Mountian biking by Mike Reisbord

Mountain Biking is a great sport for many reasons. In addition to being good exercise, you also get to enjoy beautiful scenery and share fellow bikers companionship. In the picture below I'm riding down the Porcupine Rim Trail in Moab Utah in March 2005.


In this picture from March of 1997 I demonstrate how not to land a jump. . . front tire first. This type of landing often leads to the dreaded Endo, which is when after landing front tire first the rider is sent sailing over the handle bars. Fortunately this time I kept the rubber side down.	This Picture was taken at the start of a fun ride I took with my friends Dave & Colby in 2003 as it poured rain. This bike had its break pads completely worn off from all the mud, which made for an interesting downhill.	This self portrait is from November 2004 during a peaceful ride in the hills above Malibu, California. Solo rides are good for the body and soul, but my beard was looking a bit thick for this shot.


In January 2005 Los Angeles had record rainfalls that reshaped many trails, including the popular Sullivan Canyon trail. Now obstacles like this log jump make for some adventurous night riding.	I had been riding a bike without full suspension for many years, but for fathers day 2003 my wife purchased a bike frame that I had been contemplating for too long. Once I had all the components added onto the frame, my bike had 5 inches of front and rear travel, and my riding has not been the same since.	My son is an excellent mountain biker. He started riding in the hills with me when he was about 5 on his single speed BMX, but now he has a sweet full suspension ride. I'm sure that soon enough he will be riding farther and stronger than I can.

I have been mountain biking in Moab, Utah a few times. One great trip was in 2004 where me and 4 close friends got to ride some wonderful trails. The picture below is of me at the trailhead of Porcupine rim trail, one of my favorite trails ever. Please click HERE to see pictures and read about our 2004 Moab Utah trip.

I have a few friends who I regularly night ride with. We all fire up our bike lights and hit the trails, cutting through the quiet darkness within the hills. We see all kinds of wildlife we don't normally see in the daytime including tarantulas, deer, coyotes and more. The shot below is from a favorite spot in our ride because from here its almost all downhill! This shot shows the contrast of the dark hills and glowing orange city lights below. After our rides we have a fun ritual and if you click HERE you can see for yourself.

My friends and I are very aware of the potential hazards that threaten any mountain bikers safety. However, if you ride frequently and aggressively there is a good chance that at some time you will wipe out. Fortunately I have managed to avoid any serious injuries, but I have had more than a few scrapes and black& blues. That is why I nicknamed my bike "Bruser." Click the images below for a sample of some of Bruser's work.