Cool Biking Zone

Mountain Biking Fun

By Alastair Hamilton

Mountain bikes can open up an entirely new world to you. There are paths and trails all over the world that you can explore from the back of your mountain bike.

The popularity of mountain bikes and mountain biking has greatly increased over the last ten years. This is somewhat due to the increased interest in the X games, which features the sport of mountain biking. Millions of fans of all ages enjoy watching a participating in this sport of mountain bikes. It is an adventurous exhilarating sport that can be quite dangerous, but it doesn’t stop the millions of people from starting riding mountain bikes each and every year.

Mountain bikes have come a long way in design and style. The mountain bike manufacturers are continuing to improve the mountain bikes both technologically and style-wise. Some of the new designs have 27 gears and with the technological advances, it has become easier to change these gears. Hydraulic disc brakes and front and rear suspension systems are also a new advance for many different manufacturers of mountain bikes.

Some people in our country spend every spare minute that they can on their mountain bikes. They enjoy the fact that they can get both exercise and a bit of nature on a mountain bike ride. In California, for example, mountain biking is very popular due to the beautiful scenery and the large number or biking trails.

If you want to see some different scenery, then why not consider one of the many tours or vacations that you can take on mountain bikes? There are a great number of different sites online that can help you to find the areas that you may want to visit. You will have a great deal of fun seeing different countries and cultures on the back of your mountain bike.

Mountain bike riders are always searching for improvements for their mountain bikes. They may want to make their bike go faster or they may want it to be more comfortable or controllable. Mountain bikers are always looking for ways to make their bike the best. The good news is that it can be done comparatively easy, just by visiting your local or online bike shops.

A new seat or saddle is one thing that you can choose to help make your mountain bike more comfortable to ride. There are a great deal of different seat designs, so you are sure to find one that fits your particular body and needs. There are seats made just for a woman’s body and there are seats that help to take the pressure off of the prostate on men. Depending upon your needs, you are sure to find the right saddle for you bike, which will help you to enjoy your mountain biking even more.

If you are any kind of mountain biker, then you know that what terrain you are riding on dictates the kind of tire treads that you need. Using the right tires with the right tread will help you to better control your bike no matter where you want to go biking. You may also want to consider V-type brakes if you are going to need to be able to stop quickly and easily.

Two things that are very important on mountain bikes is a good suspension system and shocks. If you do not have these two things, then you may find that your body may be very sore due to the bumps of riding. The suspension and shocks can help absorb some of the friction, to help you enjoy your mountain biking even more. Your local bike shop will be able to help you find any of these parts that you need or want for your mountain bikes.

–About–

Alastair Hamilton is a freelance writer for http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com . For additional information on reviews or mountain bikes subjects have a look at his web.
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Add comment May 19th, 2007

Skateboards, Skills And Riders

By Dana Bradley

A skate park is nothing neither more nor less than an athletic facility specifically for skateboarders, in-line skaters, and freestyle BMX riders. There are at least 533 in the US. California, with sixty-eight, has more than any other state; Colorado comes in as second with twenty-six, and Florida with twenty-five. So what does a skatepark offer? Most importantly, it offers a place for skateboarders to meet, perform their skills, and relax in a safe environment.

Most offer a variety of surfaces for different skill levels, from a kiddie course, through a main street course, to a vertical ramp and bowl for the most skilled. Usually, a skatepark needs between 18,000 and 25,000 square feet in order to meet all skill levels. In beginner areas, individuals with limited or even no experience can practice out of the way of intermediate and advanced skaters; the beginner areas can feature small hips, moguls, banks, curbs, and rail slides.

The skatepark designers’ association recommends that parks include street elements such as ledges, stairs, and rails familiar to non-skaters, to allow skaters to practice in safety. Not only will a place to skate, skateparks offer modestly-priced lessons to give students back information, skateboarding techniques, and safety gear. Skateparks are reused facilities, in that municipalities frequently develop skateparks from unused basketball, tennis court, or parking lots. In developing new skateparks from old facilities, architects are counseled to follow the ten quick rules for design, which are simplicity, smoothness of surface, no kinks, flatbottom, no overcrowding, pushing room, no ledges over your bellybutton, edges that grind, pumpable hips, and lights.

While some of these are clear, others require a bit more explication. Any skatepark needs flat bottom between obstacles, since skateboarders generate speed by pumping up and down transitions; maximum flatbottom allows more skateboarders to skate at the same time without collisions. Any wall, bank, or skate able pool’s edges must be hard and grind able; a slightly protruding edge allows a skater to feel where they are. Street elements—curbs, blocks, and walls—should be included in every skate park’s design.

There are two ways to accomplish transitions between flatbottom and included surfaces; either round, with a perfect radius, or banked, with a tighter transition curve; the wall’s height determines the transition, but the angle should never exceed 50 degrees. Skateboard parks offer safety. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that more than 15,600 people a year require hospital emergency room treatments for skateboard-related injuries.

More than half the injuries are caused by falls due to irregular riding surfaces. Wrist injuries lead, followed by sprains and fractures. A third of the injuries are sustained by those who have been skateboarding for less than a week. The best advice that the National Safety Council can offer is, ‘wear your protective gear,’ ‘learn how to fall,’ ‘use your skateboard properly,’ and ‘head to the skatepark.’

–About–

Dana Bradley writes about Wheeled Footwear discounts and FogDogSports online coupons
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Add comment May 19th, 2007

Mountain Bike Suspension Works Well On Trails

By David Marc Fishman

Regular bikes compared to mountain bikes may have a smoother ride and are slower and heavier but are great for riding on the street. You can find information about mountain biking online or in magazines; they are geared toward beginners or professionals. Mountain biking is not really thought of as exercising but it is a great way to burn many calories.

If your interested are off-road you will need bike that can handle the terrain so you will need some big treads and a good suspension to handle the bumps and holes so get a good mountain bike, if you are just riding for fun then a regular bike will do. There are so many different styles of mountain bikes so when you are looking to purchase one make sure it fits the terrain you will be taking it on and make sure it fits your riding style. If you are going to be rough on your bike and plan on going through gravel, dirt and jumping off hills you definitely need a mountain bike.

The chassis on a mountain bike is sometimes referred to as the skeleton, this is a term that refers to the fork, frame and suspension and is looked at as one unit. Mountain bikes are equipped with knobby tires, large number of gears and handle bars that are wider; they also include shocks and a much stronger suspension. You can choose from many different suspensions on your bike, make sure the suspension you choose is going to fit the type of cycling you intend for it. These used to be the most common kind of mountain bike but they are rapidly being replaced by the more comfortable models which feature some sort of suspension system. They have had front suspension on bikes for a while now; the rear suspensions have just come into the market place, it took longer because of all of the design complexities.

Of course, there are many other things to consider when purchasing a mountain bike, but for the beginner, it’s best to just narrow it down to how much you want to spend and what kind of suspension you’re going to want.

If you want to ride your mountain bikes look for trails that are suited for mountain bikes. If you don’t have any trails or jumps, you can build them.

When you first try the toe clip style of pedal you might want to spend some time getting use to it, it will take some practice. Getting a feel for your pedals while first sitting on your bike, keep one foot on the ground and practice moving your foot away from the pedal.

If you have clip less foot pedals or toe clips, you will want to practice this quite a bit. Turn your bike upside down, move the pedals and shift gears. The pedals can also use a regular application of lubricant.

The purchase of your helmet should be at least as important as buying your bike. About 90 percent of the people riding can reduce head trauma just by wearing a helmet. Cost shouldn’t be a factor as a good helmet can be acquired for around $25-$45.

–About–

George Water and David Marc Fishman are the owners of auction Priceriot is a new online auction where prices drop as people shop for discounts
Source: PositiveArticles.Com

Add comment May 16th, 2007

Health is Wealth - Mountain biking

Beginner Mountain Bike Skills
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.

Cross Country Mountain Biking
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, hardtails, 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 onsiderable. 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 bkes 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.

–About–

Courtesy of lkhwealth - http://show–me.com/?i=99911/artsub
Source: WomensArticles.com

Add comment May 15th, 2007

Travel To Lake Louise - Vacation Capital Of Canada

If you’re looking for a vacation getaway in North America with some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world, a place where you can see unspoiled wilderness and wildlife during the day, hike, bike, or fish, and then be pampered with a massage, facial, or body treatment, and enjoy a “high tea” in the afternoon, then consider traveling to the Chateau Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockie Mountains.

A two hour drive from Calgary, situated on the bank of Lake Louise a vacation at the Chateau Lake Louise will have you thinking that you’re actually vacationing in a Swiss Chalet. Personalized service is the key here, any wish will be granted. The Chateau offers a spa and health club, with an indoor pool. There are at least six dining room serving hamburgers to Alberta beef tenderloin with black truffle potato gratin, and everything in between.

Travel here any time of the year. During Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter, Lake Louise has something to offer everyone. Canoeing, hiking, mountain biking, fly-fishing, and horseback riding are just some of the outdoor activities offered in Spring. For winter travel there is downhill skiing, heli skiing and plenty of cross country skiing. Lake Louise is one of Canada’s largest ski areas with a 3,250 ft. vertical drop. A 40 minute ride will have you to the Sunshine Ski Area which boasts the longest ski season in Canada. Shuttles run between the Chateau and the ski area.

If you’re the adventurous type you might want to travel through the Banff National Park area. The Bow Valley Parkway is a scenic route that parallels Highway 1 between Banff and Lake Louise. On this lovely and winding drive you could easily see a lot of different wildlife, wolves, elk, mountain goat and moose. Banff is also the home of The Cave and Basin National Historic Site where the first hot springs were discovered. Also not to be missed is the Sulphur Mountain Gondola which will give you an eagle’s eye view of Banff atop of Sulphur Mountain - don’t forget your camera!

–About–

This article provided courtesy of www.lake-louise-guide.com
Source: ArticleTrader.com

Add comment May 13th, 2007

Spin it!

By: Lanny Schaffer

Some call it tormenting, while others call it exhilarating. There no denying, however, the great popularity of spinning or indoor cycling classes. These classes differ from the usual boring stationary cycling when the instructor takes participants on a virtual outdoor road race with hills, valleys, flat roads and finish lines. Before you jump into a spinning classe there are a few questions you should ask your self and a few precautions so your first ride is a smooth one.

What kind of shape am I in? Indoor cycling is often portrayed as an activity even the most incoordinated can perform, but no so! The intensity levels of many classes is

way beyond what a beginner or a part time exerciser could handle. It’s important you are in very good cardiovascular condition and listen carefully to your body during exercise before undertaking indoor cycling.

If you’re not quite ready now, you could be in the near future. Try some cycle specific training such as interval training on the stationary bike. Interval training means alternating hard and recovery segments such as one minute hard and two minute recovery. This will more closely resemble a spinning class versus steady state (one speed) cycling.

Studies have shown that indoor cycling participants regularly show perceived exertion ratings in the high teens. Perceived exertion is a scale from 6-20 where you rate how hard you feel your body is working. Ratings this high are not normal and can be attributed to two things. First spinners are a “hardcore” group. They simply like to push it to the limit. Second, instructors may also have this attitude and over push their students into the higher ratings.

After a few weeks of your stationary cycling training you’ll be ready for you first class. If you club has a beginner class by all means start there. Here’s a few tips you’ll need to make your first cycling class a positive one;

* Bring a full bottle of water or even better a sports drink which replaces electrolytes. If you are worried about calories dilute it half and half.

* Purchase a proper pair of bike shorts, preferably padded, like the outdoor riders wear. This adds ions of comfort.

* Get full instructions about seat height from your instructor. On the upstroke the knee should not go above hip level. On the downstroke it should be about 85% straight.

* Concentrate on exercising at you own pace. Even though the group may be going fast and furious and the instructor is yelling “faster RPM” or “don’t sit down” remember you always have the ability to drop the tension, slow down the cadence etc…

Are you already in shape for indoor cycling? Then get you gear together an experience one of the toughest workouts around. Still need a little time to get ready? Work that stationary bike and remember you have control over how hard you work and there’s no rush.

–About–
Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and the President of The International Fitness Academy. For more savvy fitness ideas go to http//:www.aerobics-exercise-coach.com
Source: ArticleTrader.com

Add comment May 11th, 2007

Using Mountain Bike Lights

By Alastair Hamilton

Lights can be a wonderful tool for mountain biking, especially if you enjoy biking in the darker hours. Children find them functional for biking to school as well.

Whether you are a weekend cyclist or a professional mountain biker, you are sure to find that at some time or another, bike lights have come in handy. They help to keep you safe on your ride by alerting motorists to your presence. There are many different mountain bike lights that you can find at your local or online bike shop, so you need to determine your needs before you buy the bike lights for your mounting bike.

What kind of mountain biker are you? Are you just a weekend rider or are you a long distance biker? If you only ride your mountain bike on the weekend every now and then, you may not need bicycle lights, because you may only ride during the daylight hours. If you are a long-distance biker, then you may need bike lights because you may find that you are biking during times where it is dark. You want to choose a bike light for your mountain bike that is lightweight, easy to install, and shines light directly on your path so that you can find your way.

A large selection of mountain bike lights can be found online for you to choose from. This is a great way to compare prices and features to find the right bike lights for you and your needs. In most cases, the prices are about the same and you will get your bike lights within a week or so.

The local bike shop is another great place to look for mountain bike lights. Their prices may be a little higher than online shops, but you will at least get to look closely at the bike lights to help you find the one that you want and need. If you are trying to decide between several different kinds, then this may be the option that you want to choose.

Millions of people get a great deal of enjoyment from riding mountain bikes. There are even some enthusiasts that enjoy riding at nighttime. This means that they need a bike light for essential purposes to keep themselves from harm on the trails or paths. LED bike lights are one of the most common and durable lights that you can choose if you enjoy riding treacherous terrain when it is dark.

The protection and safety of the biker is the main purpose of mountain bike lights, but they may be even more important for children. Children who ride their bikes to school may benefit from the use of a mountain bike light for both their safety and so that motorists can see them.

Americans really enjoy cycling of all different types. It is not that difficult to find accessories for all different kinds of bikes-from mountain bikes to cruisers. There are a great deal of shops both online and offline to help you find exactly what you want and need for your bicycling.

There is a big price range in mountain bike lights. You can spend up to $500 or so for a light if you so choose. Set a budget and evaluate your needs to ensure that you are getting the best price for your budget and riding style.

Alastair Hamilton is the author of more resources published at http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com . You can find more information and resources on Mountain Bike at his website.
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Add comment May 6th, 2007

Mountain Bikes and Gear

By Alastair Hamilton

Purchasing useful gear for mountain biking is essential to making your bicycling more fun and enjoyable. You can find this mountain bike gear at your local bike shop or on biking websites. There are all different kinds of gear available from guards for every part of the body imaginable to full body armor to more common items, like apparel, helmets, and gloves. Most shops do business with a variety of different bikers with all different kinds of experience, so you should be able to find anything that you are looking for.

Most of the protective gear was created more for the downhill and mountain racing enthusiasts. There are many different pieces that are made to withstand the roughness of mountain biking and keep your body as safe as possible. This gear is specially made to keep you safe without taking away the enjoyment of the experience.

The most important thing that you will need to purchase is a helmet. They can help you stay alive, especially when you are zooming down the mountain or hill at a high rate of speed. All races require helmets to help keep riders safe from head injuries. Gloves can help you’re your hands in good shape and can give you a better handlebar grip as well.

The clothes that you wear is very important in any kind of biking. The majority of mountain bike races are held during the summer, which would mean that shorts, sneakers, and t-shirts are very common, but in the cooler months, then you may want to layer vests, sweatshirts, or pants to help keep yourself comfortable. There are many companies that specialize in comfortable apparel for mountain biking.

There are many varieties of mountain bike equipment. You can find all different kinds of apparel, bikes, components, frames, and accessories for mountain biking fun. It is important to have an idea of what you want before you visit the store, so that you can make the most of your time and money. Consider what kind of biking that you enjoy and how often that you are going to be doing it to help determine what you absolutely need and want.

Due to the increased popularity of mountain biking, many companies are putting out new equipment each and every day. That is why it is important to do your research so that you can see what technology is important to you and which is not. Some bicycles come with as many as 27 gears, hydraulic brakes, etc., and having an idea of what you desire can make a big difference in your search.

Alastair Hamilton is the editor of different articles published at http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com , with reference to clothing and accessories . Find more publications about mountain bike at his website.
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Add comment May 6th, 2007