Mountain biking can be be hazardous to your health. Flying down twisty mountain singletrack, catching air off rocks, and barely hanging on through rough, steep descents. All these hazards can lead to serious injury or death. That being said, would you rather spend the rest of your life watching the latest copycat law drama on TV? Would you like to bring some adventure into your life, while getting one of the most intense and exciting workouts possible? If so, mountain could be the sport for you.

In order to mountain bike, though, you need to live in an area that is at least generally hilly. The sport is all about the hills, so if you're reading this in Nebraska and think mountain biking sounds great, you had better start packing and move on to a real state(joking!). If you live in an appropiate area, try to check your county's (or surrounding counties') open space websites to see if there are any trails nearby. Another way to find a place to ride to talk to the folks at your local bike shop (often abbreviated LBS in online discussion). They'll know all the best places to go.

Now that you know that you have a place to ride, you'll need some sort of a bike. For a beginner, any decent quality, non Wal-Mart bike will work at first. Just make sure it has some kind of suspension and is safe to ride. A higher quality bike can come later. I would *highly* reccomend buying your bike locally. If you buy new from a shop, you'll get help in making sure you get the right bike for you, as well as some sort of service plan to help maintain the bike until you learn the ropes for yourself (which is not that hard, just a little time consuming). If you're confident in your mechanical abitlies, and have a friend to help you select the right bike, buying used from classifieds is a great way to go. Just make sure you inspect the bike carefully before you buy, and make sure it fits. An ill fitting bike will have you sick of riding very quickly.

Now that you have a bike, its time to hit the trail! Grab some friends, if at all possible, and and prepair for the workout of a lifetime as you climb your first hill! It will seem impossibly hard at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it. Hang in there until you get to the top. Now, the real fun begins. To descend, stay relaxed, keep you weight back, and let the ride begin! When you make it down after your first run, I guarantee you'll be hooked for life.