Mountain biking: the only sport where you can run over pedestrians and get away with it.  Photo courtesy of visitslo.com

  Biking has been on the rise in San Luis Obispo high school. Ever since the pandemic, the freedom of mountain biking, combined with the fresh air and physical exercise, has made it a popular sport among students. For all those wondering if biking would fit them, a completely unbiased opinion by senior mountain biker Christopher Kaml would argue that “Mountain biking is an amazing sport”. 

  Unbeknownst to many students, San Luis has already produced the cream of the crop when it comes to mountain bikers. Characters such as the UCI Continental team member Lance ‘Lany Pants’ Haidet, and Christopher Blevins (racer in the cross country world cup) trained in SLO while attending Cal-poly.

    San Luis offers some of the best trails available for potential mountain biking enthusiasts. The easiest trails are mostly based around Madonna Mountain, which generally holds a beginner-friendly layout with occasional technical trials. Irish Hills has an intermediate difficulty that allows beginners to improve their skills in a fairly safe environment. For students seeking an adventurous experience, “The Grade is the most intricate set of trails, and can be hard to find your way around without a guide the first few times.” said Payton Shoresman.

Other mountain biking trails include:

• The Johnson Ranch loop (easy) 
• Shooters (intermediate)
• Tunnel 10 Truck Trail (intermediate)
• Hazard peak (intermediate)

  Despite our great environment, some bikers are put off by the upfront costs of buying a new bicycle. Just off a cursory internet search, the prices of a “lightly used” Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt 10 Mountain Bike costs around $1,500. While cheaper options are definitely available, the cost of a mountain bike can sometimes be a difficult cost to manage. For most people, it can be best to experiment with bikes on hand before fully investing their life savings. To help with this, San Luis’s bike shops such as Foothill Cyclery offer rental services that allow students to experiment with different models.

  “Most good bikes are going to be at least a thousand dollars now, so it is a little bit of an investment, though one might be able to get away with a used one for less,” said Shoresman.

  Although some bikes may cost as much as a car, they are generally more accessible. Recently SLO has been heavily investing in biking infrastructure to reduce car dependency. Although changing transportation modes may not be the best option for everyone, the relative accessibility of bike lanes, combined with savings made on gas and vehicle expenses could make biking a better option for a number of students. (As an added bonus, it’s generally easier to escape the high school parking lot on two wheels than it is on four)

    For those willing to try mountain biking, but maybe unsure where to start, the SLOHS Mountain Biking Club is a great way to meet some friends, bike some trails, and take on a few challenges. The club meets on Tuesdays in room 203 and welcomes all new members. 

  San Luis Obispo has some of the best conditions for biking, and it would be an absolute waste not to take advantage of them.