Tune up and take off

If you want to get out in the hills and cover some territory, see some scenery and be home for supper, consider mountain biking.

But if it’s something new to you, consider it carefully.

You can find out what you’ve been missing before you take out a second mortgage to buy your first bike. Check out books on riding, maintenance and the trails you’ll ride. For $15, joining the Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club of Seattle (BBTC) connects you to a network of bikers. The Cascade Bicycle Club is another good source.

The BBTC (www.bbtc.org) offers basic classes such as its Boot Camp beginning in May to get you started mountain biking, and there are many fairly easy trails open to bikes in Western Washington.

It’s a good way to get outside for some adventure without any special physical training.

I have owned a mountain bike for 13 years, although I’ve always secretly contended that a mountain bike is a 1950s fat-tire bike with gears, knobby tires and lousy brakes.

I was recently taken to task for my medieval attitudes, however, by Leah Ellis and her brother, Jesse, of Spokemotion Cycles in Monroe, who gently enlightened me.

Good bike shops will take the time to size, fit and accessorize a bike to the customer’s needs. If a bike doesn’t feel right at the store, it never will. Quality mountain bikes, generally fitted with front shocks, start at about $200 (unaccessorized), which includes a free tune-up after a certain time period, and usually a warranty. The tune-up can go far in keeping your new bike riding right, especially under the pressure of off-road use.

A few accessories are crucial:

Helmet — It must fit snugly and should have certification from an accepted safety-rating organization. Helmets come in two shell sizes, are adjustable and start at about $30. Scrape your knees, but cover your brain.

Gloves — When gripping, braking, falling or enduring the cold, you lead with your hands. I carry a light and a heavy pair of gloves and usually use both.

Tire pump — The fancier ones make it easy, but standard frame-mounted pumps are cheaper and work fine. A spare tube might save a long walk, and biking tool kits should include tire levers.

Eyewear — Cycling glasses or sunglasses are a good idea.

Suspension — My bike has no suspension, and my vertebrae don’t either. Shocks, especially on the front, are advisable for anyone who plans to leave the beaten path.

Kickstand — This is an optional item. Some riders feel a kickstand gets in the way or is potentially dangerous.

Water — I have a bottle that slips into a sleeve on the bike’s frame and never comes out, but any number of hands-free drinking systems are available.

Food — Donuts are difficult to pedal off. Energy bars are excellent if you can tolerate the taste.

Clothing — Cotton gets sweaty and ultimately robs the body of heat. Synthetic, perforated rip-stop fabric "breathes" and is comfortable and light, and is especially desirable in biking shorts, which should be padded underneath.

Shoes — Sneakers are ineffectual pedal pushers. Any good, snug, hard-soled shoe with tread will do. They have to be comfortable because you will get off and push that bike sometimes.

Basic training — Stretch and go. It’s wise to start with short, easy rides, then bike yourself into shape.

Maintenance — Bikes should be kept out of the weather, and the wheel bearings should be greased four times yearly with a Teflon-based grease. WD-40 and similar products actually remove grease and can cause wear. Use a bicycle-chain lubricant regularly.

Above all, as Leah Ellis puts it, you "just need to remember, it’s for fun. You don’t need to be extreme — if you just want to go out where there aren’t any cars and get muddy, do it." She adds, "Don’t get ahead of yourself; go with friends who know what they’re doing."

And be safe: Don’t ride where bikes are prohibited, wear your helmet and remember that brakes are often just placebos when wet.