Pure Mountain BikingGet the latest mountain biking tips, tricks, news and equipment.

by osaka.synaesthesia

Mountain bike is a very wide umbrella term that applies to a wide variety of bikes.  By far one of the most popular styles of bikes, mountain bikes are built to be durable and take the abuse of off road riding without leaving the rider battered and bruised.  These bikes have to be able to handle large obstacles like logs, rocks and debris, while also being fast and easy to control while going down fast mountain trails.

History

References to mountain biking go all the way back to 1966 but new styles of bicycles didn’t gain any noticeable popularity until the 1970′s.  In Northern California’s Marin county, riders started taking advantage of the mountainous surroundings by taking classic cruiser style bikes and modifying their heavy and sturdy frames with better brakes, home made suspension systems and other innovations.  The sport caught on, especially on the west coast of North America and large groups of riders started popping up from California’s Sierra Mountains to Canada’s now famous North Shore Mountains.  It wasn’t until the late 70′s and early 80′s that new and previously established companies started seriously making mountain bikes.  They used technology, design techniques and materials from their road bikes and adapted them to mountain biking uses and developed new innovations to meet the needs of this growing set of riders.  In 1982, Specialized brought out the first mass produced mountain bike, the Stempjumper.

Features

Mountain bikes cover a wide spectrum of bikes, but on the most basic level, they usually share similar features.  These include:

Frames:  Mountain bikes are built with strong and stiff frames for durability and stability while dealing with unpredictable and rough terrain.  Depending on the specific style and needs of the bike the frame can be made from a variety of materials.  The most common are variations of steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber composites.

Tyres:  Mountain bike tyres need to be wider, stronger and more knobby than road bikes.  Rims usually are 559mm but are commonly called 26″ inch tyres, even though that isn’t quite accurate given the variations of the bike.  These tyres give the bikes the traction they need in rough and ever changing terrain.

Gearing:  Mountain bike gearing can range from single geared bikes all the way up to 30 speeds.  The amount and kind of gearing you need will depend on the style of riding you’re up to.

Brakes:  Higher end mountain bikes come with disk brakes, while lower end versions are outfitted with V-brakes.  Disk brakes work a lot better when you’re traveling at high speeds but are substantially heavier and more expensive than V-brakes.

Suspension:  Mountain bike suspensions are usually judged by the amount of travel they allow.  The more travel, the more the bike absorbs impacts instead of your body.  The different suspension variations can be broken down into three main categories:  hard tail, front suspension and dual suspension.

Hard Tail:  Hard tail versions feature stiff frames but no suspension.  If you’re doing any sort of serious off road riding, you’re going to feel every bump.  These bikes are designed for the average rider who enjoys off road riding but also plans on doing some city or path riding too.

Front Suspension:  Since mountain bikes land on the front wheel first, generally, these suspensions are great.  The suspension system is loaded in the front and provides good but not great protection from serious off road impacts.

Dual Suspension:  The newest innovation in mountain bike technology is dual suspension.  Often referred to as full suspension or full-susser bikes, this system is in both front and back wheels.  While heavier and more expensive, if you’re doing big jumps and tackling the roughest courses, this is the suspension you want.

Mountain Bike Styles

What was once a niche market made up of tinkerers making their own mountain bikes in garages out of spare cruiser frames and their own custom components, mountain biking has blow up into a full scale industry.  Today mountain biking is just an umbrella term that encompasses a large variety of bikes and riding styles.

As the sport exploded in popularity many riders found their own personal styles and bikes started getting made to meet the needs of those unique markets.  Many bikes fit several categories and can be used effectively across a variety of styles, while others are specifically designed for just one.

Here is a sample of the most popular mountain biking styles today:

Cross Country:  Abbreviated XC, cross country bikes place a high degree of importance on speed and endurance.  The bikes are lightweight and not meant for the roughest off road environments.

Trail Bikes:  These evolved from XC bikes and are commonly used for recreational trial riding and can handle rougher terrain than the bikes that spawned them.

All Mountain:  This style of mountain bike is designed to climb and descend well and are perfect for all day rides up and down mountains.

Free-ride:  Bikes in this discipline are built to be heavier and more durable.  They can be ridden uphill but handle much better going downhill.

Downhill:  DH bikes have large gears, plush travel and are specifically designed to handle the stresses of downhill racing.  Their frames need to be strong but light, which leads to the use of high quality but expensive materials

Dirt Jumping:  DJ bikes are a mix between BMX bikes and free-ride mountain bikes.  They are made to be sturdy and strong enough to withstand the high impacts they are frequently subjected to.  They usually only have front suspension systems.

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by eric.r

Mountain biking can be both a sport and a hobby. It brings us closer to Mother Nature as well as can serve an exercise of the lungs. This is because it requires how well you breathe under those circumstances. It is not only swimming of singing that will require breathing techniques also in mountain biking. Having the right breathing technique will result into good performance.

Of course the breathing is only a minor attribute of every biker for that matter. Along with this one must have endurance to cope with difficulty. It is never easy doing mountain biking. During first stages, your muscles will be sore and your body may ache all over enough for you to say “I’d quit.’ That is the reason why you need endurance.

Since it is an individual sport and hobby, you will also need self reliance and control. You need to rely on yourself to succeed and you need a lot of control not only to your bike but also of every situation that comes your way. It is because mountain biking is all about overcoming all obstacles.

Given the subject, mountain biking has four major categories and it should be noteworthy to mention them here. The four categories would be downhill, cross country, free ride (joyride) and street biking. Whatever category you fall under, you will need specific gears and particular mountain bikes suited for each category.

Advantages of mountain biking would include that it can be done anywhere whether it is your own lawn and to most rough terrain, although we can always assume when we say mountain biking that it would mean almost always off-road terrain.

As part of this individual sport and like every sport there is, you will need equipments ready. It is part and parcel of the whole thing. To list down a few you will need of course first your bike. Depending to your taste and build you should be able to choose the most suitable bike for you. You will just have to make sure that mountain bikes should have shock absorbers since they are off road.

Having helmet is a must because like any other sport, mountain biking is prone to injuries like falls. You will also need gloves to protect your hands. You will also need glasses to prevent debris in the air to enter the eyes. Your shoes should be comfortable enough and durable enough to withstand long hours of pedaling. With regards to clothing, it is necessary to add appropriateness along with comfort. Usually clothes that are stretchable are used. It is also important that you should have bottled water with you to relieve your thirst. It can be put into tote bag or light weight back packs. To be ready, you should add pumps to the list just in case you go on flat tires along with other bike tools that will come in handy during emergency.

Mountain biking is a great sport. It can be done almost by everyone as long as physical fitness is assured. Consider it leisure, exercise and hobby all at the same time.

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by osaka.synaesthesia

When you very initial begin out making use of mountain biking, it may be a bit overpowering should you walk into a bike keep to buy a person’s initial mountain bike in addition to in addition see numerous on the offered accessories you’ll want whenever you initially start off operating.

It is possible to uncover a lot of mountain biking add-ons in addition to associated collections which you may obtain. Despite the fact that the gross sales workers will aim to promote you some thing they could, the genuine query for those on a shelling out budget isn’t what’s cool, but what add-ons you should make up ones rides further secure additionally to pleasurable. By beginning with each other with the majority of most of these add-ons, you can be just very good when you hit the trails.

Bike helmet.

The bike helmet will be the the majority of considerable mountain biking accessory that you simply will get. Nobody have to actually be on the bike with out a helmet. There are actually many people who have skilled really serious head damage, when it could have prevented by utilizing a helmet. Quite a few mountain bike helmets are snug mixed along with stylish combined along with everyone who rides on the trails wears one.

Mountain bike gloves.

Regardless of what season you journey in, your main palms may perhaps get a beating. Newbies will typically retain a demise grip around the offer along with bars, which may be extremely brutal for their fingers. The moment you crash, your own palms will probably be the 1st concern to hit the ground – in addition to everyone crashes at many facet. Mountain bike gloves really are a really should have accessory, as they’re going to take the beating to suit your needs.

Mountain bike shorts.

Immediately after the 1st few of mountain bike rides you take, you will discover that ones rear conclude is going to be really uncomfortable. Despite the fact that an individual’s physique will alter, bike shorts are great to get as they may be going to help protect it at a bare minimal. You might be able to purchase shorts which are rather comfy, producing them an incredible addition to your mountain bike trip.

Mountain bike footwear.

Relying on the kind of pedals chances are you’ll have along with the kind of using you do, you can wish to choose your own mountain bike footwear accordingly. If ever a person’s bike has clipless form pedals, you can would love to choose up footwear to accept the distinctive cleat for that pedals. Superior mountain bike shoes are long lasting, comfy, and additionally furthermore as well a stiff sole for improved effectiveness when pedaling. Moreover, you must be specific to have the right shoe for the terrain you may be driving in as well.

Eye protection.

In circumstance you’ve a single thing in your own eye, you may run off the trail within a matter of seconds. Sunglasses or distinct lensed glasses will certainly assist protect a person’s eyes secure from debris, as well as guard them from your wind. Once you get hold of your main glasses, make certain they are non-breakable.

Hydration technique.

Bringing a h2o bottle or hydration backpack with each other together with you is usually an awesome considered. It’s very quick to obtain dehydrated so make sure you generally provide water as well as you combined with furthermore drink it around the trail to generate certain that your physique stays the right way hydrated at several instances.

Trail repair kit.

It is uncomplicated to have stuck within the woods or on the trail if you will not carry the suitable restore kit for your bike. To be to the secure facet, convey a multi-tool made for bike restore, tire levers, as well as a patch kit for repairing flat vehicle tires.

Looking other sport preparation blog’s motorbike helmets info. Give the best information about safety gear when you racing such as : bell bike helmet and kbc helmet for safety activities.

Learn about different styles of mountain bike riding in this free video series that covers the basics of how to become a knowledgeable mountain biker. Expert: Rick Van Hoorn Bio: Rick Van Hoorn has been riding mountain bikes since 1987. He has professionally taught mountain biking and has created and led bike camping trips and wine tours. Filmmaker: Diana Bacon

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by osaka.synaesthesia

The gears in mountain bicycles just keep getting more and more complex. The bikes of today have as many as twenty-seven gear proportions. An off-road bike will utilise a
Aggregate of three different sized sprockets in front and nine in the back to produce gear proportions.  

The concept behind all of these gears is to permit the rider to crank the pedals at a continuous pace no matter what sort of slope the bike is on. You can understand this better by picturing a bike with simply a single gear. Every time you rotate the pedals one turn, the rear wheel would rotate one turn as well ( eleven gear proportion ).

If the rear wheel is twenty-six inches in diameter, then with 11 gearing, one full twist on the pedals would lead to the wheel covering 81.6 inches of ground. If you’re pedaling at a speed of 50 R.p.m, this suggests that the bike can cover over 340 feet of ground per minute. This is only 3.8 Miles per hour, which is the equivalence of walking speed. This is excellent for climbing a steep hill, although bad for ground or going downhill.

To go quicker you will need a different proportion. To ride downhill at 25 Miles per hour with a fifty Revs per minute cadence at the pedals, you’ll require a 5.6:1 gear proportion. A bike with plenty of gears will give you a large number of increments between an eleven gear proportion and a 6.5:1 gear proportion so that you can always pedal at fifty R.p.m, no matter how fast you’re really going.

On an ordinary twenty-seven speed mountain bike, 6 of the gear proportions are so close to each other that you can not notice any difference between them.

With actual use, bike riders have a tendency to choose a front sprocket acceptable for the slope they’re riding on and keep it going, although the front sprocket can be difficult to shift under heavy load. It’s way easier to shit between the gears on the rear.

If you’re cranking up a hill, it’s best to choose the tiniest sprocket on the front then shift between the 9 gears available on the rear. The more speeds you have on the back sprocket, the larger advantage you will have.

All in all, gears are critical to mountain bikes as they dictate your total speed. Without gears you would not be well placed to build speed nor would you be in a position to pound pedals. The gears will move the pedals and help you build up speed.

There are all sorts of gears available in mountain bikes, all of which will help you build up a lot of momentum if you use them the right way.

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by jurvetson

Do you currently cycle for fun or as a hobby, but want to go to the pro level? In the event you want to get there, you must be willing to put in the time, energy, and the training. However, you must also acquire the necessary professional cycling equipment. Whenever you appear at the pros at an event such as the Tour de France, they have the greatest from the best for gear so that they can adapt to the climate circumstances, terrain, as well as the length of the race.

When the temperature rises, consider wearing cycling shirts with short sleeves, or none at all so you can handle the heat and circumstances. Some brands to think about when shopping for biking jerseys consist of Inverse, Pear Izumi, and Voler, just to name a few.

What other gear should you think about obtaining? Knee and arm warmers may be great to have while searching for a biking jacket, so you are able to stay warm when you encounter colder climate. A biking shirt won’t only assist you look good, but feel good as well.

So where can you discover pro cycling equipment at a reasonable price? The great news is that the prices over the years have declined due to their increase in popularity. Santini is one of the most reputable brands you are able to purchase from, as they’re recognized for the high quality equipment they produce.

The advantages of getting pro biking gear will be apparent as you attempt to go towards the next level of cycling. Research as several manufacturers on-line as possible to find the best one for you.

Find out how to get the most out of your cycling equipment.

Related Mountain Biking Gear Articles

by osaka.synaesthesia

When you choose mountain bike, it is a good idea to learn more about the gearing systems. This article will explain more about how those systems work.

Mountain bike gears are continually becoming more and more complicated and intricate. Today’s bikes can come with up to 27 gear ratios. It is common for a mountain bike today to use nine gears in the back and three sprockets of different sizes in the front for gear ration production.

Why so many gears? The most common reason is that a large number of gears allow a rider to pedal at the same pace no matter what terrain that he/she is on. This can be understood better if you think about a bike that just has one gear. Every time you turn the pedals one full turn, then the rear wheel also turns one full turn, too (1:1 gear ratio).

For example, your back wheel is measured at 26 inches. If you pedal one full turn, then this would mean that your wheel moved 81.6 inches. If you are riding at 50 RPM, then you will be able to go 340 feet per minute. This means that you were going 3.8MPH, which is equivalent to walking speed. This speed is great for going up a hill that is steep, but it is not a good speed for flat ground or racing downhill.

If you want your bike to go quicker, then you will need a different ratio. If you want to reach a speed of 25 MPH downhill using a 50-RPM cadence, then you will need to have a 5.6:1 gear ration. If you have lots of gears on your bike, then you will be able to get that ratio so that you can continue your pedaling at a consistent pace, no matter what terrain you are on or what your speed is.

A typical mountain bike that has 27 gears will have six gears so incrementally close to the other that you will not be able to determine that there is any difference between the gears when you change them.

Most mountain bike riders decide to choose a gear system with a front socket that is suitable for the slope or terrain that they usually ride on and they stay with this choice, even though it may be more difficult under a heavy load to shift the gears. This is purely a personal decision, but it is simpler to shift between gears when the rear socket, rather than the front one.

When you are pedaling uphill, then you will find that it is much better to choose a sprocket that is smaller on the front and then shift gears with the nine gears that are available on the rear. If you are more speeds on the rear sprocket, then you will find that it is much more efficient to ride.

Mountain biking needs gears so that you can keep an overall speed going. If you didn’t have gears, then you would find it difficult to build up any speed and you would find it nearly impossible to pound your pedals for extra control. Gears help to move the pedals and enable you to gain that speed.

by osaka.synaesthesia

Mountain bike gear can make your riding much more comfortable and fun, but how do you know what you really need? It’s too easy to get sucked into the new flashy gear which may or may not actually last you. The biggest decision is often whether to get a full suspension or a hardtail, what are the pro and cons and is the extra money worth it?

So having dual suspension is obviously going to give you more bounce and make it easier to ride over rough terrain, but what?s the flip side of it? The biggest one for most people is the cost. More moving parts, more springs and pivots are all going to add up quite quickly. In addition, due the pivot points which need to be strong enough to withstand the punishment routinely handed out by mountain bikers. This means that if you?re using the same materials, it?s going to be much heavier, or if you?re going to use more advanced materials, it?ll cost ya!

Cost aside, with a dual suspension bike every time you push down on the pedal you?ll bounce a little on the suspension. This bounce (also called bob) is energy that you?re expending that isn?t helping you to move forward. It might not be much, but it adds up when every single pedal stroke, you lose a bit of energy. This occurs to a degree in hardtails as well, but it?s really an issue for dual suspension.

Hardtails are always going to be more robust, with a more rigid frame. The whole frame is welded together, so extra strength can be added at high stress areas. The more rigid the frame the more responsive the bike is going to be. But you?ll feel the bumps a lot more and will tend to have the bike kick up at the back more easily. If this is happening all the time is can get really tiring. However, if the trails you?re riding are hard and fairly smooth, you?ll probably be better off with a hardtail.

Big drop offs and rough bouncy tracks are where dual suspension really comes into it’s own. Dual suspension will help keep you in contact with the ground as you fly over roots and rocks. This means that you?re going to have a more relaxing ride and better control.

Dual suspension requires a quite different design to the normal bike frame that you’d be used to. This is a design feature that allows the rear wheel to move freely. In the last few years, there has been a huge variety of different approaches to achieving the same aim. To allow free movement of the rear wheel, while maintaining as much rigidity as possible. Some designs also have the bonus of making the wheel base longer as the travel in the rear suspension is used. This can be quite important as a shorter wheel base makes the bike less stable while a longer one gives better stability.

Early designs, which kept quite close to the normal design, had a distinct disadvantage. As the rear wheel moved up the wheel base would become significantly shorter. Over time, different designs were developed that changed the pivot point which improved the stability. What we really want is for the wheel to move up and down, rather than in an arc. So more often these days designs have two pivot points which make it closer to a pure vertical motion with only a small amount of curve in the travel of the wheel.

Many riders have at least a hardtail and a full suspension bike. They ride one or the other depending on the track they are going to be riding on any particular day. So, it’s not really a case of one being better in every case. More often these days you can buy rear suspension frames that you can ?lock out?. This means that you can stop the rear suspension from moving with the turn of a knob. So you can get the benefits of a hardtail and a full suspension in the same bike. However, weight is always a factor and if you spent an equal amount of money you?d get a much lighter, stronger hardtail.

So at the end of the day, it really comes down to the type of riding that you?ll be doing most. There?s no point having a great heavy downhill beast that is too heavy to get up the track that you?re riding every week. The right mountain bike gear makes your riding easier and so much more fun

What to bring on biking trip. Learn about the many different types of mountain bike gear for riding downhill trails in this free online video. Expert: Debbie Main Bio: Debbie Main teaches classes in mountain biking at a state university and is an avid mountain biking enthusiast.