No, I have not quit class five kayaking and, no, I’m not trying to claim mountain biking is as cool as Sierra multi-days but there comes a time in everyone’s life when they have “try new things”. May it be school, droughts, being poor, shoulder injuries, or working an internship in Bend, Oregon (where the kayaking is NOT the Sierras but the single track is endless) that keeps you off the river, hopefully you can shred on bikes.*
Remember, we’re not replacing kayaking we’re opening our minds to new possibilities so here’s a list of benefits to mountain biking when we can’t kayak:
-Opposite tans lines. Gloves cover your hands that have probably developed melanoma. Frighteningly short spandex give your transparent thighs a new chance at life.
-Cheaper on gas. I think two summers ago (When I won the California Challenge) I drove from Reno to SoCal via I-5 seven times at $4/ gallon. Totally worth it, but not cheap.
-Meet new people with new ideas on life. If you’re into that.
-Otherwise just Go Alone.
-Athletic body position and fast reflexes. This is obviously the main reason. Riding uphill keeps you in shape for long endurance days on the river but downhill is where it’s at! The same concepts apply including an athletic body position, lead with your head, control from your core, and hesitation means devastation. Pinning it down a new trail is much like bombing down a new river boat scouting. Read and run! You learn to read a drop from the top to know how much speed and boof you need to clear what you can’t see behind the horizon. Similar to using bottoms of eddies or pillows to maneuver, you can rail (go really fast) the crap out of a turn by finding the smallest bit of berm or rock to hook your tire. Plus you keep your mind fresh with last minute survival mode and pushing yourself when it’s a bit scary. You don’t want to get soft before it starts raining!
-Full face helmets are cool.
-Scouting and Portaging is just as much a part of any sport you engage in so know your limits. Again, see first asterisk. Rock drops and gap jumps can get “class 5” real quick so listen to your bike mentors. You learn about speed, angles, edging, “scouting” the landing, transitions for landing, clearing “rocks” vs bulldozing straight through them, and do not forget about “portaging”! Learn with your mind’s eye before knocking your teeth out. Believe me. I have a dent in my thigh from a “log!!” 2 months ago.

If anybody wants to go shred Cherry Bomb Gorge as the dopest half pipe in the world, please let me know.

*Be warned. If you are the super raddest meathead kayaker in the world, this does not give you a free pass from breaking your collar bone after you “piton”** your front wheel off your first 6 inch rock drop. Mountain biking hurts EVERYDAY so get used to it.

**You may use kayak terminology when mountain biking with other kayakers. “Boof”, “melt”, “rocks”, “rudder”, “going over the bars”, “helmet”, “tea bag”, “scout”, “portage”, “class 1, 2, …5”, “log!!”, and “shuttle bitch” are great examples.