The air is crisp, we’ve had our first few frosts, and fall sports are coming to a close (unless, of course, you play football). Skiers and basketball players still have a couple months before their seasons begin; there is a long layoff with not much (other than homework) to do. One solution to this is mountain biking. It’s a great way to stay in shape, and you can get a lot of exercise, sometimes without even realizing that you’re working hard. Plus, if you like thrills, the speed and bumps from the trail can get your adrenaline flowing. You don’t need much, other than enthusiasm, a bike, and some equipment, to mountain bike. If you don’t have the equipments, most of them are easy to get. These are the necessities:

If you want to do some serious trail-mountain biking, your bike needs to have at least the frontal shocks (springs to absorb bumps), good breaks, and gears (for climbing hills). If you don’t have a bike that meets this requirement, it’s pretty easy to get one that does. At Target, just off of Old Connecticut Path (Rte. 126), you can find a great variety of bikes, from basic 18-speed mountain bikes to 26 speeds with disc brakes and full suspension (shocks), and water bottle holders, which are very useful.

If you want more hands-on service and even fancier bikes, try Spoke and Wheel on Route Twenty (in Sudbury near Longfellow Sports Club) or Landry’s on Route Nine (in Natick near Staples). It should be noted that although the service at Landry’s is great, the prices are little high.

You also need some additional equipment: A good helmet that won’t fall off, sunglasses to keep bugs out of your eyes when you are biking at higher speeds, and pads for your knees and elbows if you want to be safe from bumps and bruises (I personally would rather have a few scrapes than wear pads). All of this equipment can be found at the places I have mentioned before. You can get more than the necessities if you want— speedometers, for example, are a fun and useful accessory.

Finally, you need somewhere to go biking. Although you can do it pretty much anywhere, the best places have passable paths, hills, and beautiful natural surroundings. Some great spots can be found in Wayland:

1) Woods right behind the high school: If you walk your bike up the rocky road past the field on the hill across from the field house, then continue upwards past the far side of the field, you will see a path on your right across the top of the sandpits. This path leads to a circuit that goes down a major hill (with some wild twists and turns) to the edge of the Sudbury River plain. This is one of my favorites, but be careful of loose leaves that can lead to slides and crashes.

2) Hamblin Woods Reservation: Off of Rice Road, near Woodridge Road, these trails start from a parking lot by the Old Wayland Reservation (ponds) and twist and turn through 100 acres of hilly woods. They feature lots of great rock scenery and hills, as well as some flat areas for less intense cruising. Small creeks abound, which is neat, but during rainy periods it can get muddy, so be warned.

3) The Green Way Conservation Area: This area consists of large fields and woods by the Sudbury River and can be accessed from a trailhead at the end of Green Way (next to Traditions of Wayland). Good flat cruising and great scenery, including a small pet cemetery. (Steven King readers beware.)

With a few beautiful spots, a nice afternoon, the right gear, and a little motivation, mountain biking can become a good diversion or a great new hobby. So next time you have a free afternoon—maybe on Veterans Day or a boring Saturday—why not try it? It provides great exercise, a great way to get outdoors, and it’s full of thrills.

Additional note:
Off the Beaten Path is a new series to WSP Magazine. Mike Miles is the writer for this series about adventurous and unusual things to do in and around Wayland.