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Mountain Bike
Mountain Bike, abbreviated as MTBs or ATBs (All Terrain Bikes) is a bike that are meant for riding on dirt paths or unpaved environments. They are more rugged than road bicycles, and can handle more strain.
The tires of the are wider and knobbier than road bikes, for more grip and shock absorption. Front suspension for the MTBs is becoming the norm, and in today's mountain bikes, you can find front and rear suspension. The wheels are usually 26" in diameter, but this is slowly changing to 29" in the newer mountain bikes.
Mountain Bikes can be widely classified into four types.
* Fully Rigid
* Hard Tail
* Soft Tail
* Dual/ Full Suspension
Fully Rigid Mountain Bikes don't have any suspension, and their frames have fixed rears and a rigid fork.
Hard Tail Mountain Bikes have a suspension fork in the front, and no suspension in the rear. A soft tail has very less suspension in the rear, and its frame has a flex in the rear, rather than the pivot. A Full Suspension MTB has a suspension fork in the front, and a rear suspension as well, with a link that lets the rear wheel move on a pivot.
Until recently, MTBs had the same design and geometry of Road Bikes. When mountain biking became more popular, riding became more aggressive, and new mountain bikes with lighter and stronger frames were created to cater to the rider's needs and aggressive riding style.
The New-age mountain bikes have 21, 24 or 27 speeds. They usually have 3 gears in the front. The rear has 7, 8 or 9 gears. They also feature disc brakes. This gives the rider better stopping power than normal rim brakes. They can also take heavy breaking without wearing out soon, and causing lesser problems.
There are a wide range of tire types for mountain bikes. Some styles include slick street tires, sticky rubber tires, etc. Tubeless tires are also gaining popularity in the MTB world for their pinch flat resistance. Some good MTB tire manufacturers are Wilderness Trail Bikes, Schwalbe, Kenda, Maxxis, Nokian, etc.
Mountain biking has become more of an adventure sport by itself, and lot of equipment can be found just for mountain bikers, most of it safety related. Protective gear that is worn by the rider is often referred to as 'Armor', and is work to protect against injuries. 'Armors' may range from just knee and elbow caps, to full body padding. Usually, Downhill and freestyle bikers wear more armor, as their riding styles are more dangerous and prone to injuries. Most of these bodysuits also have special protection for the spine, comprising of a set of plastic plates, covered with foam.
Most bike parks require bikers to wear full face helmets, to protect against injury. These helmets a just like their counterparts used in motocross, but are considerably more ventilated and lighter. Most professional riders wear these by choice, to avoid head injuries.
Some of the manufacturers are Airborne cycles, Alpine design MTBs, Arrow Racing, Dagger, Dart, Full Dynamix, etc.
Updated : Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:50:04 GMT
Formula One driver Mark Webber breaks his right leg after colliding with a car while riding his bike at a charity event in Tasmania.
Publ.Date : Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:49:08 GMT
MOAB, Utah -- Take a camera to capture images of the amazing landscapes you’ll see if you’re headed to the mountain-bike Mecca of Moab, Utah, with Dale Arbour. Take plenty of sunscreen, too.
Publ.Date : Sun, 23 Nov 2008 06:42:41 GMT
Ten to 15 volunteers are needed Saturday to lay gravel in low portions of Macomb County's first sanctioned mountain bike path at Jaycees Park in Sterling Heights.
Publ.Date : Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:44:03 GMT
Police are looking for a 32-year-old Johnsonville man missing since Friday morning when he left home on his mountain bike.
Publ.Date : Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:02:16 GMT
Australian Formula One driver Mark Webber has emerged from surgery to pin his broken right leg feeling "sharp and spritely", his spokesman says. Webber, 32, was riding a mountain bike when he collide
Publ.Date : Sun, 23 Nov 2008 05:26:30 GMT
Australian Formula One driver Mark Webber has emerged from surgery to pin his broken right leg feeling "sharp and spritely", his spokesman says. Webber, 32, was riding a mountain bike when he co
Publ.Date : Sun, 23 Nov 2008 05:15:03 GMT
NorCal Mountain Bike League - December Film Benefit Bobby McMullen to Host Screenings of "The Way Bobby Sees It" Visually impaired downhill Mountain Bike racer tells his extraordinary story.
Publ.Date : Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:27:02 GMT
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