My days chasing the pleasure and exercise ended when I
moved to the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. I had
Life in the relatively flat Willamette River Valley, where
There were miles of trails run level cortex. Now, in
Throat, I have met on the rocky, steep trails, torture
around the hips and knees. It was time to find a replacement for
be executed.
The Columbia River Gorge is a recreational mecca
This is particularly attractive to the mountainCyclists and
Wind surfers. Swimming makes me not to, so I decided to
To our mountain bikes. In the end, was that
the best decisions I made, but I started with caution.
First, I did not know if my interest would last.
So, I, was launched by a low-end bike (the
some serious weight problems) and 'research was a clunker
Now we return to him. I also held back on investment in some of the
the bike 'ride'. I'm not cheap - it isonly
it seemed that much of hip-ness, instead of being
Utilities.
But after a couple of points, I understand that
during transmission could do the same 'cool', but in reality
helps you work better. Here are 7 of my favorites
Pieces that I did not think that I care about (again in my post
Runner / pre-biker days) and now would be a dream
not.
Before padded shorts. If mountain biking, road bike or
both make the investment inwith them. Clean and
Simply, the ride is more comfortable.
According to well-ventilated hood. You need to buy a helmet anyway,
right? If you are not wearing, you're crazy. Pass the
Dollars more to get into a super-strong material
we have lots of openings to help keep you from over-
Heating. And in the case of helmets, you get what you pay
to the high end helmets are easier to adapt
better fit.
Pedals and shoes with cleats Third(clipless). After a bit
of a learning curve on how to release quickly and be able
to lock-in going up hill, clipless becomes as automatic as
shifting gears. You especially notice the benefits when
you're road-biking; you're gaining on the entire stroke
instead of only the downward push.
4. Hydration pack (a backpack with a water-bladder -
Camelbak brand is an example). My first one was a gift, or
I might never have tried one. Now I love having 100 ounces
of water easily available, instead of that goofy move where
you have to reach down and get the water bottle out of the
rack, lift your head to drink - losing sight of the trail,
and then fumbling the water bottle back into the rack. No
wonder I hardly ever drank enough during rides and ended up
slightly dehydrated every time. I also appreciate that the
pack holds my keys, cell phone, energy bar, and rain jacket.
A suggestion: You'll still want to keep a full water
bottle on your bike. It's good defense against dogs that
chase you. Get good at your aim and you can land a squirt
without missing a stroke. It's very satisfying, and the dog
will run away.
5. Safety goggles - yellow. Of course, you should have
protection for your eyes, but I wondered about the
necessity of yellow or orange lenses. Seemed like poser-
gear when I began to see them around. Then I used a pair.
What difference in visibility! The yellow lenses really do
brighten up shady trails and they help you a lot during
overcast or lower-light times of day.
6. Half-finger gloves. The palms are padded, so that
feels nice on long rides. The best part is what they do
for you on wipe-outs, which are bound to happen. I've
gotten lots of scraped knees, but my hands always come out
feeling fine.
7. The Bike. Once I realized that biking was not only a
great alternative to running for the sake of my joints, but
it was more fun in general, I gave the clunker away. Then
I invested in a good bike - lightweight frame and
components, with suspension. It's a pure delight to ride
on a well-made machine.
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