Posted by Art on Jul 22, 2010 in
Biking
So I was recently reading a question about what the difference is between a mens mountain bike and a women’s mountain bike. Several people answered the question about this thing being a little different and that thing being a little bit different, etc. You know things like the handlebars, parts on the frame, grips, brake levers, etc. But one answer made a lot of sense. It said that most women would ride a mens mountain bike since the differences are subtle and there are a lot more choices and a wider choice of mens mountain bike versus women’s mountain bikes.
This totally made sense to me. Maybe at one time it might have made sense to make a more ‘girly’ bike for women, but even if these types of bikes currently exist, they don’t truly need to anymore. Women now days are every bit as competitive as most men and their physical agility, strength and dimensions are close to and match men in many regards. So why the necessity for two different types of bikes?
Sure, there are some women who are smaller than men, but in the same vein, there are a lot of men who are smaller than many women. In those cases, each of these people who are smaller in general will need to look for a bike that fits their individual size. The same for those that are bigger.
So it seems to me, that making bikes in different sizes to match the size of their rider is more important than trying to separate out the sexes. It’s time in our society and in our current environment to drop that separation. I think it would be much smarter for the mountain bike manufactures to focus on making bikes that are designed for different sized people, large, small, light, heavy, etc. That way you can have many different models in many different dimensions that will meet the needs of all people, no matter their sex.
Tags: full suspension mountain bike, Mountain Bikes, specialized mountain bike, used mountain bike
Posted by Art on Jul 15, 2010 in
Biking
Recently I was at a car race and noticed that some of the drivers had two cars. The reason for that was to protect them, in case one car was ruined, the second is a backup. So I got to thinking, do people need two if they already have one mens mountain bike? I guess if you’re into mountain bike competitions, two make sense, but what if you’re just the average Joe who wants to have fun on the weekends?
Now in the above case people have the exact same car or bike when in some sort of competition, but for the everyday rider, having two of the exact same bike doesn’t make sense. But what does make sense is having two different mountain bikes. Depending on where you are going to ride, the terrain can be radically different and we all know that one type of bike configuration is going to be much better in one type of terrain versus another.
So if you are the type of person who likes to ride in many different locations that have very different terrains, then having two different bikes makes total sense. So the question then is, do you go very different or just a little bit different? It seems to me that you should go extremely different. That is, from the bike frame material, to the handle bar types, to the size of the tires, etc. If the bikes are only a little different they won’t make much difference when riding in the different locations. But having a totally different bike will make a difference and allow you to have a bike that meets your needs when you’re in a very steep hilly section versus a more flat surface.
But, you’re the only one who knows what is best for you. So take some time, figure out the different places you ride now and/or want to ride in the future and then figure out the best bike configurations that would meet those conditions and then decide what are the two bikes (or second bike) to get.
Tags: full suspension mountain bike, Mountain Bikes, specialized mountain bike, used mountain bike
Posted by Art on Jul 7, 2010 in
Biking
So you’ve decided to take a vacation with the family and you’re wondering if you can fit in some rides on your mens mountain bike. The big thing is that you can ride your mountain bike no matter where you are, even in the heart of some town somewhere if that is where your are on your vacation The biggest problem might be getting your bike there, especially if you’re flying. You basically have two options.. You basically have two options. One, you can take the bike with you (check into luggage if you’re flying), or put it on your bike rack before you leave. The other option is renting a bike. If that sounds tempting, then I’d recommend calling ahead to the destination that you are going and discover if they have bikes for rent before you leave. If they don’t, then option 1 maybe your only choice.
Ok, at this point, we’re going to assume that you’ve made it to your destination and now you need to fit your mountain bike riding into your vacation schedule. With me, I like to get up early. That’s good news since the rest of my family likes to sleep in. That allows me to do things for me during this time. If you have a different timetable than the rest of your family, then take advantage of that moment, early or later and ride your bike then. Occasionally in the middle of the day, when it’s kind of slow, is a potential good time to do some bike riding.
Where to go? That really depends on where you are. In the city, pretty much on city streets. If you’re in San Francisco, you can find some gnarly hills to tackle. Cities that have hills are more fun for riding than cities that are flat, but you just have to make the best of it. If you’re out in the country, then country roads. It’s not rocket science, you can ride your mens mountain bike pretty much anywhere there’s open road.
Tags: full suspension mountain bike, Mountain Bikes, specialized mountain bike, used mountain bike