Living in Toronto or the surrounding area gives you a plethora a choices for taking up a new outdoor hobby whether that be hiking, horseback riding or quad biking. However a very popular and relatively cheap alternative is to join the thousands of recreational and weekend mountain bikers taking advantage of Toronto’s favourable terrain.
Mountain biking as a recreational pursuit rather than as a competitive sport is very easy to get started in and very accessible for all the family. After all you don’t need to be a fearless super athlete to enjoy a ride around many of the less challenging trails that cover the Toronto landscape. Indeed riding the trails in some of the local parks such as Moore Park or Humber Valley can be a pleasant few hours for all the family. But if you are into something more challenging and want to really test yourself and learn mountain biking as a sport there is the Don Valley with its range of more technically challenging trails to suit all abilities.
However, having great location on your doorstep is only one of the great advantages to taking up mountain biking if you live in or close to Toronto. Also sue to the rise in popularity of mountain biking in the area there are now a wide range of stores catering for the mountain bike enthusiast. Indeed when starting out mountain biking you will want to get yourself along to one of the specialized mountain bike stores so that you can get the best advice and support.
It’s true that you can buy a perfectly good mountain bike suitable for a beginner at any general cycling store but if you spend the time finding a store that specializes in mountain biking you will likely get a better selection and service. This is because the staff will be mountain bike enthusiasts themselves so are knowledgeable and able to advise you on sizing the bike and matching it to your physical requirements. Fortunately in Toronto you will not have to search for long to find a store close to you that specializes in mountain biking.
The things to look out for when choosing a shop to buy your beginners mountain bike are the quality of the service from knowledgeable staff that are helpful without being condescending to a beginner. Some stores may have bikes to rent that you can try out on the local trails in Don Valley to see if it’s a good fit. Renting a bike may be a good way to get started but you will soon want to progress to getting your own bike. But be aware that renting a bike is certainly better than buying the wrong bike and suffering the consequences later. Nonetheless a good mountain bike shop should be able to fit you out with the correct bike and accessories, and you have many to choose from in Toronto, so you shouldn’t need to worry too much about buyers regret.
