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Friday, June 14, 2013
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For thrill seekers, mountain biking the new passion (Feature)
New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) Vamini Sethi, 27, doesn’t look physically strong. But give her a mountain bike and she re-defines toughness. For her riding through craggy terrain, dirt roads and treacherous paths are like child’s play.
Sethi, a banker by profession, is part of a group that is regular at mountain biking events – a trend that is catching up among thrill seekers for that extra adrenaline rush.
“Mountain bicycling challenges every bit of you and requires perfect synchronisation of mind and body. It tests your endurance and willpower. Every time your body gives up, your mind encourages you to pedal harder,” Sethi told IANS.
Sethi, who owns two high-end bikes – Trek 2.1 and Trek 4300 – said the thrill keeps all of them going.
“You are not competing with anyone, but just with yourself. The thrill you get after completing a difficult terrain…that feeling is great,” she said.
Like her, there are many biking enthusiasts who are getting into this niche area for the love of the thrill and the challenge it offers, Sethi said.
The numbers are slowly growing, despite it being an expensive hobby.
Some of the credit for making mountain biking popular goes to the Himalayan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA).
Formed in 2005, it is the brainchild of Mohit Sood, who with the support of a British friend decided to venture into this unknown territory.
Ever since then, he has been successfully organising the MTB Himalaya international biking challenge, a gruelling seven-day trail from Shimla to Kullu, covering 550 kilometres.
“Mountain bicycling is not everyone’s cup of tea. It requires passion and ultimately gives you the thrill after you successfully ride through a difficult and dangerous terrain,” Sood told IANS over the phone from Shimla.
“It is a combination of man and machine where mental alertness and flexibility on two-wheels determines the final outcome,” he added.
Sood knew the journey would be ardours and difficult, but he persisted. Today, he is a happy man.
“It was hard to get participants initially. In our first year we had only eight Indian participants but last year we had 82 Indian participants. So, the numbers show a drastic change in the mindset towards this sport,” said Sood.
Now, many international bikers from Europe and the US participate in the annual event.
But for many, the money sometimes acts as a deterrent.
“You have to spend a lot when it comes to hard-core bicycling. People find it pretty absurd when you tell them that you have spent almost two lakh rupees on your riding gear,” said Varun Sharma, a software professional.
“To them it might be a silly splurge, but to me it is a life-long investment. Many do get discouraged when they hear that they have to spend so much,” said Sharma, who owns two bicycles worth Rs.1.5 lakh.
It is just not buying an expensive bike. One has to buy the entire safety gear too.
Sharma said extra focus has to be given to a better headlight, tail light, helmet, extra tubes, a speedometer, gloves, water sippers and gel seat cover for a comfortable and safer ride.
“Only those who are serious about it would invest in such things. It is not a hobby, but your passion,” he added.
Harshman Singh is another regular rider and owns the Cycledelic Sport Shop in Model Town in north Delhi.
“Things have changed quite a lot now. With foreign makers flooding the market, there are various options for cycle enthusiasts. Though many still prefer MTB (mountain bike) over ATB (all terrain bike) because of the looks and fat tyres, the serious cyclists understand the nuances of these types,” he said, adding the price starts from Rs.9,500 and goes up to Rs.4 lakhs.
The helmets start at Rs. 1,000 and go up to Rs. 8,000.
According to Sood, many living in the city get disheartened when they don’t find the right terrain.
“The absence of dirt-paths in the city to practise is a disadvantage for those who want to take mountain bicycling seriously,” Sood explained.
To give riders a taste of off-roading, in which a bike is ridden on unsurfaced roads or tracks, Firefox Bikers, the sole distributor of Trex bikes, recently organised an event in the outskirts of Delhi. The response was overwhelming.
Though mountain biking is mostly confined to men, Sethi hopes more women would soon join.
“Let’s admit men are physically stronger than women. I had to undergo a lot of practice to be where I am. It wasn’t easy.
“Getting up early in the morning, cycling on the Faridabad-Gurgaon road with my husband in the car watching me; it requires both mental strength and support. At the end, it is all about passion,” she said.
(Shilpa Raina can be contacted at shilpa.r@ians.in)
IANS 2013-06-14 13:04:50
best mountain bike in the
Whistler's summer secrets
When the snow disappears in North America's top ski resort... biking takes centre stage
It’s easy to be a bit short-sighted when looking ahead to summer in a ski resort. The thought of the place you love to ski without the thick blanket of snow is quite depressing. However, once the snow has gone, resorts often reveal their full potential. And when the snow melts in Whistler, Canada, a mountain biker’s paradise is released.
Both locals and tourists can be seen rolling through the village on everything from beautifully painted beach cruisers to scratched-up BMXs, and skinny lightweight road bikes to massive, full suspension, downhill beasts.
So whatever type of bike you have, or like to play on, Whistler has a place for you to ride it from morning until night.
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| Whistler Bike Park mixes freestyle features and jumps with flowing singletrail and technical downhill descents. |
Downhill Biking - Whistler Mountain Bike Park
The Whistler Mountain Bike Park offers one of the best downhill biking experiences in the world and has everything from wide open undulating trails like Easy Does It for beginners, through to hair-raising descents filled with rocks, roots and cliffs such as Goat’s Gully. If you’ve never pulled on a full face helmet and donned body armor, and pointed a meaty full suspension downhill bike towards the bottom of a trail, it truly is a unique style of adrenaline rush. It is also far easier than it looks.
Whistler Blackcomb aims to prove this with Ladies Night, which takes place weekly. Full equipment rental, lift ticket and a two-hour lesson only cost $76 and Testosterone Tuesdays offers the same value so the boys can test their metal in the bike park. Both deals mean even those of you used to keeping both feet, and certainly both wheels, on the ground will be bouncing down the bike park in no time.
For the experienced rider Whistler Blackcomb introduced a unique downhill trail - Top of the World - last year, which winds down the mountain from the peak of Whistler Mountain.
XC Biking - Lost Lake Park Cross Country Trails
If you like a bit more balance in your life then maybe the cross-country (XC) riding is for you. Whistler and the surrounding areas have hundreds of free XC trails that make you work for the stunning alpine views and flowing descents, with some grueling but rewarding climbs, perfect for building your ski fitness between seasons.
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| Lost Lake Park is home to the famous Zappa Trails. |
Lost Lake Park’s famous Zappa Trails are a mixture of green and blue trails that vary from easy wide open gravel paths to more technical single track with exciting downhills and features, both natural and man-made.
The rest of the valley has a huge network of trails straight out of a mountain biker’s wildest dreams with single track that has you riding logs over raging rivers, weaving through dense trees and skidding your way around hairpin bends.
Some of the most popular local trails are the flat, but feature filled, A River Runs Through It, the incredible Train Wreck that weaves around genuine old train debris, and the epic full day adventure that is Comfortably Numb (know as Uncomfortable Bum to locals).
Cruising- The Valley Trail
Whistler’s Valley Trail is 40km worth of paved pathways connecting every neighborhood, lake, park, and point of interest in town.
It’s used everyday by hundreds of walkers, joggers and bikers, including locals commuting to work and tourists searching for outdoor adventure. The trail is the perfect place to take a few big comfortable cruisers, complete with picnic baskets hanging on the front and spend the day exploring.
It’ll probably only be a few minutes riding the Valley Trail before you reach that picture perfect spot you were looking for, or bump into a resident black bear.
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| Howe Sound from the Sea to Sky Highway. |
Road Biking - The Sea to Sky Highway
The Sea to Sky Highway, redeveloped for the 2012 Winter Olympics, was been transformed from a narrow and closure-prone route to one of the most beautiful drives on the West Coast.
This newly widened Highway comes complete with a bike lane, so what better way to experience this stunning trip than on your trusty road bike? Every summer this attitude inspires bikers to compete in the GranFondo - an epic race that sees more than 10,000 riders pedal all the way from downtown Vancouver to Whistler.
Grab your road bike, pull on you spandex and take on part of the challenge yourself, even if it is just rolling down to Squamish where the Greyhound Bus will be waiting to drive you back to Whistler. The best time to do so is early morning when there are fewer cars and a beautiful sunrise. Not for the faint of heart but the rewards are amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, Howe Sound and the Coast Mountains.
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| View from Whistler Peak towards Black Tusk. |