I want to share my experience with Mountain Biking again for the first time since College to encourage others to try something new or to start back with the activity they once loved.
I picked up a mountain bike this week on Craigslist- and then rode with a group from my meetup. We ended up going 16 miles along the canal in Scottsdale (which has a few uphills, but flat for the most part).
We rode from Indian School to Papago/Tempe Town Lake Area.
If you live in the Phoenix area (or are visiting), you can park at 48th Street and Indian School (Safeway) and go from there. The Canal stretches about 60 miles so it was nice not worrying about traffic.
I’m almost 44 and haven’t been on a bike in over 20 years. I was a bit nervous about riding at first- and I was very sore the next day. For over a year I kept saying that I was going to get a bike, but the fear held me back. My specific fear is that I would fall off my bike and get very hurt. I realized this was an excuse because I can get hurt doing just about any outdoor activity. So, this is when I decided to integrate mountain biking into the meet up so it would light the fire under me!
Nothing fancy about my bike- but it served it’s purpose. I had a great time!
There were folks in our group of all ages- it’s never too late to start a new skill! Don’t let your fear stop you from doing an activity that you know you’ll enjoy. It was so much fun riding with this group and getting to know each one of them.
My bike is used and I wear the athletic clothes I already own. I did not go out and buy a bunch of new biking gear- and you don’t have to either.
What I’m learning more and more is the freedom that comes with not caring necessarily what others think about your appearance, etc. I do know people that haven’t started a sport because they “didn’t have the appropriate gear”. All you need are the basics (like a good helmet) and you’re set. If you are going to be riding on hard core trails, then obviously you want to invest in a quality Mountain Bike so it won’t collapse on you.
So this is my soap box about trying something new or getting back into an activity that you once loved. You might be awkward at it initially, or be very sore afterwards but just take it one step at a time.
If you live in Phoenix – I would love for you to join my Meet Up or I encourage you to join one that best suits your needs. Have a story on how you started a new outdoor activity? I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment below!
Leave a Reply