Gathering dust in the corner, that old bike of yours would probably frown if it could. After passing the driving test, many upperclassmen usually lose track of the bikes they used to ride. However, there are a few students who are getting their full money’s worth out of their bikes by playing with the laws of physics.
For the average teenager, jumping over 13 foot gaps, while 7 feet up in the air may be just a dream, but for mountain bikers like senior David Wobber, this has become a weekend reality.
David has been mountain biking since the seventh grade when he started out with just a normal mountain bike. He soon upgraded to a highend bike and began taking it down Black Diamonds up at North Star during the summer.
“You have so much adrenaline going down the hill, because you’re basically fighting for your life,” David said.
Summer is usually the best season for downhill mountain biking because places like North Star run the lifts for mountain bikers when there is no snow.
While Tahoe is covered in snow, and is unable to bike upon, local bikers switch gears and put their skills to the test by fighting for air at nearby places like Calabazas BMX Park.
Calabazas BMX Park, located by De Anza, is a public park officially sanctioned by the city of San Jose for bicycle stunt riding. The park was closed down three years ago due to liability concerns, but after much debate between local bikers and the city of San Jose, it officially reopened in June of 2007.
Local bikers will ride wherever they can, from local trails to construction sights.
“Most of the time [biking] is just going to Gunn High School [or] riding up and down El Camino looking for something you could use to do tricks off,” senior Alex Kilen said.
Los Altos and Mountain View do not have any official bike paths, but only a few minutes away, Skyline in Palo Alto provides the perfect terrain for a nice trail. Palo Alto also provides the simple bike path which also runs through parts of Los Altos.
For serious bikers, mountain biking is no cheap sport with high end mountain bikes easily reaching over $1,000. Those who are can visit local bike shop such as the Calabazas Cyclery, the Off Ramp or Super Go to have a look around.
“It’s always good to work off each others’ energy, but if no one’s around, you got to do it by yourself and that’s cool,” Alexander said.