The grass is turning green, the birds are chirping and everyone is wearing a lot less clothes. Yes, folks, that period of depression known as winter is over, and hence, it is time once again for the beginning of one of my most favorite sports.

It is time to get out that two-wheel wonder, the mountain bike. What did you think I was going to talk about? Golf?

Yes, mountain biking is a sport, and it deserves just as much respect as basketball, football and baseball. In fact, it was even an Olympic event in Atlanta.

I believe mountain biking is a very physically demanding sport. One has to be in good shape to take to a 20 mile jaunt through a rocky, hilly, and narrow winding path through mother nature. To be able to fly down a steep, bumpy washout, while dodging trees and other obstacles in paths not more than a couple feet wide, and then climb the next hill under the same grueling conditions requires a considerable amount of physical prowess.

Many times, yours truly has crashed and injured himself. It is not an activity for the weak. Even diverting attention to a water bottle can spell disaster. Once, I came inches from riding off a ledge that hid a 30 foot drop-off, into the Missouri River, in the middle of nowhere in South Dakota, just because I was trying to get a sip of H2O. The moral of that story? Never ride alone.

But you don’t have to go far to experience the thrill of mountain biking.

Thanks to the Story County Conservation Board and members of the cycling club at Iowa State, many trails are available to ride on the outside of town.

Two places that contain most of the trails are McFarland Park and Peterson Pits. You can easily find them by heading north on Dayton road.

Of course there are some rules, like no riding off the trails, no littering and no riding when it is muddy. When it is muddy out there, bikes do a lot of damage to the ground, and the conservation board people get mad. Also, occasionally there are people with horses out there, and they get mad when you zip right by them (it scares the horses).

And of course, one should not take to the trails without the proper safety measures. So I won’t be liable in this time of abundant lawsuits, I recommend some gloves, a helmet and a properly adjusted bike.

I think it is the inherent danger of the sport that attracts people to it.

Also, as a public service, the TKE house is putting on a mountain bike race for VEISHEA. I was unable to get a hold of the guys in charge, but if you want more information, I put everything I know on my homepage (http://www. public.iastate.edu/~cadillac/homepage.html/).

Well, that is about it for today’s lesson. Tune in next week as I tackle another one of life’s greatest mysteries.

RORY FLAHERTY is a junior in construction engineering.