Canberra is the capital of mountain biking in Australia, everyone knows that! We’ve got endless trails to host endless adventures. Those who ride in and around our wonderful city have experienced for themselves the pleasures of the growingly popular pursuit we call mountain biking. While the feeling is unexplainable, below is a collation of just what makes it so great for those who haven’t yet experienced it and for those who love to be reminded.
10. Anyone can go mountain biking – It doesn’t matter if your name is Lance, Louis or even Neil Armstrong, you can ride a bike. You don’t need to be a particular age, height, weight or fitness level. Hell, you don’t even have to be talented! Just jump on your bike and whether you’re a school girl, office worker, tradesman, mother of six or retiree you’ll find mountain biking is just as much for you as it is for the next person.
9. It’s a challenge – It doesn’t matter you’re a novice or a pro you’ll find mountain biking holds a new challenge around every corner. Whether it’s learning a new skill, riding further or faster than ever before or tackling that obstacle that stopped you last time, you’ll be constantly challenged. Once you’ve conquered one challenge, you’ll be searching for the next one. A great cycle of satisfaction!
8. Mountain biking is safe – Contrary to outside opinion, mountain biking is a very safe pursuit. Yes there are those who take their passion to an ‘extreme’ level, but it’s not what it’s all about. While it may seem like you’re hitting Mach 2 as the terrain blurs past, most of the time you’ll be rocketing along no faster than you could run down the garden path. You’ll hit higher speeds during your Sunday ride around the lake. Out on the trails you’ve got no cars, no wayward pedestrians and no reason to go any faster than you feel comfortable with.
7. You can share your time and experience with others – No longer do blokes need to stroll around in a slow moving, distant and artificial environment in the name of a ‘social round of golf.’ The ladies needn’t gather for a sedentary, indoor ‘morning tea’ to catch up on the latest gossip. No! In the age of mountain bikes and open flowing trails you can share that time with your friends not only doing the ‘social’ thing but also having a blast together, enjoying the other 9 reasons as a group. Also what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon with your kids than exploring your local trails and laughing together?
6. It’s great for toning your whole body – So you want those muscles looking sleeker and that butt looking tighter. Maybe you like to cycle around the lake in an attempt to sharpen up. Bad news, that’s not going to do anything but work your legs. Once you’re out negotiating the trails your entire body comes alive! All your muscles work to absorb the undulating surface. Your core muscles activate constantly to balance your weight as the bike moves beneath you. Who needs that ‘Ab King Pro’ collecting dust in the corner! Lets not forget the best thing about cycling for fitness. It’s low impact! No jarring those joints and pounding that cartilage on your inevitable journey to the physiotherapist.
5. The peace and quiet – We all need it but who gets enough? Everyone needs time away from the office and away from the stresses of the daily grind. To be mountain biking is to be momentarily out of reach of society. It’s quiet, it’s calm. Just you and your bike together with your mind clear and a sense of refreshment as you re-enter the real world. Some days you want to push the limits, others you may just want to unwind and go on your own little journey of mental rejuvenation.
4. Every ride’s an adventure – The childhood need of exploration still lays deep in our matured minds, craving the expeditions, quests and journeys that we once dreamed of. While you may not want to be Edmund Hillary, it’s guaranteed you’ll be stimulated by the joy of discovering new trails, routes and destinations. You’ll find places in your own backyard you didn’t know existed. Everyone loves the unknown and it’s a life ridden in anticipation of what’s around the next corner.
3. It gives you freedom – An “exemption from external control, interference and regulation.” “The power to determine action without restraint.” Out on your bike you’re the one in control. You make the choices that determine every step of your journey. Go where you want, the way you want, unhindered by conventional rules and boundaries that dictate life on the road. Freedom is the hidden source of pleasure and satisfaction you’ll feel wherever it is you choose to ride today.
2. Mountain biking is fun! – Yes that’s open to interpretation, but dare to say you didn’t have fun out there. Sure watching movies and going to Laser Zone can be ‘fun’ but you have no control over what stimulates your senses. You have as little or as much ‘fun’ as the outside environment supplies. The ‘fun’ from mountain biking comes from wherever you seek it. You’re in control and nothing feels better than to create an exhilarating experience from your inner self. Wow! ‘I’ just did that!
1. It’s healthy! – On top of all the amazing benefits above, the one thing that mountain biking is best for is your health. Not just mentally, but physically. Why? Because all that time you’ve been riding around enjoying the other top 9 reasons, you’ve been exercising! We all know it helps weight loss and metabolism, assists in the prevention of chronic diseases, decreases the risk of heart attack, aids sleep, digestion, circulation, improves mood, mobility, sex, appetite, etc, etc. Meaning you’ll live longer and feel better doing it. Certainly a ‘number one’ reason.