"I stopped at the top to take a drink and get a look at what line I would take on the way down. It had been a grueling uphill climb, with me sweating bullets in the hot Austin sun the whole way. But I knew, I knew that when I made it, that it would be all down hill when I reached the top. And that is what I came here for. The rush, the adrenaline, hell, the sheer excitement of screaming my way downhill to the bottom in a fifth of the time it took to get up." --Adam Robertson, UT Computer Science freshman and local mountain biker, after an afternoon at the Barton Creek Greenbelt

Adam is talking about the popular hobby of mountain biking. He, along with countless others both in the local Austin area and worldwide, has found mountain biking to be both challenging and exciting. In today's increasingly high-pressured society, many are choosing to spend their spare time outside in order to relax a little and get back to nature. One of the ways to do this is to go mountain biking. Though many do not realize it, Austin has tons of different places to go mountain biking, some of them right in the city:

• Barton Creek Greenbelt - lots of challenging singletrack through trees and back and forth across Barton Creek, as well easy beginner stuff on a jeep trail. Several access points, the best being Zilker Park or Capitol of Texas/Loop 360. 
• Forest Ridge Nature Preserve - located off of Loop 360 and Spicewood, this trail is very challenging. For advanced and pros -- beginners beware. Tough uphills, killer downhills. 
• Town Lake Hike/Bike Trail - very popular beginner and workout trail. Watch for the runners and the multitude of pets. Located downtown, just look for Town Lake and there will be an entrance. 
• Emma Long Park - This is also called City Park. It is located out 2222. It is also a motorcross trail, so beware of motorcycles...you will hear them before they see you. Challenging, for the intermediate to advanced biker. 
• Shoal Creek Greenbelt (Hike/Bike trail) - mainly beginner trail along Shoal Creek. Watch for hikers. 
• Bull Creek Greenbelt - Located across the street from Forest Ridge, miles of singletrack for the intermediate biker. Get ready to get wet, because it crosses the creek in several places, and is a lot of fun. 

More and more people are becoming concerned with staying healthy. Many people use mountain biking to spice up their fitness program. Josh Foxworth, UT sophmore in Aerospace Engineering, likes the leg workout it gives. "I am trying to get in shape for competing in triathlons this summer, and mountain biking helps prepare me for the biking part [of the triathlon]. It's [biking] more fun than pedaling a stationary bike in a musty old gym somewhere." Bicycling has many health benefits, because it is such a great aerobic workout and is both physically and mentally challenging. It is also a fairly low-impact sport, which means that it is not as hard on the joints as high-impact exercise like running or lifting weights.

Since most people's bikes have been in the garage for the last three months, a trip to the bike shop may be needed before hitting the trail. Bikes can get flat tires, rusty chains, or loosened nuts and bolts over the winter. Long-unused bikes will also probably need to be relubricated. Fortunately, there are many bicycle shops in Austin. These are convenient, because most of them will sort of drop what they are doing and fix minor problems, but be sure and call ahead for large scale repairs or upgrades. Here are some local favorites:

• Cycle360 (3801 N. Capitol of Texas Hwy - Davenport Village) 
• Freewheeling Bicycles (San Gabriel at 24^th street) 
• Bicycle Sport Shop (1426 Toomey Rd just off of Riverside and Lamar) 
• Buck's Bikes (12530 Research Blvd.) Color 
• University Cyclery (2901 N. Lamar) 

Trail Tips and Techniques:

1. Always wear a helmet. You might want to consider soccer shin guards, too. Gloves can come in real "handy" too. J 
2. Be aware of weather and trail conditions. 
3. Do all repairs and tune-ups at home or in the shop before meeting friends at the trail. Nothing is more aggravating than waiting on others to get their bike fixed. 
4. Have a map of the trail. These can usually be found at the bike shop. Don't count on friends to know the way. 
5. Carry a spare tube and the necessary tools to change a tire. It sucks to walk back carrying a bike. 
6. Use your body weight to help you on the trail: lean forward to get up that killer hill, but keep your weight way back on the downhill to keep from flipping over when you have to break. Lean in the direction of sharp turns to keep traction. 
7. Carry plenty of water and don't go alone on unfamiliar trails. Let others know where you are going and when you are planning on coming back. 

Contact me: Aaron Kutzer phone: (512) 419-1293