Cross Country Mountain Biking

Cross country mountain biking is cross country at its finest.  Where free riders and downhill bikers use four wheel bikes and ski lifts to get them to their destination, cross country bikers get to the top of the mountain by the ride.  Though free riding is very popular, the life vein of the sport has always been cross country biking.

Just as cross country riders are a different breed, the bikes they ride are as well.  The cross country bike is completely different in many ways from other types of mountain riding bikes.  The premise for cross country riders is speed.  Everything about their bikes revolve with the idea of making the bikes faster and faster.

Bikes used in cross country mountain biking can be fully rigid frame, hardtails, or even full suspension frames.  Through the years, the cross over to full suspension has become very popular. Read more…

Mountain Biking Clothes for Winter Riding

Mountain biking in cold weather has always been a challenge.  The problem is that you’ll start out cold then warm up and break a sweat, making yourself wet.  Then, when you travel downhill, the combination of wet skin and windchill will be quite chilling.

Below, you’ll find a list of the cold weather clothing that will make winter riding less of a bone chilling experience.

Booties
In cold temperatures, your feet are the most vulnerable part of your anatomy.  Pressure from pedaling will tend to cut off the circulation to your toes, which can put you at a risk of frostbite.  In cold conditions, neoprene booties are a must have.  They will zip over your shoes and even have a pattern in the sole where you can cut out a piece for cleats. Read more…

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. Read more…

Mountain Biking for Beginner

Mountain bikes are among the strongest and most rugged bicycles that you can find. The reason that these bikes are so strong is that they are ridden on some very tough terrain, including steep inclines, dirt tracks, and pebbles. In most cases, mountain bikers do not ride on smoothly paved roads, rather they ride on hilly and uneven terrain that can be quite rough on a bicycle. Mountain bikers get a big thrill in riding on unpaved, rough terrain, even though this is hard on a bicycle. That is why many manufacturers have made sturdier bikes for this purpose.

The tires on a mountain bike are thicker and fatter than normal bike tires. They are also made of more durable rubber that gives the rider added traction and control on uneven surfaces.

Suspension is another very essential feature of a mountain bike. A strong suspension system is essential for a mountain bike so that the rider can better handle the ups and downs that occur when riding on uneven terrain. Read more…

BMX Biking

BMX bikes are a special kind of low bike, with smaller wheels than normal, that can be used for racing. They are designed to be very light weight but also very robust, as well as streamlined for speed. They are also known for being easier to perform tricks with than normal bikes.

BMX stands for bicycle motocross, which refers to the origin of the sport: children saw motocross races on the TV in the ‘70s and wanted to emulate them. Since they had no motorbikes of their own, they used their bicycles to race around similar dirt tracks to the ones they had seen. Today the sport is notable for being one of the few sports that is taken part in almost exclusively by the under-10s. Although there are a few older professional BMXers, most good ones move on to other cycling or motorcycling sports. Read more…

Mountain Bike Racing

Mountain bike racing is a demanding sport, as anyone who has attempted it will know.  If you’re thinking of trying it for the first time it’s important to make sure you are prepared for the demands it will put on you physically.  This will ensure you are able to enjoy the race without running the risk of injury.

If it’s been years since you have even ridden a bike, you will need to get some practice in before you even think about going mountain bike racing.  If you don’t, getting saddle sore on race day will be the least of your problems. To begin with, a regular program of cycling will build up your fitness levels and strengthen your leg muscles.  This is vital if you are going to stand the pace when mountain bike racing.

Cycling on the road is an ideal way to begin to improve your fitness levels, but as soon as you can you should venture off road to get used to the rougher terrain that is the key feature of mountain bike racing. Read more…

Mountain Bikes

A mountain bike is a bicycle specifically designed to withstand the toughness and roughness of a cross country ride. Compared to road bikes and BMX bikes, these mountain bikes usually have broader frames and tires to accommodate the rough road and terrain. These bikes usually have either front or rear suspension, depending on the preference of the rider. In some cases, both ends have suspensions. These are for the comfort of the rider while he is jostled as he traverses the rough road.

The broader and more knobby tires of the mountain bike are called knobbies because of the bumps and protrusions on them. These bumps or knobs are very efficient in “gripping” the rough terrain and maintaining their hold on the rough road. The smoother tires of road bikes cannot go up a rough road since these will just skid on it. Read more…

Extreme Mountain Biking

Extreme mountain biking is a physically taxing sport and is not suitable for those people who have chronic ailments like asthma, hypertension and other types of diseases that can hinder the physical endurance of a person. If you are one of those people who are suffering from any type of ailments that affect your stamina and overall physical condition, it would be better for you to forget about extreme mountain biking and switch to a type of sport that is less taxing. On the other hand, if you are one of those people who are at the peak of their health and think that they can conquer severe physical challenges,  extreme mountain biking is something that you can enjoy doing.

To make sure that you are physically fit to handle to extreme mountain biking challenges, you need to physically and mentally prepare yourself to tackle all these challenges. Build your strength before you go out there and try to conquer a difficult mountain trail. To help build your strength and your resistance, you can enroll in one of those strength training classes. You may also practice doing long distance biking to build your stamina. Read more…