Posts Tagged ‘Gear Ratio’

Mountain biking on adventure tour: Guide and tips Saturday, November 21st, 2009

People who love sports usually can’t resist mountain biking. The sport is considered to be most adventurous and also provides an amazing back country experience. The tour is enjoyable especially if you have taken good experience in bike riding.

If you have already had a pedaling experience on an exercise bike, you would enjoy your tour. It is time to carry some maps and go ahead with your challenging expedition. The outdoor game will get you acquainted with the nature and also help you stay fit and also in good shape. You would simply love racing down the mountain. It may seem to be a dangerous game but the thrill would allure towards it to experience more.

North America has some of the best locations for mountain biking. If you have already decided to go for mountain biking, you should follow certain tips in order to make sure that you remain safe during the whole journey. You need to get into the game with caution.

a) You should always carry good reliable and accurate location maps so as to avoid confusion. Maps prove to be a good source of relief and help during any kind of inconvenience and confusion during the journey.
b) It is extremely important to check the fuel tank and air pressure in your car tyres. Also check if the clutch plates, brakes, gears, engines are working well and arranged in good order.
c) A valid license will let you enjoy the trip. It is a proof of your valuable experience in this field.
d) There are certain essential skills you require to possess. You need to get familiar with “technical single track” if you are keen on riding. This kind of a tour is usually meant for experience holding mountain bikers who possess the skills to handle things such as light turns, obstacle –strewn paths, stream crossings and rock ledges.
e) Your bikes should possess a good low-gear ratio like the 22×3 or bottom gear such as 24×28. Make sure that your rental bike is equipped with front suspension. Some of these bikes come with full-suspensions and shocks in front and rear that can assist you in your rugged ride so that you can ride with comfort and safety.
f) Don’t forget to carry at least two sets of bike clothing such as padded bike shorts and some synthetic or wool jerseys with good quality gloves and helmet.

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Tips To Understanding The Basics Of Mountain Bike Gears And How They Work Sunday, October 11th, 2009

Remember when you didn’t think about the gears on your bike? Your bike had a bike sprocket connected to the pedals and a small sprocket connected to the back wheel an that’s all you needed. Then you got a little older and got your first 10-speed. That bike had two sprockets up front and five on the back. In all likelihood, the shifters were a pair of levers connected to your bike frame near the handlebars. As time went on the shifters moved to the handlebars themselves and then became advanced-looking dials right beside the grips. And next thing you knew, instead of a paltry ten speeds on your bike, you were riding a 27-speed mountain climbing machine!

Why all these gears? To make riding faster and easier, of course. Whatever the number of gears your bike has, if it has 2 or more then there’s a basic set-up which almost every bike employs.

First of all you have your front and rear sprockets. These, along with the chain, form the most basic components of the gearing system. To determine your gear ratio you compare the number of teeth on the front sprocket to the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.

If your front sprocket has 52 teeth, and your rear sprocket has 20 teeth, then you’re looking at a ratio of 2.6. The higher the ratio the faster the gear. Typically the gears on the front, starting from the inside, get larger as you move out. On the back wheel, though, the largest gear is typically the farthest inside and they get smaller as you move out.

The next key component for your mountain bikes gears is the derailleur, or derailer. The derailleur is what moves the bicycle chain from gear to gear. A typical shifting system employs both a front and rear derailleur. Without the derailleur you wouldn’t be able to shift gears. The derailleur consists of pulleys and the cage, which is the part which actually comes into contact with the chain. The pulleys are attached to the gear cables. There are separate cables for the front and rear derailleurs. The gear cables connect to the gear shifters.

There are a variety of gear shifters available today and they cover a wide price range. The gear shifter is what allows you to change gears. The first type of shifters were levers known as friction shifters. These worked simply by pulling the cables attached to the derailleurs.

Friction shifters can be troubling because the way they’re designed you can easily get caught between gears and accidentally damage your gears or even wreck. The more advanced variety of shifter is known as the index shifter.

Index shifters have specific stopping points and are calibrated to perfectly shift from gear to gear. They remedy the drawbacks of the older friction shifters. Gear shifters may be placed anywhere from the frame to the handlebar base to the grips to models which seem to be part of the brake levers.

Mountain bikes have multiple gears to make it easier for you to negotiate difficult terrain. Higher gears are there to help you speed downhill or across the flats, and lower gears are there to help you surmount those difficult inclines. Remember, it’s best to shift gears when you’re not putting a lot of stress on your pedals. Shifting when there’s heavy pressure on the pedals can damage your shifting system.

Article Stars: http://articlestars.com

Biking Is Thriving In Marin County, Ca ” Where Mountain Biking Began Friday, October 9th, 2009

Whatever type of bicycling you prefer ” BMX, Mountain or Road bicycling, Marin is a great place to do it. The terrain popular with BMXers, as well as established biking trails, and paved bike pathways are all found throughout the County. It is quite well known that Marin County was the birthplace of Mountain biking. BMX and Mountain biking aside, the most popular form of biking nowadays is Road bicycling.
Beginning with a little history, BMX, as a category, isnt as common in Marin as the other types of biking, but it sure is interesting that well-known BMX biker Billy Savage lived and biked in Marin from 1976 to 1983.
BMX bicycles were designed for stunts, tricks, and racing on hilly dirt tracks. They have a single gear ratio with a freewheel and are built with smaller frames and wheels with wider, treaded tires. They take a beating during some extreme sporting events so they have to be extremely sturdy machines!
When BMX events were part of the 2008 Summer Olympics in China it was clear that BMX had finally arrived. There were events in four different venues, which was a first for the sport. Half of the first six medals in BMX racing ever awarded in the history of the Olympics went to U.S. cyclists.
The Web site www.klunkerz.com provides complete information about each of the individuals who participated in mountain biking in Marin during the 1970s to make it the world-class sport that it is today. Mountain biking is rough and tough going and a good day isnt complete without getting at least some mud in your teeth.
Downhill trails, carved out around Mount Tamalpais, were where Mountain biking pioneers did a lot of their biking in the 1970s. This was when Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher and others converted cruisers and balloon-tire bicycles into machines that could weather any type of road conditions.
The early days of mountain biking in Marin was the subject of a film that Billy Savage recently directed called Klunkerz. He said it found it fascinating that all the pioneers are very committed to the bicycle as transportation, and to the ecological and physical benefits of cycling to this day. They gave those old Klunkerz a new life, rescuing them out of trashcans and junkyards. They were reducing, reusing, and recycling long before it was hip to be green. They all continue to live this way in all aspects of their lives.
In recent years as the county establishes more bike paths where serious road cyclists can do some serious biking, Road bicycling has become very popular. The Marin County Bicycling Coalition (www.marinbike.org) promotes safe bicycling for everyday transportation and recreation. Marin County is one of only four counties nationwide that are engaged in a federal Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program that promotes road bicycling, particularly commuting. It is the MCBC goal for 20% of trips in Marin County to be made by walking or bicycling.
All the latest about this and other initiatives underway under the umbrella of this ambitious organization may be found on the MCBC Web site. One of the Web pages has links to a marvelous array of information-packed pages, including:
* (More than) 50 Good Reasons to Bicycle
* The Essentials of Basic Bicycling
* Riding Bikes for Fun
* Cyclist Etiquette
* Benefits of Bicycle Commuting
* The Marin Bicycle Map (free upon joining the Marin County Bicycling Coalition)
* Directions for riding via the North-South Greenway from San Francisco to Petaluma
* Riding over the Golden Gate Bridge

Article Source: http://www.articledirectorylive.com

Author David DuPont is an outdoor enthusiast and principal with The DuPont Group, a residential real estate firm in Marin County, California. David has particular expertise in assisting individuals and families with buying and selling Marin County homes for sale and in particular with homes for sale in Mill Valley, CA where some of Marin County’s best mountain biking can be found.

Mountain biking on adventure tour: Guide and tips Monday, October 5th, 2009

People who love sports usually can’t resist mountain biking. The sport is considered to be most adventurous and also provides an amazing back country experience. The tour is enjoyable especially if you have taken good experience in bike riding.

If you have already had a pedaling experience on an exercise bike, you would enjoy your tour. It is time to carry some maps and go ahead with your challenging expedition. The outdoor game will get you acquainted with the nature and also help you stay fit and also in good shape. You would simply love racing down the mountain. It may seem to be a dangerous game but the thrill would allure towards it to experience more.

North America has some of the best locations for mountain biking. If you have already decided to go for mountain biking, you should follow certain tips in order to make sure that you remain safe during the whole journey. You need to get into the game with caution.

a) You should always carry good reliable and accurate location maps so as to avoid confusion. Maps prove to be a good source of relief and help during any kind of inconvenience and confusion during the journey.
b) It is extremely important to check the fuel tank and air pressure in your car tyres. Also check if the clutch plates, brakes, gears, engines are working well and arranged in good order.
c) A valid license will let you enjoy the trip. It is a proof of your valuable experience in this field.
d) There are certain essential skills you require to possess. You need to get familiar with “technical single track” if you are keen on riding. This kind of a tour is usually meant for experience holding mountain bikers who possess the skills to handle things such as light turns, obstacle –strewn paths, stream crossings and rock ledges.
e) Your bikes should possess a good low-gear ratio like the 22×3 or bottom gear such as 24×28. Make sure that your rental bike is equipped with front suspension. Some of these bikes come with full-suspensions and shocks in front and rear that can assist you in your rugged ride so that you can ride with comfort and safety.
f) Don’t forget to carry at least two sets of bike clothing such as padded bike shorts and some synthetic or wool jerseys with good quality gloves and helmet.

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Tips To Understanding The Basics Of Mountain Bike Gears And How They Work Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Remember when you didn’t think about the gears on your bike? Your bike had a bike sprocket connected to the pedals and a small sprocket connected to the back wheel an that’s all you needed. Then you got a little older and got your first 10-speed. That bike had two sprockets up front and five on the back. In all likelihood, the shifters were a pair of levers connected to your bike frame near the handlebars. As time went on the shifters moved to the handlebars themselves and then became advanced-looking dials right beside the grips. And next thing you knew, instead of a paltry ten speeds on your bike, you were riding a 27-speed mountain climbing machine!

Why all these gears? To make riding faster and easier, of course. Whatever the number of gears your bike has, if it has 2 or more then there’s a basic set-up which almost every bike employs.

First of all you have your front and rear sprockets. These, along with the chain, form the most basic components of the gearing system. To determine your gear ratio you compare the number of teeth on the front sprocket to the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.

If your front sprocket has 52 teeth, and your rear sprocket has 20 teeth, then you’re looking at a ratio of 2.6. The higher the ratio the faster the gear. Typically the gears on the front, starting from the inside, get larger as you move out. On the back wheel, though, the largest gear is typically the farthest inside and they get smaller as you move out.

The next key component for your mountain bikes gears is the derailleur, or derailer. The derailleur is what moves the bicycle chain from gear to gear. A typical shifting system employs both a front and rear derailleur. Without the derailleur you wouldn’t be able to shift gears. The derailleur consists of pulleys and the cage, which is the part which actually comes into contact with the chain. The pulleys are attached to the gear cables. There are separate cables for the front and rear derailleurs. The gear cables connect to the gear shifters.

There are a variety of gear shifters available today and they cover a wide price range. The gear shifter is what allows you to change gears. The first type of shifters were levers known as friction shifters. These worked simply by pulling the cables attached to the derailleurs.

Friction shifters can be troubling because the way they’re designed you can easily get caught between gears and accidentally damage your gears or even wreck. The more advanced variety of shifter is known as the index shifter.

Index shifters have specific stopping points and are calibrated to perfectly shift from gear to gear. They remedy the drawbacks of the older friction shifters. Gear shifters may be placed anywhere from the frame to the handlebar base to the grips to models which seem to be part of the brake levers.

Mountain bikes have multiple gears to make it easier for you to negotiate difficult terrain. Higher gears are there to help you speed downhill or across the flats, and lower gears are there to help you surmount those difficult inclines. Remember, it’s best to shift gears when you’re not putting a lot of stress on your pedals. Shifting when there’s heavy pressure on the pedals can damage your shifting system.

Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as cycling clothing at www.cyclinggearplus.com