Mountain biking

juan gear

1000 calories an hour as a newbie. Most rides are in the 1500 per hour range. Racing and single speed are 2000 calories an hour and up. Mountain biking is not like road riding where primary's are the legs. This is a full body work out. The best part is your having fun

mlillie

I went for the first time this weekend- it was a BLAST but my HRM showed about 600 an hour for me- maybe you are climbing some crazier hills than I am!! thats intense!

msarro

I adore mountain biking - if anything its for the awesome people you meet. Yesterday we were on a new trail and rode by an older hippy-ish gentleman (literally looked as if he had just stepped out of woodstock). We were riding up a hill of loose rocks, and he looked at us, laughed, and said, "Rock on!" I smiled and nodded hello at him, to which he responded, "Get it? You're ON rocks!" And cackled and kept on hiking.

Its fun stuff like that that makes me love cycling

mlillie

ha yeah- people are soo nice- it is amazing. But yesterday I feel 5 times- once over an embankment and have so many bruises and scraps it is crazy. But it was fun and I didnt loose an teeth or anything. I think a lot of it also has to do with trusting yourself and fear and after my scariest fall i thought- if I dont get up and get back on I may never do it again. So I road for another hour- just slower.

I am hurting this morning!

msarro

This sounds crazy, but the best advice I can give about falling is just don't think about it. When you just kind of assure yourself you're not going to fall, you'd be amazed the terrain you can ride over. I usually just focus on the horizon and occasionally look down for really crazy terrain. Also if its really rocky I like to stand - it lets my body use my legs kinda like a second suspension system to keep me from bouncing out of my seat.

If you end up airborn... um... try to stay level and pray? :laugh: