Mountain Biking for Cardio
I wrote in a previous blog post about some of my strategies for making cardio fun. Most of these strategies were based on doing various activities outside. However, there is one activity that stands out above others that I mentioned, and that is mountain biking. Mountain biking just started out as a way to get outside and make cardio fun. I’d actually wanted a mountain bike when I was in college, but couldn’t afford it. By the time I could afford one I had moved on to other goals and ambitions in my fitness journey. Also, I knew a lot of people that had bought a mountain bike, rode it a couple of times, then didn’t touch it again for a year. I always had this thought in my head that I didn’t want to be one of those people. That was until I decided that I had to do something to make cardio more fun and somehow incorporate the outdoors.
My Kona Mahuna was my first mountain bike.
I had been an avid runner in the past, and I knew that I didn’t want to go down that path again (pun intended). That was about 15 years ago, and I lived in an apartment right off the famous Barton Greenbelt in Austin Texas. My apartment was about a mile away from the equally famous Lady Bird Lake Trail, which is a fantastic multi-use trail that runs parallel to Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. Running on these trails every other day was nothing short of awesome. The downtown views, people, and overall atmosphere were all amazing to take in on a morning or evening run. However, times had changed. It was many years later and I’d moved about 10 miles from downtown Austin to a more suburban area. I’d also lost my zeal for running a decade earlier. However, there were still a couple very large parks with single track trail systems near my suburban neighborhood. So I thought to myself, “What about riding a mountain bike around some of the trails?”
I literally didn’t know anything about mountain biking or bikes in general. In fact, I had only ridden a bike one or two times since I was a kid. I was truly a mountain bike newb! So I started shopping around online and visiting local bike shops. After way too much internet research and a few test rides I found myself the proud new owner of a Kona Mahuna. I started my mountain biking adventure by going to a nearby park and riding around the trail a little bit. At the end of each ride I’d make a stop at the pull up station and call it a day. I literally didn’t know anything about mountain biking so I just got out there and rode. Something happened though, I began to really enjoy riding my mountain bike. And the more I rode it, the more I enjoyed it. Fast forward to five years later and I’m a mountain biker through and through. It’s not something I necessarily planned on, it just came about naturally. Do I still lift weights? Absolutely, 3-4 times per week without exception (barring injury). However, a couple times a week I get out there and ride a 10-20 mile mountain bike ride. Side note, I also wrote a blog about how I upgraded my Kona into a more capable cross country mountain bike.
Why Mountain Biking?
Obviously, mountain biking is great cardiovascular exercise. My heart rate stays elevated for 60-90 minutes and my lungs get a workout as well. However, one of the things I like about mountain biking over road cycling is that it is more of a total body exercise. You use your upper body and core a lot more than you would riding on the road. You have to brace and hold your torso up as you negotiate over rocks and roots. In fact, a lot of mountain bikers have started weight training because they see the benefit of being strong while riding over rough trails. Mountain biking also has a lot of HIIT training just naturally incorporated into the riding. There are a lot of steep, punchy climbs or obstacles to ride up that are often followed by short breaks as you go over the other side of the feature. When you combine these little HIIT sessions with the steady state cardio of the more pedally areas it makes for a really varied cardio vascular workout. It should be noted that local terrain can vary a lot, so obviously the type of riding will vary as well.
Enjoying nature on trails like this one in Southwest Austin Texas is what makes mountain biking such a rewarding experience.
Another great aspect of mountain biking is that it reconnects you to nature. For a lot of us an hour or two mountain bike excursion at the park or local green belt is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s really nice to regularly experience the peacefulness of nature. There is a quiet calm while you're in the woods pedaling over some rocks even while your lungs are gassed and your heart rate is racing. That escape can make all the difference in terms of a positive mentality, even if it’s just once a week.
Lastly, the mountain bike community is very welcoming and friendly, even to new riders. It’s really a stark juxtaposition from the intimidating gym atmosphere that drives so many people away. I can honestly say I haven’t had a bad experience yet in meeting people in the mountain bike community. I’m not saying there are no bad apples or that the community is not without its flaws, but on the whole the mountain bike community is very cool and laid back. Probably more so than other cycling communities, and definitely more so than the typical globo-gym full of gym bros. I’m not here to just bash the gym culture. In fact, most of the friends I’ve made over the past 20 years were through the gym. In my experience, however, the mountain bike culture is more approachable than what you find in a lot of gyms.
What I Don’t Like As Much
Mountain biking isn’t without its flaws, and one of the biggest ones is that it is absurdly expensive. A decent entry level mountain bike costs at least $1,000K, however to get a really proper bike it’s going to be about $3,000K starting out. And that still does include helmet and other gear which can add up really quickly. That's a big monetar commitment for a hobby that a person may not even know if they want to pursue or have the time to do. Cost is probably the biggest barrier to getting into the sport and probably the thing that ultimately will limit its growth.
The second drawback to mountain biking is not everyone has a decent trail system nearby. I’ve since moved out of Austin, but I’m still fortunate that the nearest trail is about 15 minutes away, and there is literally a large 100 mile trail system 30 min away. I realize not everyone is this fortunate and may have to drive an hour or more to the nearest trail, which for a busy parent just isn’t doable. More communities are adding trail systems, however there still is large urban communities and rural areas that don’t have these amenities. It’s just an unfortunate reality of the sport that your location often dictates whether or not you can be a mountain biker..
The next flaw, at least in my mind, is the bike park culture that has sort of taken over the sport…or at least the bike manufacturer’s marketing. If you go to a bike shop they will have a whole litany of mountain bikes for riding down double black diamond trails at absurdly dangerous speeds or sending it on giant bike park jumps. That’s because the bike manufacturers market those bikes to everyday riders. The average joe doesn’t know that he doesn’t need that $10K extreme downhill bike to ride his local trail. So you get a bunch of people completely “over biked” riding around green and blue trails. It’s just another barrier that you have to figure out the right bike for your area and what you want to do. If you’re lucky, you might have a really good local bike shop that will point you to the right bike. Otherwise, you could end up with a very expensive full suspension downhill enduro bike for your local green and blue trails. I’ve seen it a lot.
Lastly, is injury. The thing about mountain biking is that at some point you’re going to get injured. It took five years before I had my first major bike crash and it sidelined me from the gym and the bike for several months. Every sport comes with risk and mountain biking is no different. The best way to mitage that risk is just don’t do anything stupid. It’s very easy to get lured into trying more and more technical riding, hitting jumps, and going to bike parks. But all those jumps and adrenaline junkie crap isn’t necessary to have fun. Just getting out in nature and putting in some work is pretty freaking awesome on its own, and that’s what it’s all about for me. With that being said you can still get injured. As I type this I’m still recovering from the lingering effects of a concussion I got when I crashed my bike. And no, I wasn’t doing anything crazy, I just took a bad spill. It happens.
I hope this post was helpful to give some insight of why mountain biking is an awesome way to get in some cardio. And maybe it will inspire some of you to get off the treadmill and try out something new. As always, thanks for reading.
(Disclaimer: This is what I do and what works for me, not advice. Exercise and mountain biking are dangerous, so do so at your own risk.)
