Single track, hard tail, stumpjumper, soft tail, downhill ... if you are "into" mountain bikes (MTB), these terms are familiar. What is MTBing and how is it different than other forms of riding a bike? In a nutshell, MTBing is riding a bike off road. There are many styles of bikes designed for off-road riding and many hardcore MTBers own more than one style of bike.
The geocacher known as flask owns four different MTBs and is hoping for a fifth bike. According to flask, her mother buys all her bikes so I’m guessing her mother must really loves her because these bikes can costs between $300 to $3,000 per bike. Being a relative newbie to the sport of MTBing, I solicitated the help of several geocachers that list mountain biking as one of their "other" hobbies.
Geocachers like flask, kokopeli, and Cache Viking all responded enthusiastically to an interview. One thing I noticed all three of these geocachers share is a total love of the mountain biking sport.
Kokopeli said, "Bicycling has enriched my life for 32 years and counting, just as geocaching has enriched my life for the last 20 or so months. It's all about the quality of the experience. I've been on bad bike rides and bad cache hunts, but when they are good, they are very good."
According to Cache Viking, "Family bike rides are a big part of the family activity, and the kids often ask if we have any new caches in our area."
It appears there is no standard story regarding the invention of MTBing. Some historians attribute the first U.S. MTB to the famous Buffalo Soldiers Calvary. According to the MTB Hall of Fame , the Buffalo Soldiers in 1896 were required to move supplies over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast. Their mission was to test a special bike for use over mountainous terrain.
Another popular story involves The Cupertino Riders, aka the Morrow Dirt Club, from Cupertino, Calif., 75 miles south of Marin, who were modifying their bikes. They were grafting thumbshift-operated derailleurs and motorcycle lever-operated drum brakes to their klunkers to help them get up and down the south bay hills. They competed against some future hall-of-famers at a Marin County cyclecross race in late 1974, where their technology was noticed. Then they disappeared.
TC – Why do you ride MTBs? Instead of, say, a road bike ...
Kokopeli - Actually I ride both, and road biking was my roots way back in the ’70s. I received one of the first Stumpjumpers from the shop I was working at in 1981 and have been mountain biking ever since. My current bike is about my fourth Stumpjumper. Mountain biking gives me an adrenaline sport at times and a great sense of exploration. I find road biking to be more of a work out and easier to get into a certain rhythm.
Cache Viking - I have been riding Mountain Bikes for about nine years now. Many years before, I used to ride road bikes 50 to 100 miles every weekend but quit when I moved and found the roads hard to share with vehicles. A coworker saw my old dusty road bike hanging in the garage and asked me if I would like to try mountain biking. I have always liked getting out on the trails hiking, and the idea of biking in the backcountry sounded like lots of fun. So on a borrowed mountain bike off I went for a casual 15-mile trail ride. That one ride is all it took as I quickly bought a basic hard tail that I replaced with a full-suspension bike not long after.
TC - Is MTB a sport that anyone can take up and do well? Is it as hard as say ... hitting a 90 MPH fastball?
flask - Doing anything really well is difficult and depends on both innate ability and dedication. On the other hand, anyone can learn to do a thing reasonably well if they've a mind to. When I started biking I weighed well over 210 pounds and was sick all the time. My mom bought me a bike because she thought it would help. I started riding trails because my neighbors brought me one time. Somebody convinced me that it would be fun to race, and that's where I met the crashcos http://www.geocaching.com/profile/default.aspx?A=96858 , who are about as good friends as anybody could ever hope to have. The people were very supportive and welcoming and didn't care that I was out of shape and slow, and I kept coming back. I used to be last in every race every week, but now I place pretty respectably and have a few trophies to show for it.
Kokopeli - I have sold bikes to people in their eighties. One can get into this sport as far as their drive and abilities will take them. At the top echelons of the sport, the pros certainly earn their bucks and are every bit as professional as their major league counterparts. I couldn't hit a fastball, but I certainly have aced downhills that amaze even me.
TC - What is the most common MTB-type of injury?
Cache Viking - After a weekend away with the guys I came home with two black eyes, a scraped up face and a helmet split up the middle making it a perfect example to teach my kids the importance of a helmet. It was while riding (near Laguna Seca, Calif.) that I used the GPS carried in my Camelbak when we came upon a downed rider with a messed up back and shoulder. It was obvious he was not going to be walking out so with a GPS we got area rescue crews to the downed rider and then again used it to bring in a Coast Guard Helicopter to where we were to airlift the rider out.
flask – The most common, according to my own observation, is the series of small lacerations you get when your chain ring rakes or punctures (usually) your right calf. In terms of injuries requiring medical attention, many of us have separated shoulders or broken wrists, which is what happens when you go flying over the handlebars. We don't even consider bruises to be injuries, but rather decorations.
Kokopeli - Think of a pizza. Now see that pizza all over your hip. That is caused by falling down but won't stop the enthusiast from riding even the next day. Also common and more debilitating are broken collarbones and hips. Head injuries are surprisingly rare, as helmet use has been well received.
TC - How many times have you used your MTB to get to a cache?
flask - I use my bike as often as I can; I have patellar tendons that don't track well, so walking hurts a lot. If the trail looks bike suitable and bikes are permitted, I will usually ride anything over a quarter mile. ...unless I’m too lazy to unrack my bike. In that case, a half-mile is the dividing point.
I ride even on some pretty rough terrain because I have decent bike-handling skills and walking on rough terrain is even more painful.
Cache Viking - So far all the caching adventures have been just me and the kids. I do not live in an area with decent cache density, which requires a drive of at least an hour to get to any. If I lived in an area with lots of caches I would have to say many would be found using my bike. As for caches found while mountain biking, that has been only two.
TC - What range of people, such as by age and gender, do you see enjoying the sport? Are all MTBers lean, mean, muscle machines like Lance Armstrong?
Kokopeli - I rode with a 7-year-old that taught me new tricks, and one of the toughest rides I’ve done was with a 75-year-old stud. The majority of riders are still male, though the women that ride would spare no quarter on this old guy. Lance is one of a kind. Anyone committed to riding on a regular basis will certainly develop a strong physique to match his or her level. Not too many big people on bikes.
flask - I see men and women and children at races regularly. I know some very tough riders in their 60s and 70s. I know one boy about six years old who rides a mountain unicycle. I’m lucky that my local race and club culture provides opportunities for riders of all shapes and skills. Little overweight middle-aged ladies are not uncommon. I used to like to say that I’m getting thinner and faster, but I’m not getting any younger.
TC - What advice do you have for someone looking to buy a MTB and get into the sport?
Cache Viking - Since starting mountain biking I have got my wife into the sport and she too has a full-suspension bike. We are both in our 40s and have each competed twice in 24-Hour Mountain Bike races on 5-person relay teams, which was an experience and blast to do.
flask - Go into a bike shop and tell the salesman three things: your price range, the kind of riding you do now, and the kind of riding you hope to do in, say, a year or so. Try out every bike you can. The one that fits you best is the one you should get. Don't place too much emphasis on how the seat feels. Seats can be changed easily.
Kokopeli - I'm biased. Buy from a shop and establish a relationship with someone there you trust. Peer advise is well intentioned, but most biker's experiences pale in comparison to someone who has had hundreds of encounters guiding people to the best bike for the needs and budget of the consumer.
TC - Where are some of the best places to enjoy MTBing?
Kokopeli - Ummm, out your back door? I can ride trails on my commute to work, and I've traveled thousands of miles to ride a single trail. I suppose Moab and Colorado are common fantasy destinations, but any time I'm on a bike is a good time.
Cache Viking - One of our favorite places to go riding is Fort Ord/Laguna Seca Race Track area near Monterey, Calif. It is a nice 3-hour drive from here, and there is a campground at Laguna Seca.
flask - On any trail that allows bikes. I'm partial to the Catamount Family Center (http://www.catamountoutdoor.com) in Wiliston, VT. Many XC (cross country) ski areas also maintain trails for summer bike use. Local organizations also cut and maintain biking trails in parks.
TC - What five words come to mind when you think of MTBing?
Kokopeli - Sweat, fun, discovery, friends, and tranquility.
Cache Viking - Rip Roaring Good Time Fun.
flask – liberating, fun, healthy, cool ... I still have a word left but I don't think I've missed anything.
