Three staunch and two casual mountain bikers recount with disarming honesty how they entered the sport and what it means to them today. When they started riding, some were only vaguely aware that they live in one of the world's mountain biking hotspots-Vancouver, Canada-nor did they necessarily care. The youngest biker is in his mid-twenties. The oldest has reached retirement age.

My Mountain Biking Neighbours: Conversations with Otherwise Normal People introduces the sport to the general reader, chronicling the expansion of a risky and countercultural activity into the recreational mainstream. This book's emphasis is on people and their very human responses to slithering down rugged slopes on pedal-powered wheels. Its characters reflect on camaraderie, thrill, exercise, risk, and skill development. In addition, they touch on fashion, the legal and natural environments, and broken parts. Social connections, not adrenaline or hardware, emerge as the common thread in their disparate stories.

Regardless of your cycling aspirations, My Mountain Biking Neighbours is a pleasant and informative read. The stories will broaden your horizons and stir your empathy.