The Mountain Bike Accessories Blog

I just tried mountain biking for the first time today. Idon't have an actual mountain bike yet (it's a cruiser). But the trails I'm trying are easy mountain biking trails. I want to make sure I enjoy it before investing in another bike. Do you have any tips on mountain biking? Tips on riding rather than equipment are especially useful at this point. Thanks

1) Do not ride over your ability.
2) Let someone know where and how long you'll be.
3) Get a trail map for any place you don't know well.
4) When riding shift and shift often to maintain your momentum.
5) Spinning is better than mashing the pedals.
6) Don't pump your tire up to the max. rated pres., lower pressures tend to give better over all performance. (a good place to start would be a few lbs higher than the lower rating on the side wall.)
7) If you can ride with an experienced rider to help develop you skills.

This is a review of the Inside Ride e-Motion bicycle rollers.

I bought them from http://www.1upusa.com/ because I couldn’t find a better price and they had free shipping. They took 4 weeks to arrive (back in November of 2007).

The good is:

1. I love riding on them.
2. I can alternate standing and sitting to alleviate butt pain.
3. They feel very much like real riding even while standing.
4. Time goes by much faster than on other exercise equipment.
5. They come fully assembled, which is terrific.
6. They are very easy to adjust.

The bad is:

1. My mountain bike wheelbase was slightly too long to use on these. When standing, the bike tended to lurch forward slightly.
2. Slightly disappointed in how loud they are but different tires might help that.

Some things I don’t mention in the video:

1. The bumpers are nice for helping prevent riding off the sides.
2. Watching hockey can be deadly if you tend to go back and forth with the action!

Here are some other videos on rollers you might want to check out!

This guy is incredible on rollers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiCdm5FsJpg

These rollers look awesome for Mountain Bikers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKEHoA_xl-U

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Technorati Tags: 1000, Ab-Lounge, bicycle, bike, Blackburn, e-Motion, Gym, Inside, mountain, Review, Ride, Road, Rollers, Spinning, Total, Treadmill

It is the rear wheel on a 15 speed mountain bike and it appears to be about 3/8 of an inch out of true in about 20° of arc around the wheel. I am using the amount of shift in the brake caliper to judge the amount of bend in the wheel. Yes I am trying to not spend an arm and a leg as I am limited on funds

Well - ya got a couple of options that I know of. Call a local bike shop to see what they'll charge you to "true" the wheel - it may not be as costly as you think. The next more expensive thing is to purchase a new one. You could also see if the bike shop might want to trade you a used but good wheel at a discount since they could fix yours and resell that.
Unless you have knowledge of how to true a wheel, I'd be careful to do it yourself since you may throw the wheel farther out of round.
I did find this website which illustrates the method of a homespun fixit - check it out! Good luck and keep the rubber side down!

http://www.webmountainbike.com/noname1.html

i really want to do mountain biking as soon as possible, i have an appropriate bike and equipment but i have no idea where to go near birmingham. can someone help me?
not mountains but hills or centers or places where you can do downhill or whatever

Cannock Chase has several good MTB trails of various difficulty levels.

The Wrekin Nr Telford also has a few tracks.

If you just want to ride, virtually all the towpaths are ok & legal to ride on

Food and Drinks for your bike trip. Learn how to choose the right mountain biking equipment for riding downhill trails in this free online video on mountain biking basics.

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Technorati Tags: bike, biking, downhill, free, gear, mountain, online, riding, shoes, tips, trails, video

Are there specific techniques I need to learn prior to my first trip out? What equipment do I need besides a bike and helmet?

Well like they say it like riding a bike! If you know how to ride a bike then you are almost there for general riding. I myself only use a helmet if the type of riding is something on the risky side. however it is best if you always wear one. You will have to learn different types of terrain as u go along. You will gain more comfort over time with different scenarios. Bring water to rehydrate, comfortable shoes, and layers of clothing for the weather you may face. You may also want to carry a basic first aid kit as well as a basic tool kit for repairs. If completely paranoid you could also get elbow and knee pads. If you are going to be traveling at night make sure you are visible by reflectors and/or lights on your person and bike. Hope this helps!

How important are things like disc brakes, suspension, etc? What type of frame? How many gears? Anything else I'm missing?

I would not like to spend more than $400, so telling me I need top-of-the-line equipment is out. I'm also a beginner, so I will be using it for dirt-road type biking 2-3 times a week, building up to some bumpy trail riding. Once I get better at it (and decide it's the right sport for me, I'll get a top-of-the-line model.)

I'm a fairly big guy (6 ft. 200 lbs.) Any special considerations for my size?

What gear do I need? A helmet is necessary, of course, but what else? Gloves, shorts, ect? Oh, and I WILL NOT wear the tight shorts. Sorry.

Finally, please don't recommend a specific bike, unless you are using it as an example of a bike that has the parts you recommend. For example: "You need a XB500. It's awesome!" does me no good. Try: "You need an aluminum frame like the XB500"- that's helpful.

Thanks for your help!

For your price range, you should limit yourself to a hardtail, front-suspension only. A rear-suspension bike that is worthwhile will be hard to find in your price range. Make certain that you can set the pre-load high enough to deal with your weight.

You may be able to find mechanical disk brakes in that price range, but I would be inclined to stick with the V-brakes. If the added expense is used on discs, they've cut back somewhere else. My son's bike (KHS Alite 500) came with disc-compatible hubs and the necessary frame and fork mounts to retrofit discs at a later time.

You should get gloves, full-finger or half-finger, your choice. You'll appreciate this after your first tumble in loose rock. Shorts are not 100% necessary, but they'll definitely be more comfortable for rides of an hour or more. Baggy mountain bike shorts with liners are available from numerous shops and on-line retails.

You might want to consider shoes and clipless pedals. I would probably ride the trails a few times with the regular platform pedals to get used to the bike, but clipless pedals and shoes can make a world of difference.

Don't forget water. I tend to use water bottles on my road bike and a hydration pack when I'm riding the mountain bike.

You'll also need a small underseat bag to carry a multi-tool and a spare tube. You'll also need an inflator or pump to carry on the bike. You will get a flat sooner or later.

Other than that, get a bike frame that fits. Torso measurement is just as important as leg length. A bike with a top tube or stem that is too long or too short will make you uncomfortable and not be as stable.

Good luck.

Ellsworth’s Pua Sawicki

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Technorati Tags: bike, Ellsworth, mountain, parkcitytelevision, parkcitytv, pctv, Pua, Sawicki, tip

My son wants me to mountain bike with him. I'm not sure how much I will end up doing it, so I don't really want to invest in any high-end equipment. What would you recommend for a lower priced brand?

Your best off buying something brand name, but USED like a Cannondale or Trek. You'll get more for your money and a better bike with better shifting and better wheels. Just make sure you have it checked before riding it and make sure it passing inspection is a requirement of the purchase. If you buy a walmart, your taking it for granted that the person who built it did it correctly and the parts are very cheap which won't last as long. Plus the brand name will hold it's value longer if you decide it's not for you.