The Gift of Singletrack Mountain Biking
I’ve always loved bikes and biking. I still remember my first road bike, a black and red Bianchi that I bought in 1989 — what a classic! My first two years of medical school I refused to buy a car so I biked everywhere in New Hampshire, even in winter. Back then there were no fat bikes or snow bikes so I put chains on my Trek mountain bike to get around. They helped a bit on icy roads but were useless in snow because I would sink down and get stuck instead of riding on top of the snow.
I still enjoy road biking and knock around on that same Trek from med school but haven’t embraced mountain biking. One reason is feeling overwhelmed by all the different types of mountain bikes, which now include downhill, enduro, trail, XC, all-mountain, hardtail, full-suspension, Cyclocross (CX) and Gravel/Adventure bikes in addition to the fat bikes mentioned above.
My oldest son, Jackson, on the other hand, is a backcountry gearhead and outdoor enthusiast who would happily give a 15-minute dissertation on gear ratios and head tube angles. He has even worked doing bike patrol at bike parks here and in Vermont.
But mainly I’ve avoided mountain biking because I’m not into the broken thumbs, ribs or clavicles that my friends have suffered engaging in it (you know who you are). It’s a chicken and egg thing: I want to have the technical skill to avoid crashes which are part of learning the technical skills involved in mountain biking. As I’m getting older (and wiser?) and more cautious, I want a teacher to help me learn without the steep learning curve.
Which brings me to lunch on a sunny day this past September in Fort Collins, Colo., where Jackson attends college. My family was discussing what to do for the afternoon and my wife and other kids decided to go shopping while Jackson wanted to show me a favorite local ride that was supposedly “easy." The last thing my wife said to Jackson as we left the restaurant was, “Promise me you won’t break him.”
I can only surmise she said this because I’ve had my share of biking accidents over the years. I’ve been blindsided by a car, landing on its hood. And there was the time I was zooming down Mica Hill and took all the skin off my left arm. But she needn’t have worried because, as it turns out, I was in good hands.
After loading up the bikes and Jackson’s Australian shepherd, Goose, we headed for the backside of Horsetooth Reservoir while Jackson explained some basics. Singletrack trails are usually around 12 inches in width, so balance and general biking skills are a prerequisite. It helps to keep your eyes on where you want to go. In other words, look ahead, not down. Disc brakes are touchy, so only grip with your index fingers. Shift your weight back when going downhill. And finally, it’s OK to bail.
Before starting, he showed me how to use a dropper post which replaces the bicycle’s seat post and allows for quick adjustment of the saddle height to avoid being pitched over the handlebars.
At first I tried to keep all these tips in mind as I focused on staying within the track and shifting gears at the right times. Goose expertly ran behind Jackson just ahead of me, clearly enjoying the exercise and fresh air. Both stopped frequently to look back and check on me. Pretty soon, I started to relax and appreciate the beautiful scenery behind Horsetooth Reservoir. Eventually, my fear of crashing subsided and was replaced by the exhilaration of endorphins as I began to glide over the terrain. I was happy when we finished without crashing — no broken bikes or bodies! But mostly I was overcome with pride at having my son become my teacher and his kindness in sharing his passion with me — a wonderful gift.
THE GOOD: Spending time outdoors with loved ones is such a blessing!
THE BAD: I’m still not ready to tackle gnarly singletracks on my own, but at least I got a taste of the freedom and flow of riding over the backcountry.
THE NITTY GRITTY: As we give and receive presents this holiday season, remember that sharing your time and talents is itself a wonderful gift. Happy Holidays!
Dr. Emry is a family physician and partner at Ironwood Family Practice in Coeur d’Alene. Exercise Explorer MD will appear every other week in The Press and Dr. Emry can be contacted via email exercisexplorermd@gmail.com. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license.
Jackson and Goose
Dr. Geoff Emry