Cyclist Route Review in the Sports Guide
Get to know mountain biking, an extreme sport in which the challenges and obstacles make the difference between those who take the risks and those who don’t
Cycling is considered one of the most arduous sports if the physical wear that accompanies the high performance practice of it is taken into account. It accounts for the modalities of: the cycling route (takes place on highways or long distances); cyclocross, (a mixture of the cycling route and mountain (hills)); track (it is carried out on a cycling track, velodrome) and finally, mountain biking.
This term is used to differentiate it from normal bicycles by the fact that it is especially for use on off-road or on trails. It has its origin in the United States and its invention is attributed to Gary Fisher in the 1970’s. Since the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, mountain biking has become an Olympic discipline.
It requires the same demands of any other sport. The necessary equipment is comprised of a helmet, gloves, set of tools and patches, air pump, extra inner tubes and, of course the fundamental element in the practice of this activity, a good bicycle. The type of bicycle needed is manufactured from light materials like aluminum, titanium and charcoal fiber. Their tires, larger and more resilient than conventional equipment, are designed especially for circuiting along narrow, windy and steep roads. To complete the picture is an adequate suspension to take the blows, disc or “V” brakes and an extensive range of gears that facilitate its operation.
Given its geographical location, Puerto Vallarta represents the ideal place to enjoy mountain biking: from routes inside the tropical forest inviting you to discover its wealth of flora and fauna, to the paradisiacal hidden landscapes accessible only on two wheels.
Mountain biking is a strenuous activity and, in many cases, extreme; the more so because it is so gratifying. It turns out to be, above all, a double “whammy”. On the one hand, the difficulty of avoiding the physical obstacles that are found in the road (ascents and descents, stones, holes, rain, mud, heat, the unknown); and on the other hand the challenge of conquering personal limits (the pain, the fatigue, the solitude, and the unexpected). However, once exceeded the adversities become like an experience of purification and relaxation.
It can represent at the same time happiness and suffering; beauty and confusion. But above all, the consolidation of the goals and the overcoming of the failures, factors that, in one’s life, differentiates between those that confront them and those who simply do not.
The Numbers:
*In one hour of exercise at normal velocity you burn approximately between 500 and 700 calories and 0.20 kg. of fat.
*With 30 minutes of cycling daily, five days a week the benefits are:
41% less probability of dying from heart problems.
58% less probability of suffering from diabetes.
157% less probability of dying from any other illness.
*A Bicycle can cost from $700 to 80 thousand pesos.
(Data according to studies conducted at Harvard and in the American Journal of Epidemiology, United States)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What is the necessary equipment?
Bicycle, helmet, gloves, bottles of water, sets of patches, extra inner tubes, basic set of tools, air pump and food.
What type of bicycle is needed?
To know what bicycle to acquire it is necessary to establish a budget that suits to your needs. The best bicycle is one which is measured correctly: in mountain bikes there should be a distance from between 10 to 15 cm. between the upper bar and the upper thigh. It is recommendable to seek the advice of an expert.
What is needed during exercise?
Eat before you become hungry and drink before becoming thirsty. A banana or an energy bar should be eaten for each hour of exercise and a bottle of water for every 30 to 40 minutes.
How to ride:
Brake before the curves. Direct your vision seven meters in front of the bicycle. Watch the road and look to see where you are going and not what obstacles ahead you want to avoid. Concentrate your weight where it is needed. Remember, "inertia equals stability".
Enjoy the Trip!
