Hi Tom,
I started about a year ago and though I ride mostly rural road routes, I have done the mtn bike trail thing a half dozen times and love it. It is really hard when you first start out, but as condition improves the fun does too. The first clip below is only about an hour from your home (man am I jealous of that) at Tsali in North Carolina.
The links below are from last summer. The photog sucks but the idea is there. Enjoy.
Jay
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...82940667&hl=en (N. Carolina)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...70556773&hl=en (Illinois)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...58233808&hl=en (Illinois)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...70923125&hl=en (Illinois)