There is a sport that has recently grown in popularity, because it offers everything that a sport should; speed, skill, thrills, the very things which draw us to athletics. This sport is downhill mountain biking and it is exactly what it sounds like – riding your bike down a sloped trail to the finish line.
Given its generally flat terrain, Ontario hardly seems like a downhill paradise, but awareness of and participation in the sport is growing; contests in the last few years have been held at Blue Mountain, Horseshoe and Glen Eden1. People from all over the world are taking up the sport because it offers something that we rarely get to experience – a legitimate thrill.
However, you should be warned that careening down a hill at 60 kilometres an hour is exactly as dangerous as it sounds; you will require not only safety gear and a proper bicycle, but sufficient skill and expertise in riding, whether you want to compete or take it up as a hobby. It is not a sport for the faint of heart and it is not something to callously leap into, unless you plan on sustaining multiple broken bones.
If you are the type to throw caution into the wind for a jolt of adrenaline, then downhill mountain biking may be the sport for you. For the all that the dangerous sport requires, you should start your search at Backpeddling (King of Bikes) in Guelph, which offers a range of specialized frames and shocks, in addition to a wide selection of safety gear. When you’re ready to go fast, check them out at www.backpeddling.com.
1 – http://www.ontariocycling.org/sports/mountian/downhill/