Biking

I always loved riding my bike around in my neighborhood as a child. I did not have any siblings so I had to learn how to entertain myself and riding my bike became my escape in a way. I loved putting on some music and just going as fast as I can in my own little world. The faster you go, the more it feels like nothing can touch you. 

In the summer when it is hot it is also fun to ride through sprinklers in the neighborhood. The water on your skin feels really nice once you start going fast and helps me stay cool in the heat. When you grow up without a pool in Texas you have to improvise. I get overheated really easily and my face just gets really red instead of sweating so I have to find other ways to keep cool. One year to encourage myself to get outside more, I found this water bottle that also has a mister to spray my face with and that has helped. The more you sweat when you take a break, the nicer it feels when you start up again on your skin, like getting out of the pool on a hot day. 

I started mountain biking last year in 2023 after learning more about it from a co-worker whose husband decided to challenge himself in this contest to ride 10 trails in 24 hours put on by a local non-profit organization. I thought it was a cool idea which I had never heard of and was curious to learn more about. Eventually we became closer friends and she was gracious to let me accompany her while they drove around to all of the specified trails. I saw a bunch of other people of all ages trying it out, some women, even kids! It was fun visiting all the different parks around the area. I didn’t end up staying with them all the way until the end but they did end up finishing all trails late into the evening. Crazy business.

It was after that experience I decided that I wanted to try it sometime, though I did not get to this year even after it got rained out this summer and moved from July to September. I am glad it got moved though because it gets too hot in the summer now anyway. The only time it is decent to be outside in the summer in Texas from May until like August (almost into September) is early in the morning before 8 am and I am not a morning person at all. I enjoy sleeping in on the weekends so it will have to be during the week and I am so drained by the end of the workday I don’t have energy.

I am hoping with the cooler weather I can get out there more to ride but it is difficult to stay motivated and find the perfect time and energy combination to exercise. I did get a hydration backpack similar to a Camelback so I can stay hydrated while riding. It has a hose that you can keep in your mouth while riding to get water so you don’t have to stop. Also, if you put ice in it then it should stay cold on your back and keep any snacks from melting or anything. That has made riding in the summer a bit more bearable and I highly recommend one.

I have to make sure not to eat anything really big beforehand and only light things in the morning, which also bringing snacks that will give me lasting energy. There have been a few times I didn’t eat enough before I went and tired out early before we got to the end. Thankfully I made it through okay but would not wish that on anyone so eat food before you go, just not right before you go. Timing food is hard for me because my body’s metabolism is so fast but anything multigrain with nuts stick with you longer. I also found this trail mix that was a life saver for me.

When we started riding, I had a bike already I used which was 10 years old and hadn’t been ridden in sometime. We started on a regular trail but I struggled even on that and it wasn’t even a mountain bike trail. So, I took it to a local bike shop and added new mountain bike tires on it and gave it a tune up so we could try out an actual mountain bike trail. This was just in time for me to realize that it just won’t cut it on the mountain bike trails. I was struggling that much more to keep up with them who had actual mountain bikes so I gave in and I looked into getting my own. 

I never realized how expensive they could get until I finally started looking. I had no idea all this time. The first legit mountain bike I got is a Trek Marlin 7 (pictured below) and it is so much different than a ‘normal’ bike so I had some adjusting to do. It has been light and day difference though on the trail versus my other bike. I keep seeing videos of people mountain biking through mountains and forests and it makes me excited to do that.

The seats that come standard on mountain bikes are all super flat and thin with no cushion really at all, which I thought was weird given you would be riding a while. You can get padded pants to help but I am almost always sore after riding. You can change the seat out but then it looks weird so I have left mine. The handlebars are different as well. They are flatter and you only have gears on one side. There are brakes on both sides but to change gears its on the right side and it doesn’t show you which gears it is like what I am used to but you don't need to know that.  

There are different sizes when it comes to mountain bikes as opposed to normal bikes where you don’t get a choice in size unless you go for a bigger wheel while for like mine for example you can get a X-Small or Small for the same wheel size. The flexibility of choosing a size means you can choose the bike you want and then customize it to fit you. This one has sizes from X-Small to XXL, though others might not have the same size selection. It is fun to pick and choose what color combinations you like best.

I started doing turns in my neighborhood with a regular bike to get the idea of it and shifting in general. While riding on a mountain bike trail I went through a couple corners really fast and I remember thinking that they were scary but fun like life. I have found myself very resourceful and knowing more that I think I do when put into action so I have made it through some tricky turns where I could have fell but didn’t. I made the mistake of sticking my foot out to brace myself and that could have ended badly. Try to keep feet on pedals. I even made it up a few hills that I wasn’t sure I would make it all the way up. It all depends on how you go into the turn or hill and not forgetting to shift. If you do so timidly, thinking you won’t make it, then you won’t give what you need to make it through. You need to build and keep up speed and momentum going into it to carry you through, but not too much or else you will use up all your energy up prematurely.

One thing I really struggle with on riding trails is keeping from using up all my energy. Usually when I start to really enjoy being out in nature I forget to shift or slow down into a turn and use up more energy that I need. Honestly the hardest thing for me is to remember when to shift up and when to shift down because I seem to get them switched or miss doing it at all and just make it more difficult on myself. That is my default mode I have realized- hard mode. I noticed from mountain biking that I seem to work against myself a lot so I have to work that much harder to counteract or correct, which is a pattern I notice in life too. It does help me to learn, I wish I didn’t automatically default there. Maybe it is something I can be more conscious of to change.

You also have to pay attention while riding because there are others on the trail and there is trail etiquette to keep in mind. Sometimes you have to move over for others going faster and they are supposed to tell you if there are more behind them in their group because usually people ride together. Or you might be having to do that when you pass others. 

Also, you have to pay attention to weather and trail conditions. If there is any mud, water, or sand/loose gravel to have to be extra careful. Mud will make your tires unusable and make it that much harder for you to pedal so it is best to turn around if there is too much mud or water. Riding over sand you can easily lose control because the tires do not have traction. Just like paying attention to changing road conditions while driving a car, while riding a bike you have to pay attention to changing weather and trail conditions because they can change suddenly.

It has helped me to think of my bike like a manual car because it is essentially that but without somethings. They both have shifting, tires, suspension, brakes, and steering. Some bikes are even electric now for some assist while riding. Crazy to think there is a whole other world for mountain biking but I guess there are communities for everything. If not riding I am also thinking about volunteering clearing trails or assisting with other events just to get out more. Volunteering is something I have a bad habit of talking about doing but not actually getting around to doing. After COVID, I find it harder and harder to get out of the house and do something where I might have to interact with the general public. Though, I often find myself missing riding on the trails and look at my bike sitting there not being ridden and feeling sad.

What I like about mountain biking specifically and I didn’t mind dropping good money on a bike is because of a one word in the name. Mountain. After many trips to Colorado and wanting to go there for my high school graduation but instead getting to experience Switzerland I have realized how much I love mountains and forests. Or really just nature in general. Mountain biking essentially incorporates biking and nature into something fun and challenging. I really enjoy just being in the moment and zoning out. Living in the city I really start to miss the green and thick forests scenery outside of the city and the overall vibe of Colorado. I am hoping in the future to live closer to mountains or nature.

Though you can’t let nature distract you too much from the trail in front of you because there is the potential for coming across wildlife, which is always exciting but can be dangerous. There have been a few times riding in the morning we came across a dear, thankfully no collisions. Biking seems to really help my confidence as I have realized I can do more and better than I expect so I have learned to try it anyway. I often am more optimistic about others abilities than my own and biking has helped me to realize just how much more I can do if I just trust in myself and try, which is true outside of biking as well. 

"Life is like taking a corner fast on a bike- scary but fun"