Introduction To Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is a great way to explore the outdoors, stay in shape, or just have fun. Racing down the side of a mountain is a lot of fun indeed, although it can also be quite dangerous. Even though it’s dangerous, if you ride with caution, it can be enjoyed by the entire family.

Styles of mountain biking
Mountain biking can best be characterized into three different styles – downhill, free riding, and crosscountry. Even though the different styles are similar in some ways, they still require different skills. The style that you pick will determine the type of bike you get.

Locations for mountain biking
The sport can best be thought of as biking on an unpaved surface. Many areas throughout North America have specific locations designed for mountain biking. Before you decide to go down a trail, you should always check with your local park to get the routes, regulations, and any rules that they may have. If you ride an e-bike, you also need to verify if your e-bike is allowed at a certain trail. Most mountain bike trails allow e-bikes but restrict them to Class 2 or sometimes prohibit throttle-only. I’ll go deeper into these in future articles.

You can also find groups that have mountain bike rides and competitions. You can look on the internet or even in a local paper and see exactly what’s available in your area. You may be able to find groups for the more advanced riders as well as beginners.

Becoming a great biker
Endurance and stamina are a must for a great mountain biker. It will also take ambition and practice to succeed as well as conquer the course. Like all other sports, it takes time and practice. Those just beginning will have to get past the bumps and bruises from falling off the bike.

Selecting your mountain bike
The bike you select is more of a personal choice, and a big determining factor on the type of riding you will be doing. Bikes come in all styles, shapes, and prices, which will make selecting one for yourself very difficult indeed.

You can use the internet to help you shop for a bike, even do some price comparisons online as well before you make a purchase. I do recommend buying from a local bicycle shop. They can adjust the bike for you to make it fit better. Before you buy a bike, always ask to try it out first. A great mountain biker will become one with his or her own bike. When buying, make sure you check for comfort, how it fits, even how it is geared. Another advantage of buying from a local shop is that you can have it re-adjusted after a couple of months of riding when the chains have stretched out or if you are having some problems with the bike.

Staying safe when riding
Mountain bike riding on unpaved roads can be very dangerous, as mentioned earlier. Anytime you are riding, you should wear a helmet, along with knee and elbow pads. For mountain biking, a full face helmet is highly recommended, especially if you ride downhill. Most of the time, when you fall while mountain biking, it would be face first. If you are following a group or riding in the woods you should strongly consider a pair of goggles as well. Safety should be your top priority and never taken lightly anytime you are mountain biking.

Watch this YOUTUBE video of our ride at the Orlando Mountain Bike Park: https://youtu.be/gphl3vaArjw . Subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel for more videos of our life adventures!
Please leave a comment below if you prefer mountain biking over riding on pavement. If you are into bike riding, check out our tshirts to look cool on and off the trails! Thanks for reading.