Adventures on the race bike and the gravel bike are not unknown to us. Both in the editorial team and among the readers there are many enthusiastic gravel bikers and race bike enthusiasts. Yet we also hear other voices. Mountain biking? Yes, definitely mountain biking. Ella gives you five reasons to start mountain biking
Cycling is what unites us
We are all cyclists, who seek out the most beautiful places with their trusty carbon or metal bikes and climb every mountain pass with pleasure. But what if you wanted to go even further off the beaten path to get even deeper into nature? Then you could use some suspension and the mountain bike would be a great addition to your cycling collection. We’ll go over some of the features in advance. Mountain bike adventure in the Alps and we would love to take you along on this journey! This article is part of a series that introduces mountain biking. If you have any questions for us now, please let us know in the comments! But first, five reasons why you should really give mountain biking a try.
Unlock Unpaved
The first reason we have already mentioned: with a mountain bike you unlock the possibility of going even further off the marked trails. Whether you are cycling in the Netherlands or abroad, with the mountain bike you will reach completely different places than with the race or gravel bike. You have probably wondered where that trail along the road goes. With the mountain bike you will reach places where you would never have been able to go otherwise. And change of scenery does indeed make for a change in perspective; training in a completely different environment gives a new boost to motivation and your experience.
Training incentives
And that applies especially to training incentives. If you ever get into a situation where you need to gravel bike As you can see, off-road terrain isn’t as flat as asphalt. Especially on a mountain bike, you sometimes encounter short, steep hills, drops, or rocks. This means you have to make many more short, explosive accelerations, and you have to get off the saddle more often to keep the bike under control. This allows you to do a good, intensive workout in a short time and introduce some variety. You don’t need a structured training program for this. It’s a bit like ‘fartlek’ training on the road.
Riding bikes in the winter
Speaking of training, the mountain bike is perhaps the best bike for just getting around in the winter. In fact, mountain biking in the mountains is a true summer sport, but here in the Netherlands it seems like most mountain bikes only come out of the garage in the winter when the roads are too wet and too cold and snowy to ride on a race bike. In the forest you ride on a much rougher surface, and the intensity is also higher so on the mountain bike you don’t get cold quickly! So it’s the perfect way to beat the winter blues and get super strong for the new season. Unless of course you get infected by the mountain bike virus and just keep riding, even in the summer…
Escape from the crowds
Of course, it’s not all about training; the experience is perhaps even more important. On a mountain bike, you can perfectly escape all the hustle and bustle on the road. No annoying cars, no traffic lights, or crowded bike paths. The bike has a much greater range of travel than hikers, so you’ll rarely encounter anyone else. This means you’re often traveling alone with your group, giving you the chance to fully immerse yourself in the surroundings and enjoy the nature and the beautiful views you encounter along the way.
Improving your skills
Another advantage of mountain biking is the speed at which you can improve your skills. Especially the beginner cyclist can gain a lot in terms of bike handling. On the mountain bike trails you encounter all kinds of turns, obstacles, drops, and small jumps depending on how crazy you want to get it. Your riding skills will improve through mountain biking; nothing is flat or straight in the forest, so you learn to control your bike and look ahead to get through the trails properly. You will definitely notice this on the road bike as well!
In short
Just benefits, then! A mountain bike is therefore a valuable addition to everyone’s cycling arsenal. In the series, we’ll delve deeper into what equipment and skills you need to get started with mountain biking and how to prepare yourself properly to tackle trails both domestically and abroad. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them!
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.