GET ACTIVE: Take to the trails in mountain biking

Competition aside, mountain biking offers a variety of physical and mental benefits. The low-impact cardio sport helps build muscle, improve balance and coordination and reduce stress and anxiety.

“What’s most fun for me is just getting out there on the trail,” said Jordan Hart, Five Rivers Metroparks outdoor recreation coordinator. “It’s relaxing to me – a release.”

And there is no passport needed to give mountain biking a try as the MetroParks Mountain Biking Area (MoMBA) at Huffman MetroPark features more than 9 miles of mountain biking trails for riders of all ages and experience levels. The scenic terrain includes winding wooded trails, a rock-bottom creek, plentiful hills and a rock-filled ridge.

“We have several trails for beginners and, as you become more skilled and more confident, you can progress up and take on the rougher terrain,” Hart said.

No bike, no problem as the MetroParks sponsor free Try Mountain Biking events throughout the year with bikes available to take for a spin. The next event is slated for Sept. 3 from 4-7 p.m. at MoMBA.

For those interested in taking their passion for mountain biking to the next level, the Miami Valley Mountain Bike Association – the local chapter of the International Mountain Biking Association – offers numerous events and opportunities for cycling enthusiasts. From maintaining trails to educating young riders, MVBMA members are dedicated to the success and expansion of mountain biking in the Miami Valley.

To learn more about MoMBA, visit www.metroparks.org or the Miami Valley Mountain Bike Association, visit www.mvmba.bike.

MoMBA Trails

At Huffman MetroPark

* Tot Track – Beginner: Designed specifically for balance bikes, this trail provides future mountain bikers an opportunity to ride on a natural surface that rolls and flows just like traditional single-track trails.

* Hilltop Flow Trail – Beginner: This flowing trail includes optional progressions to work on the skills needed to ride more difficult trails.

* Twisted — Beginner: A quick, flowing ride that leads to Five Points Junction. It’s the next level in the progression for new riders ready to move from the open Hilltop Flow to the single-track style of the rest of the trails.

* Voodoo — Beginner: The least technical and the flattest of the trails, which makes it great for beginners. The optional jump just outbound of Five Points Junction is a great opportunity for more advanced riders on their way to Hawk’s Lair. Voodoo is the quickest route to Wild West Junction.

* Mr. Zig Zag — Intermediate: One of two true closed loops at MoMBA and one of the coolest ways to ride a mile and end up where you started, it winds through the forest without losing or gaining much elevation.

* Creekside — Intermediate: The longest intermediate trail, it has five creek crossings, two large bridges and many intermediate climbs. Features include a few berms designed to allow greater speed through turns.

* Upper & Lower Stealth — Intermediate: Upper Stealth is a roller coaster ride with wide sweeping turns leading out of Five Points Junction. With tight turns and a few climbs Lower Stealth is a quick, technical trail.

* Hawk’s Lair — Advanced: Exposed by the construction of the nearby Huffman Dam in the 1920s, the rocks at Hawk’s Lair come in many different forms, from cobble to exposed bedrock to large limestone boulders. This tricky loop gains 106 feet of elevation in less than 1 mile and sports Hamilton Ravine, a 35-foot chasm crossed by a 45-foot fiber polymer bridge and The Spiral, where the trail climbs along a steep, wooded cliff.

* The Talon — Advanced: This double black diamond trail is designed to challenge the most experienced mountain bikers and is accessed from Hawk’s Lair. The most difficult features at MoMBA are found here including a long elevated skinny.