The Making of Mountain Bike Mike

Like every serious athlete, I was not born able to do my sport. Before I could ride a mountain bike on my own, I had help. This is a picture of me on my first bike when I was 2-1/2. Even then I liked to go "off-road" so my dad put on knobby training wheels for me.

Now that I'm older, I can ride on my own just fine, but to get better I still have to train. That is where the road bike helps. A couple times per week I go riding with my dad, and sometimes my mom, to build up my endurance. So far, my longest ride is 26 miles, with an average speed of just over 16 mph. Someday, I'd like to be good enough to go on the group rides with the grown-ups at the bike shop.