My Thanksgiving weekend MTB ride

Happy Cyber Monday!  I hope you had a great Thanksgiving full of family, friends, great food and some excellent mountain biking.

Today in the US is the big online shopping day with lots of great deals.  I wanted to share with you a list of stores that are offering some amazing sales today:

Jenson  Huck-N-Roll   REI  Amazon

I hope that helps you find some great deals on mountain biking gear for your next ride.

Enjoy the ride and happy holidays!

-Pete

P.S. Don’t forget to join the MountainBikeRiding.com  community for updates from the mountain bike world, plus riding and maintenance tips.

I have put together a video with some tips on how to use mountain bike clipless pedals.

It is a good idea to practice clipping in and out of the pedals before you hit the trail because if you are not used to them they can be tricky to get out of.  And you don’t want that when you really need to put your foot down on a narrow piece of singletrack!

Here is the video.  This was shot on a sweet trail in Sedona Arizona

By the way, here is a link to the Shimano SPD pedals I am using.

Do you have any questions about using mountain bike clipless pedals?  Please leave your comments in the section below.

Have a great next ride!

-Pete

P.S. Don’t forget to join the MountainBikeRiding.com  community for updates from the mountain bike world, plus riding and maintenance tips.

This is a vid of a mountain bike racer in Africa that is body slammed by an antelope on a mission.  It is hard to believe but the guy behind him was able to get it all on video thanks to his POV camera.

This will make you think twice about those deer, antelope, and elk you see out on the trail!  I recommend you let them cross first

Check it out (explicit language):

Poor guy, but it looks like he was ok.  Good thing he was wearing a helmet!

I have had elk run across the trail in front of me and they are impressive animals!  Glad none of them have body slammed me.

Have you had any close encounters on the trail?  Leave your comments in the section below.

Be careful out there!

-Pete

P.S. Don’t forget to join the MountainBikeRiding.com  community for updates from the mountain bike world, plus riding and maintenance tips.

Yeah, this guy Danny MacAskill is insanely talented!  He is a trials rider that does these amazing tricks on a bicycle.  He is almost catlike when riding his bike.  Actually I don’t think cats can even do the stuff he does!

Anyway, this video is AWESOME!  Besides his amazing acrobatics on a bike, the scenery and cinematography are incredible.  So with out further ado here is the vid:

Also, check out this other amazing video from Danny.

What do you think?  Are you going to try some of these tricks Please leave your comments below!

If you aren’t a member of the MountainBikeRiding.com community yet, then sign up in the box at the upper right side of the site.  You will get the Free mountain biking gear checklist, updates on articles like this; PLUS tips not shared anywhere else!

In this episode of MountainBikeRiding.comI talk about a mountain biking mantra that you can think of when you are riding to help improve your riding and I review a new healthy energy bar that recently hit the market. Podcast

Listen on the site by clicking the PLAY button above or you can download the podcast HERE and load it on your MP3 player or phone to listen to while you are on the go!  For example you can add this to iTunes.

Time for some trail R&R!

The other day was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right.  I woke up and kinda knew that it was going to be one of those days.  Some people call it “waking up on the wrong side of the bed”. 

Well I could tell that I was in for a day full of challenges because even the simplest things seemed a little bit frustrating.  Nothing in particular happened that was bad during the day, it was just difficult to get out of the rut of feeling like every little thing was a big hurdle. 

I began thinking about why I felt this way and realized that it was probably a combination of a lack of good rest and it had been a few days since I had any decent exercise.  I thought to myself, “You know better than that”.  So as I was riding home after work, my bike sort of steered itself towards the trails!

Just a little background: this winter’s snow fall in Flagstaff was pretty amazing.  We kept getting big storm after big storm and it has seemed that our trails were going to be under snow pack for many, many months.  Well spring has sprung and the trails are beginning to loose their snow.

The ride that I so badly needed because of my long frustrating day turned into a ride for mental and physical relief combined with a little trail reconnaissance.  As you can imagine, this was a ride that was some pedaling and some pushing the bike over snow banks.  Some of the lower trails were totally dry and the upper trails were still encrusted with snow, sometimes feet of snow! Just so you know, I was careful not to ride the really wet sections of trail because that can cause significant trail damage.

The climb up was good for me.  I was able to push myself hard and exercise out those frustrations of the day and feel good about being outside.  I even enjoyed pushing the bike over snow banks as my feet sunk into the snow and snow jammed between my shoes and socks.  Cold feet; the best!

The descent was fun as I transitioned from sweet singletrack to trying to lunge my bike over snow banks.  On the higher sections of trails that were in the woods, the going was good.  I was able to ride my bike over the harder snow pack without sinking in too much.  As I got down to the lower sections of trail that were a little more exposed to the sun, the snow became a little softer………..uh oh!  Some of those lower snow banks I was able to glide through or over.  Some of them I was able to ride over part way until my front wheel decided to sink in and then catapult me over the bars.  Good times!  Even that was a little comic relief from my crazy day.

All in all I was very happy with my ride and I finished off a hard day with a smile on my face.  What was going to be a normal commute home from work turned into a therapeutic mini mountain bike adventure to clear my mind and see how the local trails were doing.

So my advice is this; if you are having one of those days, get out and ride your mountain bike.  Or at least get out for some kind of exercise to help clear your mind and enjoy a little mini adventure.  Maybe it’s adding a bonus loop to your commute home, or maybe you can bring your mountain bike to work and head out right after work for an evening ride on your favorite trail.  Just make sure that you are prepared with lights and all the tools necessary for the unexpected.

Have a great next ride!

Pete

Ok. First of all this is one of the most impressive freeride mountain bike videos that I have ever seen.  The way they shot this video is incredible!  It is a highly choreographed and well put together.  Plus the way that the camera follows these riders will blow you away!

In fact this is bordering on the lines of being an artistic freeride mountain bike video………could there be such a thing?  Well I think that this video does a good job to getting close to that!  I hope you enjoy it.

Did you like that freeride video?  Please leave a comment below.

This video is part of the mountain biking movie Kranked 8: Revolve.  If you want to see more riding like this you can buy the DVD here.

Have a great next ride!

Pete

In this episode of MountainBikeRiding.com Pete gives some quick tips on riding your mountain bike in the desert.  This is a video episode with some footage of a ride my buddies and I did in Sedona Arizona recently.

Watch on the site by clicking the PLAY button (it might take a little while to load) or you can download the podcast HERE.  For example you can add this to iTunes.

Do you have any comments or questions about the podcast? Please leave them in the comment section below or leave a voicemail at 928-637-6149. I may address them in upcoming podcasts.

If you aren’t a member of the MountainBikeRiding.com community yet, then sign up in the box at the upper right side of the site.  You will get the Free mountain biking gear checklist, updates on articles like this; PLUS tips not shared anywhere else!

Have a great next ride!

Pete

n this episode I go over the pros and cons of mountain bike suspension seat posts, compare them to a dual suspension mountain bike and gives thanks to members of the MountainBikeRiding.com community.

Listen to the audio (above) or watch the video (below) on the site by clicking the PLAY button or you can download the podcast HERE and load it on your MP3 player or phone to listen to while you are on the go!  For example you can add this to iTunes.

This is a video podcast that went a little long, so I also created an audio version of it too.  There are a few things in the episode that are worth watching but you will probably get most of the points by listening to the audio.

Do you have any comments or questions about the podcast? Please leave them in the comment section below or leave a voicemail at 928-637-6149. I may address them in upcoming podcasts.

If you aren’t a member of the MountainBikeRiding.com community yet, then sign up in the box at the upper right side of the site.  You will get the Free mountain biking gear checklist, updates on articles like this; PLUS tips not shared anywhere else!

Have a great next ride!

Pete

The other day I asked people in the community to send in their great mountain biking pictures so we could all see them for inspiration and also to see  what the riding is like all over the world!  Well I definitely received a lot of cool mountain bike pictures and I would like to take this opportunity to share some of them with you.  I couldn’t include them all here, but rest assured I will do more posts like this.  So if you have some mountain biking pictures that you would like to share, then you can send them to me at: Pete@MountainBikeRiding.com

Abdi sent these in and they are from the Crested Butte and Aspen Colorado area.

Absalon sent in these pictures from the Phillipines.  Looks like there is some good riding there!

Adam from AdventureBikeRiding.com sent these in from some of his mountain bike tours.

Bart sent these in and they are from the 2004 US 24hr solo nat’l champs at Leguna Seca, CA and the 2003 World 24hr solo champs at Whistler Mtn, BC

Scott sent these in and they are from the Albert Canada Rocky mountains.

That was great!  Thanks to Abdi, Absalon, Adam, Bart, and Scott for sharing those awesome mountain biking pictures!  After seeing those I am ready to get out there and ride!

Question for ya.  Which photos do you like best?  Which ones inspire you to get out there and ride?  Please leave your comments below.

If you aren’t a member of the MountainBikeRiding.com community yet, then sign up in the box at the upper right side of the site.  You will get the Free mountain biking gear checklist, updates on articles like this; PLUS tips not shared anywhere else!

Have a great next ride!

Pete

Do you have some great mountain bike pictures that you would like to share with the MountainBikeRiding.com community?  Maybe a sweet picture of your favorite mountain bike trail, your buddies on a technical section, a big group ride, a mountain biking campout, or a beautiful portrait of your favorite mountain bike.  I have been chatting recently with people in the MountainBikeRiding.com community about what the riding is like in their neck of the woods and words can only go so far.  So I thought it would be really cool to share some of the pictures amongst the group.

What I want to do is create a few articles (posts) that include these mountain biking pictures from people in the community.  So if you want to send me some photos, please email them to me at:

Pete@MountainBikeRiding.com

Also, I would like to know if I can credit you by name for your great mountain bike pictures.  If you want to keep it anonymous, that is totally cool too.

Do you have some friends that may want to share their mountain biking pictures with the community?  Send them the link to this article by selecting your preferred method by hovering over the share link below.

If you aren’t a member of the MountainBikeRiding.com community yet, then sign up in the box at the upper right side of the site.  You will get the Free mountain biking gear checklist, updates on articles like this; PLUS tips not shared anywhere else!

In this episode of MountainBikeRiding.com Pete covers what’s been happening at the website, gives some tips on how to improve your hill climbing technique on a mountain bike, and reviews the Hermosa Creek mountain biking trail near Durango Colorado.

Listen on the site by clicking the PLAY button or you can download the podcast HERE and load it on your MP3 player or phone to listen to while you are on the go!  For example you can add this to iTunes.

Here are the links mentioned in the podcast:

1. Article about Mountain Biking Parents
2. Durango’s Mountain Bike Specialists Bike Shop

Here is the video mentioned:

Do you have any comments or questions about the podcast? Please leave them in the comment section below or leave a voicemail at 928-637-6149. I may address them in upcoming podcasts.

And don’t forget to sign up for the MountainBikeRiding.com newsletter (upper right hand side of this website) to get updates on articles like this.

A friend of mine recently wrote an article about some of our friends that we ride with and how parenthood has barely slowed them down in their passion to mountain bike and be all around adventurers.  I think it is a cool article so I thought I would share it with you too because according to Dara and Troy becoming new parents doesn’t mean you’re adventurous life has to stop!

Before I send you off to the article, I would like to say that Dara and Troy have always been a little extreme in their mountain biking pursuits, so take their experiences with a grain of salt!  It is just great to see that they take turns in sharing the parenting responsibilities and they involve their little girl in their own adventures at such a young age.

I remember my parents taking me on long hikes and camping trips when I was a kid and I believe that those experiences have really instilled in me a great appreciation for the outdoors.  It wasn’t until I was 13 years old that I found this awesome sport called mountain biking and as it turned out I ended up sharing it with my parents.  So I guess what I am getting at is that I think it is great to get the young ones into the outdoors and some adventures as soon as possible because I think those experiences build a good foundation of appreciation for the outdoors and the fun that can be had on the trails!

Alright so here is the link to the article.

Are you a parent that enjoys taking your kid(s) on adventures?  Do you share mountain bike rides with your kid(s)?  Please share your experiences in the section below. To avoid comment spam and preserve the value of this blog to the readers, I screen all comments. Please do not submit your comment more than once. It will appear shortly.

And don’t forget to sign up for the MountainBikeRiding.com newsletter (upper right hand side of this website) to get updates on articles like this.

Everybody loves to climb hills on their mountain bike right?  Well some may not always enjoy it at first, but I think that with time and experience it can become a truly fun part of the ride.  I know some of you might think I am crazy in saying that, but from my many years of riding, I have found it to be an almost “Zen” like experience.  I actually enjoy the climb and I have got a few quick pointers to help you improve your climbing on a mountain bike, and who knows………you might actually enjoy it too!

So here is a rundown of some quick tips on how to climb better on a mountain bike:

Gearing: In general finding a gear where you can spin the pedals compared to slowly turning them over is the way to go because you will be able to keep them moving if you get bogged down by an obstacle or a steep portion of the trail.

Energy: This ties in nicely with the gearing idea.  Try to keep your energy output consistent and keep it relatively below the place where you feel like you are going to “blow up” (stop pedaling).  If you know there is a tough section of trail coming up, then ease up on the pedaling to save up some energy so you can really charge that tough section without stopping.

Position on the bike: I find that sitting up and sliding forward on the saddle helps my breathing and improves my view of what is coming up in the trail.  It is also a more comfortable position on the bike, and hey for climbing…..…we need all the comfort we can get!

Mindset: Ah the mental aspect of climbing on your mountain bike.  One of the crazy things about most sports is that I truly believe it is about 50% mental.  I think that this is true when it comes to climbing hills on a mountain bike and I could probably write a novel about it!  Overall it seems like our minds try to limit what we think is possible when climbing.  To turn that around try these ideas:

• Commit to trying a difficult obstacle that your mind is telling you to forget about.  Really go for it and don’t let up until you are physically stopped by an obstacle.  Chances are you may not be stopped!  It is a real rush when you nail it and it gives you bragging rights with your buddies!

• On a long climb that seems like it will last for an eternity, set small goals along the way.  Look ahead on the trail and just focus on getting to a specific spot.  Then repeat once you get there.  Maybe you can focus on a cool spot that would be a good place to grab a bite to eat and hangout with your buddies for a while.

Picking a good line: In general avoid obstacles that will slow you down and interrupt your momentum.  This won’t always be possible and sometimes weaving all over the trail to find the best line will waste energy.  In some cases riding over the smaller obstacles to maintain a straight line on the trail can save you energy.  You may have to do some trial and error riding to see what is best for you.

Exceptions: This was mainly focused on riding a mountain bike that has many gear choices; not a single speed mountain bike.  Climbing on a single speed uses a different set of tactics that I may get into in a future article.  Let’s just say that climbing on a single speed can be a bit more challenging!

Alright, well that is a brief overview of some things to keep in mind when you are climbing your next hill.  I hope those tips help and that you take some of those and try them out on your next mountain bike ride.  Focus on a few of them and get comfortable with them before trying the others.

Do you have any comments or questions about how to climb on a mountain bike?  Do you like to climb or is it something that bothers you?  I would like to know! Please leave a comment or question in the section below. To avoid comment spam and preserve the value of this blog to the readers, I screen all comments. Please do not submit your comment more than once. It will appear shortly.

And don’t forget to sign up for the MountainBikeRiding.com newsletter (upper right hand side of this website) to get updates on articles like this.

One of the things I love about mountain bikes is how versatile they are.  I think they are the most universal bike around in terms of where you can ride them.  They are great for your favorite singletrack trail, flying down your favorite downhill run, exploring an old double track road, road riding (with slick tires), touring (both off road and on), commuting around town, just cruising around town on a Sunday afternoon, riding them in the ocean surf (highly discouraged, but it is fun, just use a junker mountain bike!), and the list goes on.  Well here is another type of riding to add to that list;

In this video you will see a downhill mountain bike race that was held on the hill side of a Brazilian town.  The race coursed through the town’s steps and sidewalks between buildings and even went on the roof of a church!  This has got to be one of the better point of view (POV) videos I have seen.  The commentator is one of the riders and he is commentating as he rides.  Anyways I think it is great to see another place where mountain bikes can be taken.  Of course, don’t try this at home, these are the pros!

Enjoy the video and share this article with your friends by copying this link: http://bit.ly/bxeKcP

Did you like this video?  Got some new ideas where you can ride your mountain bike? Please leave a comment or question in the section below. To avoid comment spam and preserve the value of this blog to the readers, I screen all comments. Please do not submit your comment more than once. It will appear shortly.

And don’t forget to sign up for the MountainBikeRiding.com newsletter (upper right hand side of this website) to get updates on articles like this.

Ok, well in Part 1 of this series I went over why I think that 29ers are so cool.  Based on that you will see that I am a little biased towards the 29er (29″ wheel mountain bike)!   Well with all of the positives that I went over, why would you ever consider a 26” wheel mountain bike?  There are some situations where I think you should still consider the 26″ mountain bike.

Where the 26″ wheel mountain bike still has its place:

• I know some riders who have ridden 26″ wheel mountain bikes for a long time and they just are not comfortable on the 29er.  They try the 29er and they feel that it just doesn’t fit their riding style well.  If you have become very accustom to a 26″ mountain bike, you might test out the 29er by borrowing a friends or by renting one from a shop to see if you like it.  I recommend that you give a 29er a couple rides before making a solid decision, because it can take a little while to get used to the new riding style.  In the end if it still doesn’t feel right to you, then the 26″ wheel mountain bike is probably the way to go for you.

• I know that some people feel that in really tight or narrow singletrack with a lot of turns that the 29er handles slower and maneuvering the larger wheels takes more work.  I think that if most of your riding is done on these kinds of trails that the 26” wheel mountain bike still has its place.  The 29ers have improved in there geometry and handling in recent years, but the larger wheels in really tight trails can be a little more difficult to move around quickly.

• For shorter people it may be difficult to find a bike that fits properly.  The larger wheels can make creating frames with the right geometry a little difficult.  Front wheel overlap with the feet while turning the front wheel has been a problem in the past as well as having enough clearance over the top tube of the frame.  Bike manufacturers have made significant improvements in their designs and this may be less of a problem now than it was.  I know some shorter riders find the larger wheels more cumbersome and prefer the agility of the 26” wheels.

• I wouldn’t recommend the 29er for hardcore downhilling and freeriding.  As of writing this there are very few 29er downhill bikes and they are still in the prototype stages.  For really rough riding, the 26” wheel in general will be stronger.  In addition for really tight technical downhill trails the agility of the 26” wheel may be an advantage.

• Right now bike choices are still somewhat limited, but that is changing.  Every year I have seen more and more 29er bike models arrive on the scene.  But if you have your heart set on a particular model and it only comes in a 26” wheel version, then that may be the way you need to go.

• Finding parts like tires, tubes, and rims may be hard to find at smaller bikes shops.  If you are on a mountain bike tour or you are riding in a really remote area it may be hard to get a hold of these parts.  So if you think you will be in a situation like this and want to ride a 29er, I would recommend bringing some extra parts.  Here’s a little tip about the tubes.  You can use a 26” tube in a 29” tire.  It just takes a little work to fit it over the rim.

Well I hope that helped in making your decision for your next mountain bike.  As you can tell I am a little biased, but there are some good reasons to ride a 26″ mountain bike.

Do you have any comments or questions about 29er vs a 26” mountain bike?  Do you think you will be buying a 29er soon or will you stick with a 26″ wheel mountain bike?  I would like to know! Please leave a comment or question in the section below. To avoid comment spam and preserve the value of this blog to the readers, I screen all comments. Please do not submit your comment more than once. It will appear shortly.

And don’t forget to sign up for the MountainBikeRiding.com newsletter (upper right hand side of this website) to get updates on articles like this.

29er vs 26 mountain bike wheel

So you’re thinking about your next mountain bike and wondering what all the fuss is about with these 29er or 29” wheel mountain bikes.  Well from my personal experience, I highly recommend checking out these 29ers because I think they are the way to go if you are in the market for your first mountain bike or if you are in the market for a new trusty steed to add to your fleet.  I recently recorded a podcast (audio show) about the pros and cons of the 29er compared to a traditional 26” mountain bike.  I thought it was such an important topic that I decided to summarize the ideas in this article for you.  In this article I will go over why 29ers are so cool.  In the next article I will review where the 26″ wheel mountain bike still has it’s place.

A couple of years ago I switched over to the 29er and I won’t go back to the 26” wheels and here is why:

• The 29er wheel rolls over obstacles (rocks, roots, etc.) in the trail much better than 26” wheels.  This is an extreme comparison, but think of a monster truck rolling over cars compared to one of those cars just trying to go over a curb in the street.  The difference between 29” and 26” wheels isn’t that drastic, but there is a noticeable difference in the way the 29er rolls over obstacles compared to a 26” wheel that will take more of an impact going over that same obstacle.

• By rolling over obstacles easier, the 29er has more of a tendency to keep its momentum and speed up.

• When riding a 29er you can choose lines (paths) on the trail that you normally would avoid on a 26” mountain bike because it can roll over more obstacles.

• The larger wheels give a hardtail (rigid frame) a cushier ride.  It can make a hardtail feel a little more like a dual suspension 26” wheel bike.  It can’t handle the big hits like a full suspension, but it bridges the gap between a 26” hardtail and a 26” wheel full suspension bike.

• The 29er corners really well!  If you have ridden road bikes, you will know the feeling I am talking about.  It feels more stable and kind of cuts into the corner.  The longer wheel base and more tire patch contact on the trail create this feeling of more stability.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 when I will review where the 26″ wheel mountain bike still has it’s place.

Do you have any comments or questions about 29er vs a 26” mountain bike?  Do you think you will be buying a 29er soon?  I would like to know!  Please leave a comment or question in the section below. To avoid comment spam and preserve the value of this blog to the readers, I screen all comments. Please do not submit your comment more than once. It will appear shortly.

And don’t forget to sign up for the MountainBikeRiding.com newsletter (upper right hand side of this website) to get updates on articles like this.

In this episode of MountainBikeRiding.com Pete gives some ideas for mountain bike trips, compares the 29er to a traditional 26″ mountain bike, and reviews the Alpine Trail in Oakridge, Oregon.

You can download the podcast here and load it on your MP3 player or phone to listen to while you are on the go!

Here are the links mentioned in the podcast:

Pete’s Twitter ID

Yoga and Mountain Bike Tour

Scotland Mountain Bike and Whiskey Distillery Tour

Mountain Bike Tours in Mexico, Costa Rica, Turkey, and Tibet and Nepal

Oakridge Oregon Shuttle and Mountain Bike Tours

Here is the video of Alpine Trail near Oakridge Oregon that was mentioned in the podcast:

Do you have any comments or questions about the podcast?  Please leave them in the comment section below.  I may address them in upcoming podcasts.

And don’t forget to sign up for the MountainBikeRiding.com newsletter (upper right hand side of this website) to get updates on articles like this.

By the way Josh’s blog, The Bike Shop Hub is focused on bringing people the news and stories from his different online bike shops.  His three stores are Bike Bag Shop, Bike Kid Shop, and Bike Trailer Shop. So if you are considering a mountain bike tour or need some commuting essentials or some accessories for the kids, then I would recommend checking out his shops.

And don’t forget to sign up for the MountainBikeRiding.com newsletter (upper right hand side of this website) to get updates on articles like this.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself when making this decision.

• What kind of riding do you want to do?  Downhill (and/or freeriding) or cross country?
• What kind of terrain do you mostly ride on?  Is it smooth with some roots and rocks or is it really rough and rocky?
• Do you have any back problems or other injuries that would make having a full suspension mountain bike more important?
• Are you concerned with the weight of your mountain bike?
• Do you want the best quality components for the least amount of money?
• Do you like a mountain bike that is really responsive and accelerates quickly?
• Do you like a mountain bike that is lower maintenance or are you okay with having to do a little more maintenance?

 With these questions in mind, I’ll go into the pros and cons of both a hardtail and a full suspension mountain bike.

Okay, so to address the first question, what kind of riding are you going to be doing?  Generally, for downhill and freeriding you will be looking at a full suspension mountain bike.  There are exceptions for sure.  There are riders that like to ride a hardtail for some of these conditions and they generally have big travel front forks.  For cross-country riding I’d say it’s about a 50-50 split between full suspension and hardtails.  I recently asked some people on Twitter and Facebook, whether they ride full suspension or a hardtail, and that was the result: about 50-50.  Pretty interesting!

What kind of trails are you generally riding on?  If most of the mountain bike trails that you ride are smooth, with some small roots and rocks, then I generally recommend a hard tail.  If you are riding rough and rocky terrain then I would recommend a full suspension mountain bike.  There are exceptions to this and I will get into that in the next couple questions.

Do you have back problems or other injuries that would make having a full suspension mountain bike more important?  If you do have an injury that is aggravated by shock from the trail, then a full suspension mountain bike should definitely be at the top of your list.  There is a way to make a hard tail mountain bike more comfortable for you and that is with a suspension seatpost.  The only drawback to the suspension seatpost is that it only works when you’re sitting on the seat.  So if you’re going downhill or climbing, you will need to be seated for the suspension to help you.  If you are off of the saddle, then it’s really not going to do anything for you.  Suspension seatposts are good for climbing or riding on the flat areas of the trail.

Are you concerned with the weight of your bike?  Simply put; for the same price point of mountain bike, a full suspension bike will be heavier than a hard tail mountain bike.  If weight is a concern and the other factors are not as important to you then I would go with a hardtail mountain bike.  I know a lot of people are concerned with the weight of their mountain bike, but in reality, it’s usually a lot cheaper to lose weight on your own body than on your bike!

Do you want the best quality components for the least amount of money?  At the same price point you will generally sacrifice some quality of components for the full suspension compared to the hardtail.  If you want a particular component group, then plan on spending more money on the full suspension bike compared to its hardtail equivalent.

 Do you want to a mountain bike that is more responsive and accelerates as quickly as possible?  If so then I would recommend a hardtail mountain bike.  Bike companies have been trying to make full suspension mountain bikes react similarly to hardtail mountain bikes when climbing or accelerating by designing their suspension to handle the quick energy input from the riders.  But it is difficult to provide that quick acceleration that a hardtail provides.  So if you like the feeling of not wasting any energy and being able to stomp on the pedals and feel your bike accelerate as quickly as possible, then I would stick with the hard tail.

Regular maintenance of your mountain bike should also be a consideration when selecting between a hardtail and a dual suspension mountain bike.  If you’re a person who likes to ride more and work less on their mountain bike then I would recommend the hard tail.  If you’re a person who doesn’t mind tinkering on their mountain bike or taking it to the shop for maintenance then a full suspension mountain bike will work well for you.  The technology for full suspension mountain bikes has improved over the years so there is generally less maintenance than there was previously.  These are just some things to be aware of because a dual suspension bike will require more maintenance than a hardtail.

So when you’re out shopping for a new mountain bike ask yourself these questions, and based on your answers figure out what bike will suit you the best:  A dual suspension mountain bike or a hardtail.

 What kind of mountain bike are you going to get?  What is your dream mountain bike? Please leave a comment or question in the section below. To avoid comment spam and preserve the value of this blog to the readers, I screen all comments. Please do not submit your comment more than once. It will appear shortly.

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In this episode of MountainBikeRiding.com Pete gives a little background on himself and MountainBikeRiding.com, Covers 6 tips for winter time mountain bike fitness, and Reviews Moab Utah’s Porcupine Rim Trail.

You can download the podcast here and load it on your MP3 player or phone to listen to while you are on the go!

Here is the video of Porcupine Rim that was mentioned in the podcast:

Do you have any comments or questions about the podcast?  Please leave them in the comment section below.  I may address them in upcoming podcasts.

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Remember those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups ads in the 80s? Much like the implausible duo of peanut butter and chocolate, yoga and mountain biking might not, at first, seem a good fit. After all, the stereotypical mountain biker is young and adrenaline- fueled, while practitioners use yoga to find calm and groundedness in their lives.

Award-winning mountain bike adventure company Sacred Rides thinks otherwise. They’re blazing a new trail in mountain bike tourism with their latest fusion: a Yoga and Mountain Bike Retreat in Mexico where you can challenge your body on the trail and then stretch it all out on the mat – strengthening both body and mind in the process.

“I’ve been practicing yoga for 6 years and it’s the perfect complement to my riding,” says company president Mike Brcic. “Not only does it limber me up and prepare me for a tough ride, it helps me develop focus and balance, which makes me a better mountain biker. I’ve been meeting more and more people in the mountain bike community who also practice yoga.”

Sacred Rides’ head mountain bike instructor Johanna Weintrager will lead the retreat, along with local guide Alejandro Macias. Weintrager is also a certified yoga teacher, qualified to teach vinyasa, power and hot yoga. “We’re going to start each day at sunrise with an invigorating session on the beach, ” says Weintrager, “then head out on the trails and work on our mountain bike skills. At the end of the day, we’ll finish up with a relaxing sunset yoga session. I’m pretty excited about bringing together my two passions!”

The weeklong retreat includes accommodation at beachside cabins on a spectacular private beach north of Puerto Vallarta, 3 gourmet meals every day, daily mountain bike rides and instruction, 2 yoga sessions and other optional activities such as surfing and hiking. Extras include an evening at an eco-hacienda in the mountains and time volunteering with a local community project.

To tap into your inner mountain bike warrior this April, visit: www.sacredrides.com.

 ABOUT SACRED RIDES

Sacred Rides Mountain Bike Adventures is North America’s leading mountain bike adventure operator, recently ranked “#1 mountain bike tour operator on Earth” by National Geographic Adventure.

Their singletrack-based adventures take place in spectacular locations around the world; each trip involves extensive interaction with local communities, and a percentage of trip costs supports local community projects that riders get to visit and experience. Local guides guide each adventure and local suppliers are used whenever possible.

For more information, visit http://www.sacredrides.com

And if this isn’t exactly up your alley, Sacred Rides also offers many other mountain bike tours around the world.

What mountain bike adventures do you have planned?  Please let us know in the comment box below so we can all daydream of more mountain bike vacations!

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so easily reachable that you can scrub off a little speed before a corner or you are able to brake while going over a rough technical section without feeling like you are going to loose your grip.  The following are some tips on what you should keep in mind when setting up you brake lever positioning.

 Positioning for Maximum Power

 Ideally you will want to position the brake lever so that you don’t have to grasp for it when you need it the most. Personally I like to be able to use 1 to 2 fingers for the brake lever and the rest around the grip. This picture illustrates the hand position on the grip and how many fingers are on the brake lever.

Another position is represented in this picture with the index finger wrapped around the grip. 

I recommend that you try both positions and see what works best for you.  

Being able to use 1 or 2 fingers for braking will depend on how powerful your brakes are and where your fingers are pulling on the brake lever. The best place to pull on the brake lever is at the back of it because it has the most leverage (IE most powerful).  Because of this I usually set my brake levers inward on the handlebars.

Positioning for Best Grip

Another brake lever position adjustment is the angle of the brake lever from horizontal or vertical. The brake lever should be angled properly so that it is easily reachable.  A good angle to start with is 45 degrees from horizontal. You can tweak the angle up or down from there to find your “sweet spot”. Overall you don’t want the brake lever too flat (horizontal) or too far down (vertical) because it will be very hard to grasp and will compromise your grip on the grips.

Once the brake levers position on the handlebars is set to the right position you can adjust the reach of the brake lever for your hand size. The reach is the distance that the brake lever is from handlebar.  This will probably involve some trial and error testing but ultimately you will want the brake levers to be easily within you grasp while not sacrificing your grip on the grips!  The brake levers position from the handlebar can be adjusted for different sized hands. There is a set screw that will adjust the lever reach.

So before your next mountain bike ride, check your brake lever position and see if it is set up correctly.  If you are mechanically inclined and know how to adjust the brakes you can tweak them yourself to get the best positioning.  If you are not as mechanically inclined you could take your bike to your local bike shop to get their help with the brake lever adjustments.

Do you have any comments or questions about setting up the correct brake lever positioning on your mountain bike? I’d like to make sure I covered everything.  Please leave a comment or question below.  Thanks!

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Here are some additional things to keep in mind when riding your mountain bike on the trails in Sedona:

• Most of the trails are marked with signs but they are relatively small and sometimes can be hard to see.
• While on the trail keep an eye out for cairns (stacks at rocks) that will guide you when the trail is vague. This is usually when riding across slick rock.  Please take care not to knock them over.
• There can be many side trails, but in general stay on the main trail.
• Please stay on the trail while on and off the bike. There is a living crust over the soil that is off the trail.  It can be destroyed by riding or walking on and this can cause corrosion problems.
• When you arrive in Sedona try to take in where the monuments are in relation to the town.  If you get lost you can travel on trails or roads that are going towards those monuments and town.
• In general cell phone service is decent around the Sedona and The Village of Oak Creek area, so don’t forget your cell phone.
• Please pay attention to trail signs that indicate the wilderness boundary. There are great hiking trails in the wilderness areas if you want to take a day off the bike!
• There are few trails that cross creeks in the area.  During some times of year the creeks can be flowing heavily.  Check with the Red Rock Ranger District (928) 282-4119 for current conditions if your route will be crossing these creeks.

Sedona thrives on tourism! So here are some things to keep in mind during your visit:

• On a busy weekend there may be many other bikers, hikers and equertians. Please yield to hikers, equestrians and other bikers going uphill.
• You may run across jeep tours and helicopter tours near the areas that you are riding.  It can be a little strange, but it is all part of the Sedona experience.

To park at most places to ride from you will need the Red Rock Pass as a parking permit.  As of writing this the America the Beautiful Annual Pass (replaces the National Parks pass) will work as well. Just make sure you place it visibly in your wind shield area. You can find places to buy the Red Rock pass here. If you are riding on the weekend you could park at the Sedona High school for free and ride from there.

Here are some local bike shops that I recommend.  All of them offer rental bikes if you can’t bring your own ride.

Over the Edge Bikes

Sedona Bike and Bean

Absolute Bikes

The Fat Tire Bike Shop

Well that should prepare you for your mountain bike adventure in Sedona.  I hope you have a great ride and enjoy the view!

Did I cover everything you wanted to know about riding your mountain bike in Sedona Arizona? Or do you have comments on this article?  If so please leave your comments and/or questions below in the comments section.

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Mountain biking in Sedona is a lot of fun with it’s vast network of singletrack trails, challenging rocky terrain and amazing scenic red rock views, but there are some additional things you should know about the area as well.

Recently I have had a lot of people ask me about mountain biking in Sedona because I live nearby in Flagstaff and I ride the Sedona trails regularly in the winter time.  So I thought I would put together this post to give you some info on the mountain bike riding in Sedona.

This is the kind of info you will want to have if you are planning a mountain bike trip to Sedona or even if you are just looking for mountain bike vacation ideas.

Sedona is like a big mountain bike park with trails that surround it and The Village of Oak Creek (a small town south of Sedona).  A lot of the trails are relatively short, but when you start to link them all together you can create a ride that is as epic as you want!  Here is a Sedona mountain bike trail guide and map that I recommend.  These will give you an idea of the trail system that is in the area. Please notice that there are a fair amount of trails that are in the wilderness and bikes are not allowed.

Mountain biking in Sedona has some similarities to riding in Moab Utah. The trails can be very rocky and in some places sandy (packed and loose), with many slick rock riding opportunities.  Unlike Moab, most of the trails in Sedona are true singletrack.

For the most part there are not too many long sustained climbs (except for Munds Wagon trail). The terrain is a mix of flats and short climbs and short descents. This is good terrain if you are riding a single speed. Overall the trails are fast and flowy with some rocks and cactus mixed in.

The scenery! The red rocks that make up the Sedona area are amazing, so don’t forget to look up every now and again. And don’t forget to take your camera because there are plenty of awesome photo opportunities.

The best times to ride in Sedona are mid fall to mid spring. If you like it hot, you can ride there in the summer. Just take lots of water and maybe your swimsuit if you are riding near Oak Creek.

Sedona mountain bike riding is great but there are 3 things to be aware of that could cause a bad ride.  They are cactus, rocks and critters of the desert.

Cactus are cool to look at and appreciate but they are not so fun to tangle with!  The most obvious is to avoid crashing or falling into these because it is painful and it can take a long time to pull out all the needles. Trust me, I have had my encounters with these trail side attractions!

I recommend using Slime tubes because they have a sealant in them that will seal small  holes in your inner tube if you get cactus needles in your tires. The Slime tubes are heavier than regular tubes, but they are worth it in comparison to fixing a flat on a regular basis.  Even if you are able avoid cactus, there is a good chance you will end up with some temporary Sedona tattoes! (scratches from the tough bushes that you may brush against).

The rocks in Sedona are perfect for giving you a pinch flat if your tire pressure is too low or if you don’t un-weight the bike enough while riding over them.  I recommend inflating your tires 5 psi more than your normal tire pressure, and look down the trail enough to anticipate the rocks coming your way.

If the cactus and rocks weren’t enough, there are some desert critters that you may run across.  Overall snakes and Javelina are the two critters you may come across that pose danger.  I personally have rarely seen them on the trails, but I am always on the look out.  If you see a snake; stop and take an alternate route waaaay around them!

Javelina are wild pigs and they generally travel in packs. They will charge if they feel threatened, so keep your distance and let them go their way before you continue down the trail.  I don’t mean to scare you, but these are some things to be aware of when riding in Sedona and most desert riding areas.

Just a quick side note: If you are looking for a less strenuous way to enjoy the scenery of the Sedona red rocks I recommend checking out Sedona Electric Bike Rentals.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of “What You Should Know About Mountain Biking in Sedona Arizona” for more tips.  Do you have any questions or comments about riding in Sedona?  Or do you have a story about your mountain biking experience in Sedona?  If so please share them in the comments section below.

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