A kid’s perspective on mountain biking

Guest post by Epic Magenheim, Salinas

plus Epic’s bicycling advocacy bookmarks

Mountain biking is very healthy because you go up a lot of hills. But have you ever heard of the saying “what goes up must come down”? Because you will almost always get the fun of a downhill after you go up!

There are many other fun things about riding, including that it’s something you can share with family and friends. I ride with my two brothers and grandfather, plus my dad on occasion. It does not matter what age you are; my youngest brother is six, and my grandpa is sixty-nine, but we still ride bikes together. You can bike with people who are faster than you, or slower than you. 

Once you have a bike, biking is an activity that doesn’t cost much more. You can ride in a variety of different places, and see lots of trees, rivers, lakes, and other natural features. I think we are in one of the best places to ride here in Monterey County, because you can ride all year long and don’t have to worry about a grizzly bear eating you.

I recommend carrying water, nuts, and fruits.
I don’t recommend riding in dresses or suits!

I started riding on a special seat for kids on my grandfather’s bike when I was eleven months old. My dad actually rode on the same seat when he was a toddler. I began riding a Strider balance bike when I was two, and I kept riding it when I was three. I then started riding a pedal bike when I was just four!

I am now almost twelve and have a very nice bike and still ride with my family. We bike in the Sierra mountains, Fort Ord, Toro Park, Mammoth, etc. I plan to ride for many more years!

To learn more about Epic’s family history of bicycling, see “Generations of Cycling.”

Epic’s bicycling advocacy bookmarks

Epic designed bookmarks to share with libraries and at other locations. Join Epic in helping people find reliable bicycling information. Print and share the bookmarks he provided below.

Click the following link: Bicycling Monterey bookmark created by Epic Magenheim