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Things to Know About your Mountain Bike Parts

Posted on December 23, 2009 at 6:46 pm


You are a biking champ – ruler of the vast mountain trails. But your fame will become dull if you don’t understand the various parts of your mean machine. So to become a complete champ it is necessary to enhance your knowledge about different mountain bike parts.

The Basic Parts Of A Mountain Bike

The Frame

The frame of a mountain bike is smaller than that of a road bike. But the angle is very relaxing for the rider so that he can maneuver the bike with skillful agility over different grounds. Mountain bike manufacturers build bikes, which are gender specific. So while you buy a bike be sure to get the right sizing.

The Handlebars

The handlebars of a mountain bike are flat, usually as wide as the rider’s shoulders. However, depending on the rider’s preference it could be narrower or wider. Riser bars are fast becoming popular as it looks attractive and gives the riders a more upright position. You can add bar ends to the handlebars, which will allow more hand positions and give more comfort to the rider.

Bike Crank And Derailleur

A crank is connected to the bottom bracket of the frame with pedals attached to the tip of each crank. Crank has chainrings attached to it. The gear and chainrings are outfitted with derailleurs. The derailleurs, using the shifters that are placed at the handlebars, derail one gear to the other and the chain from one chainring to the other. The finer the quality of the derailleur the more exact the shifting will be.

Shifters

Shifters activate the front and rear derailleurs setting off the motion of the chain from one gear to the other.

Three basic types of shifters are:

1. Thumb Shifter: These are the most basic shifters that are fastened on top of handlebars and are operated by a push and pull of the thumb and the index finger respectively.

2. Rapid Fire Shifters: Rapid-fire shifters are generally fixed at the bottom of the handlebar and are activated by a two push buttons. For newer models a push and pull lever is used.

3. Grip Shifters: A grip shifter acts like a motorcycle throttle. To shift up to a lighter gear you have to turn the grip shift for the rear derailleur inwards. And to shift down to a heavier gear turn the grip shift outward.

Gear

Mountain bikes are meant to stomp on Steep Mountain trails and are usually equipped with outstanding gear ratios. The most popular one is the 36×34, which the mountain biker christens as “granny” gear. With this gear, you can trudge steep hills at a high tempo.

Brakes

Today’s mountain bikes have passed the stage of coaster brakes. Today the “V” brakes or the linear pull-type brakes are regular in mountain bikes. You can have Disk Brakes for high-end mountain bikes. Disk Brakes are highly proficient, as its feat does not get clogged by water or mud. You must keep your timing intact for a good braking performance.

Pedals

The mountain bike riders use two types of pedals. One is the toe clip, which can be made up of metal or plastic and is compatible with any kind of rubber shoe. The second type is the clipless pedal for which the biker has to wear a special kind of shoe. Clipless pedals raise the transfer of power from the rider to the bike.

Saddle

A saddle is necessary for your comfort while you chomp your way through a rugged ride. Make your seat comfortable with a perfect saddle for you.

Wheels and Tires

There are plenty of wheel sets in the market, which will ensure high performance. Mostly these wheels are durable and light but before buying a wheel keep in mind the safety factor.

Tires are the most important parts of the mountain bike. They should have a good grip for a smooth experience. A bad tire can sour up your whole journey ending it up in some gutter.

Suspension System

Today the suspension system has become essential for a mountain bike and with improved technology, suspensions are now cheaper and simpler to handle. This is evident in fork suspension system of hardtail mountain bikes.

Knowing about the components of a mountain bike will make your bike live long and healthy always ready for a rousing journey.

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Learning About Mountain Bikes

Posted on December 1, 2009 at 1:56 am


At this article you will read what mountain biking is as well as how to get the information on various kinds of mountain bikes.
The most commonly used Mountain Bikes are:
Downhill Bikes:Most prominently used for competition in which one goes down the hill. So with that speed, bikes need to be with tough frames and with heavy-duty brakes such as disc or hydraulic brakes.
XC Bikes: This is another kind of bike which is highly used for competition in which one can go both down and climb hills. So its frame should be light but reasonably tough. Brakes used in this particular bike are v-brakes and light disc brakes.
Hybrid Bikes: This category of bikes is a good option for those who want to ride on both mountains and road.
These bikes either run on front suspension or on full suspension (which is a combination of both front and back suspensions). Various kinds of brakes employed in these bikes are:-
Rim Brakes: They are both light and powerful but their power decreases in muddy terrain where they become slippery.
Disc Brakes: They are light and powerful and are not affected by weather.
Hydraulic Brakes: They are very powerful and don’t need much maintenance, but are expensive than other brakes.
Frame Materials: The bikes can be made of aluminum, steel or titanium. These are very important elements of the bike as their composition determines the weight, strength, responsiveness and life of the bike.
Size: Like conventional bikes, mountain bikes come in small, medium and large sizes. But different manufactures use different reference point of measurement therefore sizing is not always consistent.
Latest Trends:
All Mountain Bikes: The “All Mountain Bikes” are characterized by 5-6 inch (125-150 mm) rims to take on very rough conditions.
29er Bike: This uses 700cc-sized rims and is suited for tires of 2 inches (50mm) width or more, so that it is able to roll over the obstacles.
Singlespeed: This is a blend of simplicity with innovation in suspension design.
Some of the other trends includeStable Platform Value Suspension Technology. Here the compressor shim stack has been replaced with a pair of overlapping cups. It also employs VPP suspension designs to balance different forces thereby eliminating unwanted compression without limiting bump absorption.

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Learning More About Lowrider Bikes

Posted on December 1, 2009 at 1:44 am


Article that tells about the main attraction of Lowrider bikes, with the new trends in low riders, also related to Cruiser or Beach Cruiser style bikes.
A low rider bike is also known as chopper bicycle and is a highly customized bike. It is a very popular bike and its styling is inspired by both low rider cars and chopper motorcycles (that’s how the name comes). Bikers take it as a pride to ride a low rider bike. They have long, curved banana seat with a sissy bar and long upward-swept handlebars known as apehangers.
Who Ride These Bikes:
Low rider bike is not just a bike; it represents an urban culture of those people who want to be a part of it. These bikes are preferred for the fact that people ride them to relax themselves after a long day work. As a result, you will see a large number of such bikes over the weekends or public holidays, when a lot of people take them out for enjoyment and refreshment. These bikes are made in such a way so that it keeps a low profile.
It’s not just the boys who like to ride low riders; ladies also love to take a ride on low riders. Girls are often attracted towards these beautiful low riders and form a substantial percentage of total riders riding low riding bikes.
Main Attraction of Low Rider Bikes:
It can be personalized in any imaginable way for instance the frames can be twisted, wheels, spokes, peddlers can be painted etc.
The suspension fitted can be either Air Bag suspension or Hydraulic suspension, which allows the rider to alter the ride hide at will.
The most interesting aspect of low rider is its capability to fit sound system, boom boxes, I-pod, mobile phone and even the neon lights.
Latest Information about Low Rider Bikes:
The best selling bikes are: 20-inch original w/logo Low rider Bike w/Bent Fork and 20-inch classic Low rider Bike. The stock bicycles are mostly popular among makers of low riders and the most popular of these are:
American produced- Schwinn Stingray.
British produced- Raleigh Chopper.
The new trends in low rider bikes are also related to Cruiser or Beach Cruiser style bikes.

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