BIKES BIKES BIKES!!!
**Under Construction**
This part require a fair amount of typing and my hand is pretty sore right now.
Basic bike terms
rigid - no suspension
hardtail - suspension for the front wheel
full suspension - front and rear wheel suspension
travel - amount the wheels axel moves when suspension is fully compressed
There are many styles of riding, each complete with their own equipment.
Mountain
XC hardtail
cross country means over the hills and through the woods. the trails these bikes are designed for are a mixture of up and down hill, at the racing level, physical stamina is heavily stressed. the bikes are designed for going up hill, they are trying to be as light as possible. standard equipment includes 3-4 inch travel fork, rim brakes, skinny knobby tires, low aggressive positioning, and very quick handling.
XC full suspension
same principals as the hardtail, but rear suspension to smooth the ride. usually less than 4 inches of rear travel as not to lose efficiency.
Trail/Epic
the bigger brother to the XC full suspension. these bikes are designed for the rider who doesn't want to race, but wants light weight, high efficency, amd a more upright riding position. these bikes usually have between 3.5 and 4.5 inches of rear travel, and standard components tend to include disc brakes, moderate/skinny knobby tires, more up right riding style, slightly slower handling than the XC bikes.
All mountain
all mountain bikes are the step up from trail bikes, they usually gain another inch or two of suspension movement, slightly slower handling, more upright riding position, stronger frame, heavier weight. these bikes are used for a multitude of purposes, the can do almost everything well. the are great for more technical descents, but when you need the versitility to be able to pedal to the top. they usually have between 5 and 6.5 inches of rear travel, disc brakes, riser handle bar, moderatly fat knobby tires, and more laid back geometry.
Freeride hardtail
Same principlas as the full suspension below, designed for big jumps and drops. a nice alternative if you cannot afford the full suspension
freeride full suspension
Freeride bikes are designed for the new progressive generation. they are play bikes for the kid who out grew BMX. they tend to come standard with 6-8 inches of travel, dual crown forks, 8 inch hydrolic disc brakes, a front derrailur, fat knobby tires, riser bar and slack geometry. they are designed to be taken to the top of a mountian/hill by either shuttling, chairlift, or pushing, and designed to be blasted to the bottom. the frames are reinfoced and very stong and capable of withstanding jumps and drops.
Downhill
Downhill bikes are the big boys, these bohemiths come equpped ready to do battle. they come stock with 7-10 inches of suspension travel and are designed for racing from the top to the bottom of a mountian. they are incredibly heavy and durable. they are almost chairlift/shuttle only bikes. you wouldnt want to be pedalling one of these things for very long up a hill. they come with one gear on the fron, the big one. the gear is locked in place by a chainguide so it doesnt fall off when blasting down a hill at 50 mph. these bikes have the most slack geometry which allows them to ride down very steep inclines with ease.
Street
the urban gurrilla, these bikes are designed for concrete. they are usually ridden in a skate park or on man made features throughout town. these bikes are highlighted by there close realtion to BMX. they are really low frames which allows the rider to move around with ease. they ten to come with bash guards to protect the frame and chainrings from getting slammed into the ground. disc brakes are common on some nicer ones, althought there are riders that ride without brakes at all. some of the more hardcore riders even choose to single out there bikes and ride with just one gear.
Road
Road Racing
just like lance. these bikes are designed for high speeds and fast climbs. much like the XC hardtail, but on pavement. these bikes are super light, feature very skinny tires, clipless pedals, drop handlebars 2 chainrings and aerodynamics everywhere. these bikes are designed to go fast, comfort comes second.
Time Trial
these bikes are designed for flat ground, high speeds, no drafting. time trials are races against the clock. these bikes are the utmost in aerodynamics and body positioning is taken into account heavily. they come with a special handlebar set up which allows the rider to make the wind catching part of his body as small as possible. the features are almost identical to a road racing bike, except that time trial bikes feature aerodynamic wheels and aero handlebars. they are heavier than racing bikes, but make up for it with aerodynamics.
Intro
Well, I love bikes if you haven't figured it out by now. on this page I am going to put some basic information to hopefully allow more people to enjoy the sport like I do.
- Kyle Thomas
Getting a bike
well, you can't enjoy the sport unless you own a bike. as a former bike shop employee, I have fitted many people to bikes. I am going to try and help you determine what you need to look for when shopping for a bike. The first thing to look for is a bike shop, not the bike itself. If you can find a good bike shop, it will save you hours worth of headaches. a rule of thumb is shop for a store, then let them pick the bike. when you are shopping for a shop there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
look at the people who work there - do they look like they ride bikes? keep in mind that the greasy punk looking snowboarder kid probably rides a bike, and is probably very good at it. honestly I hate bike shops where the employees have to wear uniforms. I like to know about the employees from there clothes. I would much rather buy a bike from someone in a kink BMX or Moab Utah shirt than one in whatever special Abercrombie had going that week.
ask them what style they ride - If they ride road bike, and have shaved legs and know what a VO2 max is, then they probably aren't the best person to be buying a full blown downhill bike from.
Why should you buy an entry level bike from a bike shop instead of walmart?