"Sit back,
keep your balance and remember
to use both brakes," the instructor called after me.
I was on a mountain bike hurtling at breakneck speed down a steep, leaf-covered hill. My back wheel was losing traction as I clung for dear life to the handlebar. My lack of style prompted my instructor, Ian Burton, to shout reminders to me during my daring descent. I should already have been applying these techniques because I'd just spent the morning learning them. But I was struggling to remember anything as I gathered speed and longed for the end of the trail.
You might be wondering why
I put myself through this if the experience was so terrifying. The answer is simple: my adrenaline was pumping and I was having more fun than I'd had in a long time. Besides, I wasn't travelling all that fast; it just seemed that way because this was the first time I'd careered down a wooded slope on two wheels.
Mountain biking and touring seem to go together, judging by all the muddy mountain bikes I've seen propped against caravans, stored in awnings or secured to the backs of towcars. A quick search of sites with nearby trails turned up
a huge choice of places to stay,
and I wasn't surprised to learn
that the UK has some of the best
mountain-bike trails in Europe.
Those who already enjoy the sport extol the virtues of biking weekends. A family of five on
a Northumberland site told me the activity is ideal for mum, dad and kids. Can anyone really do it, as mountain-biking friends of mine had assured me? "If you can ride a bike, you can ride a bike down a mountain," one said.
And I can fall off, too, I thought.
With the taste of fear in my mouth and assuming that there was more to mountain biking
than jumping on and peddling,
I sought expert advice. This came from Ian, who gives lessons in various outdoor activities at Broadway House Holiday Touring Caravan and Camping Park. The site, besides being surrounded
by magnificent mountain- and
road-bike routes, has other connections to the world of cycling. The European BMX Championship finals were held in July 2006 on the massive BMX track at Broadway House – and broadcast on EuroSport or Trans World Sport. When the BMX track is not in use for events, it is usually open to adults and supervised teenagers.
Broadway House is also the home of the Cheddar Challenge, an eight-hour mountain-bike endurance race that includes some 850ft of climbing and descending per lap. The challenge, unlike the BMX championships, has paths
for everybody from the very experienced to the novice, plus special routes for children.
While being one of the most exhilarating downhill rides in the UK, the challenge route also passes through some of the most beautiful countryside in the area, as do the myriad other routes that you can explore from the site.
Before I could get on my bike and admire the scenery, I had to have the correct equipment.
A helmet is a must, but other kit is worth having for anyone planning more than one go. Wear eye protection; sunglasses will do on sunny days, but there are also clear-lens protective glasses for more serious riders. Cycling gloves with half or full fingers will improve grip, particularly when you get hot and sweaty. Fix a water bottle to the bike or get a rehydration system, such as CamelBak. And although it might sound obvious, I discovered that you can't take any old bike up the mountain and expect to have an enjoyable experience. I had guessed this much, but that was the extent of my prior knowledge.
Having collected a bike from
a hire shop in Cheddar, I altered the seat to its lowest point, my usual sitting position being the ‘sit up and beg' posture that I use for cycling around city streets. Comfortable clothing, old trainers and helmet in place, I hopped on and announced, "I'm ready, show me the mountain."
Ian wandered over with Allen keys in hand. "Hop off, Sam. You'll need to raise the seat considerably," he said, wiping the smug smile from my face.
My posture and position were all wrong. Getting them correct began with my standing on the pedal in its lowest position and having the seat set near my hip. This let me almost straighten
my leg at the bottom of every pedal stroke. It took a couple of adjustments before this was right, allowing my arms to remain slightly bent and my body relaxed.
"You should never have your knees or elbows locked," Ian said.
I wondered if my usual sitting position, with legs bent at 45° and arms fully extended, might be contributing to my aching muscles.
| |
