When people think about mountain biking they often think about riding up a hill that has some turn and the
n going own that hill. There is so much more to mountain biking than just riding a bike up a bumpy hill. There are features, you can get really easily injured, and there are different types of events. I will cover all of these topics, so lets dive in.
Features
Mountain biking is a sport that has been around for years. All of the mountain biking trails have their own unique features. Features vary from smooth all the way to steep and rocky. Berm’s, berm’s are what the trail builders make to allow the rider to take a corner at a high rate of speed. Gaps, gaps are a feature that are natural or man made. Gaps are a type of jump to where the rider has to jump a very specific distance. Easy gaps are usually one foot long but vary to 20ft long. The longest jump ever recorded was 134 ft. Pumps. Pumps are a little bump in the trail that the rider can use, or jump, to get speed. Super common feature and really fun if done correctly. Whale Tail. A whale tail is a wooden jump that has the shape of a whale tail and is common at bike parks. The rider can get a significant amount of Height off one. Wall ride. Wall rides can be stone but are usually wooden. They are used at downhill (DH) events and can create lots of speed. Box jump. Box jumps are my favorite because that are easy to do and if you case them it won’t be as bad as casing a gapper. Box jumps are commonly dirt but can be wooden, They can be long, short, or tall. Drop’s. Drop’s are a relatively easy feature. They can be dirt, stone, wood, are metal. The biggest drops are usually held at events like Rampage, but big drops can be found at certain trials.
Common Injuries
For those of you who don’t mountain bike, some of the most common injuries include: skin abrasions, joint sprains, carpal tunnel, lower back pain, broken collar bone, broken leg, broken arm, concussions, and dislocations. Those are not the most extreme injuries. Some of the more extreme injuries include: collapsed lung, ruptured kidney, severed artery, nerve damage, broken neck, and in severe cases, death. Mountain biking is not for the faint hearted. It is one of the more dangerous sports that people can do. Mountain bike trails are rated based on difficulty. Green being the easiest, blue more difficult, orange freestyle, black most difficult, double black super difficult, and red is expert.
MBT Events.
There are many different types of mountain biking events. The most popular and common are cross-country races. Some of the race lengths vary from 20 to 100 miles. Other races that are as long but more technical are Enduro races. Enduro races are for those riders who like fast, flowy, and technical trails. Unlike the podium that cross country races, Enduro races are all about time. The fastest rider down the trail wins. There are also many different slopestyle and freestyle events. These event are tailored for those riders who like to jump and show off for the crowd. The one that almost all riders know is, RedBull Rampage. Rampage is the most extreme and difficult event to get invited to. You have to be super confident in doing 25ft plus gaps and drop all while doing a trick down them. There are many other events like Loose Fest, and The RedBull Games. This year The RedBull games are being held at Whistler Mountain, British Colombia, Canada. Whistler is the home to extreme downhill events. All riders want a chance to ride for a day, or week, at Whistler.
MBT Event injuries
Remy Morton. Not a whole lot of people know who he is, unless you are a mountain biker or watch RedBull TV. Remy is an athlete in a world renowned mountain biking event, RedBull Rampage. The rules for Rampage are pretty easy to follow. The rider must ride down the amazing course in Virgin, Utah, in one piece. However, there’s a twist. On the course there are huge gap jumps, 25ft drops, big kickers, and a huge amount of danger. The rider has to go down this course in the most spectacular way as possible. Some of the athletes come from all around the world to participate in Rampage. For example, Remy is from Queensland, Australia. Other participants come from Britain, Iceland, Germany, etc.. In 2017, when Remy was 19 years old. He attempted the world's largest BMX jump during the Loose Fest in Belgium. Remy hit the ground at 75km/h or 45mp/h. He broke 22 bones including his neck. He was in a coma for nearly a month. According to Couiermail, not only did he break 22 bones, he collapsed both lungs, ruptured a kidney and suffered significant nerve damage in his arm that left it as good as paralyzed. He managed to make a full recovery and is back doing what he loves knowing about the immense danger that comes with BMX and mountain biking.