Thinking about trying mountain biking

[north woods gal]

All really great points and advice.

Here's another tip. One of the hardest things for a cautious type like me to learn when riding trails was that on some of the harder trails, you have to ride aggressively and really attack them just to make it through them without having to walk the bike. This is especially true on trails with lots of rapid and steep elevation changes. This kind of riding requires a lot of fast shifting and knowing your bike. You'll also find that it will take more leg strength than road biking for the instant bursts of speed needed. This is the one place where I think guys have the advantage over us. As always, though, we gals can do, so I work hard to keep in trail shape.

Now, all this is very much down the road if you're new to technical trail work and nothing to stress over until you try your hand at the harder trails. I mention it because once you've nailed a gnarly section of trail, the sense of accomplishment is exhilarating. It's what keeps me going back for more. Very addictive.