Dual Suspension Mountain Bike

Dual suspension mountain bike has become more popular. This is due to the fact that modifications have been made with this system to minimize the loss of mobility and speed due to the added weight of the system. Also, with a dual-suspension mountain bike there is a substantial difference in the traction afforded to the rear wheel which adds to the enjoyment or competitive edge of mountain biking. In addition, there is more shock absorption afforded to the rider. This not only produces less wear and tear on the biker, but helps to conserve the individual’s strength.
With suspension at both ends, you want your weight more to the middle of the bike so that your body mass is evenly distributed between the front and rear suspension units, allowing the front and rear suspension to work together. This is done quite easily by using either a higher and/or shorter stem, and/or a “riser” handlebar, and/or a taller “stack height” (taller steerer on threadless forks) to raise the hand height, which will move the upper body up and weight rearward. The total increase in rise should be no more than two inches (50 millimeters), and decrease in reach should be no more than two inches.

Mountain Biking for Beginners

The beginners of mountain bicycles face many hard things at the starting stage. Learning the various techniques that are needed to master the most challenging trails can take years….but some master these techniques in a short amount of time. It all comes down to how much time you have to put into the sport, where you are getting your information from – and how hard headed you are!

If you seriously want to become a master at mountain biking, stop and take stock of what you have to work with, and what you do. Do you just get out and ride? It will take more than that – unfortunately. Start by reading as much as you can read about the sport. Get your hands on as many instructional videos as you can find. Start learning! Talk to other mountain bikers who have more experience – learn from their mistakes. Not everyone will know what they are talking about – so be careful here. Talk to as many real experts as you can.

There are various mountain bicycle courses that are offered, but finding a good hands-on course isn’t easy – and the chances of finding one near where you live are slim. Be prepared to spend some money – but if you want to jump start your mountain biking skills, a mountain bike course will do the trick!

Mountain biking for beginners should start at the beginning. You probably have friends who you want to ride with, and those friends probably have more advanced skills than you have. The trails that they ride are not for you at this point – and the trails that you ride in the beginning will most likely bore them. You have to be willing to take the easier trails when your friends take the harder trails – and in many cases, you have to be willing to take those trails alone. These beginner trails will help you improve your techniques, at your own pace. Before you know it, you will be joining your friends on the harder trails – and you might even pass them by!

Road Bike - Beginner Tips

Road bikes are much different than regular bikes. Road bikes tend to have a more upright shape and a shorter wheelbase, which make the bike more mobile but harder to ride slowly. The design, coupled with low or dropped handlebars, requires the rider to bend forward more, which reduces air resistance at high speed. How do you avoid wrecking it? Here's how:

First, take your road bike with the kickstand down, and climb onto it.

Then kick the kickstand up, and start pedaling, having a friend steady you if necessary.

After you've mastered riding straight, try doing circles, shifting gears, and riding up and down hills. You're now road-ready, try riding on public roads, be gracious to cars, 97% of the biking accidents are the car's fault, they're the ones who hit you, not vice versa.

Warnings

Remember to always wear your helmet.

Biking gloves are another good accessory to prevent sore hands.

Road bike tires are meant for flat, smooth pavement only! Do not ride them off-road, jump curbs, or over obstacles such as sticks and rocks. Doing this may result in a flat tire.