Growing up, I wanted to be Cru Jones, the main character of the 1980s cult classic BMX movie RAD. I built ramps out of cinder blocks and plywood from West Virginia to Tennessee, hoping one day to catch my big break on the BMX circuit. But as my family settled down, the more communal sports of soccer and basketball took priority, and my dream of riding bicycle motocross for Rad Racing died.

Yet as Zach Bryan, Bruce Springsteen, and Imagine Dragons remind us in the most recent cover of Atlantic City, “Everything dies, baby that’s fact, but everything that dies, someday comes back.” In my case, the dream of careening down hills and launching myself off ramps came back 35 years later when I turned 46.

Last summer, after another ankle injury sidelined me from trail running, I decided to take up mountain biking (MTB). The MTB community is akin to trail running, as road biking is to road running —that is to say, it is scruffier, rowdier, and more focused on good stories than personal records. Having known some scruffy mountain bikers in the neighborhood, I inquired about where to purchase a bike, and the overwhelming consensus was Galaxy Bicycles.

Cosmo the mini Aussie had me at hello, and the two Andys hooked me up with a great deal on a Giant 29” full-suspension mountain bike. As a point of reference, my last mountain bike was a 1997 Specialized Stumpjumper with 26” wheels and a hard tail. The difference was like going from a 1990s Ford Ranger to a 2020s Ford F-150 Raptor—the bike felt huge, but the ride over the roughest of terrain was oh so smooth.

It was also through Galaxy’s social rides on Monday and especially Wednesday nights that I began learning how to mountain bike in San Marcos. Now, a year later, I humbly offer these neophyte insights into riding San Marcos.

Start with the River Recharge Natural Area: This 2.5-mile circuit offers a little bit of everything, but nothing too challenging to discourage newcomers. It’s best ridden counterclockwise, and as you progress in skill and confidence, you can add on the Limestone Link Trail to Ringtail Ridge. Be warned, though, the Panhandle and Berm trails are rideable for newbies, but stray even a little from those two and you’re in for a world of hurt as the trails go from biscuits and baseballs to bear traps and boulders.

Move up to Lower Purgatory: The Dante to Beatrice loop is one of the nicest rides in town. Again, some challenging turns and terrain, but also some truly buttery runs and drops. As you progress, add on the Malacoda or Limbo Loop as they peel away from the Dante Trail. But ye shall not pass Malacoda, as Middle and Upper Purgatory are some of the gnarliest stretches of limestone and root. The new section of Paraiso to the Styx Loop is a doable short ride, but everything else in that realm wants to take your teeth out or your rim off. Come back next week to hear all about the Spring Lake Trails and a truly rad ride out at Canyon Lake.