Quite often a client will come into the gym discouraged with their exercise program. The common complaint being lack of results. They give a list of activities they are doing but still do not see any changes in physical appearance. Yes this can be attributed to many variables but one of the key elements to consider is intensity.

We need to ask, what constitutes exercise? Is all physical activity considered exercise? The answer is no. Unfortunately there is not a general number or percentage that can be given to state that an activity is exercise. Exercise should be defined as an activity that is harder than what you may do on a daily basis. And this definition is going to vary for all individuals.

It will be specific to an individual’s background, possible limitations and current fitness status. What may be considered an exercise for one person may not be for another. For instance if you usually go for a walk each night after dinner, then walking (at this pace) would be considered physical activity not exercise. If you ride your bike to work everyday, cycling (at this pace) is going to become physical activity for you and not exercise.

Let’s explain…

When you first try an activity, it is new to you and your body feels challenged by this unknown stimulus. As you start performing this activity on a daily basis, your body starts to adapt and overtime it will become less challenging. The truth is that you are getting better at doing that activity and you don’t need to work as hard.

Yes, this is an indicator of some fitness improvement but soon those improvements will plateau. In other words, when this stimulus becomes familiar, the end result will be fewer calories burned and less stress on the body. In order for the body to alter its body composition and for you to see changes in your physical appearance, the body needs to be challenged. This is called the Overload Principle.

This principle states that there needs to be a stimulus of higher intensity than usually performed to elicit any adaptations or changes. Without an overload or high enough intensity, the body is not going to change. If your body can get the job done in the status it is presently in, then it’s not going to make extra effort to become stronger or leaner. Your body is concerned with survival not the latest bathing suit fashion.

So what do we prescribe for someone that is “working out” but not seeing the results they want?

First thing to suggest may be to change up their routine. It could be possible that they have been doing the same thing for so long that what was once a stimulus or exercise, no longer is. Instead of using the elliptical, why not try the treadmill, stationary bike or even roller blading? Instead of doing the same exercises like the seated chest press and cable row, why not do a cable chest fly or lat pulldown?

After changing the exercises you are performing, the next step is to appropriately progress the intensity. Your body will start to adapt to this new routine and we need to keep it guessing.

For aerobic training:

A suggestion would be to work at an intensity that is challenging to you. When working aerobically an intensity closest to your anaerobic threshold will elicit the most adaptations. Try not to come into the gym and beeline to the elliptical day after day doing thirty minutes at level four. Your body will soon catch on to that intensity and you will end up burning less calories and causing minimal changes to your muscles. Those calorie counters on the machines should not be your guides.

They are inaccurate and are used as a marketing tool to consumers. We all know someone or ourselves that stays on a machine until they burn a specific number of calories. That calorie counter is based on a 150 lb person with no consideration for their genetic makeup or current fitness status. Someone who is more fit will actually burn fewer calories! So lets use the talk test marker. You should be exercising to a point where you are struggling but an intensity where you can still have a winded conversation.

For anaerobic training:

Have you ever seen someone in the gym on the cable row doing repetition after repetition? They have probably completed about fifty and still do not look a bit fatigued. In order to see skeletal muscle changes we need to be working within the anaerobic energy system. In other words, working at a high enough intensity where your muscles fatigue.

The first step is to stay in the anaerobic energy system. A general rule would be completing a set between sixty and ninety seconds. If you were to perform the exercise for longer than ninety seconds, the anaerobic effect would be lost and minimal adaptations would occur. Most people are concerned with the number of repetitions that they are doing. What is most important is the time that the muscle is under tension.

The next step is the fatigue factor. Not only do we need to stay within a time limit, we also need to fatigue the muscle before the set is up. There are two options for fatigue: volitional or momentary muscular failure. Volitional fatigue, a fatigue more realistic for the general client, is a subjective fatigue where they chose to terminate the set when they feel they cannot perform another repetition. Momentary muscular failure, which elicits the most adaptations, is physical fatigue where the client cannot perform another repetition even if they tried.

The key to continual success with an exercise program is strategic variation along with the proper progression of intensity and exercises. Try to recognize what is considered physical activity and exercise in your program. There is a difference and will be reflective in your end results.

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Health experts encourage us to include exercise as a necessary part of our daily routine to promote our general well- being. Together with healthy and balanced diet, adequate rest and relaxation, exercise is recommended to promote optimal health. People who are usually inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming even moderately active on a regular basis.

Physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve significant health benefits.

Greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount (duration, frequency, or intensity) of physical activity.

There are many benefits of exercise, not only as an aid in effective fat/ weight loss, but also in reducing our risks of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death. Here is a general overview of what exercise can do for us.

1. Exercise reduces our risks of dying prematurely.

2. Exercise reduces our risks of dying from heart diseases, cancers (including uterine, colon, and breast), stroke, diabetes and arthritis.

3. Help us lose weight, especially fat weight by decreasing our Body Mass Index (BMI), reducing our total cholesterol and reducing the circulating levels of triglycerides in our blood and increasing our metabolic rate. Perhaps this is why active people can “Eat anything and not gain weight.” and why other folks “Gain weight just by looking at food.”!

4. Exercise improves the functioning of our Immune System as well as blood and oxygen circulation for our vital organs. 5. Exercise increases our insulin sensitivity to prevent against type 2 diabetes.

6. Exercise increases our energy and endurance level.

7. Exercise slows down aging by improving our physical, mental, emotional and psychological well- being.

8. Exercise reduces our risk of developing many bones and joints diseases or disorders.

9. Exercise even helps in enhancing creativity and imagination. It is also linked with improved mental vigor, including reaction time, acuity, and math skills.

10. Exercise helps in providing physical and mental rejuvenation, making us feel good about ourselves and thus improve our esteem and confidence.

11. Exercising improves mood and due to the chemicals it releases in the brain called endorphins, it gives you an overall feeling of well-being. This is the same chemical that being in love or eating chocolate induces!

12. Exercise will help you sleep better. Just be sure not to exercise too close to your bedtime if you exercise at night, because it may keep you awake. If you need to exercise within a few hours of going to bed, make sure it’s only a brisk walk. Experts say you should allow yourself about three hours between exercise and going to bed.

So get off that couch and start moving. Remember, the time and effort that you put in exercising today may spell your health and well- being tomorrow. Take our word for it!

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by Greg Landry, M.S.

If you’re like most people, finding time for exercise is difficult. Here are my “top 10″ tips to help you in that quest..

1. Make exercise a priority. We all make time in our lives for the things that are most important to us. If I told you I’d give you a million dollars if you exercised everyday for the next 30 days, would you do it? Sure you would, because it would suddenly become a priority. If you’re serious about finding time for exercise, then it must be a priority in your life.

2. Block out the same time period everyday for exercise. This way it becomes part of your daily routine just like brushing your teeth. Vehemently guard this time period. It is your time to take care of yourself.

3. Exercise first thing in the morning. This is when your exercise time is least likely to get interrupted by other things.

4. Turn off the television. The average adult spends 16 hours per week watching television. One of my clients told me that she resolved to only watch television while she was exercising. You may not be interested in taking it that far but you can certainly cut out a few hours of television a week to make time for exercise.

5. Wake up earlier in the morning to exercise. Try going to sleep a little earlier and getting up a little earlier to get your exercise done first thing in the morning.

6. Spend 30 minutes or so exercising on your lunch break.

7. Get a book rack for your stair climber or treadmill and spend some of your reading time exercising.

8. Visit with your spouse or friend while walking around the neighborhood rather than sitting on the couch.

9. Take a couple of days to write down how you spend your time everyday, then determine how you can better use your time to fit in exercise.

10. Make your exercise as enjoyable as possible. You will be much more likely to find time for things you enjoy.

Get movin’!

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“Time to Exercise”

Exercising During Commercials

I’m getting up an hour earlier these days. At first I said I’d never be able to do it: I was already sleep deprived rising at 6 AM how would I ever get up at 5 AM? I’d never be able to get to sleep earlier (this is still true), and a hundred other reasons why it wouldn’t work. And then I tried it, and it does work. I’m still sleep deprived, but that extra hour in the morning is a Godsend. I love it.

How do you Present Ideas to Yourself?

So why did it take me so long to “just do it?” Probably the way I presented the idea to myself. Notice I used words such as “never” and “already” as in “I’m already sleep deprived.” I kept telling myself it wouldn’t work, that it was a bad idea and until the first time I actually tried it, I secretly believed when the alarm rang, I’d just turn it off and go back to sleep. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy getting up early. Mornings are my best time of day. I’m the most productive in the morning so it makes sense to give myself an extra hour.

I Don’t Have Time to Exercise

Sometimes a small adjustment in how you run your day can help enormously in freeing up some time for things like exercise. “I don’t have time.” I hear that a lot, but if asked, “What’s your favorite TV show?” most people can list a few — hours spent sitting and watching. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying some TV, but there’s also no reason you can’t exercise during the commercials.

When I was a kid and it was my turn to clean the house, I made a game out of it. I loved TV, watching probably six or seven hours a day then, so missing a show to clean was not going to happen. So I’d clean during commercials. Today there are over 20 minutes of commercial time during each hour of the show. That’s plenty of time for getting things done. As soon as the show broke for commercial, I’d jump from my chair and dash to wherever I’d left off. I’d bring in laundry and fold it while I watched. I’d iron in front of the TV, I’d bring in piles of miscellaneous debris from other rooms and sort it into piles for where it belonged, then on the next commercial I’d go put things away.

I’d move from one room to the next, carrying things that belonged there with me, and returning with things that did not. Eventually the house was clean, and hadn’t missed my programs.

If you enjoy TV, consider how much time there is available during the commercials and start using it. Whether for exercise or cleaning, or anything else you need to get done: responding to correspondence, studying, paying bills, grooming the cat - there are lots of little chores we need to do, no reason we can’t carry them into our TV room and get them done.

Turn TV Time into “Get Fit” Time

You can turn your TV room into a fitness room easily. A cushy floor mat, if the room isn’t carpeted. A pair of dumbbells or two. Empty bleach jugs make good dumbbells, but be careful if they are only partially full of sand, dirt or water (whatever you use to fill them with something to create the weight), as if the weight shifts during the movement you could injure yourself.

Canned food make good homemade weights. I have half pound and one pound cans, heavier can may be too difficult to hold. Go on a scouting expedition around your house and see what you find that could work as weights then store them behind the couch and start using them. Twice a week or three times, consistently, and you’ll start noticing a change within a short time - usually in a month or six weeks definitely.

My first exercise equipment was a pair of dumbbells, a one pound and a five pound set. You don’t have to have a fully equipped home gym to exercise at home.

Push ups are an incredible exercise, men’s and women’s style. No special equipment needed, just get on the floor and start. Standing squats (pretend you are going to sit in a chair, then stop at about or before chair level, and return to standing straight). There are even books written for exercising on the commercial breaks. I put together a page with a few of the books I’ve found which present this concept such as “The Commercial Break Workout: Trim and Tone Two Minutes at a Time” by Linda Buch and Seth Anne Snider-Copley.

Grab some Extra Minutes and Get Started

I wanted to get up an hour earlier so I could work out in the mornings. When I exercise first thing, nothing else interferes. No matter what comes up, it doesn’t take away from my fitness program. Unexpected calls or invitations, traffic jams, “There’s no bread,” yells my son who still thinks it’s my job to keep the pantry stocked, so I need to run to the store, nothing ruins my day’s plan to ride my bike or lift weights. The consistency of a regular exercise program just makes me feel good - you might find it does the same for you, and if you have had a difficult time finding time - make time. Grab some extra minutes during commercials on TV, get up earlier, find whatever works for you. Write it on your calendar, make a date with yourself, and get started.

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Years ago when I was a professional bodybuilder, I fell into the mindset that the more I exercised, the less fat I ate, the better I would look and feel. At the time this seemed like the logical thing to do. And maybe in my mind that was correct. However, from my body’s standpoint, this was NOT the thing to do, nor was it healthy.

If you have exercised for any length of time, chances are you too have fallen into this mind trap. If I walk thirty minutes and burn three hundred calories, then I will walk an hour and burn twice as many. If I eat thirty grams of fat a day and lose two pounds, then I will eat ten grams a day and lose four pounds. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

While your mind might be able to take that, your body can not. You see this with a lot with people. Out of the blue they just hit a wall. Their bodies all of a sudden just say, “That’s it, I done- no more!” I believe exercising efficiently in less time will do more for you in the long run than trying to do more in the short run.

If you over exercise, your body gets to the point where it just goes through the motions. The only thing you are really doing is satisfying your brain. The muscles shut down, hit plateaus and ache. These are all signs of over doing it. They reality is, which will seem illogical is that the muscles grow and recuperate while they are resting, not during the workouts. This was very hard for me to understand until I worked out for a summer with Brian Silk Mr. Universe. Brian was lifting half the weight in half the time, performing half the exercising I was doing. Obviously I was doing something wrong.

He went on to explain to me just this. The hardest thing for me to do at that time was walk out of the gym when it seemed as though I was only through half my workout. One year later I won the Mr. Michigan Bodybuilding championships.

Here is my point:

Making progress in your exercise program comes down to; working smarter not harder, listening to your body, and understanding more exercise is bad for you in the long run. The magic is in this formula: Consistency + variety + efficiency = results!

LOSE WEIGHT IMMEDIATELY! FREE MINI COURSE here http://www.resolutions.bz. Discover the common sense way to lose weight with out dieting that the doctor’s DON’T want you to know. Greg Ryan is a best selling author, former employee of Kathy Smith, and high profile fitness expert.

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Five points to consider when you want to fit fitness into a hectic life. When I tell people what I do for a living, many will tell me they wish they had the time to exercise, but just can’t seem to fit it in. This is one of the biggest excuses people give for not making exercise a part of their life. However, we all have time for the things we feel are important enough. Many people actually have more time than they think. Research now supports breaking increased activity into 10-minute blocks, which anyone can do without even thinking about it.

Do any of these scenarios sound like you?

? I am too tired to do anything after work so I drop down in front of the TV

? With the kids and husband, there is just no time for me

? I work too many hours and have too many responsibilities to get away from the office

? First thing in the morning I always spend an hour drinking my coffee and reading the paper

? I really need to relax in the middle of the day, so I read fiction books at lunchtime

? I’d love to exercise but there’s no place for me to do it

? I’m too tired at night and I hate to get up early in the morning

Although exercise is a normal part of my own life, I also try to include a 90-120 minute walk into town several times a week. As I was taking that walk the other day, I realized that there are things in my own life that I perceive I have no time for. This thought gave me a laugh, because here I was, spending 2 hours doing something that other people perceive they have no time for!

In this article, I will give you five helpful tips on how to fit regular fitness into your hectic lifestyle. Then, if you are able to find the time, lack of time will no longer be a valid excuse. My question to you will then be this: Do you continue to not exercise because you don’t have the time or don’t have the will? That is a subject for a different article.

1. Determine when you could realistically spend time exercising

When starting a new activity, you have to first realistically determine when you can DO that activity. If you are busy driving home from work or cooking dinner at 5pm each night that will not be the time of day to try to exercise. So, pull out your calendar and put some serious thought into when, every day, you could do some type of exercise. Don’t worry about what that exercise is, just determine the time and how much time it would be.

Example: You really would like to go to bed earlier each night. This may be the motivator you’ve been looking for, because if you went to bed earlier, you could get up earlier, and then exercise.

Example: You really could use a break from work in the middle of the day. You often take a couple hours for lunch just to escape work, so this could be shortened to also include some type of activity. There is a racquetball court not far from work and you have some old college buddies who might be interested in a lunchtime game or two.

Example: If you exercised first thing in the morning, before other activities, it would be done each day without guilt. You really do have the time if you do it first thing but you just let yourself sleep in each morning.

Example: There is just no place on your schedule that you can find a continuous 60 minutes you are willing to commit to exercise. However, you could do 20 minutes in the morning, 15-20 minutes at lunch, and 20 minutes in the evening.

2. Investigate what activities you would like to do

Again, it has to be something you’re going to enjoy, or it won’t matter that you found the time! So, consider all options that are realistic. Do you have a pool that you would enjoy using? Look into group exercise classes at clubs near you, or perhaps the local “Y”. Some people do better if they are committed to show up somewhere, others prefer to do it at home and not have to dress to come and go.

Sit down and make a list of all possibilities as well as all locations you would like to look into. Consider finding an exercise partner. Maybe you would enjoy taking a walk with a neighbor, family member or friend.

Example: Several friends have invited you to join their basketball game once a week after work. You have thought about it but never follow through.

Example: You see two neighbors out walking each morning. You know them both but have put off contacting them to see if they would mind a third person.

Example: A workmate has been taking a Yoga class at lunchtime each week. She has invited you several times but you have always found some excuse to avoid it.

Example: You have a treadmill at home that stores blankets. You can clean them off and use it in the morning and night, and at lunch you can go for a walk with workmates who take a 15 minute walk each day.

3. Put it on your calendar

Especially when you first start a new activity, if you don’t write it down, you may forget about it. This may not be because you are trying to avoid it, but seriously because it’s not a habit, yet. Also, the busier you are, the more important it is that you include it on your calendar. For some people, if it’s on their calendar, they take the activity more seriously.

For example, I recently started taking Pilates classes, but they have to be entered into my calendar because it’s between clients in the course of my day. If I did not have it on my calendar, I may forget and schedule clients in that time.

4. Prepare ahead for the activity

The more prepared you are, the more likely it is you will do it. If you exercise first thing in the morning, have your workout clothes out and ready to put on. If you walk during lunchtime at work, make sure you pack a bag that has your shoes and any change of clothes for the walk.

Another example of preparing would be if there is a class you’d like to take but you have scheduled another appointment for that time. If it’s an appointment that can be moved, move that so that you can create a habit with your new exercise class.

5. Share your intentions with others

The more people you tell, the more likely you are going to do it. Sometimes just the thought of not doing something you told others you were doing is enough to keep you going. Maybe it’s a challenge to yourself to keep your word, out of integrity.

The more people you share this with, the more people who will be asking you how things are going. If you are skipping your workouts, soon people are going to ask if you really are doing them.

If just telling people about your intentions to exercise is not enough, perhaps telling the instructor of a class you’ve started to take would help. Or, talking to classmates and making the statement that you will see them in the next class could be enough.

For some people, just telling yourself your intentions would work. You could make a commitment to yourself and come up with a reward if you meet your commitment. One example of a reward might be buying yourself a new item of clothing or something else you would enjoy.

We’ve just looked at 5 strategies to overcome the excuse of not enough time to exercise. Research has shown that it’s necessary to get 60 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week for people who wish to lose weight. If this is a goal you have, use the strategies above to overcome the perception of lack of time. For many people, simple strategies such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, using a pedometer to strive for 10,000 steps per day, or parking at the far end of the parking lot into various buildings can actually be included in increasing exercise to meet the 60 minute goal.

If you have been considering how to include exercise into your daily life, sit down and make a plan on how you are going to make it happen. Use the strategies above and perhaps one day you will be out taking a walk, thinking of all the other things you don’t have time for.

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Once your mountain bike chain becomes damaged, you should immediately replace it with a new one.  It is possible however, to repair a broken chain using a chain tool. For this very reason, most mountain bikers travel with a chain tool.

Your chain has three basic components - the metal side plates, the rollers between the side plates, and the rivets, or pins which go through the rollers and help to hold the plates together.  These pins allow the rollers to freely turn as the chain moves around the cogs.

If your chain happens to break, you’ll need to remove the broken link and replace it with a spare link. To do this, simply reattach the two ends of the broken chain and ride on a shorter chain until you can get it replaced. 

To remove a broken link of chain, place it in the chain tool.  Now, turn the tool counter clockwise until the rivet pin of the chain tool touches the chain rivet.  Continue to turn the tool until the pin pushes out of the roller.  Be very careful, as you want to stop turning when the pin is right at the edge of the roller, before it moves through the outer side plate.

Now, turn the tool in the other direction, and back it out of the roller.  Set the tool to the side, then work the chain very gently from side to side and extract the inner side plates and roller.

Now is the time to re-route the chain through the bike.  You may want to have a chain retaining tool or some to help you hold the chain in the right spot as you route and repair it.

Now that the broken link has been removed and you’ve re-routed the chain, you’re ready to insert a new link or simply connect the links that were beside the broken one.  The process here is the same - align the two ends so that the link with the inner side plates will fit inside the link with the pin and outer side plates.  Now, use the chain tool to push the pin inward until it’s positioned evenly between the side plates.

The easiest way to learn how to do this or feel comfortable doing it is to have someone show you, then actually practice with a chain and a chain tool.  You’ll have no trouble at all making a temporary repair in a mountain bike chain once you’ve seen it done by a professional and practiced it yourself a few times.

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A mountain bike is a lot of fun although it does require some maintenance.  You should always lube your bike 15 hours or so before riding, as quick jobs right before you take off normally doesn’t get everything lubed.  Some lube jobs will last for more rides, although if things get loud or shifting gets sticky, it’s time to lube.

Here is how to lube your bike:

1.  The chain
Apply a generous amount of mountain bike lube to your chain as you move the pedals around backwards. It also helps to find a spot to steady your hand such as the frame while you move the pedals around and around.  Make sure you watch out for the cranks and chain rings as they move around.

2.  Front Deraileur
On the front defaileur, lube the pivots.  Use a spot of lube everywhere you can see movement when you move the shift lever.

3.  Rear deraileur
Just like the front deraileur, lube the pivots.

4.  Pedals
There are some types of clipless pedals that will need to have the release mechanism lubed.  You should only lube this mechanism if you have this type of pedal.

5.  Everything into motion
Pedal around, shift your gears, and bounce your bike around.  If you hear anything squeak, there’s a moving part there are it should be lubed  immediately.

6.  Wipe it all clean
Once you’ve lubed everything and wiped it all around, simply wipe it all back off.  Use a rag to wipe away all the lube you used, including all the lube off the chain.  Wiping it away will leave the lube in between the parts but clean it away from everywhere it isn’t needed.  This will keep your bike from collecting dirt while you ride.

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The gears in mountain bikes just keep getting more and more intricate.  The bikes of today have as many as 27 gear ratios.  A mountain bike will use a combination of three different sized sprockets in front and nine in the back to produce gear ratios.

The idea behind all these gears is to allow the rider to crank the pedals at a constant pace no matter what kind of slope the bike is on.  You can understand this better by picturing a bike with just a single gear.  Each time you rotate the pedals one turn, the rear wheel would rotate one turn as well (1:1 gear ratio).

If the rear wheel is 26 inches in diameter, then with 1:1 gearing, one full twist on the pedals would result in the wheel covering 81.6 inches of ground.  If you are pedaling at a speed of 50 RPM, this means that the bike can cover over 340 feet of ground per minute.  This is only 3.8 MPH, which is the equivalence of walking speed.  This is ideal for climbing a steep hill, although bad for ground or going downhill.

To go faster you’ll need a different ratio.  To ride downhill at 25 MPH with a 50 RPM cadence at the pedals, you’ll need a 5.6:1 gear ratio.  A bike with a lot of gears will give you a large number of increments between a 1:1 gear ratio and a 6.5:1 gear ratio so that you can always pedal at 50 RPM, no matter how fast you are actually going.

On a normal 27 speed mountain bike, six of the gear ratios are so close to each other that you can’t notice any difference between them.

With actual use, bike riders tend to choose a front sprocket suitable for the slope they are riding on and stick with it, although the front sprocket can be difficult to shift under heavy load.  It’s much easier to shit between the gears on the rear.

If you are cranking up a hill, it’s best to choose the smallest sprocket on the front then shift between the nine gears available on the rear.  The more speeds you have on the back sprocket, the bigger advantage you’ll have.

All in all, gears are very important to mountain bikes as they dictate your overall speed.  Without gears you wouldn’t be able to build speed nor would you be able to pound pedals.  The gears will move the pedals and help you build up speed.

There are all types of gears available in mountain bikes, all of which will help you build up a lot of momentum if you use them the right way.

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Taking a mountain biking vacation is an excellent way to unwind and explore America.  There are several companies that offer mountain biking tours that go through scenic routes, and they often arrange any accommodations for travelers as well.  For athletic couples, these types of vacations offer the perfect way to relax and enjoy some exercise together.

Each and every region in the United States has some truly awesome mountain biking trails.  It’s not just the major mountain ranges that offer these trails, as any hilly, scenic, rough trail can provide riders with the adventure they seek.  Some of the best areas to mountain bike ride in the United States are the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast states such as North Carolina.

Even though the entire American West area is great for a mountain biking vacation, the Southwest area is rapidly becoming a popular area for the sport as well.  In the Southwest, some of the best trails include Pinery Canyon Road in Arizona, South Boundary Trail in New Mexico, and Flume Trail in Nevada.

Each and every trail deserves it’s reputation as a tough ride.  Each one of these trails is over 20 miles in length, with Pinery Canyon being the longest, at over 50 miles!  Keep in mind though, just because you go to a trail it doesn’t mean you have to ride the entire length.

The Pacific Northwest is also a great place for a mountain biking vacation.  The three best trails in the entire region are Surveyor’s Ridge in Oregon, Mount Tamalpais in California, and the Methow Trial System in Washington.

A mountain biking vacation is perfect for athletic people who have the desire to explore regions at their own pace.  These trips are much less expensive than other trips, yet they can easily be the adventure of a lifetime.

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