Mountain biking

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Mountain biking is the sport of riding bicycles off paved roads. It requires endurance, bike handling skills and self-reliance. It is an individual sport performed on dirt roads, fire roads, access roads, park trails and mountain trails. There are aspects of mountain biking that are more similar to trail running than regular bicycling. Because riders are often far from civilization, there is a strong ethic of self-reliance in the sport. Riders must learn to repair their broken bikes or flat tires to avoid being stranded miles from help. This reliance on survival skills accounts for the group dynamics of the sport. Club rides and other forms of group rides are common, especially on longer treks.

It is roughly broken down into three categories: cross country, downhill, and freeriding. However all mountain bikes have a somewhat similar look, knobby tires, large round tubing, and usually some sort of suspension or shock absorbers. Mountain biking can be done anywhere from a back yard to a gravel road, but mountain bikers often prefer to ride trails they call singletrack, a narrow trail that winds through forest or fields. Mountain bikers describe a sense of euphoria that results from singletrack or downhill riding.

History of mountain biking

Bicycles have been ridden off-road since their invention, however the modern sport of mountain biking primarily originated in the United States in the 1970's. There were several groups of riders in different areas of the country who can make valid claims to playing a part in the birth of the sport. Riders in Crested Butte, Colorado and Cupertino, California tinkered with bikes and adapted them to the rigors of off-road riding. Other riders around the country were probably copying their friends with motorcycles and riding their bikes on trails and fire roads. However, a group in Marin County, California is recognized by the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame to have played a central role in the birth of the sport as we know it today. They began racing down Mount Tamalpais (Mt Tam) on old 1930's and 40's Schwinn bicycles retrofitted with better brakes and fat tires. This group included Joe Breeze, Otis Guy and Gary Fisher, among others. It was Joe Breeze who built the first new, purpose-made mountain bike in 1977. Tom Ritchey built the first regularly available mountain bike frame, which was accessorized by Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly and sold by their company called MountainBikes (later changed to Gary Fisher Bicycle Company). The first two mass produced mountain bikes were sold in 1982: the Specialized Stumpjumper and Univega Alpina Pro. Alistair is a pro mt biker who did the mt fromme road gap avec matt

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A rider during a Cross Country race

In 1988 the Mountain bike hall of fame was founded, to chronicle the history of mountain biking, and to recognize the individuals and groups that have contributed significantly to this sport.

Equipment

Mountain bikes differ from road racing bicycles in several ways. They have a smaller and stronger frame, knobby tires on wheels that are wider and smaller in diameter, a lower range of gears to facilitate climbing up steep hills and over obstacles, a wider flat or upwardly-rising handlebar that allows a more upright riding position, and usually some form of suspension system for either the front wheel or both wheels. The inherent comfort and flexibility of the modern mountain bike has led to an estimated 80% market share in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

While it is estimated that only 10-20% of mountain bikes are actually ridden off-road, the sport of mountain biking has seen an explosion in popularity and diversification. Template:Details

Advocacy

Mountain Bikers have faced land access issues from the beginnings of the sport. Areas where the first mountain bikers have ridden have faced serious restrictions or elimination of riding.

Many trails were originally animal paths, hiking trails, or multi-use paths that were simply used for these new trail users. Trail users had a mixed reaction to this new user group, and while some people and areas were accepting, others were not. Areas that the first mountain bikers had ridden were now being limited or eliminated. About this time the interpretation of the Wilderness Act was revised in Congress to be able to exclude these new trail users.

The challenges that faced these first mountain bikers led to the development of local, regional, and international mountain bike groups. The different groups that formed generally work to create new trails, maintain existing trails, and help existing trails that may have issues. Groups work with private and public entities from the individual landowner to city parks departments, on up through the state level at the DNR, and into the federal level. Different groups will work individually or together to try and achieve results.

Advocacy organizations work through a variety of means including education, trail work days, and trail patrols. Examples of the education an advocacy group can provide include: Educate local bicycle riders, property managers, and other user groups on the proper development of trails, and on IMBA's rules of the Trail. Examples of trail work days can include: Flagging, cutting, and signing a new trail, or removing downed trees after a storm. A trail patrol is a bike rider who has had some training to help assist other (including non cyclists) trail users.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is a non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide. IMBA serves as an umbrella organization for mountain biking advocacy worldwide, and represents more than 700 affiliated mountain biking groups.

In 1988, faced with the threat of widespread trail closures in California, five mountain bike clubs linked to form IMBA. The founding clubs were: Concerned Off Road Bicyclists Association, Bicycle Trails Council East Bay, Bicycle Trails Council Marin, Sacramento Rough Riders and Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers.

Other advocacy groups include:

Regional U.S. advocacy groups

State advocacy groups

Regions within a state

City/local advocacy groups

Types of Mountain Biking

Mountain biking can more or less be split into 6 different catagories.

Downhill is generally racing bikes downhill as fast as possible. Obviously it would still be downhill if it were not in competition, but most people would consider that to be leaning more towards freeride.

Freeride is basically anything you want it to be. Some people believe that freeride is more of a marketing term than anything. It can be anything from hucking your bike off huge drops, to just going out and messing about on your bike.

Street riding consists of riding in urban areas, riding on ledges and other man made obsticals. Riders will do tricks as well as stalls and grinds.

Dirt Jumping is jumping the bike over large man made dirt jumps and then doing tricks whilst they are in the air. The jumps are built close together so that the rider will go over about 6 or so jumps in one run.

Cross Country is just going out and riding your bike up and down hills. It's the least extreme form of mountain biking, but most XC riders will be very fit, and go on long rides. XC riders generally prefer to keep both wheels on the ground.

Trials is considered to be part of mountain biking, although the bikes look almost nothing like mountain bikes. They use either 20" or 26" wheels and have very small, low frames. Riders will hop and jump their bikes over obsticals, generally urban. This requires an excellent sense of balance.

The North Shore

The North Shore of Vancouver, British Columbia is a world-renowned mecca of mountain biking. Template:Details

See also

External links and references

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