“More than just riding a bike”
To some, riding a mountain bike means to just grab any bike, throw their leg over it and to begin pedaling on any trail. These riders may just think that all bikes are the same and to think about buying a really expensive bike is just stupid. To many passionate cyclists who live for riding and are competitive in the sport, this thought is repulsive. I am one of these avid cyclists who think that to just ride a bike on a trail is not considered mountain biking however, I do believe that if the person is just wanting to ride for fun, then so be it. When I think of mountain biking, I think of everything that goes into mountain biking as a sport and the type of riding I would be doing, whether it be freeriding or cross country riding. When I think of jumping my bike, I know that I cannot have inferior parts or an unmaintained bike; it has to be in great condition. This is why mountain biking it more than just riding a bike as some would consider.
Mountain biking has been around since about the late 1970’s when they were first nicknamed ‘Klunkerz’. This name was given to them when avid cyclists would tinker with 1940’s Schwinn road bikes installing better brakes, fatter tires, and Moto-cross or BMX (bicycle moto-cross) style handlebars. The First mass produced mountain bike was in 1982 called the Specialized Stumpjumper. In the 1990’s-2000, mountain biking moved from a little unknown sport to a mainstream activity establish today. As with many hobbies, technology became a large factor in the fabrication of mountain bikes from materials such as carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum as opposed to the heavy counterpart being steel. Today there are several different types of mountain bikes to choose from depending on the terrain the biker will be riding on, the size of the bike needed to fit the rider, the amount of suspension desired, the geometry of the frame, and how big of a wallet the rider has. A mountain bike can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars for the highest quality bike equipped with the finest parts however, in this sport the old adage of “you get what you pay for” holds true.
There are many styles of mountain biking to choose from such as cross country (XC), Downhill (DH), Freeride (FR), and All-Mountain (AM) to name a few. Cross country mainly consists of riding on level or slightly changing terrain going up or downhill, and is usually a point to point destination, or a loop on a trail. Cross country is what most people probably consider when they think about mountain biking. Downhill riding is primarily descending a slope on a given course as quickly as possible. There are often many obstacles in downhill riding, including jumps, drops, and rocky sections. Freeride is a much broader realm of riding. For example, a freerider may often ride a very narrow wooden plank raised as high as twenty five feet above the ground, drop off cliffs, raised platforms, or other man-made or natural objects onto a transition up to forty feet below. Another key difference is the emphasis on performing tricks or stylish riding stances while airborne. When I freeride, I mainly focus on getting big air and perfecting my tricks before landing. A good example of a freeride trick is the ever popular ‘whip’ which happens when a rider catches air, and ‘whips’, or flings the back end of their bike out to their left or right side and then swings it back under them to land smoothly. All-Mountain riding is similar to cross country, but with stronger components made for taking abuse over a variety of terrain. All-mountain is the notion to take the bike on the entire mountain from climbing to the top and then descending down as fast as the rider can.
A lot of people ride for different reasons, but all mountain bikers have at least one thing in common; they are passionate about riding and love being outdoors shredding the trail and pushing their limits farther each time they ride. Mountain biking is a great way for a person to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and to enjoy being outside while relieving stress and getting a great workout all at the same time. Riding, for some, is the enjoyment of just getting away from it all. These people enjoy going out and just having fun, they’re not in it for the competition, just to get out, maybe climb up a local hiking trail and enjoy the view from the top. The serenity one experiences from mountain biking will vary between individuals of course, but for them it is all about the enjoyment and experience. Others are in it for the competition, exercise, and the rush they feel when out on a trail going as fast as the can, or landing a jump they’ve never hit before. These adrenaline junkies seem to live for the sport; they are always researching to find new and better products, participating in trail maintenance or trail building through bike local clubs, going to bike events, races or driving long distances just to ride a new trail.
Mountain biking is more than just getting on a bike and riding trails though. There are many aspects to riding techniques, bike handling, and the specifics of the bike such as geometry, materials of each part, size, and weight are all factors to consider. To the casual person riding a bike, they may not know what to look for when going to purchase a bike. A lot of their choices are based off looks and what the salesperson informs them about a specific bike. To the avid cyclists they know each part of the bike, how it works, how to fix it, what size and weight works best for them, and what type of terrain they’ll be riding on. For example a stem on a mountain bike is the component that connects the handlebars to the steering tube of the fork; these can range from 70mm to 130mm for cross country riders. A stem can make a huge difference in bike control, for example, a 110mm stem will center the rider on the bike causing the front tire to ‘stick’ to the ground when corner at high speeds as well as climbing steep grades. A short stem, say a 50mm, works best when the rider is riding downhill and is leaning their weight towards the back of the bike for stability. A short stem is not recommended for cross country riding as the steering becomes to ‘twitchy’ on trails which leads to less stability when climbing. A rider would not want to have a longer stem on a bike when riding downhill or freeride as this would cause too much uneven weight distribution over the handlebars causing the riding to potentially flip over the bars when hitting a jump or flying down a steep grade which if you ask any mountain biker, they would most likely tell you that going over the bars is not a pleasant feeling. For instance, I when I freeride, I ride with a 50mm stem on my bike as it allows me to maintain my weight distribution evenly as I jump and go downhill at high speeds. If I were to install a 100mm stem and freeride, my weight would be heavier in the front whenever I jump, thus causing my to ‘endo’ or go end over end from landing on my front tire.
Injuries are inevitable when riding a mountain bike; they will happen at one point or another however, a rider can decrease their injuries by wearing protective gear and taking safety precautions. Being prepared is also an important detail when preparing to ride a trail, especially on unfamiliar trails. Wearing protective gear should always include a helmet, but depending on the riders’ skill level and the type of riding, more gear may need to be worn to protect the rider in the event of a wreck. Gloves, safety glasses, or body armor will protect a rider. Regardless of skill level, no rider can predict a wreck before it happens. Gloves will protect the hands and fingers from abrasions. Safety glasses protect against debris on the trail whereas wearing filtered lenses such as yellow lenses on cloudy days or shaded lenses on sunny days, can protect the eyes from strain. Body armor can consist of full faced helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, shin pads, and a chest and spin protector. Clothing is also another important factor when riding certain types of terrain. Downhill riders wear shorts or pants and a long sleeve shirt that is made of a thicker material to protect against abrasions during a wreck. Cross country riders normally wear light weight shorts and a shirt depending on the weather. Although not normally worn by cross country riders, body armor is more suitable for downhill or freeriding when the degree of injuries is elevated greatly. A cross country rider would typically wear gloves, glasses and an open faced helmet instead of a full faced because cross country riders need more visibility when riding on narrow trails.
It should always be the priority of a rider to gain what they are seeking from the sport of mountain biking, whether it is to unwind after a day at the office, to increase their endurance in order to push themselves a little harder in a race, or increase their jumping distance. Others may participate in the sport for more than just one of these reasons. For example, some riders ride for exercise and relaxation, which may sound strange they can find exercise relaxing but, it’s also about just enjoying the ride. Another good illustration is that I love freeriding. I get a rush out of the speed, tight corning, and hitting newer and bigger jumps every opportunity I can. However, what I enjoy the most of all about mountain biking is going out on a trail with my dog running alongside of me as we climb a tough section of trail to the mountain top to enjoy the amazing views over the valleys below. Retrospectively, mountain biking does not have to be all about having the best parts and equipment in the sport, nor about being a better rider than the next guy, it should be about having a good time and enjoying yourself.