Mountain Biking

A few years ago Nic Genovese filmed this video for Tourism Fernie, providing a perfect glimpse of what biking in Fernie means to those that live and visit this community.

Bike season is upon us, and regardless of the time you’ve put in on your trainer or in spin class you will likely experience tight and sore muscles. Here is a list of stretches you can do before and/or after your bike ride to help you prevent injury and recover faster.

These incorporate the use of a bike to aid the stretch, so make sure it is secured against something so it will not fall over. And remember to take your time and that stretching should never hurt.

1. Arm circles 5/direction. Slow pain free circles.

Spring has sprung in full force the last few weeks, and riding has begun to take shape. When the wet weather hit hard, I had to be creative to get my rides in (I am definitely learning the pros and cons of a mid-May race) and as some of you may know, I am not a fan of roads. Even double track sends me for a loop, so I've been on the hunt for dry singletrack.

Last year I had the opportunity to ride with Nick Dunn on Three Kings, 48 Hrs and Dopamine. I use the term “with” loosely as he was miles ahead as I attempted to find my way down these epic trails (I actually volunteered to shuttle for the last lap on Dopamine). I wasn’t surprised to learn that he was a rising star on the downhill mountain biking scene and was happy to catch up with him again this year as he continues to make a name for himself in the field.

With your well-maintained steed in gloved hands with a comfortable hydration pack on your back full of the right tools after last month’s Fix, it’s time to hit the trails. But where to and who with?

podium.jpg
On the podium with Margie Smith, Dana Goodman's son, Claire and Simone at Rafter Six Ranch, Day 6

The TransRockies. A race I fell for long ago at my first finisher's banquet in 2006. Boy those "recap" videos are a great marketing tactic! I had been biking for just one season and was adamant about taking on this challenge. Of course I was talked out of it by friends and family, and myself once discovering the daily average of hours on the bike and the technical difficulty. I was in serious need of more time in the saddle.

Learning a new sport is not always easy. Learning mountain biking, where consequences can be a little more alarming than say learning tennis, trial and error did not seem a smart method when you’re pursuing biking as your career and passion in your mid-thirties. A better option I decided was to become an instructor. Riding with exceptional bikers also works well, if you can keep up. As does taking every opportunity to ask expert riders questions.