MOUNTAIN BIKING ADVENTURE

While unloading the bikes I took a quick look around the grass parking lot and thought, for the first time of the day (but not the last), that I might be in over my head.  The outfit I wore for the upcoming adventure consisted of blue mesh shorts and a cotton t-shirt…not a bicycling jersey, spandex shorts, and biking shoes like everyone else was wearing.  If I wasn’t feeling enough like a newbie my bike looked child’s toy compared the mud caked bikes with knobby tires and aggressive stances that were also being unloaded.   Yup.  It was going to be a long day.

We rode what the International Mountain Bicycling Association calls an Epic trail.  Here is how their website describes this type of trail, “demanding, single-track adventures in a natural setting.  The 2013 class of Epics celebrates true back country riding experiences that are technically and physically challenging, more than 80 percent single-track and at least 20 miles in length.”  (The section I did was only around 17 miles.)

Demanding?!?!  Holy Cow.  This ride humbled me within the first 15 minutes.  I should probably mention that I have never been mountain biking before and the people I was riding with are experts.  I'm not talking about self-proclaimed experts, I'm talking about the kind that have all been on competitive mountain biking race teams at one point or another.  They made everything look so easy, especially the climbing.  On more occasions than I’d like to admit, I had to get off my bike and walk it up the inclines.

Although I slowed down the group everyone was really supportive and encouraging.  The downhill part was obviously much faster than the climbing, but still very challenging.  It is amazing how quickly you can gain speed going down a mountain.  One of the best pieces of advice from the day was to try and keep your eyes looking 10 feet in front of the bike rather than just looking at what is immediately in front of you.  Which, is easier said than done.  My only wipe-out of the day happened with only about a half-mile left of the ride.  I forgot the whole, “look 10 feet ahead of the bike” rule and almost ran into a tree.  I avoided that crash by swerving into a pile of kitty-litter (small, loose rocks) and over I went.  Since I didn’t break anything (on me or the bike) and I didn’t fall off the side of a mountain I’ll call it a win.   

One of the scariest parts of the decent was going over the boulders…sometimes you couldn’t see the bottom of them until you were already heading down.  Luckily, I was coached about the proper way to go down/over them and did it without incident.  

Another learning opportunity came when we were loading the bikes back into the truck at the end of the day.  The speed release lever on my front wheel had been jarred lose and my wheel was barely staying on.  Now I know that if my bike starts making odd noises while going down the mountain that I should stop and make sure everything is tight.

At the end of the day I was exhausted, humbled, sore, and extremely happy.  I now understand the draw of the sport and why people continue to go back for more.

I’m hooked and can’t wait to go again.