I read a post recently (a really old one actually) over on Problogger called The 7 Link Challenge. It’s basically an idea that aims to get new readers in the loop about your site, highlighting old posts that are still really useful and material they should start with when visiting your site. So, I thought I’d give it a go.
Behold, the 7 links of Mountain Bikes Apart – start here if you’re new to the site, or even if you’ve been around a while, but want to have a look through the archive!
I love writing about the amazing trails that Scotland’s lucky to have.
Your first post
Drumlanrig Castle Mountain Bike Trail
When I first started the blog I envisioned it mostly being trail guides from around the country. I was starting to explore further afield and I thought that people would love to read about new trails.
To be honest, that hasn’t really been borne out – the trail guides on here are some of the least read articles for some reason. But I still like writing them, almost as much as I like finding new trails!
A post you enjoyed writing the most
The No Fuss Big Ben Nevis Triathlon – climbing the Ben Nevis staircase
This was my first big race. It’s an off-road triathlon based up in Fort William. Distance-wise, it’s a half-ironman equivalent, and that’s based on the time taken to complete by the leading guys.
It was one of the best things I’ve done on a bike over the years, an amazing day racing with great friends. Writing the article was almost as good, reliving the experience in words!
A post which had a great discussion
Flat Pedals vs Clipless pedals – Why I’m moving back to flats
There’s a bit of debate going on in the biking community around this topic, and it definitely showed when I posted the article.
I still get comments on this post from people who are really into their flat pedals, often because on an injury. And equally, I get some clipless enthusiasts too. The debate rages on.
But I love my flats. So flats are best. So there 🙂
A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written
SMBC Bike Park Skills for High School Kids
I’m actually really bad at keeping up with other news and blogs. So, instead of searching around for ages for a good post that I once read, I’ll promote a club that I like and that are doing some great work.
The Strathearn mountain biking club are promoting the sport and building a new trail centre up by Perth. Amazing work by them, and they even do a lot of work with kids to get them into biking, as you can see from the post above. Amazing stuff from them and I hope they get a bit of coverage from me including them here!
Your most helpful post
Finding a quality second hand bike – searching ebay and beyond
One thing I think a lot of people struggle with in mountain biking is in handling the cost of the equipment. You always want a better bike, better shoes, a better helmet, and on and on.
I buy a load of my biking stuff second hand though, and I’ve got pretty good at it. This post and a few others (here and here) was designed to help others in saving a bit of cash and buying second hand.
A post with a title that you are proud of
Relentless 24 2011 – An odyssey of wind, rain and broken bikes
I’m rubbish at titles… I tend to just write exactly what the article’s about. I suppose I need to get a bit more clever at them, especially since they’re the main reason people will click on the article in the search results.
I chose this one simply because I was looking through the list and it made me shiver when I read it. So, it must reflect pretty well how harsh that 24 hours was. Have a read and decide if you think 24 hour races are a good idea. They’re not. But I’ll still do another one.
A post that you wish more people had read
Illiotibial Band Syndrome – Mountain Biking Knee Injury
This is a bit of a selfish one. I’ve struggled with a few long-term injuries over the years and I’ve written about them a few times. Practically no-one, though, has ever given me an ounce of sympathy! The cheek 🙂
Seriously though, I do wish more people had read this one and commented, giving me feedback on their own ITB injuries and how they recovered. The more discussion the better I think. Share the recovery methods!
So, that’s it – 7 links to start you off with Mountain Bikes Apart. Let me know what you think, and whether I’ve missed any important ones. Enjoy!
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