Repair and Maintenance Tips for Mountain Bikes

April 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When you are looking for a mountain bike you will notice that they don’t come any cheap. Most of them cost an average of $1000 and above. Good ones can be brought for $2000 or $3000. It all depends on the features and comfort you need in your bike. When you are paying such a huge amount of money on a bike it your responsibility to maintain in good condition by avoiding any big problems. Learning some methods to look after you mountain bike will ensure the longevity of you bike. This will also save a huge sum of money. The cost for servicing and repairing a mountain bike can cost you as much as the bike itself.

 

The first and the foremost thing to do is, keep your bike clean. Dirt accumulated in the bike will take its toll on the life of the tire. Dirt can restrict the proper functioning of the chains and the handlebar. All this things clearly shows how much difference it makes while keeping your bike clean and neat. It is really a talent if you can fix a flat tire. It takes a little skill. You should know how to remove the tire and then opening the tube fixing the hole and replacing the tire. Flat tire is a common problem for mountain bike. This is mainly due to the rough terrain in which you are riding your bike. Investing in a puncture repair kit is a very good idea. Then there is the chain tool. Broken and loose chain is a common problem for mountain bikes. Chain tool will help you to remove and replace any broken links in the chain.

 

It will be handy to learn how to adjust the chain rings. This is needed especially for bikes with more than 4 gears. Adjusting the chain ring is to be done whenever the rear tire is removed and replaced. Lubrication is another thing to keep your attention on. Unlubricated parts tend to become damaged easily. The brake and clutch cables should be lubricated regularly. This is one thing you should never forget, especially when riding in a mountain terrain. It is the lubrication which maintains the cables without braking. Then there is the engine oil change, which is to be done as per the need of the vehicle. This will sustain the life of the motorcycle engine for a longer time.

 

As a rider, you should be well connected with your mountain bike. You should be able to distinguish between the various sounds produced by your vehicle. Any irregular sounds or noises should be attended as soon as possible and should give the proper repair that it needs. Most common noticeable change in sounds is from the chain. A loose chain can damage the chain socket and will make you spend some money to get it replaced. Then there may be sounds from the brake pads rubbing with the tires and making unwanted noises. These are just some of the tips you should know for yourselves. This does not mean that you should never take your bike to a service center.

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Raleigh mountain bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I too bought a bike this year. After doing much research I decided to go with the Raliegh M-400. I even bought it over the net from Bike Pedalers in Lincoln Nebraska (they were $80 cheaper than the lowest of the 5 shops I looked at. I live in the Chicago suburbs) I entered the process with little initial knowledge and spent 6 to 7 months getting information. Bottom line for me is that Raliegh is the #1 bike producer in the world in terms of total volume.

 

However, when you look at types of bike, they are way down the line in the mountain bike category, mostly because they have been number one for a long time and were slow to embrace this genre of cycling until the early 90′s. They want to correct it. Thus, they overload there bikes in terms of componentry. The Raliegh M-400 for instance is a full STX-RC package (down to the hubs) with shimano v-brakes. All the other bikes I saw with this feature were $200 more. I simply could not find another bike with that componentry and an aluminum frame for the $615 price I paid.

 

 

Now that I have been riding it a while (I initiated the new bike in Moab for a week) I can say that it was the best purchased I have made in my adult life. My wife and I were going to try and upgrade her 91 specialized to a front suspension fork, but after seeing that the bike would not take it well and it would cost $350 to do it, we decided to get her a Raliegh also (Again from Bike Pedalers). She loves the thing. We have put 200 hard off-road miles on them since April and love them more and more each time we go out. Any crappy bike you find in discount stores or Toy stores such as Toys R’ Us or Wooloworth stinks. When you ride junk like Huffy or Murray hard, their handlebars bend down. Their brakes become non-functional in wet weather. Any bike can feel cofortable if you’re not attuned to the small differences that are not very small at all. Get a Specialized Hard Rock. It’s the least expensive bike that is excellent in terms of price. Roughly $300. It’s about 10 pounds lighter than the Raleigh and 10 times stronger.

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Lion King Mountain Bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I hate to point this out, but I believe that if you go selling a brand of mountain bikes (or anything for that matter) with the name “Lion King” you may end up getting nasty letters from lawyers hired by a well-known entertainment company based in Anaheim, California. Hard to believe, but these folks take the protection of their trademarks kind of seriously. It may not have made it to the Tehran Tripleplex yet, but there was a mildly popular animated movie by that name a few years ago. That being said, can I interest you in my line of Mickey Mouse derailleurs?

 

An Iranian mountain bike??? Well, it would be good in sand and never run out of fork oil!mark up isn’t really that high. On a $1000 dollar bike, shops charge from $100-$700 on top. It really depends on the shop, the manufacturer, how much the bike costs, shipping costs etc… Usually, bikes shops don’t have a lot of room to bargain. If you want a deal, ask for some goodies thrown in. A store would prefer to throw in some $60 pedals than give you a $60 cash discount. So, don’t haggle too much, bike stores struggle already as it is. Just ask for a water bottle and cage, or some other accessory. Maybe if you buy a helmet, bike, shoes, lock etc. all together, they’ll give you a sweet deal. standard (gross) profit margin on bikes is in the 30-40% range, which is grievously low compared to many other industries.

 

Most places will be willing to deal on ’98 models, but keep in mind, most bike shop owners make considerably less than most computer geeks. on bikes less than $1000 msrp, about 10% off is about as much as you can usually get away with, and that assumes that supply exceeds demand, which it often does, but sometimes bikes that really kick ass (like ’98 fisher genesis bikes) sell out quickly, so shop owners are less willing to deal if they know they can’t get more from the manufacturer until ’99. If the bike is already on clearance, don’t expect to get too much more discounted unless it’s obvious they really want to get rid of it, which may be the case with cannondales.

 

if you’re a pain in the ass customer, who takes long test rides on 6 different bikes, and has the shop swap out a stem or two to try different sizing, be prepared to just pay retail and enjoy the great service. in general, i sometimes find it better to haggle a smidgen less, and keep the good will of my local wrenching crew. Then they’re more likely to do things like pressing that new headset into the frame for free, while i wait, so i can finish putting my new bike together, so i can race it that afternoon. if you’re not super picky about the accessories you might need, ask them what they want to get rid of. They may offer you a killer price on something they ordered too many of. we used to do this sometimes back in the day, when i worked in a shop. -mark weaver

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Cars for Mountain Bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Just got back from the show, and I gotta say that practically every manufacturer there included at least one car carrying a mountain bike in their showcase. A few notables: Jeep Wrangler “Mountain Bike Edition” a neon green Jeep with oversized tires, body cladding and an integrated bike rack on a windowless hardtop. About five Jeeps were outfitted with Jeep mountain bikes (cheapies). Subaru’s concept vehicle car/truck (remember the Brat?)

 

features quick release fork binders in the bed. Since Subaru is the official sponder of the Specialized Team, a few Specialized FSR’s were on display as well. Nissan Xterra of course features an optional internal bike rack. The Ford Escape, a new suv smaller than the Explorer had a vertical bike rack attached to the aluminum roof rack (sweet!). I’m not sure if they’re any good, but Mercedes and Porsche both had their own line of bikes on display. For some reason, Hyundai dared to be different and had road bikes on their cars.

 

All in all, it looks like Specialized won the bid with most manufacturers, no sign of a Trek/VW option, but the number of bikes present looks like a good sign of the popularity of mountain biking. t’s a great marketing ploy – someone in an office with a glass table has had the bolt of inspiration (between lines of coke) that if they put a mountain bike on the arse of their pathetic 4wd’s then the association will be made. It’s a bit like pavlov’s dogs, but simpler for the 4wd market – Mountain bike(US) = mental terrain(UR) Mountain bike(US) + 4wd(CS) = mental terrain(UR) 4wd(CS) = mental terrain(CR) …hence people will buy their 4wd’s. I say this because it is a given assumption that Joe Bloggs wants people to think he uses the thing to get off road, and not just to the shops. Marketing doesn’t realise that the best way to get your bike around is van/estate car.

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Who makes the jeep brand of mountain bikes?

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I sorta disagree. I have toured on both mountain bikes and road bikes. I’ve toured through Europe and along Highway One on a road bike and in Hawaii and Northern California on a mountain bike, and the differences I found are such: 1) Lower back pain — I found that I was a lot more comfortable over the long haul on a road bike. I was stretched out more, which is much better for cramping and for general muscle fatigue. Mountain bike frames are generally made for riding single track, or at least on the dirt; if you are touring on dirt roads, then this works fine, but the tube angle and the short top tube length will definately affect you after about mile # 90.

 

If you look at the geometry of the classic touring frames, you’ll find much more relaxed angles than say a Klien Quantum. This is to provide the rider with the maximum comfort for the times he/she spends 8 or 9 hours in the saddle. 2) Availability of parts — This far too often overlooked, but in this case I found that a mountain bike is far better off than a road bike. Bike shops are full of mountain bike parts due to the popularity of mountain bikes. Since I now tour on a road bike, I stick with VERY available run of the mill, high quality parts; you just can’t always replace the esoteric. 3) Skinny tires — This isn’t exactly true. The last time I toured I bought Continental 35mm touring tires, and barely felt the road. The other benefit from those “skinny” tire is that they raise your low riders up front (If you are touring with a full set of panniers) high enough that they don’t rub when you corner. When I toured around the Big Island, I almost wore my front panniers through from them rubbing. When I toured along Highway One, I was on a road bike, and those “skinny” tires raised the panniers up high enough that it wasn’t a problem. 4) Triple rings — Touring bikes have had triple rings for years; these did originate with the advent of the mountain bike. As a matter of fact, you can buy Shimano 105′s now that accomodate a triple ring, and the STI road bike system will work with triple rings. I was going to switch over to triple rings on my last tour, but it wasn’t worth it to me.

 

I just got the biggest rear cluster Ultegra could handle on the rear and used a 39 chainring on the front, and I had pretty near a one to one ratio. I didn’t feel at all bent out of shape on the ride down Highway One. If I was in much steeper invironment, I would have had to make the switch. 5) Road bike market shrinking — Yes, I suppose it probably is, and this is a shame. Some of the old classic frame builders (Bob Jackson comes to mind) are still around, but too many of them have gone by the wayside. But I think this comes from the idea that a mountain bike gives the IMPRESSION of being more comfortable. A touring frame is a specialized bike; it is made with the specific purpose of providing you the most comfort for the longest period of time. A subsequent post to the original post speaks about touring being an incredible experience, regardless of what you ride. I thoroughly agree with this sentiment of not confusing the dancers with the dance. Touring is an incredible, intimate way to see the world; it’s a shame that not more people get out an do it.

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Custom Built Mountain Bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

There are a couple of problems with recumbents off road. First of course is visibility. You can’t see as far ahead. Second, probably more important, is that there is no way to unweight the bike when you hop over an obstacle, so all the shock goes right up your back, in the unlikely event that you clear the obstacle in the first place. Just try riding a recumbent up a square curb. No problem on a regular bike, big problem on a recumbent. Unlike road racing, mountain bike competition has no restrictions on what you can ride. If recuments were effective, we would have seen one by now. Also, does anyone have any thoughts on these as road bikes? You can’t see, you can’t be seen, and the aerodynamic properties are way ahead of diamond frames.

 

You can’t get out of the saddle to change your position, you can’t unweight on rough ground, and drafting is pretty difficult. When you come to a stop, putting a foot down is difficult. There is probably more. I see recumbents around on the road now and then, but they are not going to take over any time soon. Again more propaganda that’s based on rumor, not actual experiance.

 

I can see better on my BikeE as I don’t have to lift my head to see where I’m going. I far as being seen, my head is only 5 inches lower than when I’m on my MTB. Actual experiance shows me cars give me more room when I’m on my bent. If you own one of the lower riding bents, you make yourslf more visible. Relying just on the height of the bike for visibility would be pretty stupid. and the aerodynamic properties are way ahead of diamond frames. At last, some truth! You can’t get out of the saddle to change your position, you can’t unweight on rough ground, There is some truth here, but you wouldn’t drive your Honda Accord off a 10 foot drop, so only ride what your machine is capable. and drafting is pretty difficult. You’ll be out in front, so you won’t need to be drafting. When you come to a stop, putting a foot down is difficult.

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Deal with mountain bikes as in road bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

To really know if a bike is going to work, it has to be the correct size for you, so does this mean that the dealer is going to stock a demo of every size? Otherwise you might just be making a judgement on which dealer happened to pick a bike which fit you the best for his demo. I know size is not as big a deal with mountain bikes as in road bikes, but it still is a big deal. Any sizeable town should have a couple of LBSs have rental bikes, though the selection is limited.

 

It should at least allow one to ride a FS bike (the only FS bikes I’ve ever ridden were rentals). And you don’t even have to know the owner. Many bike shops will even take the price of the rental off the purchase price. That seems like a really good way to demo a bike, if you’re lucky enough to find a place that rents what you’re considering purchasing.I suspect that as more and more people buy bikes via mail order and as  used bikes via the internet, LOBs are going to start offering less in the way of “demo” opportunities. But isn’t one of the main advantages of the LBS that you can “try before you buy”?

 

If you can’t try out the goods at the LBS, there is even less reason to buy at an LBS than via mail-order. I think you missed the point. LOBs can’t possibly survive if all they are being used for is local test ride location for mail order, web-based, and other channels for bike sales. I think its pretty clear that the ability to look at, get fitted properly, and test ride bikes are valuable services. Support the Well, a couple of things probably prevent this. First, each bike shop can only carry so many bike lines. In part because of the cost of inventorying bikes (and don’t discount the cost of retail floor space… the main order and web-based places certainly recognized how expensive this is!).

And the cost of educating store staff on multiple bike lines. Plus, I suspect LOBs are somewhat limited by the mfrs. from carrying too many lines (I suspect the Mfrs. try to limit competition *and* maximize geographical coverage by having only so many dealers in certain areas). Clothes I completely agree with you, but I suspect your real gripe is with bikes, and I also suspect most LOBs will order clothing for customers.  3. be in the general vicinity of “competitive”, price-wise Ahh… here’s the rub. LOBs cost structure is way different than mail order and web-based places. Fewer employees (and way fewer/no skilled wrenches). And less/no real estate (and out here, real estate is *very* expensive). Insurance. Taxes. Advertising.

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Touring bikes

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When my wife decided she wanted a new bicycle, we both marketed her heavily as to why our preferences were right for her. But what she did was to ride a number of bikes from the LBSs. She ended up selecting a Trek 730, because the geometry, position and ride felt best to her. Maybe she will “outgrow” the hybrid someday and adopt either a road or MTB, or maybe she will continue to like the 730 as much as she does now. But even though they aren’t for me (or my son), I’m convinced that hybrids do fill a legitimate need and are not just a marketing gimmick.

 

Most folks have a hard time believing that those funky curly bars could ever be comfortable. But when I see most MTBs being ridden, more often than not, the rider is out on those bar ends – which is pretty much the same position as riding on the brake hoods anyway. So I think that the handlebars are not so very important as the geometry and brazeons on the frame. If you’re going to be carrying stuff (commuting, touring, etc), you probably want to be able to mount a rear rack and you want a longer wheelbase to get rid of some of the bumps.

 

Not everyone can afford (or wants) a front shock. A few extra inches of wheelbase can go a long way towards smoothing out the ride. Any bike is going to be comfortable for 10 or 15 miles. Once past 30 or 40 (if you’re inclined to go that long), you’re going to want a road bike – or REAL skinny 26″ slicks. Since most hybrids don’t easily adapt to bar-ends (not the ones I’ve seen anyway), they are good novice bikes but can be quickly outgrown if their owner “catches the bug”. And if they have 700c wheels, they may not be strong enough to go offroad. There is one other type of bike to consider which is halfway between road and MTB – for a different reason – and that is a touring bike. Although they are difficult to find (but worth it), there still are a few well made touring bikes out there – all the brazeons you’ll ever need and a nice, long, comfortable & stable wheelbase. And those cantilever brakes will handle 38mm tires just like your best MTB. Since most are 700c wheels, you probably don’t want to take them on any but the tamest dirt roads, but for long road rides or daily commuting, a touring bike is often a good alternative.

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Triathlon with mountain bikes?

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Nanahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, NC is sponsoring a triathlon including a 12 mile mountain bike ride. The other two legs are a 5 mile trail run and a 5 mile flat water paddle (handicapped by boat type). It is going to be held the weekend of May 10 and 11. You can compete either as a team or as an individual. Call the NOC in Bryson City for information.I have received both private and public e-mail concerning my questions. I just DID put slicks on my mountain bike and although it “looks” a bit odd…

 

I’m so used to those big mother tread monsters….my speed on the way home from the bike shop was 3-4 mph faster than on the way there!!!! I also put a different headset on it (slightly higher angle and shorter) and I will be upgrading (?) to clipless in two more weeks (got to do one step at a time) I started swimming last week…and sunk like a rock!! That and all the chlorine that I drank made for a real fun morning!! Well….I am hoping for some assistance in the swim dept. and will keep ya’ll(I know, I know, it’s a Texas thing, but I figured, if you’re with the natives, may as well SOUND like ‘em, right?)

 

updated on that. New training program is being developed as we type…and I’ll probably post that next week for some feedback. Didn’t see the original post, so I don’t know where Augie is BUT for those of you in the Eastern US check out www.triath.com. This is the home page for Triathlantic, an org that promotes traditional triathlons, road and mountian bike biathlons. I have done both the latter – excellent organization, free lunch, T-shirts, prizes for probably about 1/3 of the entrants, etc. A great day racing. He has events from Vermont down through N. Carolina. Check it out! (P.S. if you don’t like running but know someone who does you can form a relay team!) He’s poor, so I think he would be uncomfortable paying as much as $300 (This is a reasonable price for a 4 year old mountain bike — we’re not looking for anything off the rack here…). My other friend is looking for a nicer AND smaller bike. He’d like a newer, Deore equipped bike with a 16 to 17 inch frame. He will pay $300 to $400, and thus, expects the bike to be in good shape. If you have such a bike as these that I’ve described, let me know.

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Regarding Mountain bikes and horses

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As a former Century rider and owner of a 1972 Italvega I will jump into this group and offer a suggestion toward MOuntain Bikers. I currently do quite a bit of horseback riding in Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties. Quite often, as is the case in Annadel State Park in Santa Rosa, horses and Mountain bikes share the same roads and trails. I ask all of you Mountain Bike riders, when approaching a horse or group of horses, PLEASE attempt to slow down (without spinning the freewheel) This can be done by braking then pedaling slowly. Some horses will just freak out at the sound of a freewheel, and can bolt with the rider.

 

Usually if you slow down first, riders will GLADLY move their horses out of your way and give profuse thanks that you were so considerate. As a warning, if you approach a horse by surprise and brake right behind it, spinning the freewheel, you run the risk of being kicked. I believe that both horse and bike riders can safely share trails if both are considerate. However, for your own safty, it would seem to make sense to desensitize you horse to approching bikes and freewheel noise. It can certainly be done (it would seem no harder to do than training a horse to not bolt when a car approches, or when a gun is fired).

 

After all, if 99% of us are ‘nice’ riders, there is stall that 1%. And it only takes one good fall to injure yourself or your horse. It seems to me that if you are taking any animal into a place with something ‘strange’, it is the owners responsability to aclimate them to that strangeness.I think the “banning from the trails” remark was ill-considered, in that it could easily be taken seriously. Any difficulty with mountain bikes seems to lead to a movement for banning them, which (thankfully) was *not* suggested here. I read the comment as a complaint about people who would ban mountain bikes. I think you’re both on the same side. This has all the earmarks of an incipient “argument without disagreement,” something that frequently happens on the net. Back on subject, I always start up a line of chatter when I see a horse ahead of me. My assumption is that the horse will know as early as possible that a person is approaching, rather than being startled by an odd-looking, silent, and fast object at close quarters. I can easily understand a “predator” reaction to a silent bicyclist.

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