by Tina Schmidt
If you catch the winter blues just thinking about being stuck inside for the next 4 months, take heart. The solution may just be sitting in your garage. Mountain biking is a sport that can be enjoyed year-round, and Stillwater happens to have some of Oklahoma’s best options for beginner riders.
Mountain biking is the ideal winter sport because it’s affordable, it requires the rider to use their upper and lower body giving a full-body workout that keeps you warm, and because mountain biking trails are mostly in wooded areas riders are shielded from elements like wind that could otherwise make an outdoor workout prohibitively cold. “Most beginners are nervous about the idea of mountain biking, but its really fun and Stillwater actually has a great set of options that are safe and very do-able, even for people who might not be in great shape or are new to mountain biking,” said Ben Pearce, Mountain Biking Consultant for My City Bikes, the global web and mobile public health campaign dedicated to helping people discover better health and quality of life through bicycling.
“You’ve got about 7 miles of entry-level trails at Lake Carl Blackwell and several loops of trails at Lake McMurtry that you can combine for a shorter or longer ride,” said Mary Cash, owner of local beginner-friendly bike shop Cooper’s Bicycle Center. “Also there are events like Chili Bike in February that are fun. People ride together without racing, and its a fundraiser for the trail maintenance so that riders can continue to enjoy the Lake McMurtry system.” Trails at Lake Carl Blackwell and Lake McMurtry offer more traditional mountain biking, while the trail at Sanborn Lake is a family-friendly option that is more recreational and can be ridden on fitness, hybrid or even cruiser bicycles as well as mountain bikes. All of these trails are open to cyclists year-round.
The key to a great bike ride – whether on-road or off-road – is preparation. The My City Bikes Stillwater app is a free local must-have guide for entry-level biking in Stillwater that contains descriptions and directions to local trail systems, as well as necessary information on how to prepare for biking in any season. For riders planning to try Stillwater’s local trail systems for the first time this winter, “its important to remember the three P’s: Prep, Pump and Peel,” said Pearce. “Prep your bike with thick, knobbed winter tires and consider things like Bar Mitts, Moose Mitts or Bike Poagies that will keep your fingers really warm which can make the difference between comfortable and miserable for anybody outside in the winter. Pump up your tires to the right pressure before every ride. If you’re not sure what the right pressure is you can call a a fully equipped shop like Cooper’s Bike Center and they will assist with whatever concerns or questions you may have. Lastly, peel with your layers. Always have a base layer like a long-sleeved microfiber shirt, an insulation layer and a wind/waterproof shell. Layering lets you peel off and on as you need to. It’s the big secret of winter biking.”
For more information about local trails, bike information, or winter events visit mycitybikes.org/oklahoma to download the My City Bikes Stillwater app, or call (405) 372-2525.