Mountain Bike Fun!

expertvillage asked:

Learn how to pick out the right trail-riding mountain bike and learn about the different components on a mountain bike, in this free video clip on mountain biking and maintenance. Expert: Aaron Phillips Bio: Aaron Phillips teaches at the University of Utah and has lead several bike tours. He’s also logged multiple wins as a cross-country racer. Filmmaker: Mike Phillips

Your first time buying a mountain bike can be frustrating, especially since you are new to the sport. How will you know what to look for if you never have done it before? Here you will learn how to select the right mountain bike for you.

Mountain bikes are available in a wide array of styles, quality, and prices. To stay within your budget, keep the price you can afford in mind while you are out shopping. To get the most bang for your buck, avoid chain stores when looking for a bike. While the prices may be enticing, they will not deliver on quality the way that a local bike shop will. Small shops also may offer discounts on follow-up service should your bike need it and can make custom adjustments.

Different mountain bikes styles are designed for different terrain and riding styles. Some are designed for trail riding, while others are made for downhill, cross country and pleasure trail riding. Before buying a mountain bike, decide which type of terrain and which style of riding you prefer the most, then let the salesman know what type you are interested in.

If you are at all able to incorporate a full suspension into your budget, it will be well worth it. Otherwise a hard tail (no rear suspension) is often less expensive than a full suspension bike. A full suspension will be heavier, but it will offer more shock absorption. A hard tail will be lighter and it is more efficient for travel. The choice between the two depends on what kind of terrain you are planning on riding most.

There are many components that are available. Find a few that you definitely want to have, and look for a bike that is equipped with what you are looking for.

During the spring and summer bikes prices raise because of the high demand for bikes in the nice weather. Resisting the temptation until the rainy season can save you several hundred dollars. You may even find shop owners want to sweeten the deal by throwing in some gadgets or discounts to make the sale.

Not all dealers are equal. Some charge higher prices, while others are out to give customers a good deal. Find a dealer that is reputable, has good reviews, and has a tidy repair shop.

Always should you test the bike out before you buy it. It should feel comfortable to ride and feel like a good fit. By test riding it, you ensure you are getting a bike that works for you, and your wallet.

It is always a good idea to do research before you buy. Look for reviews online to see how others liked it.

By: Marcus Liberty

About the Author:

expertvillage asked:

Learn how to pick out the right trail-riding mountain bike and learn about the different components on a mountain bike, in this free video clip on mountain biking and maintenance. Expert: Aaron Phillips Bio: Aaron Phillips teaches at the University of Utah and has lead several bike tours. He’s also logged multiple wins as a cross-country racer. Filmmaker: Mike Phillips

Choosing a mountain bike may not be as simple as it seems, that is if you want the perfect ride. One key to choosing the right bike is by looking beyond the price. Sometimes the best deals do not come with the cheapest price, quality and performance should also be taken into consideration. And this is no different when it comes to mountain bikes.

Mountain bicycles come in different shapes and sizes. In order to find out what is best for you, first, consider your riding preference. Mountain biking is divided into a number of categories; cross-country, downhill, freeride, etc. Each of these categories have their own bike specifications. So if you plan on doing lots of cross-country, then a lighter mountain bicycle is what you would prefer. On the other hand, if you prefer downhill then you will need a sturdy bike that can take on rough terrain and steep jumps where the cross-country bike is inefficient or unfit. Finding a bike that will match your riding preference is easy since most bicycle companies manufacture specifically designed bikes for each category.

Now that you have taken into consideration your riding preference, the next thing to do is to find your bike size. This is a critical step in buying bicycles in general and will greatly affect riding comfort. Bicycles are usually sized based on the measurement of their frame. You can generally get your bike size if you know your height and inseam measurements. There are available charts online that depict corresponding bike frame size for each height and inseam measurements. This is essential in cases wherein you can not actually ride and test the bicycle such as when you buy mountain bikes online.

By: Alan Craner

About the Author:

Alpine Mountain Biking is fantastic. Coming from Australia (and previously the UK) where most of the riding is cross country and the occasional bike park this was a brand new experience for me. Below are some tips to help you prepare.

The area and the facilities.
We stayed in a central ski village and had access to a number of resorts within a 40 minute drive. If you can do this you will not need to ride the same trails twice. Many of the resorts have some of the ski lifts open to cater for hikers and bikers. These have a short season around July and August. Check before you go outside of these times. Some ski resorts run a minibus shuttle service throughout the day. Both options cost about 10 or so Euros a day (2010 prices). Take advantage of them even if you are a lean mean cross country riding machine you can ride more trail and going up on a lot of the resort trails is not always fun. It’s steep and rocky. There are many cafes and restaurants open on the slopes in season i.e. July and August. Check the last lift closing times before you go into an area that you would need the lift to get back out.

The riding
The riding is tough no matter whether you are riding up or down. There is a good mixture of custom made downhill trails (differing degrees of difficulty) and ‘walking tracks’. Both are excellent and often sign posted (with gradings) but check with local bike shops and guides for some of the local favourites. Better still hire a guide to take you around. It’s not that expensive when there is a group. The riding is awesome and so different from normal cross country. It is steep and exposed (see protection below). Switchbacks are tight and numerous so practise them before you go along with other basic skills jumping and hopping etc. You will share some of the trails with hikers. It is normal and acceptable (a strange concept for Brits and Aussies) and they will usually be polite, smile and step out of your way as you go flying down the trails. Do your bit to maintain this status and say thanks and smile if you are able to.

Alpine weather
Even in the summer the weather in the Alps is changeable. It can be 30 degrees and sunny or raining heavily. When it rains up the top it is cold. Take a lightweight jacket and/or wind proof all the time in your day sack. You have been warned. Even when it rains though, it usually drains well so riding in mud shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Bike and bike set up
A minimum 125mm full suspension is the best set up. We have a guy with a 100mm and he bottomed out all the time. A 150mm or above All Mountain bike will not go wrong. Having said that there were a couple of hard tail downhill bikes on the tracks! Your bike will take a beating. Expect some dents and scratches. Go for 2.4″ or above downhill tyres running tubeless or with downhill tubes. Pinch flats come very easily with the rocks on the trails. Have I already said that it was rocky? Make sure you have big rotors and stop occasionally to allow your brakes to cool. Going downhill for an hour none stop and then realising that your brakes have boiled is not a good feeling.

Body armour and protection
The trails are rocky and can be very exposed. Stacking is more serious here. However, unless you’re going for some none stop downhilling, full face helmets and full body armour will be over the top in my opinion. Some knee and elbow pads, full finger gloves, decent mountain bike helmet and some tough mountain bike shorts (not bibs or nicks) will hopefully stop you from having any time off riding for silly injuries.

Guides and qualifications
There are qualifications needed for the guides to operate legally, in the French Alps anyway. Make sure your guide has the correct qualifications to insure that you are correctly looked after and indemnified against their actions.

Insurance
Make sure that you have the correct insurance to cover you for mountain biking accidents, helicopter rescue, hospitals etc. If you are flying with your bike most travel policies will not cover your bike (not properly anyway) so you might need to get separate cover.

By: Scott Harkin

About the Author:

With summer in full swing you may be considering buying a mountain bike to improve your fitness and to have some fun in the fresh air, but it is easy to waste a lot of money buying the wrong bike.

When buying a mountain bike there are a few simple but essential tips which you must follow to ensure that you get the bike most suited to your needs and the best deal for your money. Like a lot of things in life, cheap is normally cheap for a reason so follow these three simple tips to get the most from your money.

Tip Number 1 – Decide what are you using the mountain bike for?

Arguably the most important consideration is to ascertain what the bike will be used for – this will dictate the kind of bike most suited to you. If you are just going for cycling with a little off road stuff then there is little to be gained by going for a full suspension bike, however if you are an all terrain or downhill fan then a full suspension will fit the bill. Be careful however that unless you have a lot of money for your purchase for the same budget a hardtail will most likely be lighter, better specified and more suitable for general use.

Tip Number 2 – Set yourself a budget and stick to it

Following on from above, it is too easy to spend a lot of money needlessly, or talk yourself into buying something that you don’t really need. If you are just going cruising or cross country then spending a lot of money on a high end full suspension will be a waste of money. Conversely if you intend on free riding and downhill then a hard tail will not be the ideal choice of ride. Be aware however, at the budget end of the market, full suspension bikes tend to be heavy, components are cheaper to offset the cost of the additional parts required, and maintenance requirements are more than with a hard tail.

Tip Number 3 – Go for quality where possible

This might sound obvious but a cheap mountain bike is exactly that, a compromise of quality over price. In order to get the price down there will be compromises on every level, materials, quality of the running gear, how it has been assembled. Buying cheap may prove to be a false economy and end up costing you more in the long run. A cheap mountain bike is likely to be heavy, prone to breakdown and require more repairs and maintenance. In a lot of cases buying a quality second hand bike is better than buying a budget new bike.

For more FREE TIPS and information on Mountain biking please be sure to visit our site.

By: Lee Myring

About the Author:

expertvillage asked:

Learn how to shift and turn smoothly and easily when riding on a mountain bike. Learn more in this free video series on mountain biking. Expert: AP Bio: Aaron Phillips teaches mountain bike touring at the University of Utah and has logged multiple wins as a cross-country racer. Filmmaker: Mike Phillips

geelongadvertiser asked:

Competitors braved the wet weather to compete in round three of the MTBA National series at the You Yangs.

superhumanmag asked:

US Mountain Bike Championships Cross Country battle between JHK, Todd Wells, Jeremiah Bishop, Sam Schultz, Andy Schultz and Jay Henry. 24 miles in five laps with a nasty downhill.

expertvillage asked:

Learn how to brake when mountain biking in this free video on mountain bikes for beginners. Expert: AP Bio: Aaron Phillips teaches mountain bike touring at the University of Utah and has logged multiple wins as a cross-country racer. Filmmaker: Mike Phillips