Ober Mountain opens downhill mountain biking
Downhill mountain biking lets you ride the bike from the top of the mountain to the bottom.
GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - A new mountain experience at Ober Mountain allows you to bike down the mountain.
Joshua Jett made the trip from Seymour to try out the new mountain bike trails for the first time.
“Freedom out in the woods. The downhills. I loved it,” said Jett. “I went up on the green trail when the easier ones and it was nice and go slow. It wasn’t too hard. It was really, really fun.”
Andrew Griffin made the trip from Illinois to ride the mountain bikes. He planned his family vacation around this one activity.
“That’s pretty great. I like it a lot. I’m used to pedaling uphill. So this is quite a bit different for me,” said Griffin.
The experience begins with an hour and a half of training.
They said even if you’re used to riding bikes, it’s a good reminder of how to do it all down hill.
“Brakes and their body position, that’s the two keys for mountain biking,” said Joe Ventimiglia, with Ober Mountain.
Ober Mountain opened 11 new trails all from beginner to experienced and kids as young as five can take part in this adventure.
The bike shop will custom fit a bicycle to fit your body or you can bring your own.
“Maybe they’ve never done mountain bike portion of it or a downhill mountain bike. And so we offer lessons for those guys from the super beginners all the way to black diamond hardcore riders,” said Ventimiglia.
To get to the top, you’ll use the Ober ski lift, which is now a bike lift and for those heading back out for another mountain top adventure, they have their sights set on which trail.
“I’ve done the green stuff and the blue stuff so not the black stuff. Not the hardest stuff,” said Griffin.
“I’ll probably go on the same trail. I don’t try anything too hard,” said Jett.
Ober Mountain includes all attractions with your one day admission to the mountain.
Copyright 2023 WVLT. All rights reserved.