MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Even though Florida has no mountains, mountain biking is very much alive in Central Florida, with riders exploring unique trails every day.

What You Need To Know

  • Mount Dora offers a variety of downhill trails for riders to experience mountain biking

  • Riders meet at Adrenaline Bike Works every Thursday evening to cruise the trails together

  • Bike Works offers rentals and safety gear for those leaning how to mountain bike

  • Ramps with inflatable landings are outside the shop for those learning flips and freestyle tricks

Mount Dora has some of the great trails on which the entire family can experience mountain biking, Brian Beck of Adrenaline Bike Works said.

“It’s probably the only place in Florida where there is a little bit of a downhill, or this long of a downhill stretch,” Beck said.

He tunes and repairs mountain bikes inside the shop and has seen the sport grow since it opened in Mount Dora three years ago.

“We have had a lot more mountain-biking customers than anything else,” Beck said.

Every Thursday evening, those interested in the sport meet at 6:30 p.m. at the store for a group ride to the nearby Mount Dora Trail, which is less than a mile away.

“There are some pretty good hills you can get around and up and down,” Beck said.

The Mount Dora Trail combines dirt trails and wooden structures that challenge all levels of mountain bikers with paths that are uphill and downhill.

The trail was built in the 1990s and is still maintained by volunteers and local organizations that donate money to keep it up and running.

Following the group trail run, riders meet back at Bike Works and have a cookout, along with beer and wine for adults.

The trails are open to the public, and there are no fees to ride or to join the group from the bike shop every Thursday.

For those a little more daring, Adrenaline Bike Works offers mountain-biking ramps on which riders can perform freestyle maneuvers outside the shop. Experienced bikers can launch off a ramp, do a trick such as a flip, and land on an inflatable landing pad.

Camden Lukens, 12, practices on the ramps as often as he can because he and his 8-year-old brother compete around the country.

“It’s kind of like a training yard,” said Lukens, who is homeschooled and hopes to mountain bike for a living someday.

“I hope to become a fully sponsored rider by some of the big names like Red Bull or Monster.”

If interested in mountain biking in Mount Dora, contact Adrenaline Bike Works.