Anyone else a mountain biker here?

I love being out in God's wilderness with trees and bushes whipping by a high speeds. When I'm on my bike riding through the woods on a single track or whipping down a mountain, my mind is clear from everything. I don't even think about biking and what I'm doing. I'm completely free from everything.

When I'm lucky, I'm come face-to-face with God's creation. I've run into black bears in the Ocoee Nation Forrest in TN. I've also come face-to-face with a 6 point buck on a different trail in Hixon, TN.

Being out in the God's wilderness with nothing but His beauty and amazing creativity is just so invigorating. I love to be out in it.

OH... I ride a full suspension mt bike. The frame is an '06 Leader USA 626s. It has hydraulic disc brakes and has 4 inches of travel in the front shock and 5 inches of travel in the rear shock.

(the LeaderUSA 626s frame)


I just went biking at Harrison Bay this past Sunday. It was great to be out in the great weather. A little wet on the trails from the previous nights rain fall... but still enjoyable. Due to tearing some tendons and muscles in the past couple of years, I haven't had much ability to mt bike. So I'm rusty which is why I went to Harrison Bay.

Now, mountain biking is something that I wouldn't mind doing.

I do hope you get more people commenting on this hobby. I'm sure there are many involved in it.

Oh you should try it darlene!

I don't know where you live, but if you're near any big state parks that are popular for mt biking... you can rent a mt bike and head off into the trails! OR, you could rent a mt bike from your lbs (local bike shop) and try it out.

The bikes can get pretty expensive, but for a great beginner's bike, you're looking at about $500. Definitely a lot of money, but pennies compared to how much some bikes can get. Mine's a little excessive but is necessary for all the downhill biking I do and have done.

It's a great sport.

I live in a part of the world where there are very high mountains. In fact I live fairly close to Whistler, BC and I know they do a lot of mountain biking there. Maybe I'll have to get a group together to go there and mountain bike......sometime. Anyone near me game to try it sometime? Gail? Florence? Anyone else?

If I was close to you... you wouldn't even have to ask me! I'd kill to bike at Whistler. I'm sure the downhill up there is killer! Oh wow how much fun it would be.

I've been to whistler once.. but just ate some dinner there. My xgf and I went there to meet her brother for dinner since he worked there. It was a really beautiful area. I'd love to go some time and snowboard and mt bike.

I actually just spoke with a friend of mine that I went to high school with that has moved out to Northern New Mexico. He's told me that mt biking there is awesome and is dying for me to fly out there with my bike. Man, it's so tempting.

Though, right now, my legs are so weak from not being able to exercise that much over the past two years due to three torn ligaments in my left ankle and a torn hamstring in my right leg. Sucks getting old. :-

Yes, getting old physically is a bummer but getting older and wiser is not. :o

Now, snowboarding, that is one thing that I have always wanted to do! Having both legs on one board rather than two legs on two boards (skiing) seems a lot easier. I do love skiing though I'm not that great at it.

I once made the mistake of going to the top of a mountain on cross country skiis. One of the men with me was a professional guide and the other a friend. Well......from the top we skiied to the bottom of the first rise and being the expert skier I was, I fell into the snow and the snow was so deep (above my waist) that I couldn't get back up on my skis which were on top of the snow. ;D The two men went on without realizing I was not with them. When they did, they had to come back and help me up onto my skiis. Oh, those ebarrasing moments......!

hahahaha that's funny... not to be a butthead and laugh at your misfortune.

We've all had those embarassing moments like that. I've had plenty trying to get off of the lifts!!!! hahaha. And quite a few trying to get on to the lifts as well!

Snowboarding in my opinion is a lot more fun that skiing. I've done both and I find snowboarding to be easier... BUT when I was younger I used to skateboard. So, snowboarding came easy to me b/c of that. I'm also told by those who have done it for a long time and are really good at it that if you know how to skateboard, you can snowboard. So, that was a plus for me.

There is a rhythm you can get into with snowboarding that you can get into skiing. It's so peaceful and relaxing once you in that rhythm. Everything just seems right. Perhaps that's just me and there are people who feel inversely about it.

Here are some Whistler mountain biking websites. You might want to check them out:

http://www.tourismwhistler.com/www/thing...biking.asp

http://www.whistleroutfitters.com/mountain-bike.html

http://www.whistlerbike.com/index.htm

http://www.backroadswhistler.com/

Are you trying to kill me through extreme jealousy?!?!?!???

Ugh... I would love to spend a summer up there doing nothing but biking day in and day out!

sighs... that is why I'd love to be rich... so I could do things like that. Anyone want to sponsor me and pay for it all? ;D

There's more! I was in one of the Whistler websites listed above and came across a comment by someone that said Squamish is the ultimate site for mountain biking. Squamish is just a few miles from Whistler so here are some links to Squamish mountain biking.

http://www.squamishmountainbike.com/

http://www.mysquamish.com/mtb.html

http://www.britishcolumbia.com/recreation/?id=71

http://www.seatoskyhotel.com/dyn.Mountain_biking.php


Eat your heart out! ;D

By the way, 2010 are the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler. You'll have to save up and come up this way that year. I suspect that Vancouver and Whistler will be jampacked and very hard to get around at that time so people should plan ahead and make reservations or plan to pitch a tent.

yikes... don't know if I'll even try to head up there for the olympics. I couldn't imagine how busy and packed it will be. Plus, affording it could be a serious issue. I'm sure the prices will be out of this world!

Not only that, but I'm sure it'll be hard finding some place to stay even now. That would actually be interesting to find out.

Anyways, thanks for making me feel jealous and sad for not being able to go up there and go mt biking! You big jerk!

I'm hoping to head out to the white water center up in the Ocoee here in TN. It's where they had the white water part of the Olympics in 96 or 92. Can't remember the year. There is some GREAT downhill riding up there on a single track. It's my favorite place to ride around here.

I am a big jerk aren't I?! ;D ;D I might get to go to something during the Olympics. Not sure what though. Maybe ice skating. It would be soooo nice to watch that!

We'll let you go to the white water center up in the Ocoee TN. Now that would be a very nice thing to participate in. I think one would have to be pretty skilled and strong to do that!

One day you might want to come up and check out Hell's Gate here in the Fraser Canyon to run the rapids. They do white water rafting through there.

http://www.vcmbc.com/page.cfm/612


You've got to see the video clip of Hell's Gate in the following link:

http://www.vancouverattractions.com/hellsgate.html


Still want to do some white water rafting at Hell's Gate?

HECK YA!!!!!

I've actually seen Hell's Gate in person. We drove by it when I was dating my xgf. I think it was on our way up to Big White for some snowboarding. It's pretty magnificent! I don't think I'd want to kayak through that b/c I'm not good enough, but I'd definitely raft through it with a very experienced guide.

Often when speakers come to our camp meeting we either take them or they go to see Hell's Gate. I've heard one say in their sermons, "I've been to Hell's Gate and now I'm back." They come up with some very creative comments.

There are rafting companies that take people down the river most every day. Not sure I'd like to go though. That's a little beyond my wildest dreams. I'd probably just sit in the bottom of the boat, close my eyes and hold my breath. ;D