Mountain biking is an exciting sport that can be

enjoyed by anyone who knows how to ride a bike. 

Compared to the average bike ride, it does present

some danger.  Therefore, you should master these

basic skills before you hit the trails or the

dirt. 

You can practice these beginning skills at a local

park, school, bike path, or simply around your

house. If you can, try to find a location with

a steep hill.

Get a feel for your pedals

Practice moving your foot away from the pedal,

first while sitting on your bike with one foot on

the ground.  Next, move on to releasing and

replacing your foot while pedaling around for a

bit.  Those with toe clip and clipless type foot

pedals will want to spend a bit more time

practicing.

Sit and spin for position

Simply sit on your bike and pedal around.  You

should keep your arms slightly bent.  You should

also adjust your seat height so your leg is 70 to

90 percent extended at the bottom of every stroke

on the pedal.  Keep your body relaxed, as there

will never be a position where you should have

either your knees or your elbows locked.

Shifting gears

Get a feel for shifting gears with your bike.  The

higher gears are harder to pedal and will go

faster while the lower gears are easier to pedal

and will help you ascend hills.  As you get to

steeper hills, its best to shift before you get

to the hill rather than while your on it.

Coasting

You should spend a bit of time coasting while

standing on your pedals, without actually sitting

on the seat.  Keep your arms bent but don't lock

your knees.  Now, try experimenting with shifting

your body towards the rear end of the bike.

Pedal while standing

You should get as comfortable as you can with

pedaling while standing on your bike.  Try lifting

yourself off the seat while standing on the pedals,

then crank them around.  You should try this in

higher gears on flat ground then again in lower

gears while on a hill.

Dropping down a curb

Try finding a curb where you can easily get to the

upper portion of it.  Practice at a moderate speed,

standing and coasting right off the curb from the

upper level to the lower level.  Try this at

different speeds until it becomes second nature.

Once you practice these techniques and get the

hang of them; you'll be able to hit the trails feeling

comfortable on your mountain bike.  Even though it

may take some getting used to, it'll become second

nature before you know it.

It can be a bit frustrating as well as time consuming

when you buy a mountain bike.  Below, you'll find

some tips and things to be aware of before you lay

down the cash and buy a mountain bike.

Determining your price

There is really no limit as to how much money you can

spend on a new mountain bike.  To help you keep your

spending under control, you should figure out what

your price range is and how much you're willing to pay

for a new bike.  When you buy, you shouldn't buy from

mass merchant stores such as Wal-Mart.  You should

instead support your local bike shop and get a much

better bike and much better service.

Finding your style

All mountain bikes are designed with several different

riding styles and terrain types in mind.  You'll need

to figure out what type of riding you will be doing

the most.  Smooth riding, cross country racing,

mountain cruising, or lift accessed downhill is

something you need to figure out.  Make sure that

the bike you select fits your personal style and not

that of the sale's staff.

Full suspension or hard tail

If you can afford it, a full suspension mountain

bike is always worth the purchase.  A hard tail,

without rear suspension, is much lighter weight

and pedal more efficiently, although full suspensions

offer more comfort and overall better control.  You'll

want to make that decision based on your price range,

riding style, and the type of terrain you'll be

riding on the most.

Finding your favorites

Comparing mountain bikes component to component is

nearly impossible, as there are far too many combinations

available.  The best way to go about doing this is

finding a few components that are the most important

to you and making sure the rest or the minimums fall

within your price range.  You can start with the fork

then look at the wheels and rear derailleur.

Sales and seasons

During the year, the prices of mountain bikes can

fluctuate quite a bit.  Spring through summer is the

main buying season.  If you can wait until the right

price pops up, normally in the fall and winter, you can

save a couple hundred dollars.  Many bike shops will

also offer discounts or other accessories if you buy

from them. 

Finding a good dealer

Finding a good bike dealer is more important than finding

the best price.  You should always find a dealer that

cares more about selling you a great bike than selling you

a high priced one. A great dealer will have a clean repair

shop and give you the impression that you can really

trust them.

Test ride

You should test ride as many bikes as you can within

your price range and riding style.  You'll find that

some bikes will feel right, while others won't.  The more

bikes you can test drive, you better you'll understand

what works and what doesn't.

Doing the research

Product reviews and bike reviews are some of the best

ways to find out about a mountain bikes reliability and

overall performance.  You should always look at what

other owners and reviews think about a bike before you

make that final purchase.

Mountain biking in cold weather has always been a

challenge.  The problem is that you'll start out

cold then warm up and break a sweat, making you

wet.  Then, when you travel downhill, the combination

of wet skin and wind chill will be quite chilling. 

Below, you'll find a list of the cold weather clothing

that will make winter riding less of a bone chilling

experience.

Booties

In cold temperatures, your feet are the most vulnerable

part of your anatomy.  Pressure from pedaling will

tend to cut off the circulation to your toes, which

can put you at a risk of frostbite.  In cold conditions,

neoprene booties are a must have.  They will zip over

your shoes and even have a pattern in the sole where

you can cut out a piece for cleats.

Gloves

There are several manufacturers that make "lobster

gloves", a hybrid glove that separates your index

finger and thumb from the rest of your hand.  These

gloves are warmer than regular gloves, and the distinct

index finger will allow you to operate your shifting

and brake levers.

In case your hands get cold, you should carry a pair

of lightweight glove liners will you as well.  If you

have to stop to take care of a problem, the liners will

protect your hands from the cold.

Glasses

Glasses that wraparound and provide maximum protection

from the wind are best to wear in the winter.  You can

protect yourself from debris, as well as the cold.

Socks

You should wear heavy socks although not to heavy.  A

sock that is overly heavy will make your shoes tight,

cut off circulation; even make your feet cold.  You

should try lightweight socks, as they will keep your

feet warm without bulk.  If you need an extra layer,

try silk ski socks as they are very warm and also

extra lightweight.

Underwear

Polypropylene is the best material here, as it is

lightweight and best for colder temperatures.

Wind protection

Moving air is the biggest cause for losing body

heat.  By having good wind protection you'll be able

to vent perspiration while also protecting yourself

from wind chill.  You should choose pants and a jacket

based on durability, breathing, and price as these

types of clothing can get very experience.

Helmet and liners

Your head is very important, as you lose 50% of your

body heat through your head.  A helmet is designed to

keep you cool in the summer, not warm in the winter.  A

fleece liner inside your helmet will keep your head

and ears warm during winter riding.

Cross Country Mountain biking is cross country at

its finest.  Where free riders and downhill bikers

use four wheel bikes and ski lifts to get them to

their destination, cross country bikers get to

the top of the mountain by the ride.  Though free

riding is very popular, the life vein of the sport

has always been cross country biking.

Just as cross country riders are a different breed,

the bikes they ride are as well.  The cross country

bike is completely different in many ways from other

types of mountain riding bikes.  The premise for

cross country riders is speed.  Everything about

their bikes revolve with the idea of making the

bikes faster and faster.

Bikes used in cross country mountain biking can

be fully rigid frame, hard tails, or even full

suspension frames.  Through the years, the cross

over to full suspension has become very popular.

The weight difference between free ride bikes and

cross country bikes are considerable.  You'll be

extremely hard pressed to find a bike that weighs

more than 24 pounds, and even that weight can be

heavy.  Free ride bikes weigh close to 40 pounds,

which makes the difference in weight pretty close.

If you've never tried cross country mountain biking,

you'll probably find it to be a break from the

ordinary.  Even though this type of biking involves

trails, it's normally the type of terrain that

beginners wouldn't want to ride.  Involving hills

and rough terrain, cross country biking offers

quite the rush.

For mountain bikers everywhere, cross country is

the way to go.  It offers you a new assortment of

bikes, new areas to bike, and a new twist to

mountain biking as you know it.  If you've been

looking for a mountain biking rush, cross country

mountain biking is what you need to be experiencing.

With mountain biking being a very popular sport,

there are many bikes to choose from.  Depending

on what type of riding you like, the style of

bikes you can choose from will vary.  Below, you'll

find tips on the different types of bikes available.

1.  Cross country

Almost all mountain bikes will fit into this category.

Cross country mountain bikes are light weight, making

them easy to ride over most terrains, even up and

down hills.  This is the most common mountain bike

and it can be used with ease for riding on the path

or even commuting.

2.  Downhill

These types of bikes are for serious bikers who

crave the ultimate adventure.  Downhill bikes have

front and rear suspension, strong parts, and disc

brakes.  Rarely available off the shelf, most riders

like to custom build their own.

3.  Trials

Trail mountain biking involves a great degree of

skill and is classified as the precision riding of

the sport.  Similar to downhill bikes, trial riders

will often build their own bikes rather than purchase

one off a shelf.  Generally very light and very

strong, these bikes require a lot of discipline.

4.  Jump and slalom

Slalom and jump bikes are very strong and designed

for jumping, street racing, and slalom.  They offer

a front suspension and use very strong components

dedicated to what they do.  These bikes are very

popular with the sport of mountain biking.

Even if you are new to mountain biking, the sport can

be a lot of fun.  There are several bikes to choose

from, all of which depend on your style.  If you are

still looking for the best style for you, all you

have to do is try out several bikes and see which one

suites you the best.

This can be a very important decision when you

are buying a mountain bike.  There are actually

two answers to the question of disc brakes or

rim brakes.

If you want better, more consistent brake performance

in all conditions, disc brakes are what you should

be choosing.  On the other hand, if you want the

lightest set up you can have and you are willing to

accept small variances in brake performance, or you

want the lowest price possible, rim brakes are

what you should be choosing.

Over the years, mountain bikes have gone through

many design changes.  They started out with the

original cantilever brakes, then went through the U

Brake years, and are now with V Brakes.  In most

conditions, the V Brakes seem to work well.

In wet or muddy conditions, rim brakes will perform

poorly.  Over time, they can wear right through the

side of your rim, causing the side of the rim to

blow right off. 

Disc brakes on the other hand have been around for

a long time in cars but weren't used on bikes much

until the late 1990's.  There were some issues in

the earlier models, although the cable actuated or

hydraulic brakes of today seem to work quite well.

In terms of performance, disc brakes seem to work

better than rim brakes, especially in wet or muddy

areas.  Disc brakes normally require less force

to apply and aren't effected by the rim or wheel

condition.

Cost is an issue, as disk brake systems tend to be

more expensive than rim brakes.  Mechanical or cable

actuated brakes are a closer match, although they

will still cost more.  Hydraulic brakes on the other

hand cost a lot more.

When you make that final choice, weight out the above

options then make your decision.  Some riders prefer

disc brakes, while others prefer rim brakes - making it

a matter of opinion.

The cost of a mountain bike frame is proportionate to

its material, as well as the treatment that material

has received.  Currently, there are five types of

material used in mountain bikes - high tensile steel,

chromoly steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon

fiber.  Oversized diameters, heat treating, and butting are

tubing material treatments that will increase the

cost of a frame as well.

High tensile steel

This is a very durable alloy that's found in lower

priced mountain bikes.  It offers a high carbon content

which makes it less stiff than chromoly steel, so

more materials are needed to make it stiff enough for

bicycle frames, which will in turn make it that much

heavier.

Relatively inexpensive to produce, you'll find this

material in trail bikes, city bikes, and even entry

level mountain bikes.  There are some bikes that come

with a chromoly seat tube, while the rest is high

tensile steel.

Chromoly steel

Short for steel alloy, chromoly is best described by

its major additives - chromium and molybdenum.  This

is probably the most refined framing material, giving

over 100 years of dependable service. 

Depending on the type of heat treating and butting,

you can find this material in bikes as low as 400

dollars all the way up to 1,500 and beyond.  The

chromoly steel material offers very good durability

and a compliant ride characteristic.

Aluminum

For the past 15 years, aluminum has been refined in

pretty much the same way as chromoly.  There have

been various alloys developed, as well as heat

treatment, oversizing, and butting.  With dual

suspension bikes, aluminum is the preferred material

as it's the stiffest and most cost effective.

Aluminum is stiffer than chromoly, and therefore it

will crack before chromoly.  Of course, this depends

on how you ride and how much abuse you give the frame.

The advantages of aluminum is that the frame is very

light and very stiff through oversizing or butting.

Titanium

Even thought it's somewhat exotic, the prices for

this material has come down over the last few years.

Frames made of titanium remain expensive because it

takes longer to weld the tubes to the frame.

Titanium is considered an alloy, normally mixed with

small amounts of vanadium and aluminum to give it

better weld ability and ride characteristics.  More

compliant than chromoly, it offers better fatigue

and corrosion properties. 

The material you choose for your bike, all depends

on where you ride and what style you use.  Almost

all materials will last you for years, as long as

you take care of your bike and treat the frame with

some respect.

The gears in mountain bikes just keep getting more

and more intricate.  The bikes of today have as many

as 27 gear ratios.  A mountain bike will use a

combination of three different sized sprockets in

front and nine in the back to produce gear ratios.

The idea behind all these gears is to allow the

rider to crank the pedals at a constant pace no

matter what kind of slope the bike is on.  You can

understand this better by picturing a bike with

just a single gear.  Each time you rotate the pedals

one turn, the rear wheel would rotate one turn

as well (1:1 gear ratio).

If the rear wheel is 26 inches in diameter, then

with 1:1 gearing, one full twist on the pedals

would result in the wheel covering 81.6 inches of

ground.  If you are pedaling at a speed of 50 RPM,

this means that the bike can cover over 340 feet of

ground per minute.  This is only 3.8 MPH, which

is the equivalence of walking speed.  This is ideal

for climbing a steep hill, although bad for ground

or going downhill.

To go faster you'll need a different ratio.  To

ride downhill at 25 MPH with a 50 RPM cadence at the

pedals, you'll need a 5.6:1 gear ratio.  A bike

with a lot of gears will give you a large number

of increments between a 1:1 gear ratio and a 6.5:1

gear ratio so that you can always pedal at 50 RPM,

no matter how fast you are actually going.

On a normal 27 speed mountain bike, six of the gear

ratios are so close to each other that you can't

notice any difference between them. 

With actual use, bike riders tend to choose a front

sprocket suitable for the slope they are riding on

and stick with it, although the front sprocket can

be difficult to shift under heavy load.  It's much

easier to shit between the gears on the rear.

If you are cranking up a hill, it's best to choose

the smallest sprocket on the front then shift

between the nine gears available on the rear.  The

more speeds you have on the back sprocket, the

bigger advantage you'll have.

All in all, gears are very important to mountain

bikes as they dictate your overall speed.  Without

gears you wouldn't be able to build speed nor would

you be able to pound pedals.  The gears will move

the pedals and help you build up speed. 

There are all types of gears available in mountain

bikes, all of which will help you build up a lot

of momentum if you use them the right way.

A mountain bike is a lot of fun although it does

require some maintenance.  You should always lube

your bike 15 hours or so before riding, as quick

jobs right before you take off normally doesn't

get everything lubed.  Some lube jobs will last

for more rides, although if things get loud or

shifting gets sticky, it's time to lube.

Here is how to lube your bike:

1.  The chain

Apply a generous amount of mountain bike lube to

your chain as you move the pedals around backwards.

It also helps to find a spot to steady your hand

such as the frame while you move the pedals around

and around.  Make sure you watch out for the cranks

and chain rings as they move around.

2.  Front Deraileur

On the front derailleur, lube the pivots.  Use a

spot of lube everywhere you can see movement when

you move the shift lever.

3.  Rear deraileur

Just like the front deraileur, lube the pivots. 

4.  Pedals

There are some types of clipless pedals that will

need to have the release mechanism lubed.  You

should only lube this mechanism if you have this

type of pedal.

5.  Everything into motion

Pedal around, shift your gears, and bounce your

bike around.  If you hear anything squeak, there's

a moving part there are it should be lubed

immediately.

6.  Wipe it all clean

Once you've lubed everything and wiped it all

around, simply wipe it all back off.  Use a rag

to wipe away all the lube you used, including all

the lube off the chain.  Wiping it away will leave

the lube in between the parts but clean it away

from everywhere it isn't needed.  This will keep

your bike from collecting dirt while you ride.

Once your mountain bike chain becomes damaged, you

should immediately replace it with a new one.  It

is possible however, to repair a broken chain using

a chain tool.  For this very reason, most mountain

bikers travel with a chain tool.

Your chain has three basic components - the metal

side plates, the rollers between the side plates,

and the rivets, or pins which go through the rollers

and help to hold the plates together.  These pins

allow the rollers to freely turn as the chain

moves around the cogs.

If your chain happens to break, you'll need to remove

the broken link and replace it with a spare link.

To do this, simply reattach the two ends of the

broken chain and ride on a shorter chain until you

can get it replaced. 

To remove a broken link of chain, place it in the

chain tool.  Now, turn the tool counter clockwise

until the rivet pin of the chain tool touches

the chain rivet.  Continue to turn the tool until

the pin pushes out of the roller.  Be very careful,

as you want to stop turning when the pin is right

at the edge of the roller, before it moves through

the outer side plate.

Now, turn the tool in the other direction, and back

it out of the roller.  Set the tool to the side,

then work the chain very gently from side to side

and extract the inner side plates and roller.

Now is the time to re-route the chain through the

bike.  You may want to have a chain retaining tool

or some to help you hold the chain in the right

spot as you route and repair it. 

Now that the broken link has been removed and

you've re-routed the chain, you're ready to insert

a new link or simply connect the links that were

beside the broken one.  The process here is the

same - align the two ends so that the link with

the inner side plates will fit inside the link

with the pin and outer side plates.  Now, use the

chain tool to push the pin inward until it's

positioned evenly between the side plates.

The easiest way to learn how to do this or feel

comfortable doing it is to have someone show you,

then actually practice with a chain and a chain

tool.  You'll have no trouble at all making a

temporary repair in a mountain bike chain once

you've seen it done by a professional and practiced

it yourself a few times.