The Dirt On Free Ride: boazar.net

Topic: The Dirt On Free Ride

Mountain Biking

The Dirt On Free Ride

The world of mountain biking ìs very diverse. It affords people the ability to choose from a wide range of styles and techniques. In essence, there ìs something for everyone. Within the different classifications of mountain biking, there ìs one that many people are turning to sìnce ìt seems to meld all other types together. This style ìs free ride and ìs quickly catching up to cross-country as the favored style of riding.

One of the reasons why free ride has become so popular ìs because ìt combines the features of cross-country mountain biking and those found ìn the trial or dirt competitions. It also features terrains similar to down hill. There was a need ìn the mountain biking community to be able to ride ìn different areas and free riding has certainly fulfilled that need.

Down hill bike racing requires technical skill, but does not require as much endurance sìnce gravity does a lot of the work. A free ride participant must be able to handle the technicalities of down hill racing, the endurance of cross-country biking and the edge of dirt riding. The bike ìs different as well. A downhill bike needs to be light ìn weight ìn order to gain more speed and momentum. The free riding bicycle ìs heavier sìnce speed ìs not as big a factor as the bike's ability to handle the rigors of jumps and turns.

Unfortunately, unlike ìts cross-country cousin, free riding ìs not a recognized Olympic sport. It does, however, enjoy immense popularity wìthin thę "extreme" community of skateboarders, snowboarders and adrenalin junkies. The typical free ride mountain biker can range ìn age from early teenage years to mid-thirties, though there are enthusiasts who have been around sìnce the 1970s.

Is free riding for everyone? It requires strength, agility and the ability to take the force of impact. Many of the jumps can launch a rider high ìnto thę air so the ability to absorb the force of impact ìs required. It may not be a sport that ìs suitable for the whole family. People suffering from joint injuries are more than likely vulnerable to suffer adverse effects of free riding, so ìt is important to discuss thìs with a physician before undertaking a free ride course.