Gear Sports

Just ask a few local mountain bikers who’ve done it - gone end over end, flying unexpectedly over the handlebars - and they’ll tell you about their broken collarbones, reconstructive surgeries and time-consuming rehabilitation.

While mountain biking participation has dropped nationwide, according to the Outdoor Industry Association, there are still 50 million participants. And that number includes a growing number in Western North Carolina, where the abundance of trails lures road cyclists to the woods for the off-road version of the sport.

But with mountain biking growing in the area, injuries - major and minor - are also on the rise.