Terry Peloton.

  • Sidesaddle Blog
    • Cycling Savvy
    • Brooklyn Fit Chick
    • Bikecast
    • From Georgena
  • Pressroom
    • Terry in the News.
  • Ride It Forward
  • Videos
    • How To Videos
    • Short and Sweet Videos
    • Bicycle Design Videos
    • Odds and Ends Videos
  • Terry Home
You are here: Home / Sidesaddle Blog / REDISCOVERING MOUNTAIN BIKING.

REDISCOVERING MOUNTAIN BIKING.

March 18, 2021 By Annie Follett Leave a Comment

How I Got into Mountain Biking – Twice.

Enjoying a break with a hilltop view on a mountain bike ride in Vermont.

I always imagined mountain biking as an extreme sport: flying off jumps, rock hopping or balancing on a narrow log bridge – the threat of injury always a misstep away.

I first tried mountain biking 25 years ago in Moab, Utah, the original mountain bikers’ mecca. I did my best to follow gung-ho friends on sandstone routes, and ended up walking a lot, but that was fine. Besides, it was a great way to enjoy the rust-colored, rocky beauty.  It all ended with a brief visit to the ER – not me, thankfully – but one of those crazy friends had to get stitches. Soaking in a hot tub at the end of the day never felt so good!

Now, as an older cyclist, I am more cautious, but that doesn’t mean I don’t try new adventures.

After an amazing afternoon at Kingdom Trails in 2019, I realized how much fun it was rolling on single-track, weaving around trees, negotiating small hills and wider bridges – nothing too technical – it suited my two-wheeled wanderlust just fine! This was not dangerous, but gentle exploration on a comfortable bicycle. What a revelation!

After that, getting a mountain bike was on my radar for a while. It took the pandemic, relocating to a home near a town forest with trails, plus an extremely crowded multi-use path, to have me heading to Vermont’s hills for solitude.

Pausing on a mountain bike ride in Vermont, looking across Lake Champlain toward New York's Adirondack Mountains.

In the fall of 2020, our youngest son helped me choose a bike. With limited local supply, I was lucky to get a bicycle at all! I spent the autumn exploring trails as the leaves changed color and puddled beneath my knobby tires. I rode two to three times a week, alone or with our son and his friend, once venturing to leaf-covered Cochran’s Trails in Richmond, Vermont. It gave us a real challenge in navigation – we got lost – but eventually found our way back on track to descend at sunset.

I went by myself to ride Waterbury, Vermont’s Little River State Park’s easier trails, and discovered how much I like curvy single-track.

Every new adventure teaches me something – sometimes it’s just to bring adequate water and a snack! I have a lot to learn, but there’s no hurry. The trails are out there, waiting for me to slowly pedal through Vermont’s lovely landscape.


Terry Soleil Flow Bike Top
Soleil Flow Top
Terry Breakaway Bike Short
Breakaway Bike Short

I’m looking forward to trying the Breakaway Bike Short and Soleil Flow Top or Tech Tee, for more breathable comfort on my rides during Vermont’s humid summers.

Filed Under: Sidesaddle Blog Tagged With: mountain biking


Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

CYCLING SAVVY

best women's bike shorts
How to fit a bike helmet properly, dad fitting child's helmet strap
Model wearing Terry Soleil Flow cycling jersey, text reads sun protection for cyclists
photo of woman climbing a hill on a bicycle, smiling, with dramatic nountain scenery in the background
cyclist riding past blurred city buildings - tips for urban cycling
Spring Bicycle Maintenance Tips - for both bike and rider
Everything you wanted to know about choosing Bike Bottoms
10,000 miles on the wrong saddle - Photo of a San Marco racing saddle
Image with art from a vintage poster featuring a smiling woman riding a bicycle with energy, and text reading 7 things you need to know for more comfortable cycling.
How to choose your go-to cycling tops
Everything you wanted to know about choosing Bike Bottoms
Why choose a Terry bike saddle?

Copyright © 2025 Terry Precision Cycling, LLC | Shop The Best In Cycling Apparel For Women, & Saddles For All Riders.