Mountain Biking Tips

| July 25th, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Mountain Biking Tips

Learn how to improve your mountain biking skills and improve your riding dramatically by following the “How to Master Mountain Biking” guide

If you are a beginner, by practising some of the following skills, will get you started. Try these mountain biking tips 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.

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.

Once you have got some basics you’ll want to master more mountain bike skills.

To learn how to:

Make hillclimbs easier
How to fly down hills safely
Be able to corner at speed
Glide over tree roots and obstacles
Gearing tricks
How to brake correctly
How to use gravity to thrust yourself around corners
How to master wheelies, bunny hops and jumps
The 4 Phase, Power-Pedaling Technique That Eliminates the Zero Torque Point
Learn How To Use Your Bodyweight and Gravity to Seize Control of Your Bike
What to look for when buying a bike
How to get fit and stay fit the easy way
How to maintain your bike and save money

and much more, check out “How to Master Mountain Biking” and see if it is right for you.

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Your Essential Bike Buying Guide

| December 29th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

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How can i pop out the master link on my bike chain without breaking it?

| July 10th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

I got a new chain for my mountain bike and i had no idea how to put it on im used to bmx bikes but i put the chain on COMPLETELY wrong and there are no stores around me that have more chains so i need to just break off masterlink without breaking it how/can i do this?

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Hey back here again about my knee/leg pain from riding my bike for excersize?

| July 10th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

I posted a question earlier today, or last night..i forget which.. that asked what my knee pain was from after i went on a 30 minutes bike ride ..with hills and flat roads… i wasnt quite in control of how hard i had to push ect.. and my bike is properly adjusted to me.. I’ve rode it twice so far, again form the last question i posted on how i rode my bike for the first time and after the ride my right knee hurt the knee cap /below the knee cap area.. This time ….while i was riding my bike… after about 20/25 minutes of warm up then steep incline then just riding around a bit faster, working harder ….i got shooting paint in the left side of my right foot started bottom on shin area and shot up to where my knee was hurting before..any insight on this? again, im going to try and take it easy (like i did today) …and get used to it.. and make sure ot warm up.. and i took some ibeprofen.. but… seriously any good advice if you really know about this type of thing

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Is x-country for me? help soon!!?

| February 4th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

ok so i have been thinking about doing cross country for a while now. now i really have to make my decision. i have never done cross country or track before. i also have not really been running that much over the summer. i have gone on the occasional run but nothing regular since i have been so busy with different camps, etc. i have been very active over the summer though and do something active everyday. although i havent been running everyday, i have done things like long bike rides (up to 50 miles without stopping with many hills and different types of terrain) and volleyball, things like that, so it isnt like i have just been sitting on my butt all summer. i dont know if these types of things help at all. i am also healthy and have a healthy weight. i am tall too if that helps. i can run 3 miles straight (that is the longest i have tried) but i didnt time myself and i dont know how fast i am compared to other people. do you think that i should try it or do you think that it isnt worth it? should i just not do it at all, should i just do it or should i go to the first practice and see how it is although i dont know if they are gonna let me run since i need to get a physical?? my friend who is going out for it thinks i can do it but she has never done it before either and i want some other peoples opinion.

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Extreme Mountain Biking

| February 4th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Extreme Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is one of the many sports that does not cease to innovate and develop even further. It is a known fact that there are at least four known disciplines of mountain biking.

Each discipline is requires long hours of training to make sure that the riders are able to perform the stunts perfectly well. Likewise, each variation of mountain biking has its own rules that all mountain biking enthusiasts must follow.

MB is truly getting the nod of many sports lovers because it never fails to give the excitement and the anticipation that all the riders are looking for. Just the thought of jumping off from the cliff is enough to send shiver down the mountain bikers’ spines.

Riding on the edge and doing daredevil stunts are what makes mountain biking totally different from the rest of outdoor activities and sports, thus extreme MB is the name.

Difficult stunts and unpredictable course to follow are just some of the things that mountain bike riders have to hurdle in extreme MB. True enough, the skills required in extreme mountain biking will certainly take years for anyone to master.

That means that aside from the basic skill that all riders should get familiar with, they should also learn the difficult techniques required in extreme MB.

Since extreme MB is a difficult sport to master, getting the right training material is becoming a necessity. One of the ways to learn is to watch videos about MB executed by those riding on the extremes.

With the availability of modern technologies like the Internet, these videos are easily downloadable. There are many Internet sites that provide streaming videos for free. MB shops also merchandise extreme mountain biking videos on DVD format.

Another way of learning the stunts in an extreme mountain bike ride is to read magazines and books or better yet scour the Internet for good literature about the training of extreme mountain bike riders.

Perhaps the best way to master in to learn by doing. Yes, this principle in learning is one of the most tested and is tested to give the best result. In short riders should apply immediately what they have learned. This can only be possible if mountain bikers will join a group.

Yes, joining a group is the best way to learn even the most difficult stunts because they can get feedbacks right after they perform each stunt.

So if mountain biking is getting you to the extreme, it is a good sign that you are in an exciting ride of your life. All you have to do is to enjoy the ride and have some fun.

If you want to get more information please visit my blog at http://my-personal-dreams.blogspot.com

Article from articlesbase.com

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Why The Mountain Biking Phenomenon Is Growing In Popularity

| January 25th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Why The Mountain Biking Phenomenon Is Growing In Popularity

Mountain biking has taken the cycling world by storm. It wasn’t all that long ago when the phrase “mountain bike” would’ve elicited blank stares. Now you see them everywhere. Mountain bikes are made to handle almost every terrain imaginable, and that’s why they’ve become so popular. Just like SUV’s, most people who use them don’t have a need for their full range of functions, but it’s good to no the capability is there “just in case”.

Mountain bikes are nice even for the urban rider because they eliminate the worries one might have when encountering potholes, gravel, and bad road conditions. Mountain bike riders utilize their bikes for a wide range of activities and competitions. A number of races and competitions have sprung up to make use of the mountain bike’s many capabilities.

One such extreme mountain bike competition is known as cross-country (or XC) races. Cross-country mountain bike races usually cover about 30 miles and cover a variety of terrains. These races feature a mass start with all the riders taking off at the same time much like a marathon.

If cross-country races are too short for you, there’s always endurance (or enduro) racing. These races cover in excess of 70 miles and climb to elevations of 8000 feet and more.

For the real maniacs out there, the only way to go is downhill racing. Downhill races typically have staggered starts to try to minimize crashing, but as you can imagine, crashes are a regular part of such events. The racers fly down the hill at breakneck speeds, the key being to have the fastest time down the slope. Many of these races are held on ski slopes during the warmer months. Such competitions demand that the riders have the utmost skill and experience as it can be an extremely dangerous endeavor. These races aren’t for novices.

A competition rapidly growing in popularity is dirt jumping. This will be familiar to BMX enthusiasts as it’s essentially the same sort of competition. Such events aren’t races, of course. They’re judged events wherein riders compete to accomplish the biggest, most amazing jumps involving spinning the bike in the air, doing flips, and even completely letting go of the bike and getting back on before it lands.

Another form of extreme mountain bike competition is bike trials. These events involve navigating unbelievable difficult terrain without touching your feet to the ground. Bike trials require riders to balance their mountain bikes on rails, boulders, posts, tree stumps, and any number of seemingly impossible obstacles. The goal is to finish the course quickly and without having to put your feet down.

If any of these extreme mountain biking competitions appeal to you, start practicing and getting into shape. These events are for skilled and experienced riders only. They’re physically demanding and fairly dangerous. They are not for novices. Remember to wear a helmet and pads when attempting crazy stunts on your bike, and take care of yourself if you’re going to attempt extremely arduous long-distance rides.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as cycling training at http://www.cyclinggearplus.com

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Girls Mountain Biking

| January 20th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Girls Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is one sport that is for both sexes. This is one thing that can truly unite one of the world’s Great Divides.

MB is a sport for all ages for both men and women and for boys and girls too. Gone are the day when mountain biking was dominated by boys and men because more than ever women and girls are also conquering the world of MB in the same fashion that the sport has conquered the world by storm.

True enough there are now more girls who are making a big name in MB. If there are women mountain biking there is also the equally famous girls mountain biking.

When girls learn to ride the mountain bikes and mastered the necessary skills like most of the boys do, they were just simply unstoppable. In fact there are now more girls MB teams that are formed at school level.

One of the prominent girls mountain biking teams is the one from Harbor High in Santa Cruz, California. A lone girl who actually made the team successfully running for a year now heading for their second year courageously spearheaded the team.

With this maiden success, the team has provided an impetus for more girls MB teams to follow suit. Soon enough the sport will truly not just exclusively for the so- called stronger sex, because the girls may just as well the a new age group to reckon with as more and more girls are getting interested to learn and master the sport of mountain biking.

Today there are now more mountain biking clinic programs intended for girls. These cool girls mountain biking clinic programs are geared toward the acquisition of new skills both basic and advance. These will help enhance their bike maneuver dexterity.

Some of the activities include riding mountain bikes over logs, racing down a hill especially the steep ones, techniques that are deemed necessary for cross-country racing, high-endurance and short course racing, and the fundamentals of repair and maintenance of mountain bikes.

Other lessons also include advocacy for mountain biking, protection and preservation of the trail and the environment, upgrading the next level of mountain biking, and looking sponsorship.

The clinics will help their boost their confidence in an individual action-packed sport like MB. Hence girls are treated in the same way boy are taught, which truly make the sport fit for both sexes.

For this reason, girls are no longer confined to reading books or playing with dolls because they too can now take a more physically demanding sport. With mountain biking everyone is truly treated equally. Right girls?

If you want to get more information please visit my blog at http://how-i-lost-my-weight.blogspot.com

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Top Safety Tips For Mountain Biking Holidays

| January 15th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Top Safety Tips For Mountain Biking Holidays

Going mountain biking is one of my favourite ways of keeping fit and keeping my weekends busy. In particular mountain biking down hills and nature parks is my favourite pastime. When riding down trails in wooded areas, one must always be cautious of their own safety and become accustomed to wearing the right gear for when doing the trails. As much as they may seem exciting and wild to be involved with, it makes sense to be prepared to protect yourself.

Mountain biking holidays are simply breaks away and trying out their trails. Some places can be as exotic as Andalucia, Spain or South Africa. These offer great views, good trails and plenty of bikes to hire (unless you decide to take your own). People do not generally need a lot of experience to take part in these kinds of holidays; however, it helps to have some off-road biking experience and some trail riding experience.

Without knowing how to ride down hills and bumpy surfaces, you may find it difficult when going abroad to mountain bike. These can very often be fun if you have full control of your own bike, but would prove to be a difficult adventure for those who are under confident in their riding skills. Mountain biking holidays are aimed at providing people a unique experience as a holiday break, but also allowing them to see the joys of mountain biking in a different climate.

For those going for the first time and have a little bit of experience with riding bikes on rocky hills, they will need to take heed of a few safety tips before embarking on this adventure. The first most important piece of safety equipment to take is a good helmet, which should fit perfectly round your head. The ones to look out for are the ones that sit just above your eyebrows, are snug round your head (so they do not slip forward or backward) and have an adjustable strap. They should also be strong enough to protect your head and are not too heavy on your head.

You may find that some mountain biking holidays will offer safety equipment for hire; however, it is advisable to take your own, as this way you can use one without worrying about how it will fit.

Make sure you buy gloves (fully fitted or cut off), to protect them from any knocks or scratches. It is highly recommended that you also buy arm and shin guards, so if you were to fall you can protect your arms from any nasty cuts and bruises. People with mountain biking experience on hills will have experienced falling and may have sustained some injuries. With this experience comes the knowledge of how best to avoid injuries by falling the ‘right’ way e.g. rolling onto the front of your arms protecting the face. This way you will just roll on the ground rather than land onto something that may break.

The next thing you must make sure is whether you are physically fit enough to take on such an active holiday. There is no point in taking part in mountain biking holidays in Italy, created for expert riders unless you are not afraid of putting yourself at risk. It is also not recommended to try out steep mountain trails if you have a very bad sense of balance. The best thing to do is to pick out the holidays, which are tailored towards beginners or intermediate levels. This way you will enjoy easier trails and have a guide to help you on your way.

You should also consider the kind of bike you are going to take. This has to be a strong bike, which is maintained well and does not have a loose chain to hinder your riding skills. Depending on the type of biking you are into, a good mountain bike usually has good front suspension, good quality trail tyres, wide handlebars, good gear shifters and a lightweight frame. This makes for an easier and smooth ride. Personally, back suspension just does not cut it for me, but could be good for people trying out jumps and stunts.

Finally, when trailing on your bike, remember to enjoy yourself. This is a good experience and makes for one of the best active holidays around.

Anna Stenning is an expert on mountain biking holidays, having been on many active holidays as part of her healthy living.

Article from articlesbase.com

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Is riding your bike everyday bad?

| January 13th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

it got warmer out yesterday so me and myf riend rode our bikes around all day and my legs were killing me sooo bad when i got home i could feel how exausted my legs were even just to stand ha. and i really like riding my bike butim not that in shape so its really really hard for me to go up even little baby hills but i rode my bike around for a half hour today too and i might ride to my friends house and bike to work together later, but because im sooo out of shape and obviously biking is a really challenging "workout" for me does this mean that im overworking my body if i ride my bike everyday because i like doing it im just afraid im going to injur my body or my leg muscles aren’t going to grow and become used to this activity.
i really hopethey do get used to it too cause i want to be able to ride my back to wherever i want to go in town cause its much faster than walking its just way harder.

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Tips on Buying a Full Suspension Mountain Bike

| December 31st, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Tips on Buying a Full Suspension Mountain Bike

Every year bicycle manufacturers make better, lighter and cheaper mountain bikes which make them more attractive to consumers. Do you want to buy a full suspension mountain bike? If you do below is a list of items that you might want to considered before buying a new mountain bike.

One of the most important questions to ask yourself is what type of terrain will you be riding on? If you are going to be riding cross country maybe a full suspension mountain bike is not warranted and a hardtail will better suit your needs. However if you are going to be riding downhill or on rough terrain a full suspension bike might be right up your alley.

Determine your budget and stick to it. Consider buying the best bike you can afford within your budget. Many riders suggest that if you have less then 0 to spend on a bike you might want to consider a hardtail because full suspension bikes are more costly. However you could consider buying a used full suspension bike at a good price on a mountain bike classifieds site.

If you determine that a full suspension mountain bike is what you need and want then consider the different frame designs. Single-pivot, sweet-spot and horst-link are a few popular designs and each has their advantages and disadvantages. The best way to truly understand the difference is to go to a few bike stores and test ride the different designs. The bike store guy will be more then happy to explain and point out the pros and cons of each design.

Remember that full suspension bikes are heavier then hardtail bikes. Full suspension frames are a little heavier and they carry more parts then hardtails so be prepared to pedal around a little more weight on the trail.

Read some of the online forums to determine what other riders like and don’t like about their bikes. You can learn a lot from other rider’s opinions.

Do not forget to factor in your maintenance costs into the equation. Full suspension bikes require a little more maintenance and for the do it yourself type you will need a few extra tools.

Finally, test ride as many bikes as you can before buying. Also do not forget to test ride a full suspension mountain bike with the front and or rear shock locked out.

See you on the trail

Experience with full suspension and hardtail mountain bikes, bike parts and organizing race events for mountain biking.

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Trek Mountain Bikes – Riding a Tour

| December 26th, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Trek Mountain Bikes – Riding a Tour

If you are in the market for a new bike – or even for your first bike, you definitely need to check out Trek Mountain Bikes. Trek Mountain Bikes have been around since the beginning of mountain bike time, and they aren’t going anywhere soon – except maybe to the next challenging trail!

First you should note that trek designs and manufactures mountain bikes, as well as street bikes, but the company does much more than that. As for bikes, they produce such high quality rides that even Lance Armstrong rides a Trek! What better endorsement could the company have than that?

Trek has a line of accessories that are highly suited to mountain bikers of all ages and skill levels. Clothing and shoes, under the Trek brand are available through the website. You can also purchase helmets and other safety equipment, lights, locks, saddles, racks, packs, trainers, bike maintenance gear, trailers, team wear, Trek souvenirs, and even computers for your bike! Trek even has their own specially designed water bottles, and they sell nutrition bars and packs as well!

Now that you know that Trek is all about bikes and mountain bikes – and fulfilling the needs and whims of bikers and mountain bikers, visit the site, and start building your Trek mountain bike. That’s right! You can build your very own virtual Trek Bike. You can start with just the frame, or select a complete bike. You can choose the color scheme, and many other features as well – when you have virtually designed the bike of your dreams, you can order it if you want to! If you can’t afford it just yet, however, you can save it, and go back and look at it over and over again.

Once you’ve purchased your Trek mountain bike, you may be interested in a Trek mountain bike tour. Trek also caters to mountain bikers with Trek Travel. Trek Travel puts together mountain biking tours. You can plan your Trek Travel vacation based on where you want to go, the type of trip you want to take, the skill level that you are at, the dates you want to travel, or by selecting a pre-planned event. These are often guided tours, and the guides are well trained not only to make sure that you have the best biking adventure possible, but also that you remain safe during your tour.

If you aren’t quite ready to buy the Trek mountain bike, you can still go on one of the many Trek mountain bike tours – and the bike will be provided for you! You get to choose between the OCLV Carbon Fiber Trek 5.2 Madone road bike and the full-suspension Trek Fuel EX9 mountain bike – and the bike is included in the price of your tour. If you’ve already purchased a Trek bike – or any other brand of bike – and you prefer to bring your own bike on your tour, bring it along! Trek simply requires that you pack it in a bike carrying case. You will, however, be expected to reimburse Trek for any spare parts you may use during the trip, and you will be responsible for the care and maintenance, as well as the assembly and disassembly, of your own bike.

If you aren’t in the best of shape, don’t let this keep you from the fun and adventure of a Trek mountain bikes tour! There are easy tours available, where you will average thirty miles per day, or less. The terrain will be flat, and you can ride at your own pace, and riding is optional each day. If you prefer something a bit more adventurous, there are moderate trips available as well.

With a moderate trip, you will ride 30 – 45 miles per day. There will be occasional challenges and climbs, and again, riding is optional. Avid tours cover 45 to 70 or more miles per day and are extremely challenging. Choose the package that is right for your abilities, as well as a tour that fits in with the other things you want to do on your Trek mountain bikes vacation!

Mt-bikes.com provides you with information on giant mountain bikes, specialized mountain bikes, trek mountain bikes, mountain bike holidays and mountain bike reviews. http://www.mt-bikes.com/

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Mountain Biking Forums: Global Gathering Places

| December 16th, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Mountain Biking Forums: Global Gathering Places

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 Mountain 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.

You can also find more info on All About Mountain Biking and Freeride Mountain Biking.
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