I went mountain biking for the first time this week — and it was awesome! After hearing tales from all of my cycling friends about the wonders of off roading, I finally tagged along with two more experienced friends. We headed to Duthie Hill — a mountain biking park less than an hour from Seattle — and I learned the basics.
Renting Gear
Although my friends (Alex Bloom and Nathan Kane) have their own tricked out rigs, as a total newbie I decided to rent. The fantastic folks at Recycled Cycles rented me a perfect beginners bike for only $30 — the best deal in town. I tried out the Kona Blast: “Perhaps the best-riding hardtail mountain bike on the planet for the price, the Blast has delivered more wide-eyed smiles than we could ever keep track of.”
I’d have to agree with their review. My smiles were a mile and a half wide the whole ride — the same size as my eyes when encountering a terrifying new bit of terrain.
Duthie Hill
Considered one of the best mountain biking parks in the Pacific Northwest, I was happy to find the park had plenty for everyone. While there were terrifying jumps twice my height that led me to imagine the feeling of my teeth all shattering as I flew face first into a mound of dirt, there were plenty of trails for me and other newer riders to try as well.
With 120 acres (no typo here) of dense forest, the park has miles of perfectly groomed trail catering to every skill set and style of cyclist. And, even better, before heading into the woods, there is a large clearing that offers riders the ability to practice the moves before heading into a real-life situation.
First Time Cyclists
As I mentioned, this was my first time ever mountain biking. Luckily, my friends were patient and great teachers! To begin with, we practiced standing up while cycling, keeping my feet horizontal to the ground (so the crank doesn’t get lodged on the top of every bump), and leaning into berms (banked turns). Then we headed off to the trail to try a sweeping, berm-riddled cross country trail. As we went along, a lot of my fears were assuaged.
The bike, as Alex told me time and again, is made for the terrain. The tires are great at gripping dirt and rock, the breaks are built to stop you, and centrifugal force pulls you into turns. Basically, when it comes down to it, the less I did, the more comfortable I felt.
And did I mention: it was a BLAST!
Tell me about your first time mountain biking below, or parks that I should visit across the country. I can’t wait to go back!
Just keep spinning. –Arielle