Mountain biking can be both a sport and a hobby. It brings us closer to Mother Nature as well as can serve an exercise of the lungs. This is because it requires how well you breathe under those circumstances. It is not only swimming of singing that will require breathing techniques also in mountain biking. Having the right breathing technique will result into good performance.

Of course the breathing is only a minor attribute of every biker for that matter. Along with this one must have endurance to cope with difficulty. It is never easy doing mountain biking. During first stages, your muscles will be sore and your body may ache all over enough for you to say "I'd quit.' That is the reason why you need endurance.

Since it is an individual sport and hobby, you will also need self reliance and control. You need to rely on yourself to succeed and you need a lot of control not only to your bike but also of every situation that comes your way. It is because mountain biking is all about overcoming all obstacles.

Given the subject, mountain biking has four major categories and it should be noteworthy to mention them here. The four categories would be downhill, cross country, free ride (joyride) and street biking. Whatever category you fall under, you will need specific gears and particular mountain bikes suited for each category.

Advantages of mountain biking would include that it can be done anywhere whether it is your own lawn and to most rough terrain, although we can always assume when we say mountain biking that it would mean almost always off-road terrain.

As part of this individual sport and like every sport there is, you will need equipments ready. It is part and parcel of the whole thing. To list down a few you will need of course first your bike. Depending to your taste and build you should be able to choose the most suitable bike for you. You will just have to make sure that mountain bikes should have shock absorbers since they are off road.

Having helmet is a must because like any other sport, mountain biking is prone to injuries like falls. You will also need gloves to protect your hands. You will also need glasses to prevent debris in the air to enter the eyes. Your shoes should be comfortable enough and durable enough to withstand long hours of pedaling. With regards to clothing, it is necessary to add appropriateness along with comfort. Usually clothes that are stretchable are used. It is also important that you should have bottled water with you to relieve your thirst. It can be put into tote bag or light weight back packs. To be ready, you should add pumps to the list just in case you go on flat tires along with other bike tools that will come in handy during emergency.

Mountain biking is a great sport. It can be done almost by everyone as long as physical fitness is assured. Consider it leisure, exercise and hobby all at the same time.