Mountain Biking:
Keeping the Fun Side Alive!
Let us face it, most of us have the best intentions when we
start mountain biking. And during the first few months of
riding, the enthusiasm is high. You even tell to yourself,
"this time I am serious and will not quit." You ride for hours
several times a week; shop sets of bike gears; upgrade the
parts of your bike; or even buy a new bike. But just like other
leisure and sport, your interest may begin to go down because
you begin to create excuses for yourself such as you are busy
with your work or you are tired and you cannot ride even on
weekends. Once you start feeling this way, everything is
downhill unless you do something about it. Do you want to know
how to keep interested on mountain biking? Read on…
Prioritize
The best way to quit mountain biking is create excuses such
as lack of time and doing other much important things. While
you really have to work or to do some important stuff in your
life, it is really not an excuse to skip. How come you are able
to do things other than biking? Think of it this way, if you
put mountain biking on the top of your "things-to-do," would
you still have the reason to skip? Learn to prioritize.
Do Not Ride Too Much
Many mountain bikers who have decided to sit on the couch
and watch tv instead of ride their bike have reasoned that they
have lost interest in it. This is probably because they ride
too much during the first weeks and get tired immediately. What
you should do is to make a schedule at least once a week but
not more than 5 times a week.
Do Not Buy Upgrades All at the Same Time
Many beginners are very enthusiastic about their newly-found
hobby that they spend big amount of money to buy everything to
make their bike the best. While there is nothing wrong with
this, the tendency is to become a victim of their own obsession
and losing interest right after because there is nothing more
to do. Why not buy a bike and upgrade one part of the bike,
enjoy it for a while before you buy another upgrade. This way,
you always have something to look forward to and keep your
anticipation and interest high.
Get a Riding Buddy/Join a Group of Riders
Riding alone is good but riding with someone is better. If
you know that someone is waiting for you on the trial, you will
likely not skip. Or if your group have a scheduled time and day
to ride together, you are more likely to be there.
Music
If you are getting tired of hearing nothing but the sound of
your own breathing, then why not bring your MP3 player and play
some music while you navigate through the mountain? Music keeps
you entertained during long hours of driving. It does the same
thing when mountain biking.
Ride on Different Trails
You will certainly get bored and lose interest if you ride
on the same trail over and over again. Find other places to
ride. Take this time to explore other areas you haven't been
to. Ride on at least 4 or 5 trails a month, one trail each
week. If it is not possible to have many trails, change your
riding route regularly and present yourself with new
challenges.
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