Category: 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.

Gloves
There are several manufacturers that make “lobster
gloves”, a hybrid glove that separates your index
finger and thumb from the rest of your hand. These
gloves are warmer than regular gloves, and the distinct
index finger will allow you to operate your shifting
and brake levers.

In case your hands get cold, you should carry a pair
of lightweight glove liners will you as well. If you
have to stop to take care of a problem, the liners will
protect your hands from the cold.

Glasses
Glasses that wraparound and provide maximum protection
from the wind are best to wear in the winter. You can
protect yourself from debris, as well as the cold.

Socks
You should wear heavy socks although not to heavy. A
sock that is overly heavy will make your shoes tight,
cut off circulation, even make your feet cold. You
should try lightweight socks, as they will keep your
feet warm without bulk. If you need an extra layer,
try silk ski socks as they are very warm and also
extra lightweight.

Underwear
Polypropylene is the best material here, as it is
lightweight and best for colder temperatures.

Wind protection
Moving air is the biggest cause for losing body
heat. By having good wind protection you’ll be able
to vent perspiration while also protecting yourself
from windchill. You should choose pants and a jacket
based on durability, breathing, and price as these
types of clothing can get very experience.

Helmet and liners
Your head is very important, as you lose 50% of your
body heat through your head. A helmet is designed to
keep you cool in the summer, not warm in the winter. A
fleece liner inside your helmet will keep your head
and ears warm during winter riding.

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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.

The weight difference between free ride bikes and
cross country bikes are considerable. You’ll be
extremely hard pressed to find a bike that weighs
more than 24 pounds, and even that weight can be
heavy. Free ride bkes weigh close to 40 pounds,
which makes the difference in weight pretty close.

If you’ve never tried cross country mountain biking,
you’ll probably find it to be a break from the
ordinary. Even though this type of biking involves
trails, it’s normally the type of terrain that
beginners wouldn’t want to ride. Involving hills
and rough terrain, cross country biking offers
quite the rush.

For mountain bikers everywhere, cross country is
the way to go. It offers you a new assortment of
bikes, new areas to bike, and a new twist to
mountain biking as you know it. If you’ve been
looking for a mountain biking rush, cross country
mountain biking is what you need to be experiencing.

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The History Of Mountain Biking

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.

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Wheel Truing

Wheel truing is actually something that is very easy
to do. Even if you have no experience with mountain
biking or truing a wheel, it doesn’t take a rocket
scientist to accomplish it.

The first thing to do is make sure that none of your
spokes are loose. To check, grab each spoke in turn
and try to shake it back and forth. If the spoke
wobbles, or makes pinging and grating noises, it’s
loose. If it’s loose, add tension to the spoke by
turning the spokey anti-clockwise with your finger
and thumb pressure.

Keep turning and shaking until the noise is gone
and the spoke doesn’t wobble or move. Move on to
the next spoke until you’ve gone all the way around
the wheel and checked them all.

Now, it’s time to see just how true the wheel actually
is. Turn your bike upside down then spin the wheel
to see where it comes closest to rubbing on the
brake.

You may need to rotate the wheel backwards then
forwards to locate the middle of the bulge on the
wheel. Tighten the spokes which run on to the
other side of the rim. If those spokes are already
tight, you’ll need to loosen a few of the spokes
which run to the bulge side of the hub.

Truing a wheel is easier than you may think, although
it can be a little tough with some wheels. If
you need to loosen spokes, be very careful that
you don’t break them. They can be very tough
to loosen on older mountain bikes.

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Mountain Bike Anatomy

A mountain bike is the one thing you need before you
go mountain biking. A mountain bike contains many
parts, which will be covered below:

1. Bottom bracket – This attaches the crankset to
the body of a bike.

2. Brake cable – This is the cable that connects the
brake lever to the brake mechanism.

3. Brake lever – The lever on the handlebar to
activate the brakes. The left side is the front brake
and the right side is the rear brake.

4. Chain – The circular set of links that transfer
power from the chain ring to the cogs.

5. Chain ring – The toothed rings that attach to
the crank to hold the chain.

6. Crank – The lever that extends from the bottom
bracket to the pedal, transferring the power to the
chain rings.

7. Derailleur – The mechanism for moving the chain
from one cog to another.

8. Down tube – The section of frame that extends
downward from the stem to the bottom bracket.

9. Front shock – The shock absorber on the front
fork.

10. Handlebar – The horizontal bar attached to the
stem with handgrips on the end.

11. Headset – The mechanism in front of the frame
that connects the front fork to the stem and
handlebars.

12. Hub – The center part of the wheel that the
spokes are attached to.

13. Idler pulley – The bottom pulley of the rear
derailleur that provides spring tension to keep
the chain tight.

14. Nipple – A threaded receptacle that holds
the end of the spoke to the rim.

15. Pedal – The platform to pedal on; attaches to
the crank.

16. Rear shock – The shock absorber for the rear
tire on dual suspension type bikes.

17. Rim – The metal ring that holds the spokes
on the inside and the tire to the outside.

18. Saddle – The seat.

19. Seat post – Offers support for the seat.

20. Skewer – The metal rod that goes through the
hub, attaching the wheel to the dropouts of the
frame.

21. Spindle – The free rotating axle that the
crank arms attach to; also a part of the bottom
bracket.

22. Spokes – The thick wires that join the hub to
the rim.

23. Stem – A piece that attaches the handlebar
to the steering tube.

24. Wheel hub – The center of the wheel that the
spokes are attached to.

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