You may think the Rio Grande Valley is an unlikely place to spot a mountain biker. I mean we don’t exactly have prototypical mountains here in South Texas. But dig a little deeper, look a little further, take a trip off the beaten path, and you’ll find an underground, tight-knit community of mountain bikers that hit the trails of the RGV in search of an adrenaline rush like no other.
“A lot of people aren’t aware that there are a lot of great places to ride down here. It’s also a good family sport. There are all types of people that come out to ride, and a lot of the guys that come out here are very helpful,” said Justin Farmer a veteran mountain biker.
Farmer moved to the Valley nine months ago from Redding, California, and after doing his research discovered that there’s more to this terrain than just flat, low-lying land.
“There are places to ride in Mission and Sullivan City, and even a race series in Brownsville,” added Farmer.
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Mountain biking is a growing sport in South Texas, and Jesus Mendiola, owner of Bike Masters in Mission took notice.
“I opened this store out of necessity. I saw that there are a growing number of people here that are getting into the sport, but there wasn’t a place that focused on high-performance bikes and equipment,” said Mendiola.
Mendiola, also an avid rider, is excited about the increased interested in this rapid growing sport, but feels the community and city officials need to get behind them and show more support for this family-friendly activity.
“We need more support from the community. When we go out riding we see husband and wife couples, families, beginners and experts. We just want people to see the positive aspects of mountain biking and support us,” added Mendiola.
So if you’re looking to explore the outdoors, stay in shape or just have fun look no further than your own backyard, you might discover that mountain biking is just what you need.
To find more information on mountain biking in the Rio Grande Valley visit www.missiontrails.org or log onto www.sportsfv.org.
