Posted by Art on Sep 18, 2010 in
Biking
It is such a frequent question that the individuals with older mountain bikes really often ask is the way to go about retrieving their 10 or 15 year outdated bike by placing in newer model of parts. But what has to be regarded as right here are several facts about the newest trends which has transformed the mountain cycle sections from what they were previously.
Bike Weight
It can be a frequent picture – a bicycle was a mainstay of life by way of adolescence and college age years, maybe even into the mid-twenties, after which it received set aside. Now it’s time to begin riding again, as a 30 or 40 yr old, but so a lot has changed. There is no longer the comfort and familiarity, so what now?
I lived this scenario this final year, as a 48 twelve months outdated returning to biking after several years away. I was a “bike commuter” before the term was prevalent, riding every single day for years, after which I moved on, each geographically, and in relation to my bike. I applied to be excited about returning to two wheels, but I felt uncertain, not knowing what had altered and what had stayed the same, what was best for me now in terms of bike, motorcycle parts, and bike accessories. It was a new ball game, a brand new ride.
Considering the weight of the present bikes, older ones would finish up in super heavy bodyweight class. The newer version are all ultra light weight and produced of materials which are considerably stronger than before but at exactly the same time lighter in weight. This provides the benefit to the biker that he does not must exert loads of force to counter the motorcycle weight.
Attitude – The very first step is in perspective or philosophy, and requires openness, flexibility, patience, and curiosity. We all trip for various reasons, and these transform over time, but returning to biking – whether mountain bike, street bike, beach cruiser, or commuter – takes adjustment. The initial time I sailed down a hill at full speed I felt childlike in my exhilaration…..and the quite first time I was unprepared for a flat or broken chain I felt discouraged and wondered whether I really wanted to be carrying out this again, at my age.
Bike – Picking the proper bike just isn’t the issue, IMHO, due to the fact there will not be a “right bike” for long. Bikes sell for $100 on up to thousands of dollars and demands change. One suggestion – unless totally committed to highway biking, it is a great thought to think about a mountain mTB or hybrid. More essential than the proper motorcycle is the best fit; you can get a “bike fit” at a cycle shop, or with guidance on line.
You might like to read more essays here on Fixie Wheels and also Peter White Cycles.
Tags: Bicycle, bike, cycle, mtb
Posted by Art on Sep 10, 2009 in
Biking
Cross Country (XC) Suspension Forks
Light and short travel, XC mtb forks are often single crown due to the mild terrain and to save weight so not to make the bike too heavy to rise.
Historically, XC forks will have been spring loaded however the trend is now moving towards air sprung suspension.
The obvious advantages of such a change of keeping the weight of the fork as low as possible and making them straightforward to adjust this.
Downhill (DH) Suspension Forks
Have you watched the insanity that may be downhill mountain biking? Massive drops, giant opening jumps and terrible terrain over a short prtiod of time. Downhill forks can have large amounts of travel ( ten inches isn’t unhead of ) to allow for the strain a DH bike is put under.
Downhill forks are typically coil spring to take on large hits but are also double crowns ; this is where there are two legs of the fork near the top where the fork joins the handle bar. Double crown forks offer double the suspension of single crown forks.
Dirt Jump (DJ) Suspension Forks
Big airs, giant jumps and big tricks need forks which can take some punishment forks not designed for this purpose are responsible to be damaged, or worse break, causing serious injury to a rider.
A dirt jump ( DJ ) bike will typically be a hardtail and front suspension, though some riders do still prefer stiff forks. Suspension forks will have small travel of 80-100mm and are routinely coil sprung as well as being much heavier due to the increased strength than those designed for other mountain bike disciplines.
Rigid Forks
Though suspension forks are more and more a common sight on mountain bicycles they are by no means the only option left.
For the die hards, those that don’t wish to speculate in costly suspension or those who prefer something lower upkeep there remain a number of quality rigid forks available on the market.
extremely popular in the dirt jump and street MTB scenes as well as singletrack, firm Forks offer a viable and regularly less expensive alternative to suspension.
Tags: cross country, dh, downhill, fork, freeride, moutnain bike, mtb, suspension, xc
Posted by Art on Jul 25, 2009 in
Biking
Mountain biking is perfect for getting into the open air, staying healthy and having fun. You get an adrenaline rush from speeding down the side of a mountain but it comes with its dangers. Even though it’s dangerous, if you ride with caution, it can be enjoyed by the entire family.
There are three varying styles of mountain biking- downhill, free riding and cross-country. The styles require divergent skills because they are all slightly different. Your choice of mountain bike depends on the style of biking you prefer.
The sport can best be thought of as biking on an unpaved surface. There are locations designed specifically for mountain biking. Before you decide to go down a trail, you should always check with your local park to get the routes, regulations, and any rules that they may have.
If you get really good, join a mountain biking gang that enter competitions and put on rides. Use the internet or look in your local paper to find bike clubs near you. Join a group with a range of experienced riders so they can give you advice and teach you new skills.
You need to be fit to be a mountain biker. Bumps and bruises are inevitable when you are new to mountain biking, practice makes perfect!
Selecting Your Mountain Bike
The mountain bike you select is more of a personal choice, and a big determining factor on the type of riding you will be doing. Choosing a bike is difficult due to the variety to choose from over style and price.
You can use the internet to carry out price comparisons and get detailed descriptions of certain bikes. Ask the retailer to have a quick spin on the bike before you purchase it, to make sure its right for you. Your bike needs to fit you so check how comfortable it is, if its the right size and if you like how it works.
More important than any other piece of advice is to stay safe and wear the right equipment including a helmet!
Tags: Cycling, Mountain Bike, Mountain Biking, mtb
Posted by Art on May 26, 2009 in
Biking The front forks of bikes have changed massively since the introduction of the mountain bike. Due to the introduction a need developed for cushioning the impact of rough terrain. A need that simply had not been there before.
Commonly on MTB’s now days you will usually find that the front forks have an already fitted set of shocks, with the blades being made from upper and lower telescopic tubes, called ‘legs’. These telescopic tubes allow the impact of the rocky terrain under the wheels to be reduced, thereby making the bike much easier to control in rough conditions.
The technical specifications for MTB Forks can change massively, with the forks travel and handling style tailored to a specific discipline of mountain biking. For example, a XC mountain bike rider will need a different setup to a DH mountain bike racer, who will have a different fork again to a freeride rider. XC bikes won’t require as much suspension fork travel, usually near eighty to one hundred millimeters and will be made from lighter metal when compared to the forks used on a DH bike. This is essentially as they won’t receive as much punishment as they might during cross country riding.
When suspension was first introduced onto mountain bikes, a travel distance of the above amount was normal. Now though, DH forks offer typically around one hundred and fifty to 200 millimetres of travel. There are some downhill MTB forks though which can offer anywhere up to three hundred millimetres of travel for really extreme terrain!
Some suspension forks may also enable the rider to pump the suspension travel to suit particular sections of a trail. More travel for downhill and extreme sections, and lower travel for the not so extreme XC or up hill sections. The rider may even want to entirely eliminate suspension travel all together which would be an advantage on a smooth concrete road for example. This lockout ability may even be activated externally from the handle bars utilising a cable.
Whichever type of mountain biking you do, it pays to choose your mountain bike front suspension forks wisely as when you choose correctly you will benefit from a significant change in performance.
Tags: cross country, dh, downhill, fork, freeride, moutnain bike, mtb, suspension, xc
Posted by Art on May 22, 2009 in
Biking
Roam
Downhill Mountain Biking is a discipline of mountain biking in which riders either for enjoyment, or in a race, race down a course of varying difficulty against other bike riders. The format of a downhill mountain bike race follows a similar setup to that of skiing.
A History of MTB Downhill
The first ever downhill event that was held was won by Alan Bonds having taken place on the now infamous Repack Road so called as hub bearings would heat up and degrade the grease during decent. That was back in Oct ’76 and downhill has come a long way since that date. Downhill Races now regularly take place across the world on a regular basis particularly in the mountain areas of nations similar to the UK or in the summertime at unused ski resorts in countries similar to France and Italy. These are by no means the only places though, and the DH World Cup is one of mountain bikes most popular events each yearly.
DH Mountain Bikes
In addition to the obvious changes in this format of MTB riding, there are a number of massive changes in the bikes and equipment utilised by the riders. A downhill MTB Frame will be far more specialised that the normal hardtail mountain bike frame you or I used, and will usually have a much more rugged and durable full suspension mountain bike frame. The reason for this is the more extreme trails that a downhill MTB will be subjected to. The choice of having a full suspension bike, which is made to a much better standard than a standard mountain bike is the weight. Whilst a standard mountain bike would be under thirty pounds in weight, DH bikes can to go over 40 pounds. This weight is now however being reduced~coming down~reducing~. Other big differences in the bike can include the use of disc brakes, a high travel suspension fork (five-six inches) and differing frame shape.
Additional Equipment
Extra Protection is always required when taking part in the world of downhill…. just view a couple of videos and you will soon understand that falls, crashes and injuries are a common occurrence and a certain danger this event offers. Body armour, face mask helmets similar the ones used in motocross are needed otherwise you will not be allowed on the trails or to compete.
Tags: cycle, Cycling, downhill, Mountain Bike, mtb
Posted by Art on May 6, 2009 in
Biking
Step It Up Jam
Freestyle is a discipline of MTB which replicates that of FMX. A biker will ride at high speed either on the flat, or on a drop in ramp for an instant hit of speed. Unlike other events where bikers are timed, dirt jump is built on a points system for the tricks conducted on the run.
Dirt Jumping Bikes
Freestyle frames feature a different geometry than that of a normal MTB Frame. A dirt jump frame is generally made of much stronger and often heavier material for them to stand up to the amount of abuse they are put through.
Jumps
Doubles – Also know as a gap, this is where two separate earth works are setup and the rider will jump a gap between the 2 conducting a trick. These are the most well known and are often seen at sporting sports such as gravity Games.
Tabletops – These jumps are setup where there is a slope at the beginning and end of a jump with a flat top in between. This is a bit similar to the double but with the middle filled in which makes the jumps more suited for inexperienced riders who might not make the transition between gap jumps.
Ski – Setup similar to standard ski jumps where the name is borrowed from, these are lengthy ramps generally setup on downhill sections of freeride trails where the slope can act as a landing.
Roller Jumps – Normally located at the beginning of a course, these jumps are intended to give the rider extra speed.
Whoops – Intended for a rider to manual over them, rhythms are usually situated together in numbers of three or more and are small round humps like very large speed bumps.
Spine Jumps – Much like spines at a skate park, spine jumps are constructed of a single earth work with no tabletop or gap in-between. Spine jumps are especially great for pulling big air tricks.
Berm – This is a curved wall ride which is raised from the trail. Regularly found on the edges of jump or downhill tracks to enable a rider to turn without losing too much speed.
Hip Jump – Hip Jump are designed to encourage the rider jump at an angle. Again this is another way to encourage the biker to turn without losing momentum but also shows the technicality of the rider to choose lines through the trail.
Tags: Bmx, dirt jump, extreme sports, Mountain Bike, mtb