Mountain Biking Blog

A biking vacation is an excellent opportunity to purchase your own mountain bike.
If you do not own a mountain bike and you’re not planning on purchasing one, you can rent one. In any case, you should know that it is not an easy task finding and fitting a suitable mountain bike. There are many variables which range from our budget, the style of biking we are intending to do and most importantly – the bike’s size.

Just like shoes, you have to know what size you wear. Many bike riders are not aware as to the importance of riding a bike that fits the rider’s dimensions. There are many consequences and medical ramifications that become possible, due to performing physical activity in a wrong posture. Riding a bike of the wrong size, beyond being uncomfortable, is a medical hazard. Therefore, fitting the right bike size is an important issue for anyone intending on riding trails, whichever kind trail he intends to ride.

One of the important measures of a bike is its height. When you find a bike of you’re liking, stand over it. It is most important to have some space between your crotch and the top tube of the bike. If you can pick up the handle-bar to the point which there is an inch and half between the floor and the front tire – the height of the bike is about right. There can be a bit more of space – although any less can cause injuries while riding. Sit on the Saddle and put your feet on the pedals. For this stationary examination ask someone to support the bike so you will be able to put both your feet on the bike and pedal. Pedal to the point where one leg is at six O’clock and the other at twelve.

The leg who’s foot is at six should have a slight bend at the knee, yet not completely straight. The other leg’s thigh should be close (yet not completely) to being horizontal. These measurements will allow you to have healthy and enjoyable rides on the bike of your choice.

The best time of year for bike riding in usually between June and September. Those are the months, which attract most vacation bikers Although the best weather is usually found in July and August, there are plenty of mountain bikers who prefer to come vacate in June or September and enjoy the quite ambience that often exists in mountain biking focused areas in those months. While biking in the beginning and the end of the season, it is possible to encounter cold weather, which reminds us of the winter.

Here are a few tips for how to dress for riding Downhill trail in winter conditions:

General:  You’ll get very hot when you’re fighting snow and mud. But when you get to a fast downhill, you’ll freeze. It’s best to layer so you can adjust your protection.

Bottom:  It is recommended to wear fleece-lined tights over standard biking shorts. If you get hot, you can strip and dump the tights in your bag. When you come home, you can drop the mud-covered tights and shoes on the porch, and go into the house clean. If you reach a fast downhill, a sweaty crotch can cool down VERY quickly if there’s only one layer.

Top:  Wearing a standard bike shirt over a very thin wool-acrylic long-sleeved upper body tight should keep you worm on a cold day. For protection from cold winds or if you intend on riding some fast downhill’s, add another nylon layer.

Gloves: It is best to use ski gloves.

Shoes: You can either use your summer shoes, wearing a double layer of socks, or purchase shoe covers, which insulate the shoe from cold temperature and moisture. There are special winter riding shoes that have extra padding, yet they are very expensive.

Mountain biking is one of the healthiest and most enjoyable ways of exercise. It improves your general health, while being gentle on your joints. Biking is good for the body in many ways: it improves cardio-vascular endurance; it helps prevent obesity, arthritis, coronary heart disease and helps our body in many ways. Although, biking is a very healthy sport, it contains many hazards and risks of injuries. With awareness to preventing biking injuries, you will be able to enjoy a wonderful and healthy biking vacation. Here are some tips to help prevent biking injuries:

•Before your vacation it is recommended to go to a health checkup with a physician.

•Warm up and stretch: Before every ride it is important to do some kind of form of warm up and stretching. Warming up increases your heart rate, increases your body temperature which makes your body ready for the exercise. Stretching the muscles makes them ready for the exercise by increasing their flexibility and warming them up. If you simply start your exercise without a warm up, then you are in a high risk for muscle injury.

•Avoid wrist and hand injuries: Wrist and hand injuries are very common among bike riders. These injuries are usually caused by the many shocks and impacts that the rider goes through while biking. Keeping the riders hands in the same position on the handlebar for a prolonged period while biking enhances the chance of wrist injury. Wrist and hand injuries can be prevented by wearing gloves and maintaining the suspension gear of our bike. It is important to occasionally take your hands off of the handlebar and shake them to restore circulation.

•Keep well hydrated: Many injuries and health hazards are the result of dehydration. Make sure you begin your ride with plenty of water and drink during your ride.

The equipment that we take along (or forget to take along) on our biking trail can make the difference between a ride we will enjoy and remember for years and between a ride that we will also remember for years, but not as a pleasant one. Additionally, every area has its own special attributes that riders should now about, so they can fit their gear they bring along accordingly. Here is a basic list of some of the things we highly recommend to bring on a ride on these trails:

1.Biking Backpack – Backpacks that are especially designed for mountain biking are sold in biking stores. These packs usually are healthy for your bank, comfortable and waterproof.
2.Water – For a ride lasting for more than an hour, bring 2 liters of water. I recommend bringing the water in a water device that can be put in your bag and allows you to drink at any time, hands free (these devices are also known as ‘water bags’)
3.Food – Bring light food such as fruit and energy bars.

4.Pump – Bring a pump that is powerful and small.
5.Two spare inner tubes – Even if you take many precautions, the likelihood for punctures in these trails are high.
6.First Aid Kit – Bring along the equipment that will allow you to take care of yourself reasonably until you get help. Most important is an elastic bandage. Make sure that it is in tact.
7.A Chain Splinter – Bring a good one.
8.Photographers – bring a camera!

Have a fun ride!