| The sport of mountain biking is increasing | | | | |
| in popularity year by year. It's an | | | | If you're doing an "endo" it means you're |
| exhilarating sport, but it's also physically | | | | flying over the handlebars of your bike do to |
| demanding. Both men and women take part, but | | | | a sudden stop. And then you'll most likely do |
| its usually people kids, teens, and young | | | | a "face plant" - hopefully into mud and not |
| adults. | | | | into a rock. Regardless, that's why you wear |
| | | | a helmet and eye protection! |
| As with any other activity, mountain bikers | | | | |
| have devised their own culture, including a | | | | That's only a small sampling of the |
| language of their own. If you want to get | | | | terminology. Of course you'll enjoy the sport |
| into the game, you'll have to learn a few | | | | even more if you can understand what the |
| terms: | | | | people around you are talking about, so take |
| | | | a gander at a few mountain biking slang |
| If you're riding a "boing-boing" you're | | | | dictionaries before you hit the trails. |
| riding a bike with both front and rear | | | | |
| suspension. If you've "bonked" you've run out | | | | Mountain biking is a great sport, but there |
| of energy. To "bring home a Christmas tree" | | | | is some controversy to it, as some people |
| is a bad thing, it means you've crashed | | | | feel that the cyclists destroy the natural |
| through dense brushes and leaves and things | | | | environment in certain areas, and bicycle |
| are hanging off your helmet - it also means | | | | advocates have to fight to keep the trails |
| you've left a trace on the hill, which is | | | | open to cyclists. |
| something mountain bikers - and people in | | | | |
| general, of course, are not supposed to do. | | | | All cyclists can help by following simple |
| | | | rules - pack out more than you take in, |
| "Death cookies" are rocks that fly up into | | | | respect pedestrians on the trails, don't bike |
| you as you go down the trail. This happens | | | | after heavy rains, and so on. |
| all the time and so that's why you want to | | | | |
| wear goggles or some kind of eye protection. | | | | By using a respectful attitude toward the |
| To get "first blood" means you're the first | | | | environment and common sense in dealing with |
| rider in a group who crashes and starts | | | | other people, mountain biking will be a sport |
| bleeding as a result. Some people perhaps | | | | that will be around for a long time to come. |
| feel this is a mark of honor for some reason. | | | | |