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