Posts Tagged ‘Mountain Bicycles’

Mountain Biking And Skiing Monday, November 9th, 2009

Talk about extreme sports and skiing would be one of the typical activites that comes to mind. Mountain biking is also a type of extreme sport and is massively popular in the Rockies of the United States. Have you considered combining those two extreme sports? In Vail in Colorado, skiers who are fed up about the hot summer period with no snow around have discovered a way to have fun while waiting for the snowy season. They have combined both the sports and have provided some out of work ski-lift workers something to do. If you love cycling and you also love skiing, this great combination of extreme sports is ideal for you.

The skiers get the local ski resort to open up the ski lifts, and for a reasonable fee, they will carry them to the summit of the mountain with their bicycles. The skiers then take the ski-lift taking their bicycles with them. When they get to the top, they jump off the lift – often landing on the bicycle’s pedals with their feet and off they go. They can choose from a number of down hill slopes to zoom down at crazy speeds. The only problem is that a hill with most of the snow gone is usually covered with rocks and bits of old wood. These obstacles as well as the very steep slopes make this sport risky and exciting – and of course – extreme!

If you have never tried this or any other extreme sports, you should ride with an expert the first few times. Protective gear is necessary which should definitely include a helmet and pads. This not a sport for the fair of heart! The bike itself can hurt you if you have a wipe out against some rocks. Handlebars can provide nasty gashes on you. Knee pads are recommended as well as thick gloves. When you fall off your bike going upwards of thirty miles an hour, you will slide a long way – ow!

A way to stay a bit safer is to follow the normal routes on the slopes by following the standard green, blue, black, and double black diamond. It is not wise to go off course because the barrier fence that borders the slope in the winter will probably be gone. New extreme sports participants will find that going down ski slopes on a bike is not as easy as it sounds. You must be manouverable enough to shift your wheels to avoid obstacles and make tight turns.

Slope mountain biking can be done at Colorado and other places along the I-70 corridor. Call ahead and make sure that they allow the bikes on the ski lifts. It is also worth asking how much it will cost to buy tickets. Quite often, you can find ski resorts which are open for the summer purely so that people can hitch a lift and enjoy the view.

Niche Article Directory: http://www.thatsmyniche.com

For bargain ski apparel check out our predefined eBay one click skiing equipment search sites.

Advocating Bikers’ Rights: The Mountain Biking Association Sunday, November 8th, 2009

One of the realities of being human is that the passions we share with others are the ones which bring us the most happiness and fulfillment. You may have friends who enjoy mountain biking with you every once in a while, but do not understand why you spend your days dreaming of the next time you can mount up and head out to conquer the wilderness. You deserve to find kindred spirits, and you should think about becoming a member of a mountain biking association.

The IMBA

The first place you should look for companionship is the International Mountain Biking Association; they have been around since 1988, and are considered the original mountain biking associations. The International Mountain Biking Association was the brain child of five California clubs who wanted to organize against the threatened closure of the biking terrain throughout their state.

The five charter members of the International Mountain Biking Association were Bicycles Trails Council East Bay; Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers; Concerned Off road Bicyclists Association; the Sacramento Rough Riders; and Bicycle Trails Council Marin.

The International Mountain Biking Association has grown significantly in the two decades since it began, and has continuously campaigned to preserve mountain biking trails and terrain. They are the ultimate advocates keeping biking trails open across the globe.

The IMBA Center

The International Mountain Biking Association has created a center which provides professional services including trail design, and works with the United States government through the Congress, the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service and he National Park Service as an advocate for the interests of off-road cyclists.

The IMBA also lends its support to mountain biking associations on a local level; with assistance from other corporate sponsors, they help with finances, and the building and maintaining of local biking trails.

One of the beneficiaries of help from the IMBA has been the New England Mountain Bike Association, a group of New Englander who promotes biking on the best international trails. The IMBA has helped them by preserving the very trails which they promote, and by educating the entire mountain world in safe and responsible cycling.

The IMBA publishes “Trail Solutions,” a 272-page manual offering mountain cycling clubs advice on state-of-the-art trail design and construction tips with proven fundamentals in a colorful, easy-to-read format.

The manual also explains ways to attract sponsors and volunteers to help get the trail builst. It was written by over twenty mountain biking and trail construction experts.

If you are looking for a mountain biking association with members who share your enthusiasm, start with a local but well-established group. You’ll find them very helpful in introducing you to the wider world of mountain cycling, and perhaps event to some of its superstars!

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

Mountain Biking – History Saturday, November 7th, 2009

People use bicycles for many different reasons. They are a great means of transport for getting to and from work, you can fit your shopping into the baskets available to attach to the front, and they provide a wonderful way to travel when on holiday and exploring different areas. People have always ridden off road as well as on it, but the history of mountain biking really begins more than thirty years ago, in the 1970’s. Modern bike designs have made the sport more accessible to more people, and the history of mountain biking certainly shows it is now even more popular than ever.

But although mountain biking is now enjoyed all over the world, it began life in California, America. A group of cycle enthusiasts decided to try out some downhill runs on bikes that would now seem antiquated to many of us. The dirt tracks were much the same as many mountain bike race courses today, but the bikes have changed considerably over the intervening years. Those races became famous, and before long similar races were taking place along tracks at locations in many different countries.

As new materials and ways of building bikes have come into existence, it has become easier to build a bike that is capable of withstanding everything a rough off road terrain has to throw at it. Stronger lighter frames and better gears have made mountain biking easier for more people to attempt. The history of mountain biking shows that the earliest riders began to adapt their bikes to get the best from those downhill runs and routes, and so the mountain bikes that we know today began to evolve.

At the time, the only type of bicycle you could buy was intended to be ridden on the road. Although people did ride off road it wasn’t popular enough to warrant a bike designed specifically for that use. But the bikers in California changed all that. The history of mountain biking began with them, and they began to rethink the way that bicycles were made in order to create a design that could handle all the obstacles and conditions the off road trails could throw at it. So the next time you grab hold of your own mountain bike and go for a ride – perhaps across a muddy field, or down a steep slippery slope on those knobbly tires – you should think of the pioneers of the 1970’s.

For buying and selling used or new (second hand) bikes and motorcycles check the link http://www.bharathautomobiles.com/motorcycles-s2_0.html

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

Mountain Biking – History Thursday, October 29th, 2009

People use bicycles for many different reasons. They are a great means of transport for getting to and from work, you can fit your shopping into the baskets available to attach to the front, and they provide a wonderful way to travel when on holiday and exploring different areas. People have always ridden off road as well as on it, but the history of mountain biking really begins more than thirty years ago, in the 1970’s. Modern bike designs have made the sport more accessible to more people, and the history of mountain biking certainly shows it is now even more popular than ever.

But although mountain biking is now enjoyed all over the world, it began life in California, America. A group of cycle enthusiasts decided to try out some downhill runs on bikes that would now seem antiquated to many of us. The dirt tracks were much the same as many mountain bike race courses today, but the bikes have changed considerably over the intervening years. Those races became famous, and before long similar races were taking place along tracks at locations in many different countries.

As new materials and ways of building bikes have come into existence, it has become easier to build a bike that is capable of withstanding everything a rough off road terrain has to throw at it. Stronger lighter frames and better gears have made mountain biking easier for more people to attempt. The history of mountain biking shows that the earliest riders began to adapt their bikes to get the best from those downhill runs and routes, and so the mountain bikes that we know today began to evolve.

At the time, the only type of bicycle you could buy was intended to be ridden on the road. Although people did ride off road it wasn’t popular enough to warrant a bike designed specifically for that use. But the bikers in California changed all that. The history of mountain biking began with them, and they began to rethink the way that bicycles were made in order to create a design that could handle all the obstacles and conditions the off road trails could throw at it. So the next time you grab hold of your own mountain bike and go for a ride – perhaps across a muddy field, or down a steep slippery slope on those knobbly tires – you should think of the pioneers of the 1970’s.

For buying and selling used or new (second hand) bikes and motorcycles check the link http://www.bharathautomobiles.com/motorcycles-s2_0.html

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

Mountain Biking And Skiing Monday, October 12th, 2009

Talk about extreme sports and skiing would be one of the typical activites that comes to mind. Mountain biking is also a type of extreme sport and is massively popular in the Rockies of the United States. Have you considered combining those two extreme sports? In Vail in Colorado, skiers who are fed up about the hot summer period with no snow around have discovered a way to have fun while waiting for the snowy season. They have combined both the sports and have provided some out of work ski-lift workers something to do. If you love cycling and you also love skiing, this great combination of extreme sports is ideal for you.

The skiers get the local ski resort to open up the ski lifts, and for a reasonable fee, they will carry them to the summit of the mountain with their bicycles. The skiers then take the ski-lift taking their bicycles with them. When they get to the top, they jump off the lift – often landing on the bicycle’s pedals with their feet and off they go. They can choose from a number of down hill slopes to zoom down at crazy speeds. The only problem is that a hill with most of the snow gone is usually covered with rocks and bits of old wood. These obstacles as well as the very steep slopes make this sport risky and exciting – and of course – extreme!

If you have never tried this or any other extreme sports, you should ride with an expert the first few times. Protective gear is necessary which should definitely include a helmet and pads. This not a sport for the fair of heart! The bike itself can hurt you if you have a wipe out against some rocks. Handlebars can provide nasty gashes on you. Knee pads are recommended as well as thick gloves. When you fall off your bike going upwards of thirty miles an hour, you will slide a long way – ow!

A way to stay a bit safer is to follow the normal routes on the slopes by following the standard green, blue, black, and double black diamond. It is not wise to go off course because the barrier fence that borders the slope in the winter will probably be gone. New extreme sports participants will find that going down ski slopes on a bike is not as easy as it sounds. You must be manouverable enough to shift your wheels to avoid obstacles and make tight turns.

Slope mountain biking can be done at Colorado and other places along the I-70 corridor. Call ahead and make sure that they allow the bikes on the ski lifts. It is also worth asking how much it will cost to buy tickets. Quite often, you can find ski resorts which are open for the summer purely so that people can hitch a lift and enjoy the view.

Niche Article Directory: http://www.thatsmyniche.com

For bargain ski apparel check out our predefined eBay one click skiing equipment search sites.