Would You Like To Race Mountain Bikes?
Racing mountain bikes is one of the most challenging sports of all. There are many races dedicated to just this kind of challenge. If you are ready to run the race of a life time, then the first thing you will need is a bike.
The best place to look for a good bike is at a bicycle shop. You can find one that has what you are looking for by going online and searching. You should have no trouble finding one close to you. You may be surprised at how many kinds of mountain bikes, like the schwinn mountain bike, there are to choose from designed just for racing.
The kind of clothing that you wear during a race is important. You need to feel comfortable and in no way restricted due to what you are wearing. You can search online as well for the kinds of shorts, pants, and tops needed for mountain bike racing.
Also available at bike shops are the kinds of protective you will need for racing. One of the most important parts of this kind of gear is a helmet. Protecting your head during a bike accident is more important than ever. Hundreds of people have suffered permanent brain damage that could have been prevented if they had worn a black helmet while riding their bike.
Are you physically ready to ride a mountain bike uphill? If not, then you need start getting that way. Many races are designed to have a few up hill parts in its course, as well as those nice, breath taking down hill ones. You need to start working out and getting the best kind of muscle growth in your legs that you can to be able to endure a race.
Learning how to do the maintenance on your bike will save you many headaches as well. If your bike is mechanically sound, that will be one thing you will not have to worry over during a race. You can find everything you need for this at a bike shop, right down to books that contain the instructions. If your bike is tip top shape, then you can put all your focus on the race.
Biking also provides a great way for you and your family to spend time together. The best part of this is that it is time together doing something that is healthy. You can plan a whole vacation around a mountain bike and the trails that you ride them on.
Get In Gear For Your Mountain Bike
Necessary equipment for the casual bike rider consists of a helmet, and a headlight if there's a chance of biking at night, and that's about it. Anything else is gravy.
The same can not be said for the mountain biker. To have a safe and enjoyable ride, the mountain biker needs quite a bit of gear.
Even more so than for the casual biker, a helmet is a must. And take care about choosing a helmet. A poor-fitting helmet is of no use, so make sure it fits your head securely.
A good pair of gloves serve two purposes. You'll get a better grip on the handlebars with your gloves, and of course should you take a spill your hands won't get torn up.
Clothing
What to wear? Most people go mountain biking in the summer, so they wear shorts, t-shirts, and tennis shoes. If they're the hardy sort, they'll put on sweatshirts and pants for the colder months.
But it's also a good idea to wear padding on knees and elbows. The thing about mountain biking is that it's not a question of if you'll fall, but when. So it's only common sense to wear padding and prevent a serious injury. If you're a dedicated rider you don't want to have to spend any time off the bike recuperating from a broken arm when with a little common sense you could avoid the problem.
Shoes
Don't forget the shoes! These days shoes are designed especially for every sport under the sun, and mountain biking is no different. As a mountain biker you want to make sure your feet stay on the pedals, and you want shoes that are comfortable to well as well.
Accessories
A new trend in mountain biking is riding at night. Well, if you're going to ride at night you've got to have a light! If you're going for long distances you'll want to have a hydropack of some kind, so that you can drink liquids on the go.
It's possible to scour the web for your clothes and accessories, but to be sure of a good fit, it's always best to give as much business as possible to your local bike store.
The Bike
You've got the gear, now you need the bike.
And these are not your granddaddy's bikes. Technology has improved the design of bicycles in every way, and quality bikes are offered at affordable prices - but you've still got to pick the right one for you.
The best thing to do when choosing a bike is talk to owners of various types of bikes - maybe even borrow a ride on them, so you can compare the differences in saddle feel, shock absorbers, handling, and most importantly, weight. Don't just talk to one person, get a good cross-section of opinions.
If you're going to be a competitive mountain biker - taking parts in races - you'll need a more expensive kind of bike, of course, one with a titanium frame and all the bells and whistles. If you're just going to be going out to the trails on the weekends in your version of kicking back and relaxing, you won't need that much bang for your buck
There are two main types of mountain bikes: the Hardtail, which has a frame with no rear suspension and the Softtail, which has a frame with a small amount of rear suspension. The most comfortable bike is perhaps one with full or "dual" suspension - a front suspension fork and a rear shock.
The type of bike you get also depends on the kind of riding you'll want to do: cross-country, enduro, free ride, downhill, etc. Again, you'll want to talk to fellow riders to see which is the best kind of bike for the particular kind of riding you want to do.
The Anatomy Of A Mountain Bike
There's a lot of terminology to learn if you're a mountain biking enthusiast. These enthusiasts have a language all their own, what with "face plants, boing-boing, drillium and wild pig."
However, there is also biking terminology that stays the same, regardless of the age of the user, and that's the terms used for individual parts of the bike. And its important to know these as well.
1. Bottom bracket - A circular hole in the bottom frame of the bike, used to attach the crankset.
2. Brake cable - The cable that connects the brake lever to the brake mechanism.
3. Brake lever - Lever on the handlebar which activates the brakes. The left lever controls the front brake, the right lever controls the rear brake.
4. Chain - The set of circular metal links which transfers power from the chain ring to the cogs. There are two types of bicycle chains: bushing and bushingless.
5. Chainring - Part of the crankset. A sprocket or toothed wheel which attaches to the crank and holds the chain. Bikes can have from two to three chainrings.
6. Crank - Part of the crankset. The lever or "arm" which connects the pedal to the bottom bracket.
7. Derailleur - The device which moves the chain from one chainring to another inorder to shift gears.
8. Down tube - Part of the frame. The tube which runs diagonally from the head tube (supporting the handlebars) to the bottom bracket. Above this is the top tube, which runs from the head tube to the seat.
9. Front shock - A suspension system on the front fork which allows the bike to absorb shocks without transmitting them to the rider.
10. Handlebar - The horizontal bar located at the front of the bike which is used to steer, and which will contain the shifters and break levers and any other items a cyclist wishes to have within easy reach.
11. Headset - The device which houses the bearings that enables the handlebars and front wheel to rotate on the frame of a bike. There are two types of headset, the threaded and the threadless.
12. Hub - The center part of the bicycle wheel, consisting of an axle and ball bearings to allow the wheel to move easily. In addition, the spokes radiate out from the hub to the bicycle rim.
13. Idler pulley- A pulley takes up slack in the chain in order to keep it tight at all times.
14. Nipple - Small threaded cylinders in the bicycle rim which secure a spoke to the rim.
15. Pedal - A short metal bar on which to put your foot, in order to propel the bicyle. The pedal is attached to the crank. Pedals can be simple or come attached with clips in which to put your shoes to increase leverage.
16. Rear shock - On a dual suspension bike, the device that absorbs shocks from the rear tire.
17. Rim - The metal ring to which the bicycle tire is fitted, and to which the breakes apply their force. The interior of the rim holds the spokes which give strength to the tire.
18. Saddle - Also called the seat. Something to sit on!
19. Seat post - The tubular support to which the saddle is connected. This tube is then placed into the seat tube, and can be raised or lowered depending on the rider.
20. Skewer - A metal rod that attaches the wheel to the frame of the bicycle. On one end is a nut to keep the skewer secure, on the other is the release mechanism, which is secured either by a "quick release" toggle, or with bolts.
21. Spindle - Part of the bottom bracket. The free rotating axle to which the crank arms attach.
22. Spokes - The thick wires that join the hub to the rim. The amount of spokes determine how strong the tire will be. Spokes can also be arranged in different patterns, which affect twisting and brake forces.
23. Stem - The metal piece that attaches the handlebar to the steering tube.
24. Wheel hub - See hub.
Mountain Biking – A Whole Different World
The sport of mountain biking is increasing in popularity year by year. It's an exhilarating sport, but it's also physically demanding. Both men and women take part, but its usually people kids, teens, and young adults.
As with any other activity, mountain bikers have devised their own culture, including a language of their own. If you want to get into the game, you'll have to learn a few terms:
If you're riding a "boing-boing" you're riding a bike with both front and rear suspension. If you've "bonked" you've run out of energy. To "bring home a Christmas tree" is a bad thing, it means you've crashed through dense brushes and leaves and things are hanging off your helmet - it also means you've left a trace on the hill, which is something mountain bikers - and people in general, of course, are not supposed to do.
"Death cookies" are rocks that fly up into you as you go down the trail. This happens all the time and so that's why you want to wear goggles or some kind of eye protection. To get "first blood" means you're the first rider in a group who crashes and starts bleeding as a result. Some people perhaps feel this is a mark of honor for some reason.
If you're doing an "endo" it means you're flying over the handlebars of your bike do to a sudden stop. And then you'll most likely do a "face plant" - hopefully into mud and not into a rock. Regardless, that's why you wear a helmet and eye protection!
That's only a small sampling of the terminology. Of course you'll enjoy the sport even more if you can understand what the people around you are talking about, so take a gander at a few mountain biking slang dictionaries before you hit the trails.
Mountain biking is a great sport, but there is some controversy to it, as some people feel that the cyclists destroy the natural environment in certain areas, and bicycle advocates have to fight to keep the trails open to cyclists.
All cyclists can help by following simple rules - pack out more than you take in, respect pedestrians on the trails, don't bike after heavy rains, and so on.
By using a respectful attitude toward the environment and common sense in dealing with other people, mountain biking will be a sport that will be around for a long time to come.
Replacing Mountain Bike Components
Enthusiasts of mountain biking are always searching for new ways to help make their bike riding better. This may include making their bike more controllable, more comfortable to ride, or faster. Serious mountain bikers are always looking at the newest technologies available to help make their mountain biking more fun. The best way to find the most up-to-date components is to visit one of the many trustworthy bicycle shops online.
Adding a new saddle to your mountain bike can help to make it much more comfortable. This is an easy way to add comfort to your bike and saddles come in many different styles and designs to help you find the one that will make you the most comfortable. They come in styles especially for women and they come in styles that are made especially for men. Another easy way to help make your bike feel better is to adjust the handlebars. If you heighten them by just a few inches, it can allow you to be upright more, which is more comfortable for some riders.
If you have been biking for a while, then you know that you need to base your tire tread choice on the terrain that you are going to be riding. This helps you to have maximum control of your bicycle. For stopping your bike, you want to choose a high quality V-type brake for your bike.
Most mountain bikers would put the suspension system and shocks at the top of their list of most important components. If you have good shocks, then you can withstand the hilly terrain that most trails offer and can enjoy the ride without pain. If you want to make your bike more controllable, then you may want to replace some of the heavier components on your bike with those made of aluminum of titanium. This can also help you to go faster, which makes more riders very happy. You can find all of these components at your local bike shop or online.
If your bike is not riding like it did when you first got it or if you want to make it more fun to ride, then you will find that replacing just a few things can make a big impact. Whether you are trying to make your bicycle more comfortable, easier to control, or faster, you can just change a few components to give you a big bang for your buck. Your local bicycle shop should be able to help you find the parts that you need to make your bike feel like new.
If your goals are to ride faster and to increase control, then you will find that reducing the weight of your bike can make a huge difference. If you replace some of the heavier components with some more high-tech materials, like titanium, carbon fiber, or aluminum, you can make a big difference in the control and quickness of your ride.
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