Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclocross Race #1 Candlestick Point San Francisco, CA Oct 2011 There was a lot of good racing and very friendly people all around! Great fun! Special thanks to Team Roaring Mouse who made this filming possible, and to Alex Abbas for the action photos of my Scarab quadcopters. Music is by Epic Soul Factory Volume 1 Thanks for watching!
Read MoreFrom touring to off-road riding to track riding to cyclo-riding to recreational biking, there are almost as many different styles of riding as there are bikes. The following is a discussion of three of the most popular styles of biking today.
Street/Urban Riding
Street/Urban riding is when you bike through urban areas, ride on ledges and other man-made obstacles. Some riders execute tricks as well as stalls and grinds. Hybrid bikes, sometimes called city bikes, are typically used for street/urban riding. Hybrid bikes are a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. Most have front suspension with wide comfortable seats and upright handlebars.
Free Riding
The essence of free riding has it origins on the shores of British Columbia. As some free riders have explained it, free riding is more than just riding, it’s about riding with your friends and doing things on your bike that push the limits of both yourself and your bike. It’s not about being the fastest or coming up with a new trick. Rather, it’s about being totally free on your bike. Free riding is different for everyone. Essentially, when you ride for pure enjoyment, do your own thing, in your own way, that’s free riding–making it more of a mindset than a structured style of riding. For example, you could free ride downhill, cross-country or down the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.
Many free ride bikes closely resemble downhill bikes and weigh as much, although they are usually designed to be easier to pedal. Free ride bikes should be in the 30 to upper 50 pound range, have a steeper angled frame in order to make maneuvering on narrow obstacles possible, and be built from stronger, heavier materials.
Downhill Mountain Biking
If you think downhill biking is all about kicking back, stretching your arms and cruising at a leisurely pace, think again. Even though it’s all downhill, biking down a mountain demands concentration, quick reflexes and bike-handling skills much different than free riding or city riding. It’s also a blast! Downhill mountain biking races involve race courses that are designed for riders to speed down while navigating huge jumps, obstacles and more. It’s very similar to motor cross racing.
While it’s true that all bikes go downhill, bikes that provide the optimum ride for Downhill Mountain Biking have what is called full suspension. This means that the front and rear of the frame are equipped with shock absorbers.
If you are wanting to get serious about cycling you need to make sure you are in top shape. Exercise is only one part of the equation make sure you are eating properly and use a system like nutrisystem coupons to help you control it.
Read MoreQuestion: What are the best mountain biking clubs in Yorkshire UK?
I love mountain biking and im ready to start competing. Any ideas which are the best clubs to start ‘newbie’ racing? Thanks
Answer:
Answer by Sofa King
Go to your local bicycle store and ask them.
This is the unedited video of my race at the Weekly Race Series Sundance XC mountain bike race at Sundance, Utah, on May 25, 2011. We raced the Archies Loop course. My category did 2 laps for a total of about 11.5 miles and about 1430 feet of climbing. Due to some problems with my bike, I got to the starting line a little while after my group had left, so I spent the race catching as many of them as I could. utahmountainbiking.com www.weeklyraceseries.com Filmed by Ian Beaty
Read MoreTo increase your enjoyment of mountain biking, the right shoe is essential. A shoe designed specifically for the mountain biker is the way to go. Mountain bike shoes come in a variety of prices, from the inexpensive $70 range, up to over $400. The amount of money you pay depends entirely on whether or not you are a casual, once-a-month rider, a serious hobbyist, or someone who competes in races – either amateur or professional.
What is it about mountain bike shoes that make them a) important to have and b) so expensive?
Shoes designed specifically for cycling have stiff soles, which helps the cyclist in transferring the power from his legs and feet to the pedals and thence to the chain for greater speed. Since the road cyclist is expected to be on his or her bike at all times without having to do a great deal of walking, they normally have a protruding cleat which slots into the recess on their pedals.
A protruding cleat would be of no use to the mountain biker, who quite frequently has to get off the bike and wheel or carry it around obstacles. So mountain bike shoes have recessed cleats, that won’t interfere with walking, and aren’t made with a totally rigid sole, but one that will give just a little bit.
There are dozens of mountain biking shoes on the market. Men will find a wider variety of designs then women, nevertheless there are quite a few styles designed specifically for the smaller foot of the average woman.
What makes the mountain bike shoe so important?
The occasional biker usually doesn’t bother with toe clips or clipless pedals….they just hop on their bike and they’re away. However, the serious cyclist wants to get all the power he or she can out of a pedaling, and with the shoe firmly attached to the pedal – either with a toeclip or by a cleat, the cyclist can pull upward on the pedal as well as simultaneously pushing downward on the other pedal, which increases the speed of the bike.
What makes the mountain bike shoe so expensive?
Well, as with any shoe, the price comes down to what the shoe is made of. The lighter the shoe is, the better for the racer. But, lightness comes expensive. Carbon fiber soles are the lightest soles on the market – carbon fiber is more expensive to produce than injection-molded plastic, or plastic and fiberglass.
However, the average rider should be able to get a pair of mountain biking shoes for less than a hundred dollars.
Hey and if money is an issue make sure you search for a discount coupon and find a site like 123inkjets coupon. Just search google for something like “cycling shoes coupon”.
Read MoreQuestion: This is about cyclocross?
this a question about cycllocross and psychology. Im trying to get my mom to try cyclocross she is 40 years old and things she will make a fool of herself and wont be good at it. My whole family races cyclocross and we all love especially me and my dad. How should I convince her try cyclocross?
Answer:
Answer by M V
Why force the woman to do something she doesnt want to do ? I presume she watches you guys at races and sees what is involved……if she doesnt wanna, you must respect that.
Question: cyclocross with toe clips?
Is it okay to ride cross with toe clips? I’ve ridden fixed gear and single speed bikes for quite awhile now and have never used clipless pedals.
Is it okay to use toe clips on a cyclocross bike? Are their any disadvantages?
Answer:
Answer by rhodetryp21
I don’t ride with toe clips, I use clipless and I love them.
I think you need time to get into the toe clips, and from what I understand of cyclocross, then you would probably want something that you can clip into quickly.
If you are comfortable with those and can use them quickly, then stick with what you know.
Pedals like egg beaters are so easy to clip in and out of, that they work faster for the quick transitions in cross racing.
Question: aluminum cyclocross bike?
I am thinking of buying an aluminum cyclocross bike. I currently ride a Reynolds 853 steel road bike. My concern is the reputation of aluminum having an unforgiving ride. I don’t mind the stiffness, just the vibration. Would the fatter tires (32c) cancel out the high frequency vibrations and take the edge off of the hard thumps? Thanks
Answer:
Answer by M R
Yes bigger tires do help. And if you do buy a carbon fork it will help as well.
Question: MOTOBECANE BIKES, does anybody have an opinion about these bikes? i’m shopping for cyclocross bike, thanks?
seems like a lot of bikes are probably flying out of the same taiwanese factory, seems that you can only get these bikes online, any info appreciated
Answer:
Answer by Bungholio
I’ve had two, a Super Mirage roadie and a 600HT. Decent bikes, but still made in Taiwan.
