| While mountain biking is typically associated with the | | | | skateboard parks have banned urban mountain biking, |
| cyclists pitting their reflexes, strength, and athletic | | | | street urban mountain biking is an option. |
| abilities against some of the world's most treacherous | | | | Street urban mountain biking is great for those who like |
| back country wildernesses, deserts, and canyons, | | | | to explore and take on whatever challenges they find. |
| there is a new breed of mountain biker--the city | | | | Those who have been lucky enough to hone their skills |
| dweller. Urban mountain biking may be the next big | | | | in skateboard parks can try them out on the city |
| thing in sports. | | | | streets, going with the flow of downtown traffic, |
| Where To Go Urban Mountain Biking | | | | jumping gaps and grinding ledges or rails, and even |
| One place where urban mountain biking fans can | | | | tackling stair sets--but only if they are very, very good, |
| develop their skills is at their local skateboarding parks. | | | | and have someone spotting for them so that they are |
| Almost every city of more than a few thousand | | | | in no danger of landing on someone. Street urban |
| people has at least one skateboarding park, and biking | | | | mountain biking is the type of mountain biking most |
| in them is a lot more convenient that finding ways to | | | | likely to cause controversy, and those who engage in it |
| do urban mountain biking on public streets or in parking | | | | have an obligation to ride with the safety of people |
| lots and parking garages. | | | | and property as their first priorities. |
| Skateboarding parks will let urban mountain biking riders | | | | Urban Mountain Bikes |
| perform many different stunts, by tackling the ramps, | | | | Urban mountain bikes are solidly built to a very basic |
| rails, ledges, and bowls the skateboarders use. Vertical | | | | design, with 20-inch wheels and intended to make their |
| riding on a half pipe doing twists and air spins will | | | | riders do the work. They do not have accessories like |
| require urban mountain biking skills as advanced as any | | | | pegs and suspension forks to make them more |
| needed in freeriding, and will also require full protective | | | | maneuverable so that less experienced riders can look |
| gear including a full face helmet. The risks that you | | | | good riding them. |
| could fall on concrete from seven or with feet above | | | | Urban mountain biking is gradually gaining in popularity, |
| a ten foot vertical ramp are not to be taken lightly. | | | | but until it has enough support so that every major |
| Skateboarding parks are ready and waiting for those | | | | urban area boasts a number of quality singletracks, |
| ready to do some urban mountain riding and best of all, | | | | urban mountain biking will remain limited to those |
| the bikers don't have to send time digging or building | | | | daredevils willing to perform their stunts on public |
| obstacles. But for those bikers who don't have a local | | | | thoroughfares, in public parks, and while ascending or |
| skateboard park, or those who live in cities where | | | | descending public stairways. |