Yes, am quite prepared to take a relatively low risk in order to
be active and enjoy my life. If I fall off, which I do periodically, then
I view it philosophically as the price to be paid.

As it's my life and limb I am fully entitled to do so.

If you are knowledgeable about the risks that is one thing,
but most folks are NOT knowledgeable. It is a crime to be promoting mountain
biking on hiking trails without full knowledge of how dangerous it
is.

By the way, if you were to suffer a really serious injury, one
that left you paralyzed for example, I doubt that you would think it was worth
it. Price to be paid - indeed!

Well, clearly, you DON'T understand risk either or you would not have written this.

It is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY that such a fate will befall me ... but not impossible. If you live your life based on worrying about extremely unlikely events then you will end up doing a Howard Hughes and never leaving your house..

However, since the odds of killing or disabling yourself whilst walking down the stairs or taking a shower are also unlikely, but not zero, even there you are not safe.

Mountain biking, measured against other risks, is not at the top of the risk tree ... but it's not at the bottom either. Pay your money and take your choice. As I also enjoy extreme skiing and motorcycle racing I take it you can guess where I draw the line.