Getting traction in mountain biking

There are two ways of getting familiarized with mountain biking: The gentle one, which consists of taking asphalt bike-paths and initially staying on flat terrain, and what I would call the “full-immersion” program that takes rank-beginners into the heart of the matter, the mountain and its crazy trails.

The first one is good, but can quickly become boring and let's face it, isn't much different from riding a road bike, albeit a much heavier and clunkier one. After purchasing a nice mountain bike, some folks do this at first, but don't stay with it for long; they get bored and don't see the excitement.

Another way is to get directly into the world of mountain biking, either through the avenue of lift-assisted, downhill biking or ease into the single-track cross-country side of the activity (the thing we do.) The age of the participant also plays a crucial role. Teenagers and young adults can ease into mountain biking by learning with buddies and thanks to a combination of grit, good balance, athletic abilities, pride and lots of practice, can learn the rudiment of the sport and improve remarkably fast.

For adults, and particularly those over forty, it's a different matter as time isn't as easily available, falling always hurts, is never a good option and mountain biking it's not the kind of sport that can be easily practiced by the entire family. So most folks get into mountain biking either by accident, special circumstances or just because they want to try something new.

In this group, the best would be to start by taking lessons as there definitely is a technique to be learned and this can save a lot of grief to the newcomer. Also, it's always a smart idea to err on the side of caution when choosing a new trail and practice as often as possible, in my opinion, no less than 20 to 30 times a season.

What got us so much enthused about the sport has been the fact that we could access the trails directly from home, we were retired and had all the time in the world to do it, and since we don't play golf, the only summer alternative for us would have been hiking, but is more time consuming. The morale of a successful foray into mountain biking as an adult is to take lessons, stick to it and do it as often as possible. Enjoy your ride!