill slowly or quickly, you still get to the top all the same. To really give it everything you've got to be very mentally determined or in a race; I was always too tempted to slow down a bit before I really maxxed out.

The nice thing about climbing is that as soon as you stop trying you fall off and have to begin from the start again so there's never any question (providing we're not talking about necky trad etc) about not trying your hardest.

[mr chaz]

In common with many people who haven’t quit climbing I find absolutely nothing appealing about road cycling (well cycling in general really but road biking in particular) and I can’t see that it has anything in common with climbing apart from taking place in the countryside and favouring the slimmer physique.

What do people think causes so many climbers to switch to it? Is it because it has so few similarities? Do climbers who approach climbing differently to me feel that it is similar? It’s always puzzled me.

Possibly because its so much easier on their ageing creaking upper bodies? And because most people learn to ride bikes as kids, so entry is easy. I shall admit that after 2 years of arm/shoulder injuries* and almost no climbing, I recently got myself a MTB to do the local trail centres and scare myself silly on some downhill. Its fun, and f*cking exhausting, but climbing it ain't. Has also reaffirmed I have precisely zero interest in road cycling.

*I do also see the irony in taking up MTB because of injury...

[SA Chris]

Never understood the appeal of cardio lol

I was the same from age 18 to 48. Swore I would never run again after I finished military service. Also though my grumbly knee wouldn't tolerate it. Now I run about 1000km a year, and the physical and mental aspects are really beneficial for me, even just getting a half hour run in at lunch. 

[spidermonkey09]

*I do also see the irony in taking up MTB because of injury...

This! MTB is so much more dangerous than rock climbing. Its not even close. More dangerous than skiing as well for my money. I did a days MTB at a wedding in Scotland and spent most of it petrified.

[andy_e]

The biggest danger of MTB is the danger to your wallet...

[User deactivated.]

Mountain biking can be dangerous or relatively safe depending on who you are. Cross country seems as boring as road cycling to me, but if that's what you're into, it won't be so bad. I was only ever interested in downhill and freeride, where broken bones are all but guaranteed. The risk only increases as you improve; before you know it, you're hitting 50 foot jumps at over 30 miles per hour with sturdy trees only a few feet to either side... I sacked it off after one too many head injuries, which will probably have consequences in later years and I feel guilty about them. One of my mates I grew up riding with is currently at 'Dark Fest' in South Africa going upside down on jumps as big as 110 feet!

[SA Chris]

Don't know, you (or I at least) can have a great day doing technical downhill with your wheels never really leaving the ground. Not risk free, but reduces the consequences considerably.

[spidermonkey09]

Obviously I'm rubbish so the risk is higher, but even if your wheels don't leave the ground (mine certainly didn't!) the risk of a broken wrist or similar seems absolutely miles higher than most roped climbing. Maybe comparable to bouldering and the risk of a sprained or broken ankle.

[stone]

I found out about Turkish Get Ups originally when googling for shoulder injury prevention/rehab and reading about shoulder rehab/dislocation-prevention from MTB crash people.

[User deactivated.]

I know loads of boulderers and only a couple who have broken ankles. I know loads of downhillers and probably only a couple who haven't.

[edshakey]

This! MTB is so much more dangerous than rock climbing. Its not even close. More dangerous than skiing as well for my money. I did a days MTB at a wedding in Scotland and spent most of it petrified.

Should be noted that how scared you are doesn't necessarily have anything to do with how dangerous it is. Plenty of people shit themselves top roping or abseiling but that doesn't make it in any way dangerous.

Of course, MTB still may well be more dangerous! Just that we can't really trust ourselves to be the best judges of that based on how scary it is

[stone]

Should be noted that how scared you are doesn't necessarily have anything to do with how dangerous it is. Plenty of people shit themselves top roping or abseiling but that doesn't make it in any way dangerous.
Of course, MTB still may well be more dangerous! Just that we can't really trust ourselves to be the best judges of that based on how scary it is

This is so true.

I think Alpine climbing is the ultimate case where people tootle along, everything feeling fine, then get wiped out.

[jwi]

This! MTB is so much more dangerous than rock climbing. Its not even close. More dangerous than skiing as well for my money. I did a days MTB at a wedding in Scotland and spent most of it petrified.

I know way more people who have gotten permanent disabilities from MTB than from climbing, and I know more climbers than mountain bikers. On the other hand, several people I knew died climbing, but none died biking.

(Convenience sample, I know)