Mountain Biking Expert

There is a lot of history and information out there in regards to the history and origins of mountain biking, with some being recognized and some that depends on who has the best firm of public relations.

Some say that mountain biking began with the Buffalo Soldiers, which was a turn of the century infantry who customized bikes to carry gear over the rough and tough terrain. They began in August of 1896, over the course of 800 miles. Their mission was simple – to test bikes for military use in the toughest of terrain.

Others say it was the Velo Cross Club of France that started mountain biking. The club was comprised of 20 young bikers from Paris, who between 1951 and 1956 developed a sport that resembles present day mountain biking.

It could have also been John Finley Scott, who was the first mountain biker in the U.S. In 1953 he constructed what he called a ‘Woodsie Bike’, using a diamond frame, balloon tires, flat handle bars, and cantilever brakes. He was more than 20 years ahead of his time. Even though he remained an off road enthusiast, there were many at that time who didn’t share that same passion.

Today, we believe that the history of the mountain bike is most apparent in Northern California. There are a few areas that claim to be the first community for mountain biking, although each and every history book will tell you Marin County.

The sport of mountain biking has taken many twists and turns over the last several hundred years. Even though there are many that say different things about the history and the beginning, we know one thing for sure – one thing has led to another and the sport of mountain biking was born.

Types Of Mountain Biking

As a sport or a hobby, mountain biking can be split into 9 different categories. These categories are very versed in what they offer. They are:

1.BMX

BMX is a style where the bikes offer 20 inch wheels.

These bikes are commonly used at skate parks or with dirt jumps. Because of their smaller wheels and shorter wheel bases, BMX bikes are much easier to perform tricks and stunts with.

2.Cross country

This type of mountain biking involves riding your bike up and down hills. Although it’s the least extreme form of mountain biking, most cross country riders are very fit and go on long rides.

3.Cyclo cross

This is a cross between road and mountain biking. These riders have to go over obstacles, cross through rivers, and race on and off the course.

4.Dirt jumping

Dirt jumping involves jumping the bike over large man made dirt jumps then doing tricks while they are in the air. These jumps are normally close together so riders can go over six or more jumps in one run, gaining a flow to give them more speed for bigger jumps.

5.Downhill

Downhill mountain biking involves racing downhill as fast as possible. This type of riding is very intense and extreme, offering riders the chance for ultimate thrills and excitement.

6.Freeride

Free riding involves finding the perfect line down the mountain using all of the terrain to express yourself. These competitions are very popular, as riders can express themselves any way they see fit.

7.Single speed

No to be confused with fixed gears, this is a form of cross country biking that’s done using a bike with only one gear and fewer components. The idea with single speed is simplicity. The straight chain line will provide efficient pedaling, and the lack of components mean less mechanical problems and a lighter bike.

8.Street and urban

This type of riding involves riding in urban areas, ledges, and other types of man made obstacles. Riders of street and urban biking will do tricks as well, such as stalls and grinds.

9.Trails

Trials are considered an aspect of mountain biking, although the bikes used look nothing like mountain bikes. They use 20 or 26 inch wheels and sport small, low frames. Trail riders will hop and jump their bikes over obstacles, which requires an extreme amount of balance and concentration.



By: John Pawlett

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With mountain biking being a very popular sport, there are many bikes to choose from. Depending on what type of riding you like, the style of bikes you can choose from will vary. Below, you’ll find tips on the different types of bikes available.

1. Cross country Almost all mountain bikes will fit into this category. Cross country mountain bikes are light weight, making them easy to ride over most terrains, even up and down hills. This is the most common mountain bike and it can be used with ease for riding on the path or even commuting.

2. Downhill These types of bikes are for serious bikers who crave the ultimate adventure. Downhill bikes have front and rear suspension, strong parts, and disc brakes. Rarely available off the shelf, most riders like to custom build their own.

3. Trials Trail mountain biking involves a great degree of skill and is classified as the precision riding of the sport. Similiar to downhill bikes, trial riders will often build their own bikes rather than purchase one off a shelf. Generally very light and very strong, these bikes require a lot of discipline.

4. Jump and slalom Slalom and jump bikes are very strong and designed for jumping, street racing, and slalom. They offer a front suspension and use very strong components dedicated to what they do. These bikes are very popular with the sport of mountain biking.

Even if you are new to mountain biking, the sport can be a lot of fun. There are several bikes to choose from, all of which depend on your style. If you are still looking for the best style for you, all you have to do is try out several bikes and see which one suites you the best.

Buying A Mountain Bike:

It can be a bit frustrating as well as time consuming when you buy a mountain bike. Below, you’ll find some tips and things to be aware of before you lay down the cash and buy a mountain bike.

Determining your price: There is really no limit as to how much money you can spend on a new mountain bike. To help you keep your spending under control, you should figure out what your price range is and how much your willing to pay for a new bike.

When you buy, you shouldn’t buy from mass merchant stores such as Wal-Mart. You should instead support your local bike shop and get a much better bike and much better service.

Finding your style:

All mountain bikes are designed with several different riding styles and terrain types in mind. You’ll need to figure out what type of riding you will be doing the most.

Smooth riding, cross country racing, mountain cruising, or lift accessed downhill is something you need to figure out. Make sure that the bike you select fits your personal style and not that of the sale’s staff.

Full suspension or hard tail:

If you can afford it, a full suspension mountain bike is always worth the purchase. A hard tail, without rear suspension, is much lighter weight and pedal more efficiently, although full suspensions offer more comfort and overall better control.

You’ll want to make that decision based on your price range, riding style, and the type of terrain you’ll be riding on the most. Finding your favorites: Comparing mountain bikes component to component is nearly impossible, as there are far too many combinations available.

The best way to go about doing this is finding a few components that are the most important to you and making sure the rest or the minimums fall within your price range. You can start with the fork then look at the wheels and rear derailleur.

Sales and seasons:

During the year, the prices of mountain bikes can fluctuate quite a bit. Spring through summer is the main buying season. If you can wait until the right price pops up, normally in the fall and winter, you can save a couple hundred dollars.

Many bike shops will also offer discounts or other accessories if you buy from them. Finding a good dealer: Finding a good bike dealer is more important than finding the best price. You should always find a dealer that cares more about selling you a great bike than selling you a high priced one. A great dealer will have a clean repair shop and give you the impression that you can really trust them.

Test ride:

You should test ride as many bikes as you can within your price range and riding style. You’ll find that some bikes will feel right, while others won’t. The more bikes you can test drive, you better you’ll understand what works and what doesn’t.

Doing the research: Product reviews and bike reviews are some of the best ways to find out about a mountain bikes reliability and overall performance. You should always look at what other owners and reviews think about a bike before you make that final purchase.



By: Allan Wilson

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One of the underlying factors accounting for the rapidly growing popularity of mountain biking is, undoubtedly, the wide availability of mountain biking forums.

Mountain biking forums allow mountain bikers, of all ages and level of experience from all over the globe, to gather and share their enthusiasm for their sport. Every biker with Internet access has a huge community of fellow biking lovers waiting to share tips and stories of biking adventures available with a couple of mouse clicks.

Thanks to the Internet, the world is smaller than ever, and those who have shared interests can communicate regardless of their geographical locations. Mountain biking forums have sprung up as cyberspace meeting places where mountain bikers can discuss whatever they like, but what they usually want to discuss is their sport. Mountain biking forums are the best places to find information everything from the latest riding techniques to information on local mountain biking events.

What Moutaing Biking Forums Offer

Mountain biking forums allow people who may never meet personally to share advice, secrets to competing successfully, and photographs of themselves and their favorite mountain biking terrain. After a short time communicating in forums, many mountain bikers feel as if they were lifelong friends with people whom they are never likely to encounter face-to-face.

Mountain biking forums offer biking novices the ideal way to get advice on how to improve their biking skills as quickly as they can, and the best equipment and biking trails for their skill levels. The forums are also great bulletin boards for those wishing to find, or post, the latest news or information about mountain biking events in their areas.

Most mountain biking forums allow their members to enter into discussions on various topics, just as they would if they were having conversations in person. You don’t have to spend much time viewing any of these forums to get an idea of the sense of community they create among bikers.

There are currently more than one hundred online mountain biking forums which you can visit, and while they are occasionally invaded by those who do not like bikers or biking, most of those posting in them are truly enthusiastic about the sport. Most of the time you will be greeted warmly, and invited to share your mountain biking experiences.

Having the Internet mountain biking forums available to the mountain biking community the world over has given the sport an enormous boost, and it’s all because of the bikers being able to share their passion!

A mountain biker must have the ability to cope with whatever emergencies arise on the trail, by knowing how to repair the various parts of a bike and to make sure that he or she will have the necessary tools along to do it.

Mountain biking ahs been categorized into several classifications, depending on the terrain, obstacles, and skills involved. The categories include trail or street riding, dirt jumping, freeriding, cross country, and downhill.



By: David Faulkner

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One of the greatest appeals of mountain biking is that it is a unisex sport. Mountain biking does not discriminate on the basis of gender. Nor does it eliminate participants due to their ages or ethnicities; in its early years it was largely the domain of men and boys, but now women and girl mountain bikers are joining the fun in record numbers.

Girls mountain biking has begun to achieve prominence in the sport, thanks to the teams of girls mountain bikers fielded by many US high schools. High school mountain biking programs allow female students to master the techniques necessary to succeed in girls mountain biking competitions, and many of them are the equal of the male bikers in their schools.

NorCal

The NorCal High School Mountain Bike League, founded in 2001, opened up the world of girls mountain biking to Elena Spittler, who was the league’s girls mountain biking champion in 2005. She joined the Berkeley High School Mountain Biking Team as its single female member, simply to prove that girls could succeed in the sport. She struggled to keep up with the boys during her first year on the team, but by the time she was a senior, Elena was trouncing some of her younger male teammates.

Two years after she struck a blow for girls mountain biking at her high school, there are now seven girls on the team, and the total number of participants in girls mountain biking for the entire NorCal High School Mountain Bike League has doubled.

The league now has a summer girls mountain biking camp and intends to host a girls mountain biking mini-camp in the first part of the high school racing season to help the girls competing improver their techniques and build their confidence. The league has made a commitment to these girl-specific activities, and is also training its team coaches in methods of recruiting and working with girls mountain biking candidates.

These girls mountain biking clinics and camps cover a variety of topics. The girls are required to maneuver their bikes over natural obstacles and down steep descents, learning the balance, dexterity, and bike control necessary for competing in cross country, endurance, and short course racing events. They are also schooled in bike maintenance and repair. For more info see http://www.mountainbikingreviews.com/Mountain_Biking_Dirt_Jumps on Mountain Biking Dirt Jumps

Girls Mountain Biking Clinics

The clinics stress the importance of preserving mountain biking trails, finding team sponsorship, educating the public in the positive benefits of girls mountain biking, and improving one’s biking skills. They encourage their students to develop self-reliance and challenge them in the same way that their male counterparts are challenged.

Thanks to the efforts of groups like the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League, both girls and girls mountain biking have “caught up” with the boys!



By: David Faulkner

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Mountain bikes are designed for off-road riding. Whether made for racing or the more leisurely rider, there are four basic frame designs for mountain bikes: rigid, hard-tail, soft-tail, and full suspension.

The rigid (also commonly known as fully rigid) mountain bikes resemble a conventional sort of bike as you would imagine it. A rigid mountain bike has neither a rear suspension nor a front suspension. These used to be the most common kind of mountain bike but they are rapidly being replaced by the more comfortable models which feature some sort of suspension system. Fully rigid bikes tend to be lower-priced than models with a suspension. Many riders still prefer rigid bikes because it’s what they’re accustomed to, and the feel that the rigid design allows them greater control.

Another common mountain bike design is the hard-tail. Hard-tail mountain bikes are so named because they have a conventional rear end without a suspension. Hard-tails differ from fully rigid bikes in that they have a front suspension. The hard-tail is perhaps the most popular mountain bike design. Many professional riders prefer the feel of a hard-tail and the comfort of a front suspension.

The next kind of mountain bike design is the soft-tail. As you probably guessed, soft-tails employ a rear suspension. Rear suspensions are a more recent innovation than front suspension due to the complexities of the design. Soft-tails are often more expensive than hard-tails, but they also tend to be more forgiving.

Finally there’s the full suspension mountain bike. Bikes with this design feature both front and rear suspensions. These bikes are the latest mountain bike design. For a long time riders avoided full suspension bikes because they were heavy and they tended to sag in the middle like an old swayback horse. It took years for engineers and riders to perfect a viable, functional full suspension mountain bike. It was in the 1990’s when these bikes finally reached a point where they were marketable.

In addition to the frame and suspension, there are other differences in mountain bike designs. One key area where bikes differ is the brakes. Mountain bikes either have some form of caliper brakes, which are the kind of brakes typically associated with bikes. This kind of brake squeezes the rims to slow and stop the bike. The other type of brake is the drum brake. Drum brakes on bikes are similar to the braking system on automobiles. Drum brakes are more expensive than caliper brakes but they’re also easier to maintain. Mountain bike braking systems have even been made which utilize hydraulic power.

Another area where you have some choice in mountain bike design is tire size. Mountain bike tires typically range in size from 24″ to 29″. Smaller tires are used when greater maneuverability is required as in stunt-riding and jumping. Larger tires are used when speed is the key.

As with any other important purchase, do your homework before buying a new mountain bike. Think about your needs and your budget. Mountain biking is a terrific past-time. It’s a fun way to get some fresh air, enjoy the outdoors, and improve your health.



By: Gregg Hall

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