Presented by
They say you never stop learning in life, and we dare say you’ll learn all the more when outside your comfort zone. If you’re looking for a new activity to blow away the cobwebs, be advised that we’re just heading in to perfect mountain biking season in Hong Kong as the weather gets cooler and the rains dry up. If you need any more convincing, here are six things you’ll learn that’ll make the saddle soreness worth it.
Sitting in a dark room eating popcorn doesn’t count as quality time
A trip to the cinema is an obvious choice for any date night or day out with the kids, but what does this actually do for your relationship other than to remind you what they sound like eating? One session out in the Hong Kong countryside, laughing, whooping and overcoming obstacles together is worth one Finding Dory, two Dead Pools and at least 15 Batman Vs Superman.
2) Hong Kong is SO noisy
Noise pollution is something we get used to very quickly, to the point where we don’t even hear the incessant taxi horns, dripping air cons and drunks outside our windows anymore. When you get away from the city you’ll be overwhelmed by the deafening silence, save for the chirping of the birds and random noises made by insects we’re glad we can’t see. The only bad side is that your home will seem louder than ever when you get back.
3) There’s an easy remedy for your stress
Whether we realise it or not, we’re all probably a little bit stressed. Let’s face it, living in Hong Kong isn’t always chilled, and we often feel overwhelmed and rushed in the midst of the hustle and bustle with the city bearing down on us. Simply being among nature has been shown to reduce stress levels and even bring down blood pressure, while the physical exercise of biking releases the same endorphins we get when eating chocolate or having sex (and doing both at the same time). Hong Kong parks don’t count as the outdoors, by the way, on account of them being about 80 percent concrete.
4) Your joints hate your current exercise routine
While you’re likely to feel the burn a bit on your first big mountain biking experience, it’s actually very easy on joints, such as knees and ankles, that tend to be overexerted during other spots. If you ever get twinges when you’re running about chasing balls or pounding pavements in your jogging getup, try cycling on for size and discover a world of fitness that won’t leave you hobbling for the next week.
5) You don’t have to sit cross legged chanting “om” to be mindful
Contrary to popular belief, yogis don’t have a monopoly on mindfulness. It is in fact less to do with meditation of more to do with being in the moment of whatever you’re doing, be it walking down the street, taking a phone call or simply tying your shoelaces. Mountain biking is makes mindfulness particularly easy; it’s very hard to think about your taxes or how much you want to fling soggy noodles at your boss’s face when you’re hopping over logs, riding through streams and skidding around tight corners like someone off a deodorant advert.
6) You’re crazy clumsy and way out of shape
Even if you’re a super fit Hong Kong type – and lord knows, there’s enough of you – there’s nothing quite like trying a new exercise to challenge your body. The steep climbs and zippy descents of mountain biking make for the ideal interval training, know to be fantastic for your cardiovascular strength and overall fitness level. It’ll also vastly improve your balance and agility, helping you avoid embarrassing trips and falls in everyday life. Walking up an escalator or jumping off a moving bus while playing Pokémon Go has never been so easy!
If you feel there are a few lessons here that you could do with learning, there’s no need to go out and spend your hard earned cash on a bike that’ll take up half your apartment just yet. At MTB*RT you can rent top level, fully serviced Giant mountain bikes (that’s a brand name, not a size reference) every day of the week. There are bikes for big ‘uns, little ‘uns and every ‘un in between, and if you’re not sure where to head to you can take one of two group tours. For beginners to intermediates there’s the Tai Lam Reservoir Loop, while those with more advance skillz can get their kicks on the hair-raising Tai Mo Shan downhill route.
For more information, visit the website, email info@mtbrt.com or call (+852) 9169-9314.
Coco Bonus: Book With MTB*RT in September and get three riders for the price of two!
