Every sport has its accessories, and mountain biking is no different. But many of these accessories are designed to save, if not lives, then certainly unnecessary aches and pains.

There’s more to mountain biking than just getting a cool bike. Mountain biking can be a dangerous sport – as is any sport where you’re heading downhill at speed.

The younger generation has a tendency to think it is invincible, and so will not bother with the common sense safety gear that could save them from unnecessary bumps, bruises, cuts or breaks.

Bike helmet

The helmet is not really an “accessory,” is an essential part of the mountain biker’s gear. Make sure you purchase one which fits properly.

Eye protection

Second only to the helmet, eye protection such as goggles are a must. Going downhill at speed, it’s easy for your tires to kick up rocks or dirt that, if they get in your eyes, will blind you and cause you to run off the trail and into a tree, as often as not. Once you’ve got the helmet and eye protection out of the way, everything else can safely be classified as “accessories,” which would definitely be nice to have but are not mandatory.

Trail repair kit

Of these types of accessories, perhaps the most important is the trail repair kit. You may be able to ride your entire life on the streets of your city without getting a flat tire, but when you’re going cross country or down mountains, the chance of getting a flat tire rises exponentially. You don’t want to get stuck on the trail – so make sure you have a repair kit underneath your bike seat.

Gloves

It is more comfortable to ride any bike with gloves than without them. Mountain bike gloves ar specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions under which they’re used, and not only will they save you stress in just gripping the handlebars, but they’ll also prevent any nasty scrapes should you take a header.

Hydration system

A hydration backpack also fits the bill – all this is is a specially fitted backpack with liquid of your choice in various containers, fitted so that they feel almost weightless.

Shoes

For many types of biking, your average tennis shoe will work just fine. But for mountain biking, shoes made specifically for the sport are pretty nice to have. You want them to be comfortable, durable, and suited to t heir purpose – which is to keep your feet safe and injury free while you ride. They come with stiff soles for better efficiency while pedaling, and you can get them for clip or clipless pedals.

Shorts

Padded shorts are a must for any type of biking! It increases the comfort of the ride no end (along with a gel-filled saddle!).

Also, check out my other guide on mountain bike parts and bike parts accessories.

Executive Summary about Mountain Bike Tires By Alastair Hamilton

Bike tires, unlike car tires, lose their pressure on a daily basis, so its necessary to check their pressure daily and reinflate when necessary.

A few days ago, I was driving happily along the highway, heading home from a run to a bookstore. A passing motorist honked at me and then pointed toward my car as if there were something wrong with it. My mind being what it is, as soon as I pulled into the driveway I forgot all about the reason why I had been driving slowly for the last ten minutes, and just walked into the house.

The next day, I got into the car and had driven out of my apartment parking lot toward the access road for the main drag, before remembering that there was supposedly something wrong with one of the tires. So I returned to the parking lot, got out, and looked at my tires. The rear left was as flat as a pancake.

I couldn’t have driven home with it like that – it surely would have effected the handling of the car. So yesterday the tire must simply have been low, and continued going flat over night.

My dad, who had witnessed my return, asked me if I didn’t check the tires before I got behind the wheel every single time, and I confessed that I didn’t. I’ve been driving for years and years and never had a flat tire before, so why bother?

But I learned my lesson from that little incident, and now I take a few seconds and check the tires before leaving.

The more so because I have had a couple of flat tires with that bike over the five years that I’ve owned it.

Tire pressure is important for cars, because if a tire blows while the car is traveling at high speed that’s a heavy piece of machinery that will go out of control. But it’s just as important for bicyclists, because since you have to use your own power to muscle along the bike, flat tires will effect your ride from the very beginning. And if you’re far away from home when the tire gives up the ghost, you could find yourself with a long walk home.

There’s no difficulty in knowing how many pounds of pressure need to be put into your bike tires – the manufacturer puts those specifications on the side of each tire. Get yourself a tire gauge and always use it when you inflate your tires. With a tire inflated to the correct pressure, your ride will be as smooth as the quality of your frame will allow it. If your tires aren’t inflated enough it increases the chance of getting a flat tire, but more importantly makes it harder to pedal. Too high of pressure will strain the tire itself, not to mention making the ride too bumpy to be comfortable.

Bike tires lose their pressure on a regular basis, so before starting out on your ride, always squeeze both front and back tires to ensure that they are hard. Mountain bikers do like their tires “mushier” than other bikers, and if that applies to you just become familiar with what the appropriate tire pressure for you looks and feels like.

May be you wanna read about mountain bike parts and mountain bike frame

By Tony Brian

Cycling is a popular outdoor sport for a variety of reasons. One of the most compelling is that it is one of the more versatile activities around. It can be used as a fun approach to fitness or simply for transportation. There are cycling races and kids riding their bikes around the block. Mountain biking is probably one of the most exciting and common uses of the bicycle though. For that reason you’ll notice dozens of different styles and building materials used in mountain bikes.

Since the invention of the first bicycle in the early 19th century in Germany, bicycles have evolved and changed constantly. That first bike was made from a loose wooden frame and two loose wheels supporting the frame. Leather covered the frame for comfort’s sake until much later in the century when tubular steel frames began to appear.

Because steel is so heavy, these bicycles were hard to control, regardless of how much stronger they were. Today you can find older bicycles with steel frames or steel parts. For the most part though, bicycles are made from lightweight metals like aluminum. The lighter and stronger a bike frame is, the more expensive it tends to be.

The kinds of materials you ultimately decide to use for your bicycle largely depend on what you’ll be using your bike for. A mountain biking frame is considerably different from a standard road bicycle. It needs to be more durable and able to withstand harsher conditions.

Steel frames are rare but not unheard of. You’ll often find frames with steel reinforcement in this day and age because of its strength and ability to withstand a crash. Steel is also easier to work with than many other metals. For those building their own bikes or having one built, the materials are cheaper as well as less prone to breaking.

For lightweight bike frames, aluminum is great but it also comes with its own set of problems. Aluminum is very malleable, meaning it can easily crumple under harsh conditions. Mountain bikers would be wary of any aluminum framed bikes lest they snap or bend in a crash or from hitting a rock or tree.

Titanium however, is the most popular option around because it manages to find a happy medium between strength and weight. It shines naturally, so your bike will look beautiful without constant cleaning and though it is the most expensive of the three metals listed, it is incredibly strong and durable, meaning you won’t need to worry about a pretzeled bike after a crash.

One other common material used in bike frames is that of carbon fiber. For a long time used for car bodies and boats, carbon fiber is a fairly strong substance with a lot of weight bearing capacity. However, in terms of price, carbon fiber is the most expensive substance you could build a bike from and is often only seen used for professional level bicycles.

For anyone looking to build or purchase a custom built bike, understanding the materials used to build a bike is vital. Knowing the price of your materials along with the durability and strength of those materials in the case of a crash is also important, but you don’t want to get stuck hefting around a 40 pound bike. Bikes range widely in size and materials. It’s merely a matter of what you need it for.

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Executive Summary about Mountain Bike Helmets By Sue Knaup

Today’s Mountain bike helmet promotions and laws hold an alarming resemblance to the pronouncements used by the bloodletters. Myths about helmets charm countries most where bicycling is not commonplace.

The most common bit of jargon of them all is that “cycle helmets prevent 85% of head injuries and 88% of brain injuries” when in fact, where helmet use is high, there has been no detectable reduction in head injuries.

Helmet rhetoric that sets bicycling out as far more dangerous than it is, is the greatest hindrance to programs for increasing bicycling. Mandatory helmet laws often follow the spread of Mountain bike helmet rhetoric, adding the weight of the law to the idea that bicycling is more dangerous than any other form of transportation.

Helmet laws also present another barrier to potential cyclists who already see many barriers to starting cycling. Mountain bike helmets can be a good choice for someone concerned about minor head injuries as long as they understand their helmet’s limitations for preventing major head injuries, not unlike choosing to wear knee pads and gloves.

However, some studies have shown that helmeted bicyclists take more risks than those not wearing a helmet (Pless IB, Magdalinos H, Hagel B. 2006). Let’s replace our helmets with thinking caps.

Mountain Bike Helmets – From Foam to Carbon Fiber

Executive Summary about Mountain Bike Helmets By Victor Epand

mountain-bike-helmets

When I was young, I had some very strong objections to wearing my Mountain bike helmet. Despite my numerous complaints, my parents refused to let me ride my bicycle without my helmet. This surge in popularity led to the development of the first modern Mountain bike helmets. The shells of these bicycles helmets were of hard polycarbonate plastic.

This kind of helmet consisted of a very thin shell incorporated into the helmet during the molding process. Since the invention of in-mold microshell helmets, designers have continued to refine the shape and capabilities of Mountain bike helmets.

Early Mountain bike helmets had thick pads that cradled the head, but modern helmets can be adjusted to fit the cyclist’s head precisely, making such pads unnecessary. Additionally, some more advanced helmet models feature carbon fiber inserts that increase the helmet’s strength and protection capacity.

You may want to check out my other guide on mountain bike parts and mountain bike reviews.

Go to : Giro Indicator Sport Bike Helmet

Executive Summary about Mountain Bike Parts By Andrew Caxton

All mountain biking enthusiasts find great thrill in mountain biking and the factors which make a mountain biking activity extremely enjoyable and exciting are mostly common. Important mountain bike parts – Wheels, Tires, Brakes, Pedals, Suspension and Saddles.

mountain bike part brake pads

Certain mountain bike parts are extremely important and can directly impact your riding experience and fun. Wheels, brakes, tires, seat saddles, pedals and suspension saddles are a few such important parts. Tires thereby impact the quality of your ride. Compared to the past, the range of mountain bike parts today is really wide, all you need is patience to sort and compare various qualities and prices of mountain bike parts to get the parts of your choice.

As a result a lot of mountain bike part manufacturers are flocking towards this market and offering mountain bikers a choice in variety, quality, cost and much improved mountain bike parts.

How To Choose A Mountain Bike That More Fits With Your Needs

V-brakes and Rapid-fire gear shifters, along with Shimano chain set, bottom bracket and headset. More Money, More Bike.The next rung up on the mountain bike ladder would be good enough to race on. Top Bikes, Top Money.

As with road bike at the top of the range, you can specify what you want to build up your dream bike. Top bikes frames to spend your money on could be Klien, Scott, Rocky Mountain, Gary Fisher, Santa Cruz and K2; these are some of the most sought after bike frames in the world and would be the envy of your friends.

Carbon handle bars, stem and seat pin and a light weight race saddle and Time or Shimano SPD clipless pedals, then your choice of tires will depend on what terrain and ground conditions you are going to ride on.

You may want to check out my other guide on Cycling Mountain Bikes and Mountain Bike Suspension.