How To Pick What Type of Mountain Biker You Are

Mountain biking can be an extremely exciting sport and depending on your likes and dislikes there has to be a type of biking for you. Starting at the very beginning before you really think about becoming an extreme mountain bike rider you have to make sure that you are in good enough shape to handle all types of terrain. Biking can be a dangerous sport and if you are not well prepared you have a better chance of being injured. The more extreme you get, the better shape you will need to be in. Biking takes a lot of practice so start around your area and get used to the feel of what type of biking you may want to do. All of these types are used in a way of competition and can be extremely dangerous if you try without preparation.

Cross country biking is a very common type of biking. It involves a lot of different terrains and will occasionally include hills and loops. There are usually set roads for you to follow but depending on the type of road will alter throughout your course.

• Downhill cycling is one of the most difficult types of riding. Usually downhill is done in competitions and takes the most skilled riders to complete the courses. Most of the time courses are set up on ski resorts during the summer months. They alter the route and make the cyclists go through harder terrain across the resort. Usually the bikers will take the ski lift up to the top knowing that most people would not make it up a ski resort mountain.
• Dirt Jumping is a newer addition to the mountain biking family. This is when people take bikes out on courses and use the natural layout to perform huge tricks. A lot of the time they will create mounds of dirt to jump over and are judged on the landing and the trick performed.
• Trials require more manmade obstacles and are performed in a more urban setting. Much like a skate board park or like BMX biking, these bikers use these obstacles to perform the best tricks and to nail the landing. Usually trials are not performed on the mountain or through the country side but still in the mountain biking family.
• Free ride is a little bit of everything mixed together. This type of riding brings the concepts of every type of riding together ranging from huge tricks to hitting extreme speeds going down a mountain.

Figuring out what best suits you will require a lot of practice and a lot of time. Also, you want to wear the correct safety gear for any activity so make sure to make a good relationship with your local retailer for further questions.

Emily Flory

Born and raised in Iowa, I have been an enthusiastic outdoors woman from a very young age. From the very beginning my dad had me throwing a line in the water and following him out into the woods to sit and wait for that big Iowa buck to walk by. By doing all of this, I was raised country and always will be.

 

With my home being positioned literally in the boondocks surrounded by timberland and no one else around, I had a pretty good opportunity to make the best out of my resources and my love for the outdoors came when I scored my first whitetail from my backyard.  Seeing that 8 point buck come hiking up the path from the riverbed, this little girl’s life was changed forever. Since then, I've had the chance to score some nice whitetail and have also developed a love for bird hunting as well. If it flies, it dies in my case. I love the challenge and will continue broadening my trophy room around the United States.

 

If it wasn't enough to grow up in an area of heaven like this, we of course needed to put some of our experiences on TV as well. Starting in November of 2010 my family aired the first episode of Outdoors on the Farm, a Farm Journal production. Hosted by Chip Flory, aka the wonderful dad who is the reason why I am the way I am, my family along with our pro staff have been able to put a unique twist on the usual hunting show. OOTF brings farmers and hunters together to maximize their habitat by explaining and teaching what they can do around the farm to increase their profits and quality of their land and even more importantly, how they can have more fun outdoors on the farm. The most important people in my life are my family and to be able to experience this with them is more than I could ask for.

 

Outdoors on the Farm airs every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. (central time) and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on RFD TV. You can also view any of our episodes on our website at outdoorsonthefarm.com at any time. Be looking out for our 2nd season to start in Fall of 2011 and check out our blogs to keep up with the Flory family and our pro staff!