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How long have you been mountain biking?

For this survey, we want to know how many years you've been riding mountain bikes.

By Jeff Barber
March 1, 2026

49 comments

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A close-up view of a hand wearing a black watch displaying fitness metrics, including timer, distance, total ascent, and heart rate. The hand is partially gloved, and the background features soft, natural lighting, suggesting an outdoor activity. — File photo: Jamieelee Palma.

No matter how long you’ve been mountain biking, there’s always someone who’s been doing it longer than you. And also, someone who is newer than you!

Tell us how you got started in the comments below. 👇

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Jeff Barber

Jeff Barber has been mountain biking since 1992 and has tested hundreds of mountain bikes and components. He is the co-founder of Singletracks and serves as Editor in Chief. Contact him at [email protected].

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49 Comments

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Dave H 2026
Mar 1, 2026

I just realized in my early 20's that I had too much money. So I started mountain biking, and BOOM, problem solved.

12 reply

Matthew Marden 2025
Mar 1, 2026

I grew up in Marin County. My friends and I would hitchhikie up Mt.Tamalpais and race down the roads to either Mill Valley, Stinson Beach of Muir Beach. We then started riding trails. This era was on Stingray bicycles. In 1972 I bought a Schwinn 10 speed,it must have weighed 60 lbs. I started riding up fire roads out of Fairfax and descending on whatever trail I could find. From there it became simply something I would do for fun when I could. I'll be 69 years old in June and I still ride as often as possible.

7 reply

Mark W. 2026
Mar 3, 2026

You were so lucky! I rode with a guy (John Loomis) in WA state that grew up in your Marin area, he worked with other local race team guys (Ritchey team?) in that Larkspur/Fairfax area. I spent 7 months in the area working in early 2000's so got to experience the riding around Mt. Tam. Even saw old Gary Fisher there one time, WEIRD/so embarrasing because I was actually riding an orange Trek/Gary Fisher MT Tam model XC hardtail). I always enjoyed ripping thru that small trail system by China Camp, too - LOL!

0 reply

Wre Mach 2025
Mar 2, 2026

OG! From the birthplace of MTB.

1 reply

Namdoog Maine // 2025
Mar 1, 2026

Exactly 41 years since I bought my first mountain bike. I got married (the first time) in 1985 and used wedding money to buy a black Nishiki. The handlebar and stem were one piece I believe and the bars were braced with two tubes extending up from the stem. I used to smack my knees into them all the time! Not a great design. A couple years later my friend who I still ride with bought his first mtn bike. We skied and hiked a lot together so we naturally went to the mountains and attempted to ride up and down them on hiking trails. We ended up pushing and carrying our bikes more than actually riding them and we affectionately called them "mountin and dismountin" bikes! Ahh...memories.

5 reply

PartyPace13 North Carolina // 2021
Mar 1, 2026

Sounds like a bullmoose bar? You can still get those.

1 reply

boxcarmtb Colorado // 2018
Mar 1, 2026

31 years. I started mountain biking when I was 15. Started in Illinois. My mom brought home a copy of Bike Magazine in 1994 and I was hooked. There was no good riding where I was in Illinois so we built what we wanted to ride. I moved to Colorado in '02 so I could live in the mountains and ride. The early years in CO were the best, dirtbaggin' around the state and riding as much as possible. It all turned into a career in the mtb industry in '05 and here I am now, riding as much as ever.

4 reply

David Kline 2026
Mar 3, 2026

Bike mag was so good back then. It was my favorite one and I'd get excited when each new edition came out.

1 reply

ironhead700 Ontario // 2009
Mar 1, 2026

Motorcycle background for 25 years.......wasn't getting much exercise twisting a throttle but still wanted to chase the adrenaline rushes. Mountain biking has.....and is satisfying that urge.

4 reply

Mick-e 2017
Mar 2, 2026

That’s how I got back into MTB. I started in high school in the late 80s but fell out of it when I moved to SF in 95. In 2015 I got back into cycling mainly to increase fitness for motorcycle racing but MTB has taken over. I ride my MTBs more than my motorcycles now.

3 reply

Phil1959 Wisconsin // 2020
Mar 2, 2026

Started mountain biking before it was called mountain biking out before mountain bikes existed. We rode trails and logging roads in northern Wisconsin. I bought my first real mountain bike in 83 after seeing one in the window of yellow jersey bike shop in Madison Wisconsin. My first stumpjumper! A few of those later, I'm 67 and still pursuing the perfect ride!

4 reply

Hap Proctor Florida // 2014
Mar 2, 2026

Grew up in the country and circumstances made me the family chauffeur at age 12. Never rode bikes until retirement. Bought a cheap 29er because I liked the big wheels, hit the local trails and discovered Singletracks.com. A few months later, I drove across the country riding in Arkansas, Montana, Canada, Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana …..the hook was set! 13 years and 3 bikes later, I’m still rolling on my own steam, collecting scars and still reading singletracks.com

3 reply

Jeff Sayegh 2025
Mar 1, 2026

I started in riding mountain bikes in 1982 after I read an article in Motocross Action magazine about pro riders training on mountain bikes. At this time I just got out of racing BMX. My friends and I had thoughts in the late 70's of having a bigger "BMX"
bike that we could ride in the local foothills, not knowing about the clunker movement in Nor. Cal and other places.
I got instantly hooked on riding mountain bikes and by 1985, I sold my last MX motorcycle and went to a full on cyclist which now had extended into road riding and racing.

2 reply

Jorge Diaz 2026
Mar 1, 2026

I started mountain biking when Covid hit

2 reply

Rufino Roberto Ramos 2019
Mar 1, 2026

I stayed at 47 .didn't realize how good I am .at 52 still doing jump lines and going bigger

2 reply

Allen Statzer 2026
Mar 2, 2026

I was stationed at Alameda Naval Air Station in 1978 and had brought my beach cruiser with me. A friend of mine had his bmx bike and we went up to a park in the Oakland hills. We had planned to ride down the west side to Alameda but as we were getting ready an old Ford Econoline van pulled up and the side doors opened with a huge cloud of smoke and a bunch of haggard dudes poured out and began pulling out a pile of bikes out. They noticed us and asked which direction we were going to descend. We told them we were going to head west to Alameda. They then invited us to join them and said they would shuttle us back up again as they planned to return to do another run. We accepted and joined them, we split up a ways down and we met up about halfway down. The other group had taken longer than expected and when they arrived they told us that they had run into a bobbytrap and the first rider ran into a wire stretched across the trail. They assumed that it was placed by the local horse riders. As the guy told us about his experience about being caught by the wire I was checking out his bike and he had a Lawill Pro Cruiser. They had also told us that they were from Marin and were riding in the Oakland Hills because the law inforcement in Marin was actively targeting them. As we had got to the bottom of the trail and got on the pavement in the park we were stopped by a park ranger on a horse. He proceeded to take our names and threaten to ticket us and confiscate our bikes ( he only witnessed us on the pavement casually riding along ) I asked what we were doing that warranted us for being pulled over and documented and he said “there’s an ordinance against wreckless activities in the park. A week later I was in an Oakland bike shop and spotted a Pro Cruiser frame hanging on the wall behind the counter and purchased it and been enjoying the wreckless activity ever since. I still own my Pro Cruiser and occasionally ride the local trails by my home in Vail Arizona. I began riding the entire Bay Area during my enlistment and even brought my bike with us on our deployments on our helicopter rides. After I got out of the Marines I moved back to Southern California riding the San Gabriel Mts. Moved to Arizona and have been enjoying the awesome riding that is every where around us.

2 reply

Stabone33 2010
Mar 1, 2026

1997 Trek 7000 I bought after borrowing a friend's GT to ride in this tiny little patch of forest, as well as urban riding around campus. Have been riding ever since.

1 reply

STEPHEN 2026
Mar 1, 2026

As a kid in late "60"s I would ride my bike to school and to the local fishing ponds through the woods !! I moved to Vail in 1983 as a skier and started in MTN bike riding in 1985 !! They had already MTN bike racing series going on called the "Snug MTN races" from what I remember!! My first race I came in 4th then they moved me up to 2nd tier expert class since I was in the top 5 in the first race and I won my second race and I was Wow this cool !! Then I was moved up to the top tier expert class and I always finished in the top 5 but didn't a win a race which was fine with me! I raced for 10 yrs and Loved every second of it!! I'm 67 now and I just got back from riding my mtn bike!! But the BEST ride I have ever done many times is the Monarch Crest Trail in Colorado!! Check it out,34 miles one way and you start out at the top Monarch Pass rt 50 but it's a shuttle type ride!! You have to take two vehicles and leave one at bottom and since you had to drive up to Monarch Pass to start the ride at over 11,000 ft!!

1 reply

Christopher DeLuise 2026
Mar 2, 2026

Coming up on two years. It's replaced SCUBA as my obsession. 53 now, but hope to be doing it for a long time.

1 reply

Mark W. 2026
Mar 3, 2026

Had become really bored with road cycling, occasional time trials, in San Antonio-Austin area then in 1986 bought '85 ROSS Mt Whitney, nickle plated chromo frame, nice matching fork w/lugged crown, long ass chainstays, complete for $750. Had the Bullmoose bar/stem combo, fluted quick-release seatpost, original Shimano Deore 18-spd components, thumb shifters (friction), Suntour hubs, Araya rims w/ Snake Belly tires. And Bear Trap pedals. Often times my after work cardio rides, were long just solo out & back rides, starting in Olmos Basin, gravel/concrete adventures along wide open, sometimes very wet/rocky slippery urban concrete drainage system (Olmos Creek). At the time, having a newer high-tech All-terrain bike with SEALED BEARING HUBS, BB & Headset was SO COOL, too, especially after heavy rains pedaling thru sections w/ flowing water almost knee deep! Anyway. then once exited the ditch area, at Loop 410, asphalt a few blocks to RR tracks & began gravel/dirt route another 6 miles north to the outer loop 1604 rock quarry area where I turned around. By about '88 more guys were discovering "Mtn Biking" & regular group rides started. In the early 1990's some of us formed the local San Antonio MTB club known as S.T.O.R.M. Then a few yrs later I moved to Oregon & WA State where I spent almost 25 yrs where I found out what actual mountain biking was, lots of XC racing, epic ridge rides & DH/FR adventures all over NW & BC...
Thx for the post, RIDE On!

1 reply

landrew04 Utah // 2018
Mar 1, 2026

I had a college roommate who liked to camp and hunt. He wanted to go scout places for the fall archery elk hunt and thought it would be fun to buy these new fangled mountain bikes to ride the fire roads and some offshoot trails in the high meadows. The next round of college friends and everyone was moab bound. We all evolved together. Someone in the group was always looking at the next thing. From the original fat tire ten speed, to front suspension, to the Schwinn Straight 8. Hunting, camping, and dirt bikes always seemed to have been part of the background.

1 reply

James Garton 2026
Mar 2, 2026

I had heard my boss had ridden the Chequamegon bike race. Thought that was cool and that I was stronger than he. I was wrong. Toe straps, rigid fork, six gears back three rings Now still on a top fuel 8 or my Turbo Levo I'm 74.

1 reply

Off-roadTridad Minnesota // 2026
Mar 1, 2026

I saw an Xterra off-road triathlon on You Tube and thought "That is what I am going to do".

1 reply

Robert Wright 2026
Mar 2, 2026

I started riding my first bike off road when I was about 10 or 11 years old. It started with farm tracks and forest trails. No gears, no suspension and no disc brakes, they hadn't been designed for bikes yet. The frame lasted well doing the odd little jump. That was 60 years ago and just what we did as kids to explore where we lived.
Roll on 20 years and I got my first 'mountain bike'. Again nothing special other than a heavier frame and tougher wheels and tyres. As a climber/mountaineering I used it to access cliffs and hills that had long walk ins to save time.
It ws only in my 30s that bikes sorted to look and feel different from your standard road bike. Never really got into very technical riding, I just enjoyed long day out in the middle of nowhere.Bikes made it easier.
Now aged 71 , almost 72 I still get out once or twice a week but only if the weather is kind. My next bike will be an E bike as the hills seem to get and steeper nowadays.

1 reply

Tahoe YakFisher 2026
Mar 2, 2026

I was ALL IN on Freestyle BMX when Rad came out! I was 100% sure that I would eventually Freestyle my way into one of my high-school dances... we all know how that turned out! Turns out mountain biking was a seamless transition for me and I never grew up, I mean "out" of it!

1 reply

James Webster 2026
Mar 2, 2026

I was into BMX and skateboarding as a kid. At 15 a couple of us bought UK based MTBs. Muddy Fox. That was around 1988. At 54 I’m still at it.

1 reply

[email protected] New Hampshire // 2026
Mar 2, 2026

I was, unfortunately, becoming a very broken down ultra runner back in the early 90's, when I was in my mid 40's. I quickly realized that, after my second knee was 'scoped, that I need to make some serious changes if I wanted to keep going. So, from absolutely NO suspension to 160 up front and 150 in the rear, has been a MAAAVALOUS journey. So very lucky to still be riding gravity at 78, but did have to move onto an Orbea Rise because Father Time and Mother Nature was making the climbs for trail access a bit much, and my knees are still the originals.

1 reply

Jay Behrins 2026
Mar 2, 2026

Used to fly out to SF for work in the 90’s and was able to ride Mt Tam before they restricted it. That was nice but Bellingham WA was even better!

1 reply

Christopher DeLuise 2026
Mar 1, 2026

Anyone know what watch is in the opening pic?

0 reply

AUTHOR

Jeff Barber Georgia // 1998
Mar 2, 2026

It's the Garmin Venu 4: https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/gifts-for-badass-women-who-mountain-bike/#h-garmin-venu-4

0 reply

Sean Mekkelsen 2025
Mar 1, 2026

Brother gave a me a schwinn mp21 mt bike at 17 years old. And here we are.....

0 reply

IT_Juggler Georgia // 2007
Mar 6, 2026

Had been reading magazine articles about mountain bikes for a couple years but all that were available were hand-built custom jobs. Then Specialized released the first mass-produced mountain bike. I couldn't quite swing the $750 price because I already had a $2K road bike and only earned $125/week but when they released the Stumpjumper Sport for $535 list I immediately went into the local pro shop and ordered one. The year was 1983.
These days I just ride my gravel bike with knobbys on the trails.

0 reply

Fishingfooltim Michigan // 2022
Mar 2, 2026

I began mountain biking in my 20s in the mid 90's for about 5 or 6 years. Then got away from it for a while and got back into it about 7 years ago.

0 reply

Steve Fox 2026
Mar 9, 2026

I got hooked back in college in the 90s. We had normal bikes for getting around campus and eventually tried some local trails. Realized how rad it was and we started buying better stuff. I remember sitting in the dorm reading thru the latest bike magazines, drooling over v-brakes or grip shifters whatever the latest gizmo was. Rode solo for a few years after college and fully stopped for a decade while my raising kids. But I'm back into it now and still reading the magazines (even if they're all online now)

0 reply

041510900 Georgia // 2011
Mar 16, 2026

I got started mtn biking because of a friend constantly asking me to ride. I kept telling him 'no' cause I had no interest. Well, after about 6 times of asking, I finally agreed but, I didn't have a bike. So, I borrowed my wife's full rigid Specialized HardRock. I was halfway through the first trail, when I said to myself, I will do this for the rest of my life. I have been riding for about 16yrs now & still love it.

0 reply

David Kline 2026
Mar 3, 2026

I had been road biking starting when I was about 14 in 1988 thanks to my dad. Two years later my road bike was stolen while I was working. I used the insurance money to buy my first MTB after having gone on a few rides with a friend who mtbed let me borrow his brother's MTB. I was hooked. That first bike was a 1990 Raleigh Tangent. I had it for 7 years and eventually upgraded everything on it except for the cranks and seatpost.... 36 years later and I'm still cracking on.

0 reply

Pheff Washington // 2019
Mar 1, 2026

I really never stopped riding bikes since I started in the mid 70s. I was born in 72. I bought a Huffy Scout in probably 1988. I really started mountain biking though when I was stationed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany in 1992. Did my first race there and have really never stopped. I would say 35-40 years of solid mountain biking. Keeps me young.

0 reply

Bruce Corman 2026
Mar 6, 2026

I started mountain biking in 1989. My first bike was a Cannondale SM2000 that I still have to this day. I had an on the job injury that I needed to recover from. I had stopped smoking cigarettes and figured that I was saving money buying the bike. Both are addictive. I had the very first set of rock shox forks in my city in Oregon. Roadies were indignant! They asked me if the next thing would be a motor! I have a couple more bikes that cost way more than that Cannondale cost, but still consider it more fun than anything else I have ridden. Of course I have gone through several sets of wheels, pedals, handle bars, bottom brackets, cranks, headsets, etc. but the bike has taught me how to ride. The geometry rewards input! Steering is quick and agile. It made me a different person. Made in the USA.

0 reply

Ted Cormier 2026
Mar 2, 2026

I think it was 1983 or 84. My family w were all road cyclist/racers. I also rode around with my friends on BMX bikes - regularly riding in the local town forest fire roads and trails. My oldest brother brought home two new Cannondale mountain bikes from the bike shop where he worked. They were painted an ongodly orange and baby blue. I think the grouper was suntour. I took one up the hill next to our house and that was the start of 40 plus years of riding.

0 reply

Daniel Ambrisco 2025
Mar 2, 2026

I used to photograph a friend of mine who raced BMX and then mountain bikes. After one of the races I traded my Cannondale road bike for a Schwinn Moab SS. It has been all trails since. Trek has been my choice of ride lately, the Powerful 5 has been a game changer for my old knees. I just had my 60th birthday and I am excited to hit the trails this spring.

0 reply

Gairo 2011
Mar 2, 2026

I was a former pro motocross racer. But I was also a runner. Knee and hip pain from running got me on a mountain bike. I got into mtb racing. I had enough podiums to advance to USCF Cat 1, but retired from racing and now I am just a mountain bike rider--E-mtb, that is, at age 67.

0 reply

David Ress 2026
Mar 2, 2026

I'm in my '60s now and have been biking since I was probably 2. When I moved to Raleigh North Carolina right out of college a mountain biking trail system has just opened at nearby Lake Crabtree county Park. I bought a Trek 6000 and was quickly hooked. While I continued to do road rides (not anymore too dangerous) and greenways I've always loved mountain biking the best. I will keep doing it until I cannot any longer.

0 reply

Alejandro Reyes 2026
Mar 1, 2026

In the 90’s, in Miami, high school age. There was only one place with single track near parrot jungle. I was reading mountain bike action at the time.

0 reply

magic71 Massachusetts // 2022
Mar 11, 2026

It was a weight loss "program" for me, started about 20ish years ago, and lost 130 pounds or so. Turned out to be a much bigger "problem" as it became a big passion for me. Not just riding but also trail building as well as local bike org involvement.

0 reply

Bui Ha 2026
Mar 6, 2026

Just started last year, still figuring things out but loving it so far.

0 reply

Wre Mach 2025
Mar 2, 2026

My friends and I would take our Montgomery Wards 10 speed Murray's into the La Sierra Hills here in SoCal, back in '87. After some heavy damage, we went to a bike shop to buy parts and discovered Mounatin Bikes. By 1991 I had my first Raleigh Technium frame. Now at 52, still hitting the same hills, less trails (urban sprawl) on an e-mtb. Not as lean or mean, but still having fun.

0 reply

Steven Scott 2026
Mar 2, 2026

Started in 1987 or maybe 86, had just graduated HS was climbing and needed something to do on rest days. First got a crap thing that had gears, but was really ugly hacked together thing.

0 reply

Rockpicker Missouri // 2022
Mar 6, 2026

Started riding bikes on dirt in 1968 at age 11 in Vermont on old logging roads and singletrack. Guess that rounds to 58 years. Those of us who wanted a dirt bike motorcycle but whose parents wouldn't allow would ride out to the brick yard sand pit to watch. Broke a frame on a Raleigh 3-speed English doing jumps on "borrowed" lumber. Moved on to a Schwinn tank. Road 10-speed road bikes for awhile until some near misses and one impact with a car. First real MTB in 1987 out in SOCAL desert. Haven't looked back since. New bike every 10 years. Still have them all.

0 reply

Matthew Green 2025
Mar 4, 2026

Started riding road bikes in 1986 in Houston. Moved to a canyon in Utah in 1990 and have been riding mountain bikes ever since. Still love road bikes too though!

0 reply

Tagged: survey, community

First published March 1, 2026 @ 6:19:00