MTB Borders © 2011
A useful guide to Mountain Biking.
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.