BETHEL, Maine — If you don't have the need for speed but want to try mountain biking, mountain trail biking is a great option to try this summer. Alex Carr, co-owner of Bethel Adventure Tours, brings it down to the basics, beginning with proper clothing to making sure bikes are in working order.
"We take them through basic skills," Carr explained. "Which is just learning how to get comfortable on the bike, learning what positions, whether it be a ready position or a relaxed neutral position."
After several practice sessions, the difficulty gradually increases in these positions and moving the bike across the planes.
"We work on shifting and braking, and then more advanced moves like cornering, and small circles, straight lines, ratcheting, then we work onto the trails where we work on climbs, decent, dismounts, and various different things," Carr said.
Learning these fundamental skills from a certified instructor is necessary before increasing the level of terrain, as jumping in too soon increases the chance of a negative experience.
"We get a lot of clients coming back for coaching who have had a negative experience and now we have to work through fear and anxiety based on that negative experience," Carr explained. "So starting out easy and with coaching on simple, simple easy terrain is by far the best way to get into this sport."
Brian and Malinda Gagnon, of Bethel, joined the lesson as well. While Brian was more advanced than Malinda and me, the lesson was a great refresher course. For Malinda, it made all the difference as she came into the lesson a bit nervous.
"I knew that if I had some good instruction that I could maybe enjoy myself, but I was really nervous," Malinda Gagnon said.
After the lesson, it was a different story.
"I had fun, I really had fun," Malinda added. "I think having those basic skills, and having time to practice and having someone actually look at you and say, 'Oh, do this a little differently, do that,' and you just build that confidence, so the trail was not scary, it was actually fun."
That’s what Carr said this is really all about.
"Taking the opportunity to have fun, go a little fast, experience a little bit more risk, but also just enjoying what you’re doing. Having fun and also staying fit,” Carr said.