History of The Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking - Risks

Risks

Risk of injury is an inherent factor in the sport of mountain biking, especially in the more extreme disciplines such as downhill biking. Injuries range from minor wounds, such as cuts and abrasions from falls on gravel, to major injuries such as broken bones, head or spinal injuries resulting from impacts with rocks, trees or the terrain being ridden on.

Protective equipment can protect against minor injuries and reduce the extent or seriousness of major impacts, but may not protect a rider from major impacts or accidents. To reduce the risk of injury, a rider must also take steps to minimize the risk of accidents, and thus the potential for injury; by choosing trails which fall within the range of their experience level, ensuring that they are fit enough to deal with the trail they have chosen, and keeping their bike in top mechanical condition.

If a mountain biker wishes to explore more dangerous trails or disciplines, such as downhill riding, they must learn new skills, such as jumping and avoiding obstacles.

Where a rider lacks the fitness required to ride a particular class of trail, they may become fatigued, putting themselves at an increased risk of having an accident.

Lastly, maintenance of the rider's bike needs to be carried out more frequently for mountain biking than for casual commuter biking. Mountain biking places higher demands on every part of the bike. Jumps and impacts can crack the frame or damage components or the tire rims, and steep, fast descents can quickly wear out brake pads. Thus, whereas a casual rider may only check over and maintain their bike every few months, a mountain biker should check and properly maintain the bike before every ride.