Mountain biking in India is one of the newest adventure sports, now popular among the Indians who love to do adventure in many well known destinations in India like Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Pune, Mahabaleshwar, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Munnar and Manali.
Mountain biking in India is the sport of riding bicycles off-road like hilly terrain of Leh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and the glacial areas in India. These routes are not always popular to the tourists, but these are popular to the trekkers and the adventure lovers. These routes are often over rough terrain, using specially designed mountain bikes. The mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but slot in features designed to improve sturdiness and performance in rough terrain of northern, western India and Southern India.
Categories of Mountain Biking in India
Mountains biking in India can be generally classified into broad categories like cross country, trail riding, all mountain, downhill, free ride and dirt jumping. However, the majority of mountain bikes fall into the categories of trail and cross country riding styles.
Requirement of Mountain Biking in India
Mountains biking in India require endurance, core strength and balance, bike handling skills, and self-reliance and the cycles which are only to do adventure like gear cycle, rough wheels and the frictional tyres. The advanced riders pursue both steep technical descents and high incline climbs. In the case of free riding, down hilling, and dirt jumping, aerial manoeuvres are performed off both natural features and specially constructed jumps and ramps.
Manali
Manali is a small but popular Himalayan town located in Himachal Pradesh. It is near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. The small town is the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and from there over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin. Manali is known as "The Mountain Biking Capital of India". Manali offers all kind of natural trails that serve the needs of a rider who is looking for big mountain riding to enthusiast who craves for challenging climbs, single tracks and lot more. Manali also works as base camp for all riders heading towards long distance riding towards Leh, Ladakh.
Leh
Leh is the second largest district in India it has the popularity for mountain biking. It has surreal and rugged landscape in the midst of the mountains and monasteries that would attract any mountain biker. Leh has been a target for many mountain bikers since decades as it also gives the opportunity to reach Khardung La Pass, which is the highest motorable road in the world. Leh is also a home to some wicked big mountains that works like a perfect dream for any Free rider who wants to test his bike and his limits in the Himalayan Mountain Range in India. Leh is the best place to fly in the single track roads and it is surely to discover some of the epic places to ride all the way.
Pindari
Pindari Glacier in India, the biking tour in this region and the visit in Pindari is probably the finest place to ride bikes. This glacier is found in the upper reaches of the Kumaon Himalayas, to the southeast of Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot. It is the most beautiful Himalayan villages and natural trails packed with epic sceneries that one can only dream of.
Munnar
Munnar is the place located in south-western Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is a small hill station located in the Idukki district of Western Ghats Mountain Range in India. This place is full of tea gardens and riding the man-made trails topped with natural single tracks through them is bliss for any beginner to expert rider. Here one will ride in some of the highest tea estates in the world. Kerala is also famous for long distance bicycle tours which show the other side of this big country.
Coorg
Coorg is completely worth the time and effort taken to get there. It"s also located in the Western Ghats and if you happen to be a mountain biker looking for some Located 6 hours away from Bangalore; Kodagu is another great hill station of South India famous for its coffe. It has lot of private coffee plantation areas which are packed with some sweet trails for all level of riders.
Ayodhya Hills
Ayodhaya Hills in West Bengal is a good place for mountain cycling in the eastern part of India, but there is no option for the mountain biking in Ayodhya Hills. But any one interested in biking in this region will surely enjoy the tracts of hills in the Purulia District.
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