First Time Mountainbiking

[hibiscus09]

Last week I went with my family for a week long adventure trip in Beaver Creek, Colorado. One of the activities we signed up for was downhill mountainbiking, assuming it would be a beginner trail. LOL Well, we ended up coming down 17 miles of mountain with pretty steep hills, hairpin turns, singletracking, etc. What a rush!! I was scared for a while at the beginning and about 5 people crash and burned on the way down. There were bloody legs all around. It was my first time mountain biking -- well, the whole family's -- and so much fun!! I have a road bike.

The only really hard part was one incline of 300ft that almost did us all in as none of us were from higher elevations. I was definitely having a hard time breathing, as I'm from South Carolina!

Colorado is such a beautiful state and the weather was awesome compared to all the humidity we have here in the summer.

Fun, fun! My 14 year old son wants a mountain bike now. He fell once pretty badly, but got right back up and went even faster downhill!

We also were able to horseback ride, zipline, canoe, do archery in the woods aiming at bogus animals and white water raft.

[Adventure Girl]

I was kind of wondering when you posted earlier that you were going to go "downhilling". That's not what I would have picked for a first-time mountain biker. But it sounds like all is well and you enjoyed it! It really is a rush, isn't it?

Did you ride on trails or fire roads or a downhill course? Why did they call this downhilling? Was it because you took a bus, tram, ski lift or shuttle to the top and rode down? Normally what is considered downhilling doesn't last 17 miles. But the bloody legs part sure sounds like it!

I'm glad you had a good time!

[hibiscus09]

Hi Adventure Girl! This was a trip we won through my husband's business and they advertised it as a "Family Adventure" trip. Usually on these trips, when they take us out on activities like horseback riding and the like, they choose beginner trails or activities, as there are a variety of people on the trips and a variety of ages. The mountain biking was listed for 8 years old and above. Luckily, my children are 14 and 19. There was one boy who looked to be about 11 years old and I don't think he was real amused. My daughter was actually in tears for a while and she's the 19 year old! It was pretty scary stuff even for me and I've road biked -- I can imagine how the people who didn't regularly ride a bike were feeling. One lady appeared to be in her 50s and she took a bad spill on the gravel (which is where I definitely did not want to fall). Anyway, she was bloody and dirty and looking like she needed a valium afterwards.

There were places where I was scared for the kids because it seemed like if you crashed you could slide down the mountain it was so steep off to the side. I guess the trees would have stopped us.

They drove us way up a mountain on a regular road in a van and dropped us off at what I suppose what the top of the course. The first part coming down was this awful bark stuff -- very hard to ride in -- I didn't like it. Then it just turned into a trail that was dirt, road, rocks, ditches, etc., and hairpin turns-- the turns were pretty hard to negotiate and people were falling a lot -- after that we went a ways on gravel, then to a single track area and I almost felt like I was riding through the bushes (LOL) -- , next it was back to dirt trails with the rocks, stumps and the like, then finally the last 4 miles or so we were back on the road -- so the mountain bike part was around 13 miles. We were staying in Beaver Creek Colorado (right next to Vail) and went up from Vail in the van. The trail crossed back and forth a lot down the mountain in places -- zig-zagged, I mean.

I never fell, but I can easily see how mountain bikers fall a lot!!

[Irulan]

So glad you were able to have fun... now maybe you can see why some of us get hooked. I'd love to get you out on some beautiful easy mountain single track sometime!! the kind that winds throuhg aspen trees and a meadow... that's where they should take you!!

so glad you had a good time.

Did they just let you have at it, or did you get any tips, sounds like you had kind of a wild ride...

~I

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by Irulan
I'd love to get you out on some beautiful easy mountain single track sometime!! the kind that winds throuhg aspen trees and a meadow... that's where they should take you!!

Can I go, too?? Can I, can I? Please!!!! I'll eat all my vegies and put away all my toys. I promise!! Please Please Please!!

[Adventure Girl]

I've taken a few first timers out mountain biking, and that's NOT the kind of trip I plan for them. Their first trip should be ALL fun with a little bit of excitement thrown in. I think a ride like that would discourage lots of potential future riders! It seems like some of these people would say, "I'm sure glad that's over." They should be saying, "That was GREAT! Let's do it again!"

[Irulan]

no kidding, when I've seen what some ijits think is a good idea for a first ride. I know a guy, he took his 3 months pregnant wife off the most white knuckle exposed trail here in town for her first ride! Sure it's flat, but you sure dont' want to look over the edge...

Hey AG, I'll hold him down while you thump him...

~i

[pedalfaster]

Originally posted by hibiscus09
I never fell, but I can easily see how mountain bikers fall a lot!!

Yowzers!

I'm with the other gals on this; doesn't sound like a nice way to introduce beginners to the sport at all!

MTBers *do* fall a lot, but when riding "downhill" or trying new tricks and stunts, many riders opt for protection in the form of full-fingered gloves, elbow and shin guards, and full-faced helmets. I'm just curious about what kind of protection this tour company offered you guys. What kind of bikes did they provide? Did guides accompany the group down the mountain? Offer instruction and tips?

Glad to hear that you and your family survived the adventure!

[Irulan]

Originally posted by pedalfaster
MTBers *do* fall a lot, but when riding "downhill" or trying new tricks and stunts, ma [/B]

lol... some of us tip over and do dumb stuff like look at "things" when we should be looking down the trail.

who, me?



Irulan

[hibiscus09]

Did they just let you have at it, or did you get any tips, sounds like you had kind of a wild ride...

They just lined us up on the bikes and said, I guess everyone knows how to operate the gears? Noone said a word! I know all those people didn't know how to use those gears! When I first got my road bike I was amazed it had 27 gears! My last bike had been a 10 speed. My daughter said she just kept hers the way it was set the entire time! LOL Anyway, I would have told her a little more if I knew what they were taking us down! I stayed back with her for a while, but then the guide at the rear kind of took her into his care.

The lead guide said there was one big hill, then a stretch that was flatter -- he didn't tell us the mountain was the "big hill" and when we got to the bottom to the road, that was the flat part.

MTBers *do* fall a lot, but when riding "downhill" or trying new tricks and stunts, many riders opt for protection in the form of full-fingered gloves, elbow and shin guards, and full-faced helmets. I'm just curious about what kind of protection this tour company offered you guys. What kind of bikes did they provide? Did guides accompany the group down the mountain? Offer instruction and tips?

We just had helmets -- in fact, it was the helmet I use for my road bike. A waiter told us later that he did that ride with his wife (we were still talking about it at dinner ) but that they wear all that protection you listed.

We did have guides -- one at the front of the line who took the faster paced riders down, and then the guy at the back was just bringing up the rear. The only instructions we were given was the first hairpin turn and this man just went sprawling and the guide yelled for everyone to stop. LOL

I do have to say though -- for me -- after the first 15 minutes or so, it was just a rush. My husband, me and my son were all wanting mountain bikes and my daughter was thoroughly traumatized. I felt badly for her, because I really didn't think this trail was good for beginners and also for some of the adults that were on the trip. They didn't exactly look physically fit and I don't think they were expecting to be falling off bikes down a mountain.

Anyway, on a positive note, I can see how you guys have so much fun with mountain biking!

[bounceswoosh]

Sounds like a rush, Hibiscus!

Just as a side note to the folks freaking out about taking beginners on a tough course -- 17 miles suggests to me that it was a zigzag across a mountain, not "downhilling" in the traditional sense. Also, bear in mind that just about *any* mountain biking trail is scary as hell when you're used to pavement. The descriptions I would have used to describe the first trail I rode aren't the same ones I would use now that I've seen much more technical stuff. That being said, it sounds like the guides could have provided a little more, you know, *guidance* rather than just shooing everyone down the mountain.

[hibiscus09]

Yep, we definitely went zig-zagging down the mountain, but it also definitely went downhill (steeply to us, in places). The brakes were getting a good workout!! I did feel badly for the younger kids and the older people who weren't expecting it to be quite as downhill as it was!

I'd do it again though!

[Irulan]

Here's some beginner single track for Hibiscus!
From my buddy JD's gallery:



gallery: ( get napkin out for drool)
http://www.angelfire.com/freak2/jdmtb/home.html

[bounceswoosh]

Angelfire won't let you embed images in other sites.

They have to get their advertising $$ somehow, ya know.

[hibiscus09]

LOL, Irulan! I looked at the first set (they were loading kind of slow -- I'll look more later). I don't think I'm ready for that level of mountain biking as of yet!