AT UTAH'S DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK, WHERE THE COLORADO RIVER CUTS THROUGH canyons 2,000 feet below, I stood at the Intrepid trailhead, trying to look like a mountain biker. My husband and I were on our first vacation without kids in nearly two decades, and we figured I could make it through the Raven Roll trail. Its "least difficult" ranking was marked by a little green dot on the map. I knew our ride would get more challenging on the Big Chief and Great Pyramid trails, with their "more difficult" blue squares, but I figured the beauty of the mesa and the freedom from teenagers could inspire me through anything out there.
Our guide, Brooks Carter, gave us a quick lesson on how to ride the shiny Santa Cruz Hightowers on loan from his bike shop. I couldn't believe how comfortable the Hightower felt compared to my road bike back home. I admired its wide, deep-tread tires and had fun playing with its dropper seatpost. The ultrasensitive hydraulic disc brakes did require some getting used to, so we all practiced braking in the parking lot. After about 15 minutes, I felt ready for the trail.
Another newbie and I were to follow directly behind Brooks. In his 18th season as a guide, he was tanned, lithe, and perpetually smiling. At 76, his knowledge of the area-and mountain biking-was vast. He had helped design and construct trails nearby and modeled the relaxed confidence he advised us to adopt on the bike.
Within the first mile, I went from trying to relax to trying to stay vertical. We started pedaling over sand and quickly graduated to zooming over rocks, some of which felt like jagged boulders under my tires. I constantly fought the urge to brake. I couldn't get used to riding off the saddle like I was guarding someone on a basketball court. And I kept forgetting to keep my pedals level on descents to avoid hitting rocks.
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Denne historien er fra Fall 2024-utgaven av Bicycling US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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ONE MAN'S OBSESSIVE CRUSADE TO Take Down Zwift Cheats
Indoor cycling and virtual racing are booming, and so are the ranks of digital dopers abusing the platforms.
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN LOST IT ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE
A lifelong roadie tries singletrack for the first time. It did not go as planned.
THE UNLIKELY HERO WHO RECOVERED OVER 200 STOLEN BIKES IN ONE AMERICAN CITY
It was a sunny day in the summer of 2022. There were some things I had to move into the house, so I left the garage door open. I was gone less than 15 minutes.
YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A CYCLIST
I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR SPORTS, starting with the usual team ones such as football and baseball. But that faded in favor of more individual pursuits. Watching my dad roll down the driveway to go for a ride, I wanted to do the same. The bike was my first taste of freedom, a freedom to do it my way.
THE RIGHT SADDLE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS, AT BEST, A TWICEa-month cyclist.
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE RIDER YOU USED TO BE
CYCLISTS OF ALL LEVELS GO THROUGH various phases or eras over the years they spend in the saddle. For the vast majority of riders (myself included), these things happen privately, without fanfare.
BIKES MAKE THE WORLD A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE
LIFE'S A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE THAT COMES in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities.
CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E
EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages.
WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE
Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There's this idea that they're wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders.
