Mountain biking fun if expectations managed

I made a confession to my husband the other week.

“I don’t actually like mountain biking that much,” I told him after he enthusiastically proposed exploring another new-tous trail system.

It is not entirely true. I like

biking — a lot. And I like mountains — a lot. It’s the combination of the two that garners little enthusiasm from me.

Put me on a bike on a paved or gravel multi-use trail, and I’m pretty happy. Put me on a bike on an old woods road with a hardpacked dirt surface and little, rolling hills, on my way into a scenic lake, and I’m in heaven. Put me on a bike on a steep downhill, though, dodging rocks and making sharp turns and I’m in … well, you know. I do not want to “bunny hop” or “bump jump” and the last time I “caught air” it was over the handlebars.

I’ve walked my share of uphill climbs, and my share of downhill descents, too. At the end of a ride, my hands are often tired from pumping the brakes. Our 12-yearold — fearless, for better or for worse — recently said, “This would be more fun if Mom wasn’t so slow.”

Thanks, kid. Thanks a lot. Every time we explore a new trail — and we’re such new mountain bikers that there are many untried trails for us — I worry it will be too hard for me. Too steep, too windy, too bumpy, too … mountain bikey. And when trails get too tough, I get off the bike rather than risk a crash.

Two weekends ago, we drove to Johnstown to try the trails at Peck Hill State Forest in Fulton County. But we relied on Google maps and ended up at the trailhead for the 1.5-mile Willie Marsh Nature Trail. On the other side of the road, a dirt path led into the woods. Maybe that was the mountain bike trail, we thought. We thought wrong. The old dirt road quickly turned into a grassy path, then a field. It didn’t get a lot of wheeled or foot traffic, so we turned around.

The Willie March trail is a lovely, easy walk and parts of it are a lovely, easy bike — so easy it drew scoffs from my husband, who wanted more of a challenge. The trail into the marsh is an accessible interpretive trail, appropriate for strollers or even people using wheelchairs. Then, at a picnic spot, boardwalks lead in either direction out into the marsh and offer views over the wetland. At the other end of the boardwalks, though, the connecting trail gets rougher. It’s a fairly easy hike, but the roots and minor scrambles make it a poor mountain bike route. We ended up walking and pushing our bikes around parts of that section.

Back at the car, we did more Googling and headed to the right trailhead, where we found terrain more appropriate for bicycles.

The easiest trail was an old road leading into the woods. We followed it to the end, then jumped on the Perimeter Loop, a four-mile intermediate trail that dips and climbs around the edge of that section of forest. I had to walk a few hills but the descents were mostly flowy fun. Additional trails loop through the forest, and people looking for a little more challenge can find a few expert-level trails off the Stump City to Farm Trail on the other side of West Fulton Street.

Gliding down the trails at Peck Hill, I decided maybe I do like mountain biking after all. I just need to not let my own or others’ expectations define what a ride should look like. My mountain biking is slower and more cautious than most, but it’s still mountain biking.

Though the child may never agree, it’s fine to not like the gnarly trails, to walk some downhills, to prefer wide old-woods roads to narrow single track. What matters is that I am out there, having fun and getting fresh air and exercise, and spending time with my speedy family.