A Guide To Mountain Bikes
Mountain biking is the greatest retreat from the hassles
in your life. It`s an activity that liberates you from your usual settings while
providing an exhilarating form of exercise in the undeniably stress relieving and
beautiful landscapes where you`re likely to be setting off to.
If you`re new to the
sport the first step is an obvious one: acquire yourself a mountain bike! If this
is something you want to commit to then be prepared to spend at least over £500 in
order to purchase a quality, reliable piece of equipment. The value in this range
is excellent and for this expense you will find yourself with a good disc braking
system, good front suspension and alloy components, keeping the weight of your bike
down. Distinct features you`ll notice on your bike will be the wide, high-
Disc braking is far recommended
over rim braking as it provides heavier and more sustained braking power with less
brake fading. While it adds more weight then a rim braking system, in decent bikes
this is compensated for with alloys and improved frame geometry! Top end bikes weigh
in less than 23 pounds though you certainly should be looking to keep the weight
below 29. As for suspension, you could opt to spend more for a front and rear system
but it`s best for beginners to break themselves in properly with front suspension
only and ride hardtail for a while. This would also keep your bike weight down.
Equipping
yourself with the right gear is very important in mountain biking, as one should
never forget it is potentially a very dangerous sport. A good cycling helmet is essential
and good trainers with high grip soles are very useful. You will probably want to
invest in some padded cycling shorts as several hours on the bike seat can take its
toll and gloves can help reduce friction on the handlebars. And never forget about
the weather! An all-
Always have the basic repair tools on hand, such as a spare tube or two and a pump
in case of tire punctures, and tyre levers and allen keys for the bolts on your bike.
As for bike care off the track, you always want to make sure your bike is clean and
dry in storage to prevent rusting parts, and basic oiling of the moving parts from
time to time is needed to maintain a smooth running system.
Manufacturers like Trek
Session, Genesis Bikes, 24Seven and Whyte are all highly praised amongst other high-