I used to be a trail runner, but years of pounding the pavement caused one
of my feet to give out. Now I ride an entry level MTB, a Trek 4300 hardtail
with disc brakes, for the exercise. My daily workout is 3.2 miles and about
650 ft elevation gain, according to my topo map, with occasional longer
rides on Saturday.
Most of my daily route is on pavement in my neighborhood, but at the top of
the hill, I switch to an 1890s mining road that drops about 400 ft in ¾ of a
mile. Sort of a wide singletrack, popular with local hikers, it has
boulders, wet clay, some narrow spots and some fast spots. I ride most of
it up on the pedals, modulating the brakes, careful to avoid a spill. The
bike takes the modest pounding just fine, brakes work great.
This daily ride usually starts before 6 AM and I tend to take this trail
route as long as there is enough light and no snow. I won't ride in the
snow, all too often it covers hidden ice. I'm not hardcore, I only started
a year ago, but I feel fortunate having a nice little trail so close to
home. - CW