What You Need to Know About Mountain Bike Brakes
Once you have decided to purchase a mountain bike, you will join an increasingly widening fanbase composed of people discovering how much a bicycle and the great outdoors can offer when paired together. A mountain bike can offer hours of fun when paired with a rider looking for adventure and a trail that just seems to go on and on. Experienced mountain bikers will tell you that the thrill of a good ride can carry you through a bad week and leave you with energy to spare. A new rider, however, may not be thinking as far ahead as next week. In fact, if you do not have much experience with mountain bikes, it is likely that one of your primary concerns will be over whether or not you can stop your bike when you need to. Even if you have more experience with mountain biking, you may still find yourself at a loss when it comes to understanding the intimate details of your braking system. However, the brakes are arguably one of the most important parts of your mountain bike to understand, and they are certainly one of the most important parts to know how to use when it comes to avoiding obstacles, people, and animals that appear unexpectedly while you are out in the woods blasting through the trails. This article will provide information on the two main types of mountain bike brakes to help you decide which kind may work best for you on your bike.
There are two basic types of brakes commonly used on mountain bikes: disk brakes and rim brakes. There is not much debate among most mountain bikers with experience over which is better, but less experienced mountain bikers may find themselves wondering what the advantages and disadvantages are of each. Generally, if you are looking for brake performance that is not only better but is also more consistent in a variety of conditions, such as in mud, dirt, rain, snow, and pretty much anything else you can expect to come across on a trail, you are better off choosing disk brakes instead of rim brakes, as long as you are okay with your disk brakes costing slightly more money and weighing slightly more in pounds. However, if you are looking for the lightest possible setup you can manage on your mountain bike and are okay with dealing with small variations in the amount of brake strength and overall brake performance you will receive under different riding conditions, then you will be better off with rim brakes over disk brakes.
What to Look For in a Used ATV
One of the most important things to look for in a used ATV is what purpose it will be serving for you. If you want a basic ATV for trail riding or heading out to the dunes for the weekend you may want to find a used ATV with fewer options. The basic ATV will cost a lot less than the models that are decked out with all the options. The ATV with four wheel drive and all the options may be what you need if you plan on riding for long periods of time over rough terrain. Getting your supplies to your favorite hunting or fishing grounds may take an ATV with racks for guns and supplies and possibly a hitch for a small trailer. If you plan on doing any riding at night you may want to look for a model that has factory lighting such as head, tail, and brake lights. Most used ATV’s have a lot of life left in them and are a great value compared to newer ATV’s. You will want to have information on what the previous owner of the ATV used it for. If it was used for recreational riding on the weekends or days off work it may not have been used that much. If it was a work horse on a farm or ranch the ATV may have a lot of hours on the engine along with hauling heavy loads day after day. If the machine was worked very hard it may be selling for a lower price and will be great if you do not plan on using it all that much. If you want to spend more money you may be able to find a used ATV with some of the factory warranty remaining.
When looking over the used ATV make sure to get the one that will fit your size and has plenty of horse power for the chores it will need to perform. Some of the things you may want to look for are damage to the frame or suspension. Look at the handle bars and upper parts of the ATV to see if it has been rolled over. Check the frame for modifications that may have weakened the frame in any way. If you are purchasing the ATV from a private seller ask to have the ATV inspected at a dealership. Try to find a used ATV in the same brand as the nearest dealer so you will not have to travel far for parts and service if needed. If you get the chance run the ATV and look for leaks in the exhaust system or any fluid leaks. If the ATV has been taken care of and has had a good maintenance program it will last for a long time and will have saved you some money.
Mountain Bike Forks - Upgrade Options
As more and more people discover the opportunities for exercise and enjoyment that come with the outdoor sport of mountain biking, more riders have become interested in ways of improving the performance of their bikes and taking things to the next level. While it is perfectly possible to have a great time with a stock mountain bike without wanting anything more, sooner or later you might find yourself interested in different upgrades that can affect the way your bike performs when you are out on the trail or bombing down hills in the woods. A good way of upgrading your mountain bicycle is by changing the stock fork that came attached to your bike. Today it is common to find mountain bike forks that come with technical suspension systems so the bike can handle and maneuver better when the terrain becomes rougher, wetter, rockier, or muddier.
The different kinds of forks that can fit mountain bikes are classified by the types of technology they use. Examples of bike forks available as upgrade options for mountain bikes are Jump suspension forks, 4x forks, freeride mountain suspension forks, cross country suspension forks, freeride downhill suspension forks, and Cannondale lefty forks. Every suspension fork category will offer its own unique pros and cons, and each will perform best in specific conditions and on specific terrain. An important part of a suspension fork that you should keep in mind when shopping for upgrades is the suspension travel; the suspension travel refers to the amount of distance a suspension coil can move from when it is fully compressed to when it is in its resting position. This article will discuss some of the different upgrading options you can consider for your mountain bike fork.
What to Look for in a Mountain Bike
For the outdoors enthusiast, a good mountain bike is absolutely necessary. There is nothing better than whizzing down a trail, enjoying the adrenaline of a swift ride combined with the beauty of surrounding nature. A well-designed mountain bike will give outdoor explorers years and years of joy and exhiliration.
However, there is no single mountain bike that will work perfectly for everybody. It is important that you select the best mountain bike that will suit your individual desires and needs. But there are thousands of different varieties of mountain bikes, and the innumerable available choices can seem dizzying. The following guidelines will help you to choose the perfect mountain bike for your individual purposes.
Mountain Bike Fitting Tips to Avoid Hand, Knee, and Back Pain While Riding
Mountain biking is quickly becoming one of the most popular outdoor sports in the country due to the numerous advantages it offers people who give it a try. Within a short amount of time, it is possible to turn yourself from a couch potato into someone capable of riding several hard miles through outdoor trails and giving your whole body a workout. However, while there are several benefits to starting a regimen of frequent mountain bike riding, it is still possible to injure yourself if you begin to ride without taking some time to fit yourself to your mountain bike beforehand. Just as different people of different foot sizes require different shoe sizes to be able to get around without hurting their feet, mountain bikes also come in different sizes and dimensions to help you match the unique dimensions of your body to the fit of the bike. Establishing a proper fit on your mountain bike is important so you can reduce the risk of injuries to different parts of your body such as your hands, your knees, and your back while you are riding on the trails.
The first area to consider when establishing a proper fit on your mountain bike is the height of the saddle, which is another term for the bike seat. The height of the saddle can make a significant difference on the levels of comfort you feel all over your body, but especially in your knee and back areas while you are on the trails. If your seat is too high, you can suffer from extension pains in your knees and cramping in your back as you try to adapt your body to the improperly fitted seat. Similarly, if your seat is too low, which is the more common misfitting of the two scenarios, you can suffer from cramping and tightness in your knees as they are not allowed to extend properly when your leg is constricted due to a too low seat. When the seat is too low you can also suffer from back pains as your back may be too straight or too curved for you to be comfortable riding for extended periods of time. To fit your saddle height to your actual height, a quick way to get started is to straddle the bike while sitting on the saddle. Your feet should just touch the ground when they are extended and pointing straight down. Depending on the person, you may be fine with your whole foot touching the ground, while other people will prefer to have only their toes touching the ground. If both feel equally comfortable, then go with having your toes touch the ground. This will help your legs extend to just the right amount when you are riding, which will help your knee and back feel better. Keep in mind that if you intend to do a lot of riding in rough conditions where you may frequently have to dismount the bicycle, it may be a good idea to slightly lower the saddle height so your feet can touch the ground completely, which can make it easier to dismount the bike in an emergency.