Mountain Biking Guide

This is one individual's essay on why she enjoys biking, and more particularly, mountain biking. When I got my first mountain bicycle about 4 years back, it was not to ride down mountains in any way. I simply liked the concept of fat tires and having the ability to go up and down curbs or other road impedimenta with impunity.

So, naturally, I did not get a top of the line bike, but one that cost about $300 - and that incorporated a padded gel seat, a kick stand, and a biking PC. And frankly I adore that bike. For all that I am thinking about getting a new one... I have resided in a bike-friendly town for the majority of my life - over twenty years. It is a major city - over 100,000 folk, but it was designed with lots of bike trails around and through the numerous parks and lakes. And even the streets are for the main part wide, with shoulders on which bicyclists can ride. The reason is because it is a major town in the midwest, where there had been lots of room to build and spread out, not like the New England states where space was expensive. Anyhow, I bike everywhere that I can- to the library, to my local grocer ( if I am only purchasing some things. I use a detachable handlebar basket ), to work and for general pleasure riding - during spring, summer and fall, anyhow, Each spring, it takes me a fortnight of major biking to get into shape ( I am a warm temperatures man, I huddle indoors in winter time, storing up fat, and then as fast as spring hits I am out on the bike till next winter.

) the 1st year I had the bike, I used it only for road biking, and for off-trail riding. As I mentioned, I love the bike - it's much more at ease than a road bike with its standard small saddles and drop handlebars. And I liked the liberty it gave me - if I saw something off in a grassy field somewhere I could switch off the trail or road without delay and go analyze without delay - something that you can not do with those narrow wheeled road bikes. Was I ready to go as speedily as a road bike? Well...not truly, but then, I am never in a rush to get anywhere. When the second spring came around, I made a decision it was time to really attempted a little mountain biking.


I was not going to find any exact mountains - but there were lots of hills round the town that had "mountain biking" trails on them. I did my few weeks of "getting into shape" and then set off for the closest "official" trail. And let me tell you - mountain biking is a gas. I do not enjoy the climbing portion of it - I am not a masochist, but when you get to the top and head on down, the wind against your face and the sheer concentration wanted to barter all obstructions is exciting. So if you live anywhere close to a mountain biking trail, go examine it. You can be satisfied you probably did.