By Chuck Smock, Special to Reno.com
February 28, 2008

Mountain biking season kicks into high gear in the Sierra as melting snow reveals a network of trails.

The key to a healthy start is realizing you can't make up for a month or two of winter inactivity with a few days of intense training.

Working body
When conditioning starts to come around, start some interval workouts, including speed work, climbing and practicing your technical skills.

Another aspect of developing the stamina mountain biking requires is stretching the key muscles involved. The hamstrings, quadriceps and calves are obvious focal points, but it's also important to strengthen and stretch your back muscles as well as your abdominals.

And as soon as you start thinking about getting yourself in shape to hit the trail, you'd better do the same for your bike with a yearly tune-up at a bike shop.

At the very least, check the air pressure in the tires and check for cracks, abrasions and other signs of wear. It's also a good idea to ride around the block a couple times to make sure breaks and derailleurs are working properly.

Working bike
If you're considering buying your first mountain bike, or if you're looking to get back into the sport after a few years away, you'll probably be amazed at the technological advances available on two wheels.

How much you decide to pay for a bike should be determined by how aggressively you plan to ride. Components that are designed to withstand repeated punishment will be reflected in the price tag.

Front-suspension is worth its weight in gold, while full-suspension is worth its weight in silver. Part of that analogy is driven by the cost-to-benefit ratio associated with the more-expensive rear-shock models.

Also, full-suspension bikes traditionally have been heavier than their front-suspension brothers, and the rear shock absorbers - while a real treat on descents - tended to bob, which robs the rider of energy when climbing.

In the last few years, bike manufacturers have reduced the weight of full-suspension bikes and they've developed lock-out systems that allow the rider to disengage the rear shock, on the fly, when it's time to climb. They've also made the bikes more affordable.

And no discussion of mountain biking is complete without the mention of the importance of wearing a helmet. In fact, a helmet shouldn't even be considered an accessory - but a necessity.