What car? On campus or around town, mountain biking is the new way to get where you’re going. In recent years, mountain biking has grown from just an average outdoor activity to, for some, a way of life.

In 2014 the 906 Adventure Team was founded by Todd Poquette as a platform to teach young adults about the sport of mountain biking.

This activity can bring unlikely groups of people together who may not otherwise interact with one another.

“It really helps younger adults develop weariness and a sense of independence in the world around them. It has tremendous impact on self confidence, physical and mental well-being, overall personal happiness and your ability to work through difficult things in life.” Poquette said.

The 906 Adventure Team takes a hands on approach to teaching newcomers how to access the sport.

“We are able to take people out, put them on the bikes with people in a safe environment and just let them experience it hands on,” Poquette said.

Cycling can differ in the teachings of traditional sports. The 906 Adventure Team tries to create a hands on approach for students who are learning the fundamentals of mountain biking line of division between people. In cycling, our student athletes are able to practice together, ride together and, on race day, they go out. They don’t go out there to beat each other, they go out there to beat themselves,” Poquette said. “With cycling we’re not hindered by any roster. Each person gets equal riding time which means equal opportunity to improve their skill.”

Over the last few years, Poquette said he has seen the sport influence the community.

“It creates a micro community. Through the creation of that community, we’ve watched it change people’s lives. It can transform people,” he added.

Sophomore digital cinema major Cullen Bode got into Mountain Biking at the age of eight. Bode shares what experiences riding has brought him.

“Every new ride is a new experience. It seems like it would get boring, but it really doesn’t. Each time you go out you have a chance to do something new and experience something new, and you get to experience the woods on two wheels,” Bode said.

A sense of community is built around cycling that can bring people together and forms friendships, he said.

“Just being out in nature brings people together because you can be out on a ride on your own talking to someone you met and next thing you know, you’ve got a friend. You just start meeting all of these really cool people who share this cool interest” Bode said.

It has a meditative quality to it. Stepping back from the stress of homework, the stress of school, and just kind of a therapeutic way of taking a step back and recentering and resetting yourself for whatever’s going on in life,” Bode said.

The Lydia Olson Library, in conjunction with ASNMU, provides free bike rentals to NMU students who may be interested in trying the sport.