Various Features of Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is a very popular sport these days. In addition to being fun and thrilling, mountain biking is a demanding sport. Hence, bikers have to be healthy and fit. In this sport, people have to ride a mountain bike in rough off-road terrains. As such, the mountain bike is specially designed to handle such terrains. Although this sport can be performed on a gravel road or back yard, most people prefer to do it in mountain trails. While mountain bikes are the most important aspect of this sport, equipments such as helmet, eye protection, gloves, shoes and repair kit are equally important. Crashes and falls are part and parcel of this sport.

 

Without proper helmet, the biker can sustain serious damage to his or her head. The price of a helmet will reflect its quality. Hence the cheapest helmet will not be of much use. Being an outdoor sport, leaves and dust can enter the eyes of the rider. One way to protect from this is by purchasing a good pair of sunglasses. Wearing gloves is optional. However, a good pair of gloves can offer adequate protection from rain, wind and sun. Professional mountain bikers will always use a pair of quality shoes that has solid soles. Mountain bikes can suffer a lot of wear and tear during the ride. At such times, having a repair kit ensures that the rider is not stranded.

 

The kit should contain multi tool, tire repair kit and tire levers. Having a repair kit is useless, if the rider does not know how to use it. Every serious mountain biker should have basic knowledge regarding maintenance of the bike. A lot of amateur mountain bikers make the mistake of standing up on an uphill ride and siting down for a downhill ride. While riding uphill, the weight of the rider should fall on the back wheel of the bike. Standing up during an uphill ride will put unwanted stress on the vehicle. The downhill ride will be filled with rocks and bumps. Only by standing up can the rider absorb such impacts and keep the bike steady. Several factors have to be taken into consideration while purchasing a mountain bike. The frame of the bike should be ergonomically designed and strong. It should neither be too heavy nor too light.

 

The suspension of the bike is also very important. If the bike has a good suspension, the rider need not wear additional protective gear. Such bikes will have added stability as well. Nowadays, mountain bikes are available with various gear shift mechanisms. The mechanism chosen should be based on the riding comfort of the individual. The seat of the bike should be thick and have adequate padding. It should be comfortable and sturdy. Maintenance has to be done on the mountain bike on a regular basis. This ensures that the bike is in top condition for a ride, thereby reducing the occurrence of break downs. Additionally, the rider can enjoy a better ride on a well maintained ride.        

 

Massive influx of mountain bikers

We have heard endless complaints from our neighbors about the danger that mountain bikes hurtling down the trails pose to people walking. We are saddened and dismayed by the damage that has been done to the woods we bought to protect. The trails are eroded, many tree roots exposed, whole sections turned into muddy quagmires, overarching branches broken, wildflowers ground into dust, and the pileated woodpeckers that have nested here for years have been driven off entirely. When we decided to purchase the land I knew very little about mountain biking;

 

I know a great deal more now. I know that the massive influx of mountain bikers in our neighborhood occurred about the same time that the MCOSD opened the Wagon Wheel Trail to public use. I know that a large part of the mountain biking culture is an attitude of aggressive hostility that frequently breaks out into vandalism and violence.

 

We have owned our home here for nearly twenty years, and I lived just a few blocks away for several years before that. We had never had any vandalism, and violence was unheard of. In the past year, I have received direct personal threats from mountain bikers, telephone threats from mountain bikers, one mountain biker threatened to burn my home down, our house has been broken into, and our cars have been vandalized repeatedly. (All of this is documented and on record with the Fairfax Police Department and the Marin County District Attorney’s Office, including tapes and videotapes of the threats.)

 

 

Bicycle mountain bikes and its features

The wave of the future is in pogo sticks! Recent advances in increased dynamic performance in metal alloy tortion leaf springs has at last made it possible to achieve maximum comfort in a velocity suited to the young executive on the rise. And, get this: you’ll never have a flat tire on one of these vertical screamers, no siree. And, if you’re truly a “new way of thinking” thinker, you may be interested in doing what Others of your station in life are doing nowadays – combining the sheer excitement of pogoing with the added attraction of donning kangaroo shoes! Remember those things?

 

Thought they were gone forever? Well, cheer up, Mr. Weepy Face – they’re BACK! And they’re better and brighter than ever! Due to the same miracle design that has made pogo fever a widespread epidemic, kangaroo shoes have bounced into the Nineties, looming larger than Life! But don’t do what I did, and forget to REMOVE your kangaroo shoes before boarding your Stick! Ha ha: Yikes, what a scare I gave myself! And then I woke up. I need some input on Mountain Bikes. I am looking to buy a quality bike, but need to know what names and styles to go with. I had a Cannondale, but resently had it snagged. I know there are alot of you that are up on the mountain bike scene, so please drop me a line, and give me your opinion, and suggestions.

Mountain Bikes on Golf course instead of cart

The tires on a bike are much thinner than a golf cart and therefore your weight is distributed over a much smaller area. This will increase marking of the greens and fairways unless you insist on bikes staying on paved paths. Besides, it sounds a bit awkward. Do you use a cart in tow? Do you lay the bike down or use a kick stand? as anyone ever used a bike to pull their clubs around the course? What is the reaaction of members or the pro? Do they do any damage to the course?

 

I have seen pics of euroopean golfers doing it . Thanks The tires on a bike are much thinner than a golf cart and therefore your weight is distributed over a much smaller area. This will increase marking of the greens and fairways unless you insist on bikes staying on paved paths. Besides, it sounds a bit awkward. Do you use a cart in tow? Do you lay the bike down or use a kick stand? Allowing mountain bikes on the course would invariably temp many bikers to ride on the grass, where it will leave really bad marks. May this idea never hatch. Kobus Reyneke, Pro Golf Net Guide The Mining Company – “Take back the Net!”

Comfort bikes

es, there are. They’re called “comfort bikes.” A couple of friends bought a couple a couple of years ago. Heh heh. Couple. Anyway, Jen and I were going to do the same, but wound up buying mountain bikes instead. For me, the suspension helps with comfort on long rides (20+ miles). I got a Trek 200 with a 21″ frame. Jen got a Trek 100. She liked the feel of that one better than the 200.

 

They were around 300-350. Very nice bikes, but not professional or “serious” mountain bikes. That sounds close to what I’m looking for. Nothing serious, but something that can handle a little dirt and a few bumps now and then. Front shocks would be ideal, but I don’t care to pay for the full suspension. I feel like I’ll get enough challenge on the hilly country roads here in VA, but once I get into better shape it would be good to have a capable mountain bike.

 

I guess there’s nothing preventing me from putting on street tires and saving the knobby tires for a future date, is there? I don’t know Raleigh, but in terms Giant: Largest seller of bikes everywhere other than the US, where Trek reigns supreme. IIRC, Giant makes the frames for MOST of the bikes you’ll be looking at, including Trek. My friend has a Giant Comfort-Bike, and I have ridden it for long distances and found it very comfortable (duh), and easy to ride.

Mountain bikes on the West – East highland

It may have been the ACU (AutoCycle Union). There was some concern some years back with what was termed ‘green laneing’ where trail motorcycles were run along unsurfaced lanes and were basically churning them up. The problem was not caused by those who did genuinely care but rather the idiots who could rush out, buy any sort of motorcross bike and charge along the green lanes willy nilly. There were far too many of them and not enough people who cared. The result was that motorbikes were banned from many lanes.

 

As a rather interesting comparison, in Scotland they have what is called the Scottish 6 Day Trail, an internation trail bike competition held every year at Ben Nevis. It’s been running for about 50 years now and the environmental impact is rather surprisingly nil and the venue continues quite happily. Meanwhile further down the glen there are great scars gouged out by mountain bikes on the West – East highland walk as detailed by Jimmie MacGregor.

 

The difference is, the mountain bikers don’t pay to repair the damage they cause, the motorcyclists in the 6 Day Trail do and bring in local contractors to sort out any damage they have caused to the land. Mountain bikes (only) should be taxed and the money given to the various bodies responsible for the upkeep of these ways to pay for the damage caused. Another route to try might be the Peak District National park, as they have been implementing a ‘no moutain bikes’ policy recently to keep them off foot paths and trails. Wonder if this is what triggered the Mountain Bike mags ‘research’?

Various brands of mountain bikes

I can’t be bothered to reply in detail, and most people don’t want to read it again, so I’ll just presume you know what I am talking about. 1. Pigs for truffles still implies growing pigs for food. 2. Feeding a dog a completely vegetarian diet is one unnatural way to live for a dog. Fair enough, it’s possible to feed a dog veggie muck, but IT HAS A CARNIVORE DIGESTION AND NEEDS ANIMALS.

 

Why not appreciate that, bozo. (this is uk.misc by the way: you may need to turn up the irony a bit) 3. Mountain bikes in Colorado? My, we have gone off at a tangent. I think you need to look at what. People use moountain bikes (including myself) in mountainous regions (inc. Pyrenees and Scotland in my case)

I would continue to do so regardless of eating animals or not. I still maintain that your notion of wilderness and its increased use following the formation of a veggie nation is utter hogwash. I am still laughing. You have a thoroughly out of touch understanding of what people need and are prepared to do for their leisure. Most people don’t like wilderness. That is why we live in groups: to keep out the nasty meat eaters.

Basic mountain bikes

I am looking for a basic, inexpensive mountain bike to ride around town. I would rather not pay for the cost and trouble that come with suspensions. So far I only found the Trek 3500 (MSRP ~$250). There are no such things in the Gary Fisher and Specialized catalogs. Do you know similar bikes from other manufacturers? There are very few rigid fork mountain bikes on the market these days. You found one of the few. Your idea of avoiding the front suspension is wise.

 

Inexpensive suspension forks are mushy, heavy, and are not needed for city riding. But if your goal is around town riding, you probably should be looking at comfort/hybrid/city bikes. They give you the more upright position, and low gears of a mountain bike but with narrower, less knobby tires that have less rolling resistance. A trek 7100, specialized crossroads or similar bike might be a candidate. If these “comfort” models may have a too upright position for your tastes you could get the bike shop to swap out a stem with less rise.

 

Having owned both mountain and hybrids, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to slog around on knobby, low pressure tires when riding on pavement. Finally, if you are set on a mountain bike want a real steal, you can look around for one from 4-5 years back or so when more low end bikes still had rigid forks.”not needed” … maybe … but they sure make the ride a *lot* smoother. My TREK 830 “mountain” bike (steel framed, no suspension) is down for repair and I’ve been commuting on a cheap aluminium framed “department store” Mongoose with front suspension and seatpost suspension. It’s a *world* of difference between the two. I’ve bought a suspension seatpost for the TREK but it’s still not ready to go back into service. Just because you ride in the “city” does not mean the surface is nice. There is a stretch of road that I ride that has been patched, dug up, patched again, dug up, patched agan … and so on .. most of this to the side of the road where bikes ride.

Specialized bikes

They aren’t very common any more on new bikes, but I’m fairly sure 6-speed freehub bodies are still available for both SunTour and Shimano. You might have to buy a 7-speed rear hub and replace the freehub body, unless you buy a 7-speed MicroDrive hub, in which case you just replace the MicroDrive double lockring cog with a non-MD single lockring cog. I’d go with Phil Wood or Bullseye and a Shimano Duraace or Suntour Winner Pro freewheel. The problem with freehubs is that if you break the freewheel you have to throw out the whole hub.

 

This was true of earlier models, but is not true of current freehubs from major manufacturers. The freehub body is bolted to the hub body, and can be replaced very easily. his is not strictly true if you use a suspension stem instead of a suspension fork. You probably don’t want suspension forks anyway because of the mainteneance hassles, but I’ve been assured that suspension stems tend to be more reliable because of fewer moving parts.

 

(I did hear of the a Frankenstem’s spring falling out once, but compared to the number of times I’ve seen RockShox in the shop for topping up with oil or just plain broken, that’s very little) The new micro casset stuff has supposedly improved wheel dish. Really? How? It’s still the same # of cogs, right? Cool stuff, but avoid the rapid fire or rapid fire plus junk. Thumb shifters are more reliable, less expensive, and weigh less. Grip shifters, I’ve heard, are pretty good. I don’t remember if they offer a friction option, but if they do, then I don’t see why they can’t be used on a touring bike. My brother has RapidFailure on his MTB, and they broke within the first 50 miles. I certainly would not use them for any serious riding.

Mountain bike frames

Personally, I use a 7 sprocket and with 4000 miles on one bike (with a lot of fairly loaded miles, but the caveat is that I’m light at ~120 pounds), and 2000 miles on another, haven’t had a single problem. Another curios thing is that most steel mountain bike frames have welded joints. I know these work fine on eg. oil rig platforms so they must be ok on bike frames right ?. Have welding techniques and metallurgy improved to the point where lugged frames have no weight/strength advantage over welded frames ? I would be interested to know.

 

Welding is for cheapness. Modern bikes are heavily butted, and the ends of the tubes are much thicker, making welding acceptable in terms of strength. I much prefer the ride of a lugged frame, as I don’t have to check the frame tubing and make sure that it’s intended to be welded. If you tig-weld normal bike tubing you get less durability or more weight. I know suspension was intended for off road racing, but is there anyone out there who has used it on a loaded (front and rear) touring bike.

 

How does the bike handle when climbing out of the saddle ? Are suspension systems reliable enough for long distance touring ? Are they worth the cost and weight ? Eric House (eho…@apple.com) would know. From talking to him, I got the impression that they’re not worth the cost and the weight unless you’re on 3rd world class roads. Frame: Mountain bike geometry. 531 db or similar main tubes. Fixing points for luggage racks front and rear. Suspension not essential. Wheels: Shimano freehub/cassette type freewheel 5 or 6 cogs, not 7 or 8 cogs due to excessive wheel dish. 135mm over locknuts. I’d go with Phil Wood or Bullseye and a Shimano Duraace or Suntour Winner Pro freewheel. The problem with freehubs is that if you break the freewheel you have to throw out the whole hub. Maybe that doesn’t happen often enough to be a concern. The Phil Wood FSA (Field Serviceable Axle) uses standard rollerblade sealed bearings, and can be serviced in the field with 2 allen wrenches and bearings can be replaced right by the side of the road. I don’t know how often I’ll use it, but I carry 2 bearings with me all the time.