Endurance Mountain Biking: Reserved For The Best
The sport of mountain biking, as an enjoyable and relaxing outdoor activity, is attracting ever-increasing numbers of every age and background. There are many organized outdoor events and competitions which include on their list of activities both mountain biking and endurance mountain biking.
Endurance mountain biking is a form of exercise appropriate only for those in the peak of condition; a single competition, depending on its category, can continue for up to twelve hours. Endurance mountain biking, therefore, is reserved for professional bikers who have proven that they are up to the demands involved. How is an endurance mountain biking event structured?
Categories
Endurance mountain biking events are divided into three categories according to their length. There are three-hour, six-hour, and twelve-hour races; the three-hour races are restricted to solo men and solo women. The six-hour events are open to either solo men and solo women, or duos--two riders of either sex; and twelve-hour races allow the broadest range of riders. They can be solo men or women; duos of either sex; solo single speeders--either one man or one woman; a women's team of between two and four women; and an open team of two to four riders of either sex. For more info see http://www.mountainbikingreviews.com/All_About_Mountain_Biking/ on All About Mountain Biking
Endurance mountain biking events require that the competitors register with the organizers beforehand, and, in some cases, submit to physicals. They are also required to have their own approved safety equipment, including gloves, helmets, and knee pads. They are expected to wear accepted biking attire, with completely enclosed shoes and the endurance mountain biking event's designated T-shirt.
Endurance Mountain Biking Safety Measures
Safety is one of the overriding factors in endurance mountain biking events, and the bikers are expected to keep every part of their bikes in prime shape, from the tires to the handlebars. Neither reflectors nor kickstands are permitted; headsets, adjusted hubs, sound frames, and true wheels are also prohibited. Headphones, Walkmans, or any other sound devices are forbidden.
If you'd like to become involved with endurance mountain biking, look for a mountain biking club in your area and approach them with your questions. There's' a vast amount of information on endurance mountain biking, and you'll need to learn about everything from the basic rules, to the local event scheduling and locations.
You can get started by visiting the Internet sites different mountain biking groups, and if you work very hard and have the ability, may find yourself a member of an endurance mountain biking team!
Girls Mountain Biking: Catching Up With The Boys
One of the greatest appeals of mountain biking is that it is a unisex sport. Mountain biking does not discriminate on the basis of gender. Nor does it eliminate participants due to their ages or ethnicities; in its early years it was largely the domain of men and boys, but now women and girl mountain bikers are joining the fun in record numbers.
Girls mountain biking has begun to achieve prominence in the sport, thanks to the teams of girls mountain bikers fielded by many US high schools. High school mountain biking programs allow female students to master the techniques necessary to succeed in girls mountain biking competitions, and many of them are the equal of the male bikers in their schools. NorCal
The NorCal High School Mountain Bike League, founded in 2001, opened up the world of girls mountain biking to Elena Spittler, who was the league's girls mountain biking champion in 2005. She joined the Berkeley High School Mountain Biking Team as its single female member, simply to prove that girls could succeed in the sport. She struggled to keep up with the boys during her first year on the team, but by the time she was a senior, Elena was trouncing some of her younger male teammates.
Two years after she struck a blow for girls mountain biking at her high school, there are now seven girls on the team, and the total number of participants in girls mountain biking for the entire NorCal High School Mountain Bike League has doubled.
The league now has a summer girls mountain biking camp and intends to host a girls mountain biking mini-camp in the first part of the high school racing season to help the girls competing improver their techniques and build their confidence. The league has made a commitment to these girl-specific activities, and is also training its team coaches in methods of recruiting and working with girls mountain biking candidates.
These girls mountain biking clinics and camps cover a variety of topics. The girls are required to maneuver their bikes over natural obstacles and down steep descents, learning the balance, dexterity, and bike control necessary for competing in cross country, endurance, and short course racing events. They are also schooled in bike maintenance and repair. For more info see http://www.mountainbikingreviews.com/Mountain_Biking_Dirt_Jumps on Mountain Biking Dirt JumpsGirls Mountain Biking Clinics
The clinics stress the importance of preserving mountain biking trails, finding team sponsorship, educating the public in the positive benefits of girls mountain biking, and improving one's biking skills. They encourage their students to develop self-reliance and challenge them in the same way that their male counterparts are challenged.
Thanks to the efforts of groups like the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League, both girls and girls mountain biking have "caught up" with the boys!