“Chain Tool”

Once your mountain bike chain becomes damaged, you should immediately replace it with a new one.  It is possible however, to repair a broken chain using a chain tool. For this very reason, most mountain bikers travel with a chain tool.

Your chain has three basic components – the metal side plates, the rollers between the side plates, and the rivets, or pins which go through the rollers and help to hold the plates together.  These pins allow the rollers to freely turn as the chain moves around the cogs.

If your chain happens to break, you’ll need to remove the broken link and replace it with a spare link. To do this, simply reattach the two ends of the broken chain and ride on a shorter chain until you can get it replaced. 
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“Lube Mountain Bike”

A mountain bike is a lot of fun although it does require some maintenance.  You should always lube your bike 15 hours or so before riding, as quick jobs right before you take off normally doesn’t get everything lubed.  Some lube jobs will last for more rides, although if things get loud or shifting gets sticky, it’s time to lube.
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Technorati Tags: Chain Rings, Clipless Pedals, Cranks, Dirt, Gears, Lot, Lube Jobs, Lube Mountain Bike, Mountain Bike, Rear Deraileur, Release Mechanism, Shift Lever, Squeak

“Mountain Bike Gears”

The gears in mountain bikes just keep getting more and more intricate.  The bikes of today have as many as 27 gear ratios.  A mountain bike will use a combination of three different sized sprockets in front and nine in the back to produce gear ratios.

The idea behind all these gears is to allow the rider to crank the pedals at a constant pace no matter what kind of slope the bike is on.  You can understand this better by picturing a bike with just a single gear.  Each time you rotate the pedals one turn, the rear wheel would rotate one turn as well (1:1 gear ratio).
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“Mountain Biking Vacation”

Taking a mountain biking vacation is an excellent way to unwind and explore America.  There are several companies that offer mountain biking tours that go through scenic routes, and they often arrange any accommodations for travelers as well.  For athletic couples, these types of vacations offer the perfect way to relax and enjoy some exercise together.

Each and every region in the United States has some truly awesome mountain biking trails.  It’s not just the major mountain ranges that offer these trails, as any hilly, scenic, rough trail can provide riders with the adventure they seek.  Some of the best areas to mountain bike ride in the United States are the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast states such as North Carolina.
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“Down Hill”

The key to down hilling is relaxing your upper body. The steeper and rockier the hill is, the more tightly the rider tends to put a death grip on the handle bars.  Most riders tend to slow down as they approach obstacles such as rocks, then apply both brakes.

If you don’t apply your brakes, the rock will stop your wheel.  This isn’t good, as the rock can throw you off balance and completely kill any type of momentum you have.
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“Tune Up Tips”

If you don’t ride in the winter, you’ve probably spent the winter months on the couch eating chips and watching television.  Before you know it, spring will be here and a new season of mountain biking will begin.  Even though your body may not be in shape, these Tune Up Tips will ensure that your bike is.

Before you take your bike out, check the wear and tear on your components and adjust them if its necessary.  Start off with your chain.  If you haven’t replaced it in a year or more, it’s time to do so.  Over time, the individual parts in the chain will get worn out, increasing its effective length.
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Technorati Tags: Axles, Bottom Bracket, Cables, Chain Rings, Chips, Cog, Cogs, Crank Arm, Exact Same Thing, Free Play, Handle Bars, Hub, Hubs, Mountain Biking, Rust Free, Surfaces, Tune Up, Tune Up Tips, Watching Television, Wear And Tear, Wheels

“Mountain Biking Safety”

There are numerous ways that you can improve your mountain bike safety.  Many riders will tell you that wearing a helmet is the most important step to staying safe.  The second most important step is that you should always ride in control of your mountain bike.

By riding in control you’ll not only prevent crashes, but keep others on the trail safe as well.  When riding out of control you loose the ability to adjust to the terrain as you ride over it.  This can and usually does result in serious injury to yourself and others.
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“Wheel Truing”

Wheel truing is actually something that is very easy to do.  Even if you have no experience with mountain biking or truing a wheel, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to accomplish it.

The first thing to do is make sure that none of your spokes are loose.  To check, grab each spoke in turn and try to shake it back and forth.  If the spoke  wobbles, or makes pinging and grating noises, it’s loose.  If it’s loose, add tension to the spoke by turning the spokey anti-clockwise with your finger and thumb pressure.
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“Sizing Mountain bikes”

Along with giving you a better selection and expert advice, bike shop personnel can you help you get fitted to the right size bike.  You can get the bike either too big or too small, which will cause your enjoyment to suffer.  Follow the tips below, and  you’ll have the perfect fit for your mountain bike.

Standover height
When you check the fitting yourself, the first thing you want to check is the inseam clearance, or the standover height.  You want to have plenty of room between yourself and the top tube when you come to a stop.  There should be around four to six inches of clearance from the top of your inseam to the top of the top tube.
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“Tire Pressure”

Riding your mountain bike with the appropriate amount of tire pressure can make a huge difference in how much control you have over your bike.

Setting your tire pressure too high will make for poor contact with the ground and also make your bike less controllable.  Setting your tire pressure too low will make your tires unpredictable and also make them susceptible to pinch flats.

The appropriate amount of tire pressure in a mountain bike will vary between rider to rider and tire setup to tire setup.  The conditions of your trail and the type of terrain your riding will also greatly impact what tire pressure you should be using in your tires.
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