Mountain biking is an exciting sport that can be
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.
Sizing Mountain bikes
Along with giving you a better selection and expert
advice, bike shop personnel can you help you get
fitted to the right size bike. You can get the bike
either too big or too small, which will cause your
enjoyment to suffer. Follow the tips below, and
you'll have the perfect fit for your mountain bike.
Standover height
When you check the fitting yourself, the first thing
you want to check is the inseam clearance, or the
standover height. You want to have plenty of room
between yourself and the top tube when you come to
a stop. There should be around four to six inches
of clearance from the top of your inseam to the top
of the top tube.
Leg and feet position
There's a nifty formula for determining the leg
position for riding a mountain bike. When riding
a mountain bike, the terrain constantly changes,
raising you off the seat constantly, sometimes just
slightly, other times completely off.
Therefore, you'll need to sit your saddle slightly
lower than you would on any other type of bike.
Be sure you take this slightly lower seat height
position into effect when you factor the size of
the frame.
Riding compartment
The next thing you'll want to check is the rider
compartment layout (the distance between the saddle
and the handlebars). Once the proper leg extension
has been determined, be sure the handlebar is one
to two inches below the height of the saddle. You
should never have the handlebars higher than the
seat, unless there is some type of upper body
problem.
Dual suspension bikes
With suspension being at both ends, you'll want
your weight more in the middle of the bike so that
your weight is distributed evenly between the front
and rear suspension units, thus allowing the front
and rear suspension to work as a unit.
This can be done quite easily by using either a
higher or shorter stem to raise the hand height,
which will in turn move the upper body up and the
weight towards the rear. The increase in rise
shouldn't be no more than two inches, then the
decrease in reach shouldn't be any more than two
inches.
Test ride
Once you have taken all of these steps into account,
go out and test drive the bike. Make sure you
wear a helmet, even if you are going to be testing
for a brief period of time. Be sure that the tires
are set to the right pressure, and the shop has
adjusted the bike for you properly.
You should have a shop employee observe your body
position and ride height while riding, to determine
is any further adjustments need to be made. Ride
the bike around for a bit to get used to its
handling and new equipment. Start off slowly, then
give the bike a bit of time to present its personality.
After a few minutes, you might notice that something
isn't working correctly or just doesn't feel right
in general. If this happens, go back to the shop
and have the problem corrected before you rule out
the bike.
The more you ride bikes, the easier it will be to
tell the difference in the ride types. Keep in mind,
it may take months and even years to appreciate the
way a bike handles. Talk to those who ride, and
ask them if they ride the bikes they sell. This
way, you'll learn more about the mountain bikes you
love so much!
advice, bike shop personnel can you help you get
fitted to the right size bike. You can get the bike
either too big or too small, which will cause your
enjoyment to suffer. Follow the tips below, and
you'll have the perfect fit for your mountain bike.
Standover height
When you check the fitting yourself, the first thing
you want to check is the inseam clearance, or the
standover height. You want to have plenty of room
between yourself and the top tube when you come to
a stop. There should be around four to six inches
of clearance from the top of your inseam to the top
of the top tube.
Leg and feet position
There's a nifty formula for determining the leg
position for riding a mountain bike. When riding
a mountain bike, the terrain constantly changes,
raising you off the seat constantly, sometimes just
slightly, other times completely off.
Therefore, you'll need to sit your saddle slightly
lower than you would on any other type of bike.
Be sure you take this slightly lower seat height
position into effect when you factor the size of
the frame.
Riding compartment
The next thing you'll want to check is the rider
compartment layout (the distance between the saddle
and the handlebars). Once the proper leg extension
has been determined, be sure the handlebar is one
to two inches below the height of the saddle. You
should never have the handlebars higher than the
seat, unless there is some type of upper body
problem.
Dual suspension bikes
With suspension being at both ends, you'll want
your weight more in the middle of the bike so that
your weight is distributed evenly between the front
and rear suspension units, thus allowing the front
and rear suspension to work as a unit.
This can be done quite easily by using either a
higher or shorter stem to raise the hand height,
which will in turn move the upper body up and the
weight towards the rear. The increase in rise
shouldn't be no more than two inches, then the
decrease in reach shouldn't be any more than two
inches.
Test ride
Once you have taken all of these steps into account,
go out and test drive the bike. Make sure you
wear a helmet, even if you are going to be testing
for a brief period of time. Be sure that the tires
are set to the right pressure, and the shop has
adjusted the bike for you properly.
You should have a shop employee observe your body
position and ride height while riding, to determine
is any further adjustments need to be made. Ride
the bike around for a bit to get used to its
handling and new equipment. Start off slowly, then
give the bike a bit of time to present its personality.
After a few minutes, you might notice that something
isn't working correctly or just doesn't feel right
in general. If this happens, go back to the shop
and have the problem corrected before you rule out
the bike.
The more you ride bikes, the easier it will be to
tell the difference in the ride types. Keep in mind,
it may take months and even years to appreciate the
way a bike handles. Talk to those who ride, and
ask them if they ride the bikes they sell. This
way, you'll learn more about the mountain bikes you
love so much!
Setting Your Tire Pressure
Riding your mountain bike with the appropriate
amount of tire pressure can make a huge difference
in how much control you have over your bike.
Setting your tire pressure too high will make for
poor contact with the ground and also make your
bike less controllable. Setting your tire pressure
too low will make your tires unpredictable and also
make them susceptible to pinch flats.
The appropriate amount of tire pressure in a
mountain bike will vary between rider to rider and
tire setup to tire setup. The conditions of your
trail and the type of terrain your riding will also
greatly impact what tire pressure you should be using
in your tires.
The trick here is to find out exactly what mountain
bike tire pressure works for you and your setup during
normal conditions. After doing this, you can learn
to adjust your pressure for different trails and types
of terrain as needed.
You should start by finding a reliable pressure gauge
or a pump with a pressure gauge. Then, use this same
gauge or pump anytime you are making adjustments. A
gauge can be very inaccurate, so if you switch around
it you can make things much more difficult.
You should start with a higher pressure of around 40 -
50 psi. If you have a tubeless system, you should
start lower, 30 - 40 psi. The more you weigh, the
higher pressure you should start with. Try this
pressure for a while and get a feel for how the tires
take corners and loose dirt.
Drop the pressure by 5 psi in each tire and get a feel
for how this new setup rides and how it compares to your
previous setting. You should notice some improvement
in stability, and if you don't, drop the pressure by
another 5 psi.
You want to find the lowest pressure you can ride with
without sacrificing pinch flat resistance. A pinch flat
occurs when your tire rolls over an object then compresses
to the point where the tire and the tube get pinched
between the object and the rim on the wheel.
With tubeless tire systems, you can run much lower air
pressure, as you don't have to worry about getting pinch
flats. If you start to dent your rims, burp air out
along the bead, or feel the tire roll under the rim
during hard cornering, you've taken the pressure much
too low.
Once you've found a comfortable setting for your tire
pressure, learn what your tire feels like when you
squeeze it with your hands. Once you know what your
tires feel like you can always get the right air
pressure - with any pump.
amount of tire pressure can make a huge difference
in how much control you have over your bike.
Setting your tire pressure too high will make for
poor contact with the ground and also make your
bike less controllable. Setting your tire pressure
too low will make your tires unpredictable and also
make them susceptible to pinch flats.
The appropriate amount of tire pressure in a
mountain bike will vary between rider to rider and
tire setup to tire setup. The conditions of your
trail and the type of terrain your riding will also
greatly impact what tire pressure you should be using
in your tires.
The trick here is to find out exactly what mountain
bike tire pressure works for you and your setup during
normal conditions. After doing this, you can learn
to adjust your pressure for different trails and types
of terrain as needed.
You should start by finding a reliable pressure gauge
or a pump with a pressure gauge. Then, use this same
gauge or pump anytime you are making adjustments. A
gauge can be very inaccurate, so if you switch around
it you can make things much more difficult.
You should start with a higher pressure of around 40 -
50 psi. If you have a tubeless system, you should
start lower, 30 - 40 psi. The more you weigh, the
higher pressure you should start with. Try this
pressure for a while and get a feel for how the tires
take corners and loose dirt.
Drop the pressure by 5 psi in each tire and get a feel
for how this new setup rides and how it compares to your
previous setting. You should notice some improvement
in stability, and if you don't, drop the pressure by
another 5 psi.
You want to find the lowest pressure you can ride with
without sacrificing pinch flat resistance. A pinch flat
occurs when your tire rolls over an object then compresses
to the point where the tire and the tube get pinched
between the object and the rim on the wheel.
With tubeless tire systems, you can run much lower air
pressure, as you don't have to worry about getting pinch
flats. If you start to dent your rims, burp air out
along the bead, or feel the tire roll under the rim
during hard cornering, you've taken the pressure much
too low.
Once you've found a comfortable setting for your tire
pressure, learn what your tire feels like when you
squeeze it with your hands. Once you know what your
tires feel like you can always get the right air
pressure - with any pump.
Mountain Biking Vacation
Taking a mountain biking vacation is an excellent
way to unwind and explore America. There are several
companies that offer mountain biking tours that go
through scenic routes, and they often arrange any
accomodations for travelers as well. For athletic
couples, these types of vacations offer the perfect
way to relax and enjoy some exercise together.
Each and every region in the United States has some
truly awesome mountain biking trails. It's not just
the major mountain ranges that offer these trails, as
any hilly, scenic, rough trail can provide riders with
the adventure they seek. Some of the best areas to
mountain bike ride in the United States are the Pacific
Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast states such as
North Carolina.
Even though the entire American West area is great for a
mountain biking vacation, the Southwest area is rapidly
becoming a popular area for the sport as well. In the
Southwest, some of the best trails include Pinery
Canyon Road in Arizona, South Boundary Trail in New
Mexico, and Flume Trail in Nevada.
Each and every trail deserves it's reputation as a
tough ride. Each one of these trails is over 20 miles
in length, with Pinery Canyon being the longest, at
over 50 miles! Keep in mind though, just because you
go to a trail it doesn't mean you have to ride the entire
length.
The Pacific Northwest is also a great place for a
mountain biking vacation. The three best trails in
the entire region are Surveyor's Ridge in Oregon, Mount
Tamalpais in California, and the Methow Trial System in
Washington.
A mountain biking vacation is perfect for athletic people
who have the desire to explore regions at their own
pace. These trips are much less expensive than other
trips, yet they can easily be the adventure of a
lifetime.
way to unwind and explore America. There are several
companies that offer mountain biking tours that go
through scenic routes, and they often arrange any
accomodations for travelers as well. For athletic
couples, these types of vacations offer the perfect
way to relax and enjoy some exercise together.
Each and every region in the United States has some
truly awesome mountain biking trails. It's not just
the major mountain ranges that offer these trails, as
any hilly, scenic, rough trail can provide riders with
the adventure they seek. Some of the best areas to
mountain bike ride in the United States are the Pacific
Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast states such as
North Carolina.
Even though the entire American West area is great for a
mountain biking vacation, the Southwest area is rapidly
becoming a popular area for the sport as well. In the
Southwest, some of the best trails include Pinery
Canyon Road in Arizona, South Boundary Trail in New
Mexico, and Flume Trail in Nevada.
Each and every trail deserves it's reputation as a
tough ride. Each one of these trails is over 20 miles
in length, with Pinery Canyon being the longest, at
over 50 miles! Keep in mind though, just because you
go to a trail it doesn't mean you have to ride the entire
length.
The Pacific Northwest is also a great place for a
mountain biking vacation. The three best trails in
the entire region are Surveyor's Ridge in Oregon, Mount
Tamalpais in California, and the Methow Trial System in
Washington.
A mountain biking vacation is perfect for athletic people
who have the desire to explore regions at their own
pace. These trips are much less expensive than other
trips, yet they can easily be the adventure of a
lifetime.
How To Use A Chain Tool
Once your mountain bike chain becomes damaged, you
should immediately replace it with a new one. It
is possible however, to repair a broken chain using
a chain tool. For this very reason, most mountain
bikers travel with a chain tool.
Your chain has three basic components - the metal
side plates, the rollers between the side plates,
and the rivets, or pins which go through the rollers
and help to hold the plates together. These pins
allow the rollers to freely turn as the chain
moves around the cogs.
If your chain happens to break, you'll need to remove
the broken link and replace it with a spare link.
To do this, simply reattach the two ends of the
broken chain and ride on a shorter chain until you
can get it replaced.
To remove a broken link of chain, place it in the
chain tool. Now, turn the tool counter clockwise
until the rivet pin of the chain tool touches
the chain rivet. Continue to turn the tool until
the pin pushes out of the roller. Be very careful,
as you want to stop turning when the pin is right
at the edge of the roller, before it moves through
the outer side plate.
Now, turn the tool in the other direction, and back
it out of the roller. Set the tool to the side,
then work the chain very gently from side to side
and extract the inner side plates and roller.
Now is the time to re-route the chain through the
bike. You may want to have a chain retaining tool
or some to help you hold the chain in the right
spot as you route and repair it.
Now that the broken link has been removed and
you've re-routed the chain, you're ready to insert
a new link or simply connect the links that were
beside the broken one. The process here is the
same - align the two ends so that the link with
the inner side plates will fit inside the link
with the pin and outer side plates. Now, use the
chain tool to push the pin inward until it's
positioned evenly between the side plates.
The easiest way to learn how to do this or feel
comfortable doing it is to have someone show you,
then actually practice with a chain and a chain
tool. You'll have no trouble at all making a
temporary repair in a mountain bike chain once
you've seen it done by a professional and practiced
it yourself a few times.
should immediately replace it with a new one. It
is possible however, to repair a broken chain using
a chain tool. For this very reason, most mountain
bikers travel with a chain tool.
Your chain has three basic components - the metal
side plates, the rollers between the side plates,
and the rivets, or pins which go through the rollers
and help to hold the plates together. These pins
allow the rollers to freely turn as the chain
moves around the cogs.
If your chain happens to break, you'll need to remove
the broken link and replace it with a spare link.
To do this, simply reattach the two ends of the
broken chain and ride on a shorter chain until you
can get it replaced.
To remove a broken link of chain, place it in the
chain tool. Now, turn the tool counter clockwise
until the rivet pin of the chain tool touches
the chain rivet. Continue to turn the tool until
the pin pushes out of the roller. Be very careful,
as you want to stop turning when the pin is right
at the edge of the roller, before it moves through
the outer side plate.
Now, turn the tool in the other direction, and back
it out of the roller. Set the tool to the side,
then work the chain very gently from side to side
and extract the inner side plates and roller.
Now is the time to re-route the chain through the
bike. You may want to have a chain retaining tool
or some to help you hold the chain in the right
spot as you route and repair it.
Now that the broken link has been removed and
you've re-routed the chain, you're ready to insert
a new link or simply connect the links that were
beside the broken one. The process here is the
same - align the two ends so that the link with
the inner side plates will fit inside the link
with the pin and outer side plates. Now, use the
chain tool to push the pin inward until it's
positioned evenly between the side plates.
The easiest way to learn how to do this or feel
comfortable doing it is to have someone show you,
then actually practice with a chain and a chain
tool. You'll have no trouble at all making a
temporary repair in a mountain bike chain once
you've seen it done by a professional and practiced
it yourself a few times.
How Mountain Bike Gears Work
The gears in mountain bikes just keep getting more
and more intricate. The bikes of today have as many
as 27 gear ratios. A mountain bike will use a
combination of three different sized sprockets in
front and nine in the back to produce gear ratios.
The idea behind all these gears is to allow the
rider to crank the pedals at a constant pace no
matter what kind of slope the bike is on. You can
understand this better by picturing a bike with
just a single gear. Each time you rotate the pedals
one turn, the rear wheel would rotate one turn
as well (1:1 gear ratio).
If the rear wheel is 26 inches in diameter, then
with 1:1 gearing, one full twist on the pedals
would result in the wheel covering 81.6 inches of
ground. If you are pedaling at a speed of 50 RPM,
this means that the bike can cover over 340 feet of
ground per minute. This is only 3.8 MPH, which
is the equivalence of walking speed. This is ideal
for climbing a steep hill, although bad for ground
or going downhill.
To go faster you'll need a different ratio. To
ride downhill at 25 MPH with a 50 RPM cadence at the
pedals, you'll need a 5.6:1 gear ratio. A bike
with a lot of gears will give you a large number
of increments between a 1:1 gear ratio and a 6.5:1
gear ratio so that you can always pedal at 50 RPM,
no matter how fast you are actually going.
On a normal 27 speed mountain bike, six of the gear
ratios are so close to each other that you can't
notice any difference between them.
With actual use, bike riders tend to choose a front
sprocket suitable for the slope they are riding on
and stick with it, although the front sprocket can
be difficult to shift under heavy load. It's much
easier to shit between the gears on the rear.
If you are cranking up a hill, it's best to choose
the smallest sprocket on the front then shift
between the nine gears available on the rear. The
more speeds you have on the back sprocket, the
bigger advantage you'll have.
All in all, gears are very important to mountain
bikes as they dictate your overall speed. Without
gears you wouldn't be able to build speed nor would
you be able to pound pedals. The gears will move
the pedals and help you build up speed.
There are all types of gears available in mountain
bikes, all of which will help you build up a lot
of momentum if you use them the right way.
and more intricate. The bikes of today have as many
as 27 gear ratios. A mountain bike will use a
combination of three different sized sprockets in
front and nine in the back to produce gear ratios.
The idea behind all these gears is to allow the
rider to crank the pedals at a constant pace no
matter what kind of slope the bike is on. You can
understand this better by picturing a bike with
just a single gear. Each time you rotate the pedals
one turn, the rear wheel would rotate one turn
as well (1:1 gear ratio).
If the rear wheel is 26 inches in diameter, then
with 1:1 gearing, one full twist on the pedals
would result in the wheel covering 81.6 inches of
ground. If you are pedaling at a speed of 50 RPM,
this means that the bike can cover over 340 feet of
ground per minute. This is only 3.8 MPH, which
is the equivalence of walking speed. This is ideal
for climbing a steep hill, although bad for ground
or going downhill.
To go faster you'll need a different ratio. To
ride downhill at 25 MPH with a 50 RPM cadence at the
pedals, you'll need a 5.6:1 gear ratio. A bike
with a lot of gears will give you a large number
of increments between a 1:1 gear ratio and a 6.5:1
gear ratio so that you can always pedal at 50 RPM,
no matter how fast you are actually going.
On a normal 27 speed mountain bike, six of the gear
ratios are so close to each other that you can't
notice any difference between them.
With actual use, bike riders tend to choose a front
sprocket suitable for the slope they are riding on
and stick with it, although the front sprocket can
be difficult to shift under heavy load. It's much
easier to shit between the gears on the rear.
If you are cranking up a hill, it's best to choose
the smallest sprocket on the front then shift
between the nine gears available on the rear. The
more speeds you have on the back sprocket, the
bigger advantage you'll have.
All in all, gears are very important to mountain
bikes as they dictate your overall speed. Without
gears you wouldn't be able to build speed nor would
you be able to pound pedals. The gears will move
the pedals and help you build up speed.
There are all types of gears available in mountain
bikes, all of which will help you build up a lot
of momentum if you use them the right way.
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