I like the idea of mountain biking. I love being on trails, not worrying about cars, and riding in the trees and the mountains. I love peace and quiet, being outdoors, and exploring. I love trail running, and mountain biking is a similar activity, right?
On Sunday, Chad and I decided to break out of the monotony of road riding and go mountain biking for a couple of hours. On this 2 hour ride, I estimate that I only actually rode for 90 minutes of it, max. The rest of it I walked: pushing my bike up rocky hills, or maneuvering my bike down steep unstable descents. I ended up getting frustrated several times. I just don't trust that my bike can really stay upright in deep sandy spots, or over big loose rocks. Even climbing is a little unnerving: it seems like my back tire is going to skid out. I guess I am so used to the feel of pavement that riding on dirt seems scary and foreign. I whined to Chad as I pushed my bike along for the millionth time, "I like the idea of mountain biking, but when I am out here trying to go over rocks, I don't like it at all. This is so annoying!"
We rode the last half of the ride on dirt roads since I found the trails so frustrating. I finished the ride feeling like I didn't get a good workout in since I walked my bike so much. I also ended the ride feeling like a big wimp, since Chad has no trouble flying over all sorts of obstacles on his mountain bike.
Today I have an easy riding day planned, so I am again going to venture out on my mountain bike. Yes, I have been called stubborn more than once in my life! But today I think I will just stick to dirt roads. Maybe that will help me build up some confidence on dirt surfaces, so I can one day truly like mountain biking, not just the idea of it.
