Mountain Biking E-Book

James McKnight

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 191

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Crowood Sports Guides provide sound, practical advice that will make you into a better sportsperson, whether you are learning the basic skills, discovering more advanced techniques or reviewing the fundamentals of your sport. Contents include; choosing a bike and getting started in the sport; clothing, shoes and equipment; detailed coverage of core techniques for all forms of mountain biking, including body positioning, climbing, cornering and braking; techniques specific to trail riding and sections on improving your skills; tips for training and how to solve common riding problems; guide to maintaining your bike to prolong its life and keep the rider safe; trail-side repair techniques; nutrition and fitness, including hydration requirements; guide to the main race events, starting out in racing and what happens on a race day. Superbly illustrated with over 200 colour photographs.

Leseprobe

CROWOOD SPORTS GUIDES

MOUNTAIN

BIKING

SKILLS · TECHNIQUES · TRAINING

James McKnight

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2012 byThe Crowood Press LtdRamsbury, MarlboroughWiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2014

© The Crowood Press Ltd 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 857 8

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to photographer Chris Jackson of Kingdom Bikes for his great photography.

Also thanks to Bertie Maffoon’s bike shop in Marlborough, Wiltshire for help with the maintenance sections.

Thank you to my family, friends and to Isobel for helping me with my efforts.

And for their help, thank you to Trek, Osprey, Teva, Royal and The North Face.

Photography by Chris Jackson/kingdombike.

CONTENTS

Part 1: An Introduction to Mountain Biking

1

History of the Sport

2

Starting Out

3

Kit and Equipment

Part 2: Skills and Techniques

4

Core Skills

5

Further Skills

6

Trail Techniques

Part 3: Repairs and Maintenance

7

Essential Maintenance

8

Basic Repairs

9

Trail-Side Repairs

Part 4: Fitness and Nutrition

10

Train to Improve

11

Home Routine

12

Nutrition

Part 5: Competing

13

Overview of Events

14

Starting Out In Racing

15

Improve through Racing

Glossary

Useful Information and Contacts

Index

CHAPTER 1

HISTORY OF THE SPORT

Introduction to Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is the off-road form of cycling that has become widespread over the last two decades and is fast becoming the most popular two-wheeled sport. Accessible to all ages, fitness and skill levels, a year-round sport and applicable to any location – hillside or plateau – mountain biking is perhaps the most versatile sport of the moment.

History

Bicycles have been ridden off-road ever since their invention; however, the first recordings of ‘mountain biking’ are hazily recounted from somewhere in the late 1970s when a group of hippies in Marin County, USA, began to take their ‘klunkerz’ (beach cruisers) to the hills and race down dirt tracks.

During the 1980s, the term ‘mountain bike’ was coined and Gary Fisher started to produce geared off-road bicycles. From what started so humbly, the sport soon became a craze and by the early 1990s there were televised events, professional riders and a global race series.

Mountain biking is for everyone; it’s fun, healthy and environmentally friendly.

The sport’s founders pushed and carried their basic bikes up mountains in the USA.

That craze died off somewhat around the middle of the decade. However, the sport continued to thrive and progress, with new technologies constantly developing the sport and feeding a hungry consumer market. Currently the sport is having a rebirth as adventurers and families alike begin to realize the potential of the modern mountain bike, with an increasing number of trail centres and summer resorts creating an ever-growing abundance of biking terrain, and paving the way for future generations of mountain bikers.

Early Competitions

Mountain biking was born as a competition sport and yet only considered mildly competitively natured. The majority of riders were hippies and the race meeting was considered more important than the racing itself. However, with the increase in popularity and the invention of the saleable mountain bike, the sport sprouted many high-profile competitions, some of which continue to run to this day:

•

Fat Tyre Festivals were huge events that originated in the USA and that included all the fanfare of a music festival. The most famous event took place in Moab, Utah and paved the way for the place to become one of the most visited mountain bike destinations in the world.

•

The UCI World Cup commenced in 1989 and has since included disciplines such as dual slalom, dual, four-cross, downhill, trials and cross-country; the latter three of which comprise the modern day series.

•

The first World Championships took place in 1990 in Durango, Colorado with the winners taking home the now much-coveted rainbow striped jersey. The ‘Worlds’ is the most important single event on the mountain bike calendar and some racers focus their entire season on the one event.

•

The Kamikaze Downhill is a now legendary race that took place on Mammoth Mountain, USA. The event was a head-to-head eliminator race down the high-speed fire-roads on the mountainside and claimed many casualties, eventually leading to its retirement from the racing calendar.

•

National Championships now take place the world over, mostly on the same date so as not to clash with international racing commitments – the exception to this rule is for some southern-hemisphere countries who prefer to host their championships in the middle of their summers.

•

The Malvern Classic was once the biggest event on the UK calendar and brought riders from all disciplines together at a site in the Malvern Hills. This event had a true festival atmosphere with various races taking place over the course of the event and on-site bars, live music and camping for all.

•

The Olympics first accepted mountain biking to the roster in 1996 and the event has been a huge success. Only cross-country racing is included in the mountain bike Olympics but the majority of riders also hope to see downhill brought to the event.

Mountain biking is a world-wide sport.

Names and Nations

Mountain biking was invented in the USA and the country has always had a strong presence on the mountain bike scene, but these days there are other nations who dominate the sport with higher participation figures and champions across the sport’s disciplines.

•

The UK has one of the highest participation rates in the world along with some of the best infrastructure, both of which create a huge amount of revenue from the sports tourism they create. There are dozens of ‘trail-centres’ (dedicated bike destinations with all-weather, purpose built trails) in the UK, which generate millions of pounds for the economy. The sport is fronted by hugely successful riders, particularly in downhill – the likes of which include Steve Peat, Gee Atherton and Danny Hart.

•

New Zealand has the terrain and the attitude to sport that is needed for mountain biking and, unsurprisingly, is one of the strongest nations in terms of racing results: Justin Leov and Cameron Cole are two of the most successful riders of the moment. Although more sparse than in the UK, there are ‘bike parks’ and trails appearing all over the country making it the top winter destination for all bike riders.

•

Australia is a true sporting nation, which puts a lot of money into funding for its future sports stars. Mountain biking is no exception with many top athletes including Cadel Evans (who now races in road cycling), Sam Hill and Chris Kovarik. However, facilities are minimal in comparison to other leading countries and there is little in the way of prepared trails.

•

The USA continues to push the sport forward in terms of technology, and many thousands of mountain bikers travel from the world over to ride in famous destinations such as Moab and Mammoth. Aaron Gwin is the downhill star who currently dominates the sport, and is the true American dream kid.

•

France and Switzerland contain some of the best bike riding in the world and subsequently attract tourists from the world over for the summer opening months, June to September, when the ski lift systems are open to bikes. France in particular has long been producing top riders, with the sport’s most successful racers ever, Nicolas Vouilloz and Anne-Caroline Chausson, being most notable.

•

Canada does not produce a great number of competitive cyclists, but what it lacks in champions it more than makes up for in its cutting-edge bike-parks. Whistler is the most popular destination in the world for mountain biking and attracts cyclists from all over the world during its long summer opening (open from May until late October).

The Alps hold some of the best mountain bike terrain in the world.

Progression of Technology

Mountain bikes have been at the cutting-edge of bicycle design ever since their invention, and their constant development continues to forge new technologies to this day. Where once, in the early 1990s, it was considered state-of-the-art, even unnecessary by some, to have full-suspension on a mountain bike, today manufacturers are playing with space-age materials and experimenting with weight-saving, even aerodynamic, frame qualities. Modern suspension can be fine-tuned or locked-out at the flick of a switch, tyres are tubeless and nearly all bikes have hydraulic disc-brake systems.

Manufacturers are still experimenting though, with the latest trend being toward wheel sizes. Current theories state that bigger wheels will roll over rough ground more easily, and some manufacturers have almost entirely switched their range of bikes to bigger wheels. Whether this wheel size – 29in – will stay is an on-going debate in the sport and both conventional (26in) and large ‘wagon-wheels’ certainly do have their advantages and disadvantages.

Technology is always advancing.

CHAPTER 2

STARTING OUT

Introduction

Starting out in any new sport can be daunting, and with the range of equipment available, the places to ride and the techniques in mountain biking being numerous, it could seem like one of the hardest sports to learn. However, people who ride bikes are friendly and bike shops will always take the time to explain, so the first rule to remember is to never fear to ask questions.

There are many subcategories within mountain biking, all of which are specialized factions of the sport’s original concept, which was to be able to pedal up and ride down any trail, anywhere. General mountain biking – riding around cross-country circuits – is participant friendly and attracts the majority of the sport’s riders. However, downhill riding and racing are most popular with the younger, adrenalineseeking crowd and are also regarded at the forefront of the sport – the Formula One of cycling.

It is important to know the components of your bike.

Mountain biking takes on many different guises.

Types of Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking can be subdivided into many different categories, namely cross-country, downhill, trials and all-mountain riding. These divisions within the sport have become very specialist with most riders focusing their efforts on only one of the disciplines.

Cross-Country. This is how most people envisage mountain biking – riding on a range of terrain from tarmac to rock-fest, on lightweight and versatile bikes with a wide range of gears to take the rider up hill and down dale.

Downhill. The gravity-fed, adrenaline-fuelled side of mountain biking comprises a younger crowd yet appeals visually to all. Tracks include daring leaps, daunting drops and high speeds.

Trials. Bicycle trials came about when the Spanish motor-cycle trials team were looking for another way to train and improve their skills. A small following soon developed, exploded in popularity and then crossed over into mountain biking, with riders such as Danny MacAskill now becoming household names.

All-Mountain. More recently coined, the term ‘all-mountain’ is used with reference to riding in more severe mountains, such as the Alps, where stronger bikes with front and rear suspension are needed to cope with the unforgiving terrain.

The Bikes

As much as the sport itself is diverse and varied, so too are the bikes. For each discipline there is a differing style of bike, and within each discipline’s style of machine, each manufacturer has their own take on the design.

Understanding each and every brand within the sport is not necessary; however, it is important to understand the difference between each style of bike and to be able to gauge its designated purpose or discipline.

Trail/All-Mountain Bike

Trail bikes, also referred to as ‘all-mountain’ or ‘enduro’ bikes, are the most practical and all-encompassing mountain bikes on the market. These are designed to be able to cope with all conditions and to climb efficiently, whilst descending with the best – only a downhill-specific bike will descend better. Trail bikes are made for those who like to be out in the mountains riding technical trails or racing in endurance downhill competitions, but they are also suitable for UK Trail Centre riding and the bike of choice for most British riders.

Key features: single-crown forks; 2×10 gearing; 140–170mm suspension travel; height-adjust seatpost; robust tyres (2.35in width is generally preferred).

Purpose: all-day riding. General mountain biking. Enduro downhill racing.

Price range: £800+.

All-mountain/trail bike.

Cross-Country Bike

Cross-country bikes are the machines that push the boundaries of weight, rolling resistance and materials. Designed with the fanatic in mind, these bikes are low-slung, a hard ride and have a large range of gearing; all aimed at making a bike that can climb fast, make it down the descents and that can be peddled at speed over long distances. Not the most comfortable or robust, but built with a purpose – speed. These bikes are more suited to those with a serious intention of racing and due to their lightweight nature, will stand up to far less abuse than trail or downhill orientated bikes.

Key features: lightweight (often carbon) frame; large range of gears (up to thirty); hard-tail or short-travel full suspension; low-profile, fast rolling tyres.

Purpose: pedalling efficiency; climbing speed; cross-country racing.

Price range: £500–£5,000.

Cross-country bike. A ‘hard-tail’ has no rear suspension.

Downhill Bike

As the name suggests, downhill bikes are made for going in one direction only – down. Laid-back chopper-like angles put the rider in a comfortable and confidence-inspiring position from which to attack even the steepest of slopes. Modern downhill bikes can cope with 10m jumps, speeds of over 50mph (80km/h) and severely rugged terrain. Not for going uphill, these are best suited to those living in mountainous areas with chairlift access or as a second bike for occasional uplift-aided riding.

Key features: relaxed angles; wide tyres; triple-clamp forks; low-slung top-tube; 200mm suspension travel.

Purpose: downhill riding and racing only.

Price range: £2,000+.

Downhill bike.

Single Speed

Single-speed bikes have only one gear, which eliminates a lot of products such as cables, derailleurs, gear shifters, etc., and in doing so creates a simplistic bike that can stand up to all conditions. These are generally hard-tail frames, as those wishing to ride with only one gear are normally looking for absolute simplicity.

Key features: one gear; hard-tail frame.

Purpose: low maintenance; fun.

Price range: £300+.

Single-speed bike.

Guide to Buying a Bike

The mountain bike market is highly competitive amongst the numerous brands, which can range from innovative to imitators. The main brands within the industry can all be trusted to be providing quality manufacturing and components at a fair price. However, choosing a bike can still be a relative mine-field, so make sure that you understand the purposes of differing styles of bike (explained in Chapter 3) and take your time to invest in a steed that will last.

Follow the steps below to ensure a worth-while purchase.

Step 1: Decide Your Budget

We all have different budgets, but it is sensible to decide a high marker before you go shopping for a bike, and look for something close to your top price. More money does equal more bike.

•

For under £500 you can get a quality front-suspension bike with disc brakes, sturdy wheels and a large range of gears.

•

For £500–£1000 you will start to find lightweight, full suspension bikes with hydraulic disc brakes, twenty-seven gears and strong wheels.

•

£1000–£1500 will buy you a quality bike with well-damped suspension, strong and lightweight wheels, up to thirty gears, hydraulic brakes and top-level ride quality.

•

For £1500+ pretty much any bike purchased should have all of the above, plus discipline-specific features, such as lightweight carbon frames for cross-country riding, highly tuneable suspension for downhill and height-adjust seat-posts for all-mountain riding.

Step 2: Think Long-Term

Decide how keen you are to pursue the sport and therefore how serious you need your bike to be. Invest once in a bike that your abilities will not exceed within the first two years of riding. Full suspension will help you down more difficult trails but a hard-tail bike will improve your skills and offer much better components for your money.

Step 3: Features Checklist

Some bikes seem far below the price of something similar from competitors; this is not normally without reason. Check for the following to ensure you are buying the quality that you need:

•

Tyres: if the rubber feels hard and plastic-like, then you will need to upgrade straight away, as the manufacturer has cut their costs by supplying a cheap imitation of the real thing. Good off-road tyres need to have strong side-walls and quality rubber in order to limit punctures and maximise grip.

•

Brakes: hydraulic disc brakes are commonplace in mountain biking nowadays, so don’t settle for anything less. If you have a low budget and opt for something without disc brakes, make sure that the bike has the available mounts for when you can afford to upgrade.

•

Cheap components: particularly at the lower end of the price range, check that bikes don’t have a large number of heavy steel components (check with a magnet) as these are cumbersome and will only need to be upgraded at a later date.

Step 4: Buy in Store

Although the internet can offer lower prices, the fitting service, advice and after-sales service of a bike shop cannot be beaten. Even if you do buy from an online store, you will most likely end up taking your bike to a shop to be checked over and serviced anyway and you will be charged where you would most likely not be, had you bought the bike from the shop.

It is important to know where your money is going.

Get to know your bike and you will soon be on your way to flowing trail riding.

Which Bike is Best?

It is impossible to label a bike the ‘best’, but bikes built by any of the major manufacturers at around the £1,000 price mark and with 120–140mm of suspension travel are ideal for everyday use and will stand up to serious riding.

TOP BRAND CHECKLIST

•

GT: high technology, high prices.

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Santa Cruz: superb construction, top-quality finishing.

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Orange: English made, great construction and top-notch customer service.

•

Trek: best range of bikes, great customer service and warranty department.

•

Kona: cheaper but very functional bikes.

•

Commencal: unbeatable attention to detail, great race bikes but not best for reliability.

•

Intense: the Ferrari of mountain biking – no expenses spared, beautifully constructed machines.

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Specialized: one of the biggest brands and producers of an all-encompassing range of quality bikes.

Understanding Your Bike

It is important to understand your bike and to learn the names of the separate components, as this will make life a lot easier in the long run; you will be able to discuss points about set-up of your bike and altering the ride characteristics a lot more easily when you are speaking the same language as the rest of the bike world. It is also important to understand the uses and variables of each component.

Stem

The ‘stem’ is the component that attaches the handlebars to the top of the forks; the connecting piece of metal that takes care of steering duties. Stem length is variable between 30 and 90mm, with different lengths applicable to the differing disciplines, as well as the rider’s height and dimensions.

Short stems are better for all-mountain and downhill riding, as they offer more direct steering and lessen flex. The majority of riders don’t use anything more than a 50mm stem. For cross-country riding and racing, some prefer to use stems between 50 and 90mm in order to bring the rider into a ‘flatter’ and more stretched riding position, which is efficient for power output but uncomfortable over prolonged periods.

TOP TIP

Avoid bargain bikes! Anything on sale in a supermarket or on a ‘best deals’ website is likely to only look the part with many cheap components and often dangerous assembly (probably not put together by a qualified bicycle mechanic). Buy a bargain and you will only be straight into the local bike shop for repairs and most likely the bad news that you have been sold a dud.

Handlebars

Steering is one area of your bike that you need to get right; the handlebars are your main control point for the bike. Another major factor to be considered is comfort, as the handlebars on your bike can affect your overall body position. Mountain bikers are tending to use wider and wider handlebars – the wider the bar, the more stable you should be – with the range now starting at 680mm and stretching to 780mm width (this is measured from end-to-end). However, everything relates back to body shape and intended purpose; the widest bars are only useful for the high speeds and wide courses that are found in downhill racing, and equally the narrowest are best left to serious cross-country racers who feel more comfortable climbing with narrow bars. For general/all-mountain riding, 720mm is now beginning to become a rough standard.

Shifters

The gear shifters are normally paddle-like components that ‘hang’ underneath the handlebars. The shifter for your front chain-rings is always on the left, the rear on the right. There are usually two ‘paddles’ on the shifter: one that you push with your thumb to change into a bigger chain-ring/rear sprocket (bigger on the front makes the going harder, on the rear it makes it easier), and one that you click with the forefinger to change back.

Grips

The ‘grips’ are the soft, rubber pads that you hold on to. Most mountain bikes are now supplied with ‘lock-on’ grips, which are held in place by a ring at either end of the grip that tightens with an Allen key. Soft grips are not necessarily more comfortable – many people find their hands fatigue less with firmer ones. Also, note that different width grips are available; most companies offer thin, medium and thick, which are for different hand sizes, so make sure you find a comfortable set.

Brakes

Big advancements in braking technology mean that nearly all quality mountain bikes are now sold with hydraulic disc-brakes, even bikes around the £300 mark. These are far better for stopping than traditional rim-brakes and are less affected by water/mud and buckled wheels; much more useful for mountain biking. All brakes use either synthetic or mineral oil to operate; the oil essentially pushes two pads against the disc, which is attached to the centre of the wheel, to slow you down.