Conquering the Trails: My First Mountain Biking Adventure

ABOUT 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES

sun, oct 6, 2024

I recently embarked on my first mountain biking adventure. I knew I wanted to try mountain biking one day, but I hadn’t made it happen yet. I’ve loved skiing and hiking for years, but mountain biking remained an unexplored territory. While I didn’t see it as something I would dive deep into, I wanted to at least give it a try to see what it was like. The idea of exploring the mountains in a new way excited me, but I was definitely scared. Earlier this month, the perfect time came for me to finally give it a shot.

We had been throwing around different ideas for our Sunday plans and landed on mountain biking. We were in the mountains for the weekend, as we often are, this time at a hotel in Breckenridge. Sunday was check-out day and we wanted to stick around the area and enjoy some more mountain air before returning to Denver. It felt like the perfect moment to finally go for it, especially because Jon mentioned there were beginner-friendly trails at the Frisco Peninsula, making it an ideal spot for my first ride.

I hadn’t even been on a regular bike in close to a decade, with cycle class being the closest I’d come. But as the saying goes, ‘It’s just like riding a bike,’ and in this case, it literally was. I hoped the muscle memory would kick in. I put on my athletic shorts, a tank top, and Jon’s Big Sky flannel, and we headed to Christy Sports to rent the bike.

Bertha was a black full-suspension bike that had a lovely holographic sheen in the sun. Once the shop adjusted Bertha to my measurements and gave me a rundown on how she worked, it was time to see how I felt on a bike after so many years. I had Jon give me another explanation of how to use the gears and move the seat and I began riding around in the parking lot.

Once I felt comfortable enough riding the bike period, we set off. We took a paved road to get to where the trails were. I felt a little awkward at first, but it started to feel smooth eventually. Once we left the paved path and got to the trails, it got a little more scary. Ok, maybe a lot more scary, even though it was far from anything crazy. The trails we stuck to were truly for beginners, yet any sort of downhill, paired with narrow paths and a few rocks, made me nervous. And going uphill was quite tiring.

Jon was very supportive and cheered me on. He gave me tips to improve my form, such as bending my arms in a push-up position and using my shoulders when I needed to make turns. Despite my challenges, I had moments where I felt like I got in my stride, having fun riding comfortably, adjusting the gears based on the terrain, and moving my seat up and down. I enjoyed the feeling of flowing on the path and turning the bike along the curves. It felt so good! Of course, there were also those wonky times. I got off the bike more than once, whether out of nervousness about descending or fatigue (and more nervousness) while climbing uphill.

The Frisco Peninsula was really pretty and I enjoyed looking at the lake and the trees. I didn’t expect there to be fall colors here for some reason, but there definitely were. The scenery made it even more amazing, as typically is the case with mountain sports. I loved taking in nature in this way!

We got to a point where I needed to take a beat, so I relaxed by the water for a little. After recharging, I felt more confident and refreshed when I got back on Bertha. It was great! We rode a little longer on the trails and then diverted to a normal road for a bit. After some smooth sailing, we dipped back into the trails a tad more, before making our way back to Christy.

During our ride, I had moments of feeling nervous, unsure, or frustrated with myself, but that’s simply part of learning new things. It was all worth it for those moments when I was feeling good and having fun. It was also another great thing to enjoy together! Mountain biking is Jon’s thing, so it was fun to experience more of his world, even though it was nowhere near the level of biking he normally does. I loved riding with him. This also meant I got to watch him shred in person, which was really fun.

My first mountain biking adventure was an awesome experience, filled with nerves, fun, growth, and beauty. I’m glad I finally tried it, getting out of my comfort zone and appreciating nature’s thrills in new ways. I didn’t send it down crazy hills, or even attempt anything above a green, but I rode a mountain bike! Even in the few hours I rode, I got more comfortable and improved my skills. I look forward to biking again in the future, but probably not until next year.

I don’t plan on getting super into mountain biking. For one thing, it’s another sport to throw a ton of money into. I also don’t see myself going super hardcore with this stuff. It would, however, be fun to ride around easier trails a few times a year. I’ll probably continue to dabble in mountain biking now and then, and I’m excited about it! I also learned that I love wearing Jon’s Big Sky flannel, so I’ll probably be borrowing that more often.

For your entertainment, check out this super awkward video of me tensing up while going down a small hill.