Mountain biking usually refers to the sport of riding bicycles possessing particular design characteristics (mountain bikes) off-road, although sometimes the term simply refers to riding a mountain bike, which can be done almost anywhere - bike trials and street riding are examples of mountain biking typically based in more urban locations. The sport requires endurance, bike handling skills and self-reliance. It is an individual sport which can be performed almost anywhere. There are aspects of mountain biking that are more similar to trail running than regular bicycling. Because riders are often far from civilization, there is a strong ethic of self-reliance in the sport. Riders must learn to repair their broken bikes or flat tires to avoid being stranded miles from help. This reliance on survival skills accounts for the group dynamics of the sport. Club rides and other forms of group rides are common, especially on longer treks.

Mountain biking is roughly broken down into three categories: cross country, downhill, and trials/street riding. However, most mountain bikes have a similar look: knobby tires, large round frame tubing, and some sort of suspension or shock absorbers are the usual pieces of equipment. Mountain biking can be done anywhere from a back yard to a gravel road, the majority of mountain bikers prefer to ride trails they call singletrack. These are narrow trails that wind through forests or fields. Mountain bikers describe a sense of euphoria that results from singletrack or downhill riding.

History of mountain biking

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Bicycles have been ridden off-road since their invention. However, the modern sport of mountain biking primarily originated in the United States, in the 1970s. There were several groups of riders in different areas of the country who can make valid claims to playing a part in the birth of the sport. Riders in Crested Butte, Colorado and Cupertino, California tinkered with bikes and adapted them to the rigors of off-road riding. Other riders around the country were probably copying their friends with motorcycles and riding their bikes on trails and fire roads. However, a group in Marin County, California is recognized by the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame to have played a central role in the birth of the sport as we know it today. They began racing down Mount Tamalpais (Mt Tam) on old 1930s and '40s Schwinn bicycles retrofitted with better brakes and fat tires. This group included Joe Breeze, Otis Guy, Gary Fisher and Keith Bontrager, among others. It was Joe Breeze who built the first new, purpose-made mountain bike in 1977. Tom Ritchey built the first regularly available mountain bike frame, which was accessorized by Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly and sold by their company called MountainBikes (later changed to Gary Fisher Bicycle Company). The first two mass produced mountain bikes were sold in 1982: the Specialized Stumpjumper and Univega Alpina Pro.

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USA Cycling Mountain News

2010 Pro XCT no longer directed by US Cup MTB Management Co.
kkahn@usacycling.org Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:55:25 -0000
USA Cycling was surprised to learn earlier this week that the US Cup Mountain Bike Management company will not direct the Pro XCT for 2010. Despite this set-back for both the series and promoters late in the season, USA Cycling is committed to managing the USA Cycling Pro XCT upon the philosophy the series was built.
USA Cycling Pro Cross Country Tour ramps up for second season
asmith@usacycling.org Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:51:46 -0000
USA Cycling announced today the return of the nationandrsquo;s professional cross country mountain bike series designed to amplify athletesandrsquo; opportunities, increase exposure for mountain biking domestically and to maximize U.S. start spots on the sportandrsquo;s highest stages. The USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour (Pro XCT) presented by US Cup will consist of six UCI-sanctioned events throughout the United States, providing world-class athletes with a consistent stage on which to accumulate UCI ranking points and top prize purses.
Fort Lewis, Brevard clinch omniums at Collegiate MTB Nationals
kkahn@usacycling.org Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:51:13 -0000
Fort Lewis College and Brevard College clinched the Divisions I and II team omniums as the 2009 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships came to a close on Sunday. Both teams had commanding leads going into the final day of racing - leads which were strengthened even more with some very solid efforts in the downhill finales.
Fort Lewis, Brevard in the lead at Collegiate MTB Nationals
kkahn@usacycling.org Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:15:54 -0000
It was a full day of racing at the 2009 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championship on Saturday with both short track and four-cross competitions on the agenda for day two. Fort Lewis College and Brevard College scored strong results and gained comforable leads in the Divisions I and II team omnium competitions. They'll try to hold onto these leads as the riders head into the final day of competition.
Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals open with cross country races
kkahn@usacycling.org Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:06:52 -0000
The USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships kicked off on Friday as nearly 300 student athletes converged on the Northstar at Tahoe to compete for a total of 22 national titles over three days. The first day of racing saw the coeds battle it out for individual titles in the cross country contests with the women lining up for three laps of the 7.5-mile course and the men lining up for four.
Swanguen accepts sanction for doping violation
asmith@usacycling.org Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:02:05 -0000
USADA announced today that J.D. Swanguen of San Diego, CA, an athlete in the sport of cycling, has tested positive for a prohibited substance and accepted a suspension for his doping offense.

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