After that we crossing over onto the right side and hit some faster flowing singletrack before meeting back at the support vehicle for some food before heading back to Bangkok.There are about two streams to cross but these are relatively dry in the cool season (late November - January) and the dry season (January to April).

http://www.mountainbiketoursthailand.com/trips_central_thailand.htmlhttp://www.mthilltours.com/tours_central_thailand.html

Some of these tours focus on road riding and road bikes covering great distances. Other tours are exclusively off road and down hill riding only. Some Mountain Bike Tour operators combine on and off road riding allowing the riders the thrill of single track as well as the enjoyment of discovering small villages away from the crowds. Short tours for those short on time, or wishing to fit many other activities in to their valuable Thailand vacation time are available. Longer tours for those with more time or more passion for biking are also on offer.

All inclusive packages providing English speaking local guides, hotel accommodations, meals and support vehicles make sure you get the most of your Cycling Adventure Tour in Thailand.

Often the Tours are so much more than Biking, the journey will also be a culinary exploration of Thailand the host country, sample the various dishes and discover while Thailand is known world wide for it cuisine. Historical sites are visited, other Adventure activities are often included in these Biking Adventure Tours including boat trips, kayaking in lake and rivers, visits to Thai temples and meeting the local people.

If you would like more detailed Free information on Bike and Adventure Tours in Thailand feel free to visit our site:

http://amazingbiketoursthailand.asia/

This post will focus on braking principles. Breaking your bike while descending downhill isn’t as simple as it seems. There are many conditions that require different techniques of breaking. If you’ll just pull on the breaks and hope for them to stop, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to loose traction, spin and fall down. A basic technique of correct braking which is applied also in motor vehicles is to apply the brakes gently smoothly. It’s better to apply the brakes by alternated smooth movements as a posed to just clamping them. Brakes can also be used as a way to turn your bike. Applying your back brake can help you turn your bike, by pivoting.

These were only a few introductory tips. Before setting out on a downhill trail, I recommend taking a few lessons with a mountain biking instructor in order to be sure that you have the knowledge and skills required in order to cope with the challenges downhill trails pose.

Most riders don't really treat the Passportes as a race (although you do get a number for the front of your bike) but simply a great day's mountain bike riding. The event is massive - 2 days, 3 courses (30, 45 & 75 km) and 3700 riders. The classic trek of 75 km includes 12 ski lifts, 6500 m of total downhill, 500 m of total uphill climb.

What makes this event unique is the fact that it attracts a wide range of participants - from lycra clad cross country riders to armour clad downhill riders, and from beginners to experts. Everyone gets involved and rides the same course. True, the cross country riders tend to beat the downhill riders on the climbs, and for the real keen peddlers, there is also optional climbing sections. And true the downhillers tend to overtake the cross country riders when it comes to descending, and there are a couple of optional "free ride" sections. But overall, the race is a fantastic melting pot of all mountain bike styles and standards.

As for the course itself - it has to be one of the best in the world! It takes in some amazing panoramas on the Morgins and Champoussin sections with views of the Dents du Midi, the Dents Blanch and even Mont Blanc. There is some excellent steep and twisty single track down through the woods in Torgon. There are dedicated downhill courses used at Chatel and Les Gets. There is an epic descent from the top of Linderets down to Morzine and there are some great meandering cross-country sections on relatively easy 4x4 tracks.

Another excellent feature of this event are the fantastic refreshment stands located at regular intervals throughout the course. Large tables offer up a wide range of snacks and drinks, from energy/nut bars to cheese and ham, from energy drinks to beer and wine. It is always interesting to see who feels fit to tuck into the alcoholic drinks at ten in the morning, and then avoid them if you see them on the course!

The Passporte du Soleil is really an event for everyone. It has become so massive that it now sells out months in advance. However, if you visit the Portes du Soleil later on in the summer, it is possible to get a map from the local tourist office and cycle pretty much the whole route.

Race stats:

Classic trek - 75 Km The classic circuit is for purists: a long tour of the Portes du Soleil about 75km* approximatively 75km - 12 lifts* 6500m of total downhill/ 500m of total uphill* 7 resorts to start from : Avoriaz, Châtel, Les Gets, Morzine, Champéry, Morgins et Torgon* 8 refreshments points

Intermediate trek - 45 km 45km with one aim in mind; having fun* approximatively 45km - 7 lifts* 4000m of total downhill /300m of total uphill* 4 resorts to start from: Châtel, Champéry, Morgins et Torgon.* 4 refreshments points

Discovery trek - 30km For those who are quite good at mountain biking, but out on The Portes du Soleil's tracks for the first ime...an ideal "breaking in route"* approximatively 30km- 5 lifts* 2200m of total downhill/ 200m of total uphill* 3 resorts to start from: Avoriaz, Morzine et Les Gets* 3 refreshments points

In the Fraser Valley you can enjoy the trails of the Rocky Mountain wilderness while cradled by spectacular mountain views all around. The trails follow babbling brooks, glide through wildflower meadows and trek up rugged mountains.

All throughout the summer, there are races that are open to public and are available to many different skill levels. A majority of the races either start or end at Winter Park Resort, including the finale... The King of the Rockies. You can get more information about these races below.

Repairs, rentals and shops are easy to find, whether you are at the resort, or downtown Winter Park. You can also find a wide variety of restaurants and bars, with food that is just as good as it is diverse.

Music sounds better with a backdrop like the Continental Divide, and you just may find out for yourself, as there are music festivals and concerts happening almost every weekend during the Summer. Events like the Jazz Festival and the Food, Wine & Beer Festival may require advance planning for stays in Winter Park.

It would be impossible to cover all of the mountain bike trails of Winter Park and the Fraser Valley in one short article. However, once you get to here, there are a number of free mountain bike trail guides that can be found at most establishments.

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enjoyed by anyone who knows how to ride a bike.

Compared to the average bike ride, it does present

some danger. Therefore, you should master these

basic skills before you hit the trails or the

dirt.

You can practice these beginning skills at a local

park, school, bike path, or simply around your

house. If you can, try to find a location with

a steep hill.

Get a feel for your pedals

Practice moving your foot away from the pedal,

first while sitting on your bike with one foot on

the ground. Next, move on to releasing and

replacing your foot while pedaling around for a

bit. Those with toe clip and clipless type foot

pedals will want to spend a bit more time

practicing.

Sit and spin for position

Simply sit on your bike and pedal around. You

should keep your arms slightly bent. You should

also adjust your seat height so your leg is 70 to

90 percent extended at the bottom of every stroke

on the pedal. Keep your body relaxed, as there

will never be a position where you should have

either your knees or your elbows locked.

Shifting gears

Get a feel for shifting gears with your bike. The

higher gears are harder to pedal and will go

faster while the lower gears are easier to pedal

and will help you ascend hills. As you get to

steeper hills, its best to shift before you get

to the hill rather than while your on it.

Coasting

You should spend a bit of time coasting while

standing on your pedals, without actually sitting

on the seat. Keep your arms bent but don't lock

your knees. Now, try experimenting with shifting

your body towards the rear end of the bike.

Pedal while standing

You should get as comfortable as you can with

pedaling while standing on your bike. Try lifting

yourself off the seat while standing on the pedals,

then crank them around. You should try this in

higher gears on flat ground then again in lower

gears while on a hill.

Dropping down a curb

Try finding a curb where you can easily get to the

upper portion of it. Practice at a moderate speed,

standing and coasting right off the curb from the

upper level to the lower level. Try this at

different speeds until it becomes second nature.

Once you practice these techniques and get the

hang of them, you'll be able to hit the trails feeling

comfortable on your mountain bike. Even though it

may take some getting used to, it'll become second

nature before you know it.

Well, if the many satisfied online reviewers are to be believed, they certainly are. There are currently hundreds of reviews for Giant mountain bikes on the popular bike review site, MTB Review (Mtbr.com). The Giant NRS line, in particular, has merited the "Freeride Choice Award," after getting close to a perfect 5 rating from an adequate number of reviewers. Talk about satisfying its costumers! Giant models are built to please, and they deliver.

Giant has developed models for different body sizes, so that women and kids may not feel excluded from its clientele. Another big thing (pun intended) about the Giant bike is that it places priority on manageable weight and speed. Ironically, given the brand name, a lot of the top-rated Giant bikes are lightweight and aerodynamic – all but streamlined to fly. The Giant NRS 2, for example, is considered light for a full-suspension machine. The slight weight difference between this model and its competitors makes all the difference for racing cyclists with a discriminating eye, and a drive to win.

Not to be pigeonholed, however, Giant is also recently branching out into making notable "muscle" bikes. The Trance line of bikes, fortified with the new "Maestro" rear suspension, is taking the place of the VT line. Before the Trance line came into the fore, the VT line received considerable praise from many users. Like the NRS, it received the "Freeride Choice Award." Some users may complain of excessive weight, but compared to the other features, it may prove to be an excellent deal. We have yet to hear from other Trance users on this.

Price may be a problem for the bargain hunter, but with brand names like Trek, Intense, Ellsworth and yes, the Giant, you get what you pay for – which is quality. You can surf the Web and see for yourself that various Giant mountain bikes are highly rated by a great many users, and for good reason.

Why all these gears? To make riding faster and easier, of course. Whatever the number of gears your bike has, if it has 2 or more then there's a basic set-up which almost every bike employs.

First of all you have your front and rear sprockets. These, along with the chain, form the most basic components of the gearing system. To determine your gear ratio you compare the number of teeth on the front sprocket to the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.

If your front sprocket has 52 teeth, and your rear sprocket has 20 teeth, then you're looking at a ratio of 2.6. The higher the ratio the faster the gear. Typically the gears on the front, starting from the inside, get larger as you move out. On the back wheel, though, the largest gear is typically the farthest inside and they get smaller as you move out.

The next key component for your mountain bikes gears is the derailleur, or derailer. The derailleur is what moves the bicycle chain from gear to gear. A typical shifting system employs both a front and rear derailleur. Without the derailleur you wouldn't be able to shift gears. The derailleur consists of pulleys and the cage, which is the part which actually comes into contact with the chain. The pulleys are attached to the gear cables. There are separate cables for the front and rear derailleurs. The gear cables connect to the gear shifters.

There are a variety of gear shifters available today and they cover a wide price range. The gear shifter is what allows you to change gears. The first type of shifters were levers known as friction shifters. These worked simply by pulling the cables attached to the derailleurs.

Friction shifters can be troubling because the way they're designed you can easily get caught between gears and accidentally damage your gears or even wreck. The more advanced variety of shifter is known as the index shifter.

Index shifters have specific stopping points and are calibrated to perfectly shift from gear to gear. They remedy the drawbacks of the older friction shifters. Gear shifters may be placed anywhere from the frame to the handlebar base to the grips to models which seem to be part of the brake levers.

Mountain bikes have multiple gears to make it easier for you to negotiate difficult terrain. Higher gears are there to help you speed downhill or across the flats, and lower gears are there to help you surmount those difficult inclines. Remember, it's best to shift gears when you're not putting a lot of stress on your pedals. Shifting when there's heavy pressure on the pedals can damage your shifting system.