I am not a big stats person but one thing I track is page views on the blog. I always get a kick out of how much lower Mountain Biking viewings are compared to Triathlon/TT or Road Racing posts. I believe a lot of it comes from Tom's not have a substantial sales floor prior to the expansion so he focused on race bikes and our customers don't always think of us a mountain bike shop.
Now with the new expansion project complete we have display space for Mountain Bikes and we are working hard to be your Mountain Bike shop along with Triathlon/TT and Road Race bikes and all accessories.
You might be asking yourself what is the benefit to Mountain Biking over Road Training?
My first point would be the views that you can get on a mountain bike over riding paved roads. Single track, double track, fire roads, or jeep trails take you places that pavement just can't. I have ridden in Utah, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, and many other states and am amazed at some of the pictures I have been able to take.
Now don't get me wrong because I have ridden along the Pacific Ocean on my road bike and was completely enamored with the beauty of that area and it is paved! But there is something to being on dirt and riding and just having a great time without having to dodge cars while avoiding trees.
What else can you get from Mountain Biking that you don't from riding on the road?
Bike handling skills! There is nothing like handling your bike on single track going over obstacles and working hard to clear short steep climbs. I remember when we were out riding one time before our bike tour along the Underground Railroad and I was going around some traffic and went to get on the sidewalk and the lip of the homes driveway was higher than I had figured on. My bike was getting ready to go down and with all of the mountain biking I had done I did a quick unclip and stuck my leg out and saved it. I am 100% sure that only happened because of the riding I had done on trails. It makes you more aware of your surroundings and exactly how your bike is going to respond in certain situations.
Another point I want to make is about interval training. As I mentioned above about working hard to clear an obstacle or climb a short steep hill - Mountain Biking provides you ample work on intervals. It is not a steady state training like road riding and you don't generally go as fast as you do on asphalt but it still can be a great workout and help your overall bike conditioning and road racing as well.
My final point about the benefit of Mountain Biking is that is FUN! At the end of the day I love riding my bike and I don't care if it is on the road, dirt, or snow - I just want to ride my bike. But I can tell you I have never come home from getting shredded on dirt and cut and bruised and said wow that was just horrible I am never doing that again! It is a great time and a great workout.
We have some awesome trails around Western New York and we are planning some Specialized Demo Days this summer at Sprague Brook and are even looking into a Tom's Weekly Group Ride on the local dirt trails this summer if there is enough interest.
Now all you have to do is get your mountain bike tuned up or purchase one and Tom's is your shop to help you out in both areas! Stop by and check out our inventory or ask some questions. See you on the trails (as soon as the snow melts ;) )
Tom's Pro Bike Service
3687 Walden Avenue
Lancaster, New York 14086
F: (716)651-0858
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