Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is a sub category of cycling. It involves an adult size bike, and riding in various places. There are several types of mountain biking. These are known as cross country, freestyle, racing, Downhill Mountain biking and road bike racing. Each bike needed for these types of biking are different, and are built to serve their individual purpose.

Downhill mountain biking is the most fun that I have had out of doing all of these sports. This involves finding a huge hill, or mountain, and riding down a track which has jumps, berms and obstacles. Mountain biking downhill takes a huge amount of skill, and to learn to navigate quickly around trees, over jumps and ride as fast as you can is a difficult task. Downhill mountain biking is a sport which is hugely popular in several parts of the world, so much as there are mountain biking parks, with tracks of all levels designed for people to enjoy.

Mountain bikes are made to be able to do their particular type of mountain biking safely and easily. Some mountain bikes have disc brakes, front and rear suspension, and various frame formations. The more severe the obstacles which are created, the stronger the bikes components need to be, and the better the suspension needs to be. Cross Country Mountain biking usually means you need dual suspension, hydraulic disc brakes and a very strong mountain bike frame, which is different to some forms of cycling.

Road racing mountain biking is done on very light weight bikes with skinny tires, light weight frames and clip on shoes into the pedals. These mountain bikes are often made out of carbon fiber, and aluminum. These bikes are able to achieve massive speeds, but are designed to be ridden on smooth surfaces, such as asphalt, concrete and timber. The components on these mountain bikes are not very strong, as they do not cop a large amount of abuse.

My mountain bike is a Norco Manic. It has hydraulic disc brakes, front suspension and a very strong frame. I have taken this mountain bike through various terrains, and given it a huge thrashing, and it’s still running fine. As I write this, my mountain bike has a flat tire, so I am in the process of fixing it up. Make sure you are prepared when you go mountain biking; a hole in your tube will stop you for a long time.

Some things to remember when going mountain biking:
•    Water – take more than what you need. If it’s hot, take more than what you think you need. Mountain biking is a sport which will tire you and make you extremely thirsty. I find when mountain biking that a hydration pack works well. This is just a backpack with a bladder that holds water, and a tube which you can suck on to get water out. These fit tight to your back, so when you are mountain biking you don’t lose your balance.
•    Spare parts – tubes are the most important, and you can buy mountain biking tube foam, which can replace the air if you get a flat tire. Other spare parts which are a good idea to take when mountain biking are chain repair kits, Allen keys, a shifter and anything else specific to your bike.
•    A first aid kit – it’s easy to have an accident when mountain biking, so be prepared for something to go wrong.
•    A helmet, gloves, long sleeve shirt and pants, because this offers maximum protection if you do come off when mountain biking. Ensure the clothing breathes well, so you don’t get too hot.
•    A sense of care; don’t try something that is beyond your ability. Check the track out before you ride it quickly; the last thing you want when mountain biking is to ride off a 3 meter drop when you’re not expecting it.

Other mountain biking that I have done is basically jumps at a bmx track. I love getting air when I am mountain biking, so a track with jumps on it is ideal. Mountain biking tends to be more controllable than bmx, and when I am just under 6 foot 6, I don’t fit very well on a small bike.

Mountain biking is truly one of my more favorite sports, because I love doing jumps, and riding down a mountain fast. It’s a sport I would recommend to anyone, even if you don’t get into it too seriously.