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My days of running for
pleasure and exercise ended when I moved to the beautiful
Columbia River Gorge. I had been living in the relatively
flat Willamette River Valley where there were miles of
level bark running trails. Now in the Gorge, I encountered
rocky, steep trails that were torture to my hips and
knees. It was time to find a replacement for running.
The Gorge of the Columbia
River is a recreation mecca that's especially attractive
to mountain bike riders and windsurfers. Swimming doesn't
appeal to me, so I decided to check out mountain biking.
In the end, that was among the best decisions I've made,
but I began with caution. For one thing, I didn't know if
my interest would last. That's why I started by getting a
low-end bike (that had some serious weight problems) It
was a clunker, looking back on it now. I also held back on
investing in some of the biking 'gear'. It's not that I'm
cheap - it's just that much of it seemed to be for
hip-ness instead of usefulness.
However, after using a few
of the items, I understood that while the gear might make
you look 'cool', it also really does help you function
better. Here are 7 of my favorite pieces that I didn't
think I'd care about (back in my post- runner/pre-biker
days) and now I wouldn't dream of being without.
1. Padded shorts. If you
mountain bike, road bike, or both, make the investment in
having these. Purely and simply, your ride will be more
comfortable.
2. Well-vented helmet.
You've got to buy a helmet anyway, right? If you don't
wear one you're crazy. Spend the extra bucks to get one
made of the super-strong material that affords lots of
vents to help keep you from over- heating. And in the case
of helmets, you get what you pay for: the higher-end
helmets are easier to adjust for a better fit.
3. Pedals and shoes with
cleats (clipless). After a bit of a learning curve on how
to release quickly and be able to lock-in going up hill,
clipless becomes as automatic as shifting gears. You
especially notice the benefits when you're road-biking;
you're gaining on the entire stroke instead of only the
downward push.
4. Hydration pack (a
backpack with a water-bladder - Camelbak brand is an
example). My first one was a gift, or I might never have
tried one. Now I love having 100 ounces of water easily
available, instead of that goofy move where you have to
reach down and get the water bottle out of the rack, lift
your head to drink - losing sight of the trail, and then
fumbling the water bottle back into the rack. No wonder I
hardly ever drank enough during rides and ended up
slightly dehydrated every time. I also appreciate that the
pack holds my keys, cell phone, energy bar, and rain
jacket.
A suggestion: You'll still
want to keep a full water bottle on your bike. It's good
defense against dogs that chase you. Get good at your aim
and you can land a squirt without missing a stroke. It's
very satisfying, and the dog will run away.
5. Safety goggles - yellow.
Of course, you should have protection for your eyes, but I
wondered about the necessity of yellow or orange lenses.
Seemed like poser- gear when I began to see them around.
Then I used a pair. What difference in visibility! The
yellow lenses really do brighten up shady trails and they
help you a lot during overcast or lower-light times of
day.
6. Half-finger gloves. The
palms are padded, so that feels nice on long rides. The
best part is what they do for you on wipe-outs, which are
bound to happen. I've gotten lots of scraped knees, but my
hands always come out feeling fine.
7. The Bike. Once I
realized that biking was not only a great alternative to
running for the sake of my joints, but it was more fun in
general, I gave the clunker away. Then I invested in a
good bike - lightweight frame and components, with
suspension. It's a pure delight to ride on a well-made
machine.
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About
The Author
Kathryn
Mosely has written extensively on subjects
related to cycling and fitness. She
contributes to News
from Acer Bike, the best on-line
biking information resource. Be sure to
see all of Kathryn's articles at: http://www.acerbike.com/arch/ |
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