New York City Mountain Bikers. Our goal is to organize New York City Mountain Bikers and to educate the New York City Parks Commissioner and elected officials about our sport so that Mountain Bikers will be allowed to ride and care for the thousands of acres of unused and under-funded parks in the five boroughs.

Bike accessories What kinds of accessories can you get on your bike? There's such a thing as rear view mirrors, although these are more popular among road cyclists than Mountain Bikers. The same goes for horns or bells to let people know you're behind them. Also available are bike lights, powerful ones for use when you want to tear down the trail at night.

Bike clothes Road cyclists normally wear tight fitting cycle shorts and a tight fitting jersey, whereas mountain bike riders do have a tendency to look a bit baggy. The more clothes a mountain biker wears the better, actually, as they can serve to cushion falls. Rather than depending on those clothes, however, you can also stock up on knee, shin, leg, arm, and elbow guards. Gloves are also an essential, as they'll protect the hands from road burn, not to mention increasing the grip on the bike.

Bike security We live in a world where unattended bikes will quite often disappear. That may not be much of a bother if its only a $20 "beater", but when it's a mountain bike worth hundreds of dollars the loss stings a bit more. Sturdy bike locks are a must.

The sport of mountain biking is increasing in popularity year by year. It's an exhilarating sport, but it's also physically demanding. Both men and women take part, but its usually people kids, teens, and young adults. As with any other activity, Mountain Bikers have devised their own culture, including a language of their own. If you want to get into the game, you'll have to learn a few terms: If you're riding a "boing-boing" you're riding a bike with both front and rear suspension. If you've "bonked" you've run out of energy. To "bring home a Christmas tree" is a bad thing, it means you've crashed through dense brushes and leaves and things are hanging off your helmet - it also means you've left a trace on the hill, which is something Mountain Bikers - and people in general, of course, are not supposed to do. "Death cookies" are rocks that fly up into you as you go down the trail. This happens all the time and so that's why you want to wear goggles or some kind of eye protection. To get "first blood" means you're the first rider in a group who crashes and starts bleeding as a result. Some people perhaps feel this is a mark of honor for some reason. If you're doing an "endo" it means you're flying over the handlebars of your bike do to a sudden stop. And then you'll most likely do a "face plant" - hopefully into mud and not into a rock. Regardless, that's why you wear a helmet and eye protection!