TOURING DATES!!!

While the following are not, strictly speaking, touring events, they are new dates, and it is fitting to post them here.  There are three new ride events below.  The third one is appearing here first.  There is not yet a date on this last event.  That will come soon.

NEW!!  FUNNEST ROAD RIDE IN GEORGIA:

            This ride is, as the title suggests, an absolute blast!  We leave Helen, and ride some pretty nice rural north Georgia roads.  There’s a good climb as an entrance exam, and then…  We’ll be on the super fun part.  The roads along the lakes are so tight that they are technical on road bikes.  There is very little traffic, and what there is, cannot keep up with a road bike rider most of the time.  The scenery is spectacular.  And (get this) we’ll make a lunch stop at the turnaround point.  The Tiger Market has one of the world’s absolute best grilled cheese sandwiches!  Then we turn around and go back through the cool stuff again!

Where:  Helen, GA.  Municipal Parking lot, on Chattahoochee Strasse

Date: Thursday, 14 July

Time:  0800 A.M. (Sharp!)

Distance/Pace: approx 65 miles  Pace will be fun, but we’ll stop to regroup

periodically.

Requirements/Conditions: Helmets are required, road bikes strongly

recommended.  We’ll go rain or shine.

NEW!!  TRIPLE GAP ROUTE RIDE:

            We’ll ride the traditional “south triple,” with a start/finish in Dahlonega.  We’ll do this one with one bit of a difference.  Find your parking where you will, but ride to the Courthouse Square.  We’ll use the Square as a Rally Point for the start and finish of this ride.  (Please use courtesy and common sense in selecting your parking spot.  Do it legally.)  We’ll do the traditional approach to Neels Gap, up Rockhouse Rd, and Porter Springs.  There’s a possibility of a stop at the top of Neels Gap (mile 22), but I prefer to “roll” this summit.  We have another possible store stop in Suches (mile 37).  After descending Woody Gap, we’ll take the old “back way” into Dahlonega.  It’s a lot nicer, and less traffic.

            Where:  Dahlonega, GA.  Court Square.

            Date:  Thursday, 4 August

            Time:  0900 A.M.  (Sharp!)

            Distance/Pace:  Approx 53 miles, with re-group options

Requirements/Conditions: Helmets are required, road bikes strongly

recommended.  We’ll go rain or shine.

            Suggestion:  Mount your climbing gears

REALLY NEW!!  MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN BIKE TRIP

There is a reason for the redundancy in the above title.  The idea is to take our mountain bikes and go ride them in the mountains.  We’ve done this before, but it’s been several years since we last took a group up north.

Options and ideas abound.  We could do this as a single day trip, or make a weekend of it.  We’re considering locations and venues.  At the top of the current list are Unicoi State Park, out of Helen, GA, and some sweet trails on Fort Mountain, out of Elijay, GA.

We have no firm date yet, but we’re thinking in terms of early this coming Fall.

What we intend is to invite a group of folks (you!) to come with us.  We’ll take our off-road bicycles and go play and explore in the Southern Smokies.

Who’s in?  Where do you want to go?  What date(s)?

Watch this space for more information, and for advice and updates.

Your next mountain bike or Mountain Biking 201

This post’s title is intended as a bit of a joke.  Some of you have only recently entered the realm of off-road riding.  The new hasn’t rubbed off of the bike you are riding, and you are probably thinking something like,  “What’s this?  I just got my bike, and Road Dragon is telling me I have to go and get another one!?”

Likely, some of you haven’t made it to the first mountain bike yet.  In which case, your next mountain bike will be your first one.

We’re saying that this series is over.  Hopefully, it’s been somewhat instructive, and has helped to clear away some of the confusion.  We started this series with the post on  Feb. 1, 2011.  If you are late arriving at the party, you might want to go back and read forward from there.

There will always be a “Next Mountain Bike.”  From an equipment standpoint, mountain biking is in a funny position.  It has matured, and it is in its infancy.  Consider this sequence:

1965  I “invent” mountain biking.  (So do about two million other American boys and girls.)  I strip all of the extraneous stuff off of my old Schwinn cruiser, and go bombing down fire trails in the Appalachian mountains.

• Mid 1970s  The “Marin Scene” and Mt Tam.
• 1982  I buy my first mountain bike.  It’s a Schwinn Sidewinder.  Basically a heavy 10-speed road bike with 26 inch tires and a BMX handlebar.
• 1987  I modify the Schwinn clunker to use it as a “grocery getter.”
• 1995  I buy my first “modern” mountain bike.  It’s a steel frame with a suspension fork!
• 1999  I (and many others) purchase a “full suspension” bike.  Mine was a deathtrap, with a nasty tendency to throw the rider over the bars on a hard stop.
• 2001  I get a true dualie, one with really good suspension and a “four bar” rear set up.  It’s a major bike!
• 2005  The whole trail access thing.  Local trails disappear due to development.  The time and effort needed to get to more distant trails is more than the reward.  Mountain bikes begin to disappear from my stable.
• 2011  With the opening of two very good local trails, I dive back into it!  My current “rig” is a Giant XtC.  It’s a hard tail, 29er, with an amazing fork.  It climbs well, is light, and is a blast to ride.  Can’t wait to take it up into the mountains!

The point of all this?  The world of the mountain bike is evolving.  Bike design and technology are constantly changing.  What is revolutionary today, will be seen as hopelessly out of date in a year or two.  Your style and conditions will change.  Pick a bike that suits you, and ride the livin’ daylights out of it!

Don’t change bikes too often.  (It’s an expensive occupation.)  But don’t hang on to one that limits you.  Experiment.  Test yourself.  Try new and different trails and riding conditions.  Try everything.  And above all, enjoy it.

The class titled “Mountain Biking 201” takes place on the trails.

Hopefully, this series has been of some value to you.  I’d love to hear about your adventures and experiences.  And always remember, The rubber belongs below the bike!

Mountain Biking 101: Bike Types

Without a doubt, this post could get wordy.  We’re going to work to keep it cogent.  The problem is, any discussion of various types of mountain bikes immediately gets clouded by a lot of subtle distinctions and shadings.  By no means are we attempting to do a definitive or exhaustive treatment of the subject.  Rather, what follows is an overview of some of the more common types of off-road bicycles.

Essentially, mountain bikes are defined by a purpose.  How the bike is to be ridden, and where, determines a lot of design choices.  So that’s how we’re going to proceed here.

Before we get to the meat and potatoes, let’s state this.  There is a lot of cross-over and interbreeding in today’s mountain bike market.  It’s almost like ordering from a Chinese restaurant menu.  Basic choices are, Rigid, Hardtail, and full suspension.  Any of those basic categories can be had with either 26 inch or 29 inch wheels.

Rigid:  These have no suspension parts.  Often they are singlespeed machines as well.  This is about simplicity and overall durable function.  The fewer moving parts there are, the fewer things can go wrong.

Surly Karate Monkey

Hardtail:  A bike with a suspension fork at the front, but no rear suspension.

Giant Boulder ~ hardtail

Full-Suspension (or Dual-Suspension):  Bikes with forks and dampers at the front of the bike, and a spring/damper and pivots at the back.

Giant Yukon ~ dualie

26 inch:  Refers to the more common, mountain bike with a “26 inch” wheel.

29er:  (Hang on!)  Refers to a newer wheel size.  The 29 inch wheel referenced by the name is actually a 700C wheel.  The 700C is the same wheel diameter as the most common of road bikes, but with mountain bike tires mounted, the overall diameter is roughly 29 inches.  The advantage?  Larger diameter wheels roll over stuff better.

Giant Talon ~ 29er  (this one is a hartail too)

Bike Types by Purpose:

XC (Cross Country):  May be either a hardtail, or a dual suspension.  Typically, these are lighter, competition oriented bikes.  They will have less suspension travel, and a bit stiffer spring action.  Usually the suspension travel is around 4 inches (100mm).  Bikes in this category are designed to climb well, as well as to be fairly stable descenders.  These are not big hit bikes!  (If hucking off of big drops is your thing, do not try it on one of these!)

Giant Anthem X (also a 29er)

Trail Bikes:  Much like XC Bikes, trail bikes are a bit heavier, and with typically longer and more plush suspension.  These are usually enthusiast bikes, designed to make a day on the trails a bit more comfortable.

Giant Trance X

All Mountain:  This type is a bit more of a “big hit” bike.  Longer travel and a bit heavier.  These bikes can still climb, but they really are designed for the spirited descender.

Giant Reign X (note long travel)

Freeride:  Gravity Pilots arise!  The Freeride bike is meant for you.  These beasts are designed to bomb downhill, and take some fairly serious hits.  Heavier still, and with longer suspension travel.  These aren’t much fun to try and climb on, but they are an absolute blast doing what they do best, go down hill, over rough terrain, and do it fast.

Giant Faith (Definitely a Freeride bike!)

Downhill:  A true Downhill is basically an off-road motorcycle without the engine.  These are extremely tough, heavy bikes, with very long suspensions.  They are built to be raced down wicked double black diamond descents.

Kona Stab (this one's an all-out downhiller!)

There!  Maybe that will help a bit with some of the confusion.

Today’s Term(s): (See all of the above.)

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201

Mountain Biking 101: Trail Care & Maintenance

If we are to be able to ride good trails, we must take care of them.  It’s that simple.

Land access is an ongoing and tough struggle.  We who ride mountain bikes can help a lot, or we can do great damage.  The help part comes from doing our best to ride responsibly, and to take care of the trails we ride.  We need to get involved in the process of opening trails, and working to keep them open.  That’s tough work.  It means going to meetings, writing letters, a lot of finiky detail paper work.

But the active side of land access is taking good care of the trails we ride on.  It boils down to a fairly simple set of actions:

Don’t Shred.  (Skids and washouts may be fun, but they tear up fragile forest floors.)

Don’t ride when the trails are wet.

Don’t widen trails.  (If you aren’t able to ride through an obstacle, dismount and portage over it.  Widened trails tend to increase erosion.)

If you bring it in, pack it out.

Avoid disturbing wildlife.

Volunteer for trail maintenance work.

We can boil a lot of this down.  Ride responsibly.  Treat the land gently.  Clean up after yourself and others.  I make a habit of looking for debris and litter, and try to pack out more than I brought in.  Sadly, I’m usually successful.

Join IMBA.  The International Mountain Bicycling Association is the umbrella organization for off road cyclists the world over.  This link will take you to the IMBA homepage.

Today’s Term(s):

 Shred:  To ride in a destructive manner.  esp.  skidding, or sliding over the ground.

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

Bike Types

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201

Mountain Biking 101: More on carrying “stuff”

I wrestle with this.  I fight against a conflict.  Part of me wants to carry a lot of stuff.  Part of me wants me and the bike to be stripped down, light, and responsive.

The Heavy Rider:  I am a professional bike wrench.  I know just about everything that can go wrong with a bike, and I tend to want to pack tools and spares against all of those possibilities.  Mountain bike riding also presents injury risk, so a good first aid kit would be nice.  Add insect repellent, sunscreen, water, and food (must have food!) to this and the load can become impressive.  (Some would say excessive.)  At one point in my journey I had a mountainbike equipped with a rear cargo rack and panniers, and I still carried a large backpack hydration system.  Lights.  (After all, even though the ride starts at 10:00 A.M., I could end up out at night.)  GPS.  Compass.  Map.  Signal Mirror.  You name it.

The Light Rider:  I like a lightweight responsive bike, and I like the freedom of not carrying a lot of stuff.  There is joy in being unencumbered.  Carefree.  Climbing easily.  The backpack affects center of gravity?  Leave it behind!  Spare tubes?  We almost never get flats!

In a more sober moment, it’s possible to reflect, how much, and what is carried sort of depends on where and how the ride is.  If the ride is in deep woods, a long way from home, and a long way from the trailhead, perhaps a bit more equipment and supplies are in order.  If it’s on very local trails, less is needed.  Think about how difficult it is to walk out while carrying your bike.  If the difficulty is likely to be extreme, perhaps more support equipment should be packed in.

Bike Type:  Another factor is the kind of bike you are riding.  (See Today’s Terms for more on this.)  A “hardtail” can have rear racks and panniers mounted.  “Full Suspension” bikes make this more difficult.  The moving parts at the rear of the bike interfere with rack mounts.  There are beam type racks for these bikes, but rigging panniers and such is complicated, and stabilizing them is even trickier.

The trailer option:  There are trailers that are designed to be pulled behind mountain bikes.  These are generally used for truly epic cross-country treks.  (Consider:  Do you really want to pull 50 pounds of gear up that hill?)

I don’t know if this is helpful…  But my personal approach is to use a moderately large backpack hydration pack.  I alter what goes into it, depending on the season, and my intended ride.  I’m also constantly removing stuff from it.  Things just seem to accumulate in there.

Good luck with all this.

Today’s Term(s):

Rigid, n.  A mountain bike with no suspension parts.  The rear triangle of the bike is solid and does not move.  The forks are also non-moving, and non-suspended.

hardtail n. any bike with front suspension but no rear suspension.

F/S, Full-Suspension, n.  A bike with a suspension fork at the front, and a lot of moving parts at the rear, that allow the rear triangle of the bike to move.

Dualie  see F/S

Bounce Bike see F/S

Shock n.  In mountain biking parlance, a device that contains a spring and some means of damping the travel.  Cynically:  Parts that are installed on a bike by the manufacturer to add weight, complexity, and cost.

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

Trail Care & Maintenance

Bike Types

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201

Mountain Biking 101: Hydration

There isn’t a lot to say on this topic, but it bears close attention.

CamelBak ™ used to have a slogan.  “Hydrate or Die!”  That pretty much sums it up.  Exercise causes loss of fluids.  Exercise in warmer conditions accelerates this.  We need to consume at least a liter (approx one quart) of water every hour.  In warm weather this can easily double.

Failure to stay properly hydrated can lead to a host of injuries, and possible heat prostration.  It’s serious.  Pat attention. 

Get in the habit of drinking while riding.  Drink before you are thirsty.  If you wait for “dry mouth” to set in, you are already dehydrated.  It’s best to arrive at the trailhead already well hydrated.  Then drink continuously as you ride.

If you aren’t needing to make a “bladder relief stop” every couple of hours, you probably are not sufficiently hydrated.

A delicate subject:  Okay, we’re all adults, right?  Here’s the thing.  Bears do relieve themselves in the woods.  So does just about everything that lives there.  Why bring that up?  Because violent nausea and other evils are best avoided.  This just may be the best possible argument for backpack hydration systems.

You see, water bottles, mounted down on your frame, are subject to getting crud splashed or thrown onto them.  It may look like good clean dirt, as it resides around the spout of your bottle, but…  We’ll it could contain any number of nasty organisms.  If you are using bottle, use one of the types that has a protected spout.  But remember, the line and mouthpiece from a backpack system is not down in the spray from your wheels.

 Remember!  Tonight is a Novice Mountain Bike Ride, at the Baseball Soccer Complex.  Start at 6:30 P.M.  Check the South Side Cycling Club's calendar.  If we have to cancel, we'll post it there by 5:00 P.M.

Today’s Term(s):

Drop-off n.  A sudden sharp drop in the trail, usually one to two feet in height.

Step-up n.  A drop-off in the opposite direction.

Stutter-bumps n.  A series of fairly tall bumps or jolts in the trail.  These are closely spaced, and derive their name from what happens to speech while negotiating them.

Washboard n.  Smaller than stutter-bumps, and closer together.  Rough trail surface.

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

More on carrying “stuff”

Trail Care & Maintenance

Bike Types

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201

Mountain Biking 101: “Cleaning” the mud

Seems like, no matter how dry the conditions are, one always encounters a muddy spot or two, on any trail.  This leads to a couple of problems.  The first, and more obvious, is that riding through the goop has a nasty habit of stopping forward progress.  Putting a foot down in the much is unpleasant.  Falling over in it is a real mess.  The second issue is that of “trail widening.”

A conscientious rider does not want to widen the trail.  Riding around the mud, or other obstacles, beats down the forest floor, and causes further erosion.  Trails should be ridden is such a way so to decrease the impact on the landscape.  We’ve all seen this.  The trail is nice and narrow, good singletrack, until the mudhole.  At the mud, the trail begins to get wider.  More and more riders seek to “sneak by” around the edges of the mud.  The mud hole gradually gets wider.  Eventually, the trail is very wide, and filled with mud.  And the rider still has to negotiate the soft and messy stuff.

In a future post, we’ll discuss methods of trail maintenance that can help to eliminate and contain this problem.  For now, let’s consider what the rider may do to cope.

Reading the trail:  Assume you haven’t been on this particular trail before.  You see a mud obstacle ahead.  Slow down and look closely.  Can you see tracks that emerge from the other side?  Local and frequent riders will know if there is a bottomless sink, or a “wheel eater” in the middle of the hole, and they will pick lines that avoid such problems.  If you can see tracks that both enter and leave the mud, then it’s rideable, and you can accomplish it too.  You may wish to walk it the first time.  Or you may want to back up on the trail to get a stronger start at it.

The Technique: 

• Maintain good speed.  This is definitely a case where “momentum is my friend.”
• Downshift
• Shift your weight back on the bike, keeping the front wheel light.
• As you enter the mud, pull up on the bars and increase power to the pedals.
• Try not to move around on the bike a lot.
• Be ready for another downshift in the middle.
• Think “light”
• Use weight to steer.  Avoid turning, or “sawing” the front wheel.  Front wheel pivot motion will slow you radically.  Least is best.

Additional considerations: 

Avoid riding in the rain, or shortly after it.  If it is a particularly wet trail, you may want to decrease tire pressure slightly.  Softer tires give more traction and tend to “float” through the mud a bit more readily.  However, if it is really wet and muddy (recent rains) you probably should not be riding that trail.  Repeated, heavy trail use on wet trails is damaging.

Taking a curve in the mud.  Move to the outside of the trail before entering the muddy curve.  Take the line that “clips” the inside of the curve.  This involves the least amount of turning.  Use your weight to steer the bike.

One last caution:  If you are riding with others, slow down and wait until the rider ahead of you clears the mud.  If you follow too closely, and the leading rider stalls, then you all get stuck.

Remember to clean your bike promptly after a “mud bath.”

Today’s Term(s):

Snake  A reptile.  Do not kill them.  Just avoid them.  Remember this is their home.  You are a visitor.

Poison Ivy  learn to recognize this!

Half-track n. a trail so narrow and/or overgrown that you'd hesitate even to call it singletrack.

Stoppie n.  A “nose wheelie.”  The act of balancing the bike on the front wheel only, with the rear wheel in the air.  Usually accomplished by accident, or encountered in the middle of a tall tale.

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

Hydration

More on carrying “stuff”

Trail Care & Maintenance

Bike Types

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201

Mountain Biking 101: Track Stand, Bunny Hop, Wheelie

There are three skills that make a tremendous difference to a rider’s ability.  Most of the real “secret” to riding well off road comes from some mastery of these three maneuvers.  Once the three are learned, it becomes possible to “link” them, and tackle a wide range of obstacles.

I can not, inside a blog, teach you how to accomplish all three of the title maneuvers.  I can only give you some good hints about the parts you must learn.  The rest is up to you.

Safety Precautions:  When attempting these skills, the following are extremely good ideas.

• Practice in a safe and soft environment (like the lawn in your back yard!)
• Always wear a helmet!
• Have a “spotter” work with you.
• Go slow.
• Lower your saddle by about an inch and a half to two inches.

Track Stand:  This maneuver takes its name from the originators.  It was developed by velodrome racers.  (For more on that, you might research “Matched Pursuits” and velo racing.)  The idea is to bring the bike to a complete halt, and stay that way, without taking the feet from the pedals.

•  To practice this, at first it is easier to be going slightly uphill.
• Slow the bike gradually, applying the brakes (especially the front) as you do.
• Gradually bring the bike to a complete halt.
• Have your “lead” or “Power” foot forward, toward the wheel, and a bit above the level crank position.
• Apply a slight amount of pressure to the pedal as you lock the brake.
• It is useful to allow the wheel to turn a bit from side to side as you balance.
• If you start to “lose it,” release the brakes and pedal!
• Remember!  You don’t have to be able to sit on the bike motionless for prolonged periods of time.  If you can manage a 15 second track stand, you have ample skill for most trail riding.

Bunny Hop:  About what it sounds like.  You are going to jump into the air, with  the bike.

Stand on the pedals.

• At first it is best to have the cranks in the level, “fore and aft” position.
• It is good to be going fairly slowly when you first try this.
• The motion is the same as if you were doing a stationary jump, straight up.
• As you start the jump, hold the hand grips tightly, pull up, and roll the grips forward, to lift the bike up with you.
• This is best practiced with flat shoes, not “clipped in” to your clipless pedals.
• Always be ready to bail!

Wheelie:  The idea is to lift the front wheel of the bike, while maintaining forward motion.  Notice!  At first a little lift is good.  Go slow!  If you are too enthusiastic, you will end up on your butt!

• Slow the bike.
• Downshift
• Move your weight back, and sit lightly on the saddle.
• Increase pedal speed sharply while pulling up and back on the handlebar.
• As the front of the bike comes up, shift your upper body weight forward to balance.
• If things are getting out of hand, hit the rear brake hard.

Good luck with all that.  Let me know how you are doing!  And please, feel free to share what you find to work for you.

Today’s Term(s):

Death Crack  n.  A rut or gully that becomes increasingly deeper and more unrideable the farther it goes.

Whoop-de-doos a series of up-and-down bumps, suitable for jumping.

Rigid

Rollers ~ Smooth even rise-and-fall sections of trail.  Not hills, but bigger than bumps.  A series of rollers can be ridden with the sense of little, or no effort.  You are pedaling, but the energy from the last down almost gives you enough to get over the next up.

Frankenbike n.  A collection of mis-matched parts flying in a very loose formation.

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

Hydration

More on carrying “stuff”

Bike Types

Trail Care & Maintenance

 “Cleaning” the mud

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201

Mountain Biking 101: Standing and staying loose

As much as anything else, the ability to “stay loose” on the bike is a paramount skill in off-road riding.

A rider who always stays seated in the saddle is either an extremely accomplished one, and can “clean” almost everything, or a complete beginner, who crashes a lot.  In the first case, appearances can be deceiving.  That extremely accomplished rider is coming out of the saddle, but like the equestrian dressage rider, this expert is so good that the controlling motions do not show.

Standing on the pedals is a skill.  This act allows the rider to let the bike “float” over smaller or rougher obstacles, and permits good weight transfer from front to back and side to side.  Bicycles are not inherently stable, they are dynamically stable.  Mountainbikes even more so.  Oddly, many adult cyclists are not comfortable getting out of the saddle.  On the road, this limits the ability to generate a lot of power suddenly, or to do dynamic rest while on prolonged climbs.  Two valuable tools are missing from this rider’s kit.  But off road, the situation is much more complex.  Inability to stand, and maintain a loose, fluid relationship with the bike makes life much more complicated and difficult.

Take one simple example.  There is a fairly large bump in the trail ahead, followed by a sharp turn.  If the rider stays seated, and tight, the bump will cause the rider to be bounced up out of the saddle and slightly out of control of the bike.  This makes setting up for, and negotiating the coming turn more difficult.  An accomplished rider will stand before encountering the bump.  Then, with legs and arms limber, the rider will let the bike move smoothly upward, and then back down, while maintaining control.  Then the rider returns to the saddle, and guides the bike smoothly through the ensuing turn.

The ability to transfer weight forward and back is essential to climbing steeper, uneven ground, and of great importance when descending the same “pitch.”

It cannot be overemphasized, staying loose and limber results in smoother riding, and few “unplanned excursions.”  A rider who can maintain a casual relationship with the saddle will be a rider who can find the “rhythm of the trail.”

Learning How:  Practice this on pavement first, preferably away from other riders and traffic.

The Basics:

• Bring the bike up to a comfortable and stable speed, usually a bit more than 10 mph.
• Lower a favored foot on the pedal to the bottom of the crankstroke.
• Take a firm grip on the bars.
• Transfer weight to the “down foot” and stand up out of the saddle.
• The bike will tend to lean and turn, as the weight is shifted off-center; counter this with pressure on the bars, and by shifting upper body weight.
• Let the bike coast in this position for 30 seconds of so, and then return to the saddle.

A bit more advanced technique:

• Start out as above, but…
• This time, shift to a gear that will allow application of power.
• Start the movement with the favored foot at the top of the crank, in the “power position.”
• Apply force to the favored foot, and stand on it as the bike is accelerated.

Gaining expertise:

• This time level the cranks, making them horizontal.
• It will feel better with a particular foot (the left or right) forward.  Don’t fight this now.
• Now stand, keeping both feet level.
• Note, you are in a higher position, but bike is more balanced.
•  

Work both feet:

• Once you have become somewhat accomplished at the above…
• Practice the same drills with the “wrong foot.”
• Work these drills until they become natural.

Today’s Term(s):

Auger  v.  To crash in such a way as to drill into the ground.  Any really hard impact.  Usually accompanied by a spiraling motion of the rider and bike on the way in.

Endo v.  A situation where the bike abruptly halts, and then bike and rider flip over forward.  Frm End-over-end.

Face Plant v.  To crash in such a way that the rider’s face is the first point of impact with the ground.

Hamburger n. the condition of skin, post auger when geological contact was made with sharp rocks such as on a shale skree slope.

Road rash  contact dermatitis; an allergic reaction of skin to moving asphalt or gravel.

Scorpion v.  Refers to the act of performing a specific kind of forward fall, in which the rider stays attached to the bike.  The end result is that the rider is lying belly-down arms outspread, head in the direction of previous travel, with legs curled above the back, and the bicycle still attached to the feet, dangling over the rider’s head.

The Zone n. a state of mind experienced while riding. You don't think, you just do. A truly mystical experience that can't be fully explained, but when you get there you'll know it and strive to reach it again.

Zone out v. a state of mind where you think you've reached the zone, but you really just stopped paying attention to what you're doing. Usually used as an excuse for a particularly embarrassing crash or fall.

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

Grace

Hydration

Bike Types

Trail Care & Maintenance

Track Stand

Bunny Hop

Wheelie

“Cleaning” the mud

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201

Mountain Biking 101: What to carry (& why & how)

First Principal:  You never have everything you need.

Second Principal:  No matter how light your load is, you will still be carrying stuff you don’t need.

Third Principal:  No matter how much you carry, you will still need something else.

Just what should be carried along on a mountain bike ride?  The answer will depend, somewhat, on what type of ride, and where.  Take two examples, a short local jaunt and a trip to Tsali, obviously the kit will be different for each of these.

The list of things that one can carry, against the possibility of an accident, or a mechanical is almost endless.  It is quite literally possible to compile a mountain of stuff  that weighs more than the bike and rider combined.  Thing is, lugging a short ton of equipment and supplies greatly diminishes the Fun Factor.

 We’ve compiled a couple of lists.  We don’t claim that these are the definitive supply lists.  You’ll build your own, and refine it a good deal over time.  These are given as a starting point.

Short & Local:

Identification & medical info

Food & Water

Spare tubes (2ea)

Tube Patch Kit

Boot material

Pump

Tire levers (3ea)

Multi-tool with 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 8mm hex wrenches, pair of pliers, spoke wrench to match your wheels.

Bandana or two

Spare light jacket

Hat

Small first aid kit

Cell phone

A couple of these can use some explanation.  Do carry ID and any medical information that is relevant.  You kind of want rescue workers to know who you are, who to call, and if you are on any meds.  By the way, I’d recommend that you keep this information on paper and laminate it.  Keep it in a place where it is easy to find.  Yes, you should have this stuff on your phone, but I’ve seen crashes that turned portable phones into completely nonfunctional trash.  Which raises another point…

Where to carry stuff:  Things like tools, phones, car keys, and other hard objects should probably go into a small bag under the bike’s saddle.  You do not want these objects on your person.  If you fall down, or crash, a phone in a jersey pocket can cause a serious injury.  Keys in the pocket of your shorts?  First off, they are liable to be lost, and second, think of all the damage that they could do in the near vicinity to your more tender body parts.  If you simply must carry such things on you, put them in a backpack, and pad them well with spare clothing.

A note on food and water:  Oddly, this is one of the more challenging aspects of mountain biking.  Hydration is absolutely essential.  An adult human needs a minimum of 1 liter (about 1 quart) or water per hour of exercise.  In warmer weather this can go up dramatically.  The problem is that water is heavy.  I liter weighs about 2.2 pounds.  So two water bottles amounts to 4.4 pounds.  A large hydration backpack can carry as much as 100 ounces, or about 3 liters.  The pack and a full water load are close to eight pounds.  That may not sound like much, but a rider is lugging it around for every minute on the trail.  And that load will only last for about three hours, on a day with moderate temperatures.

Let’s emphasize this, you must carry water, and you must drink, and water is heavy.  Plan ahead.  Do not get caught short of water!  And do expect to carry the weight of it.

Do I really need to carry all that stuff?  The short answer is, no.  But it’s a pretty good idea.  If you are riding with friends, you can maybe arrange to split things up a bit, rather than having each rider carry a full duplicate load.  Our best advice is, carry it!  It’s good training.  If you are in the habit of carrying what you need, then you will always have it.

One last note:  On the emergency equipment, such as tire change stuff, tools, first aid supplies, and so on, learn to use it before you need it!!  A trailside emergency is a terrible place to try and figure out how.

Today’s Term(s):

Air; catching air  the act of completely leaving the ground (usually in a controlled fashion) while astride one’s bicycle.

epic n. a ride that must last for at least six hours and include at least three mechanicals that add at least an extra hour to the ride time. Epics are usually started with a statement like "the trail is buff, should only take three hours."

Death-march n. similar to epic and three hour tour

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

Standing and staying loose (expect the unexpected)

Grace

Hydration

Bike Types

Trail Care & Maintenance

Track Stand

Bunny Hop

Wheelie

“Cleaning” the mud

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201

Mountain Biking 101: Preparations

The two most reliable ways to annoy your fellow riders are 1) show up late for a ride and expect folks to wait on you while you fumble around.   2)  Be that rider who is always shouting  “Wait!” because you dropped something, or something fell off of your bike.

A third widely recognized method of aggravating riding companions (and yourself) is to suffer from easily avoidable “mechanicals.”

How are we to avoid these pitfalls?  Actually, it’s not hard.  The key is preparation and post ride action.

Think of it like this, your ride starts the day before.  That’s when you begin your preparations.  Go over your bike.  Make sure that everything is on it, and it all works.  Check to be sure that everything is working, and it’s all secured.  Then prepare and assemble the rest of your gear, in one place, ready to go.  Here’s the day before checklists.

Bike:

• Clean enough
• Tires holding air
• Chain lubed
• Driveline working (shifting up and down correctly in all gears, front and rear)
• Saddle secure and at correct height
• Handle bars not loose
• Steering free and correct (not binding and no “clunks”)
• Brakes working, front and rear
• Accessories all firmly attached and working (Under seat pack, Lights, bells, bottle cages, etc.  If it’s connected to your bike, check it!)

Support Gear:

• Pump ready (near bike)
• Helmet hung with bike
• Water bottles (or back pack reservoir) clean and filled with fresh water.  (Okay, go ahead and put this stuff with the bike now!)
• Batteries charged (if you are going on a night ride)
• Tools (inventoried and in under seat pack)
• Spares (tubes, patches, and anything else you use) inventoried and stowed correctly
• FOOD (enough said?)
• Ride clothing, shorts, jersey, gloves, jacket, socks, glasses, etc. (go ahead and lay it all out now.)
• After ride clothing  (You really don’t want to keep wearing your riding clothes for longer than necessary, do you?)

One more thing.  Timing.  Arrive a bit early.  Give yourself some time to unload your bike, pump tires, check and stow your gear properly, and do it all well before the agreed upon ride time.

After the Ride:  We mentioned Post Ride Action.  This is it.  Consider this to be part of the ride.  Do these things as soon as you get home, and you’re already on the way to being ready for the next ride.

• Clean the bike.
• Inspect tires for foreign objects, thorns etc, cuts, or other damage.
• Lube the chain
• Check bearings, wheels, brakes, shifting.  If something needs attention, or repair, go ahead and make the arrangements now.
• Empty and rinse out bottles or back pack reservoir, and hang to dry now.
• Get that clothing into the wash
• Inventory and replenish any tools, spares, and supplies used
• Clean it, Inspect it, fix it, replace it, put it away, and do it now.

 One last note:  The last of our Winter Series of Novice Mountain Bike Rides is this coming Sunday, 2:00 PM, at the Peachtree City Baseball Soccer Complex.  These rides will become a regular weeknight event in April.

Today’s Term(s):

yard sale n. (from skiing) a horrendous crash that leaves all your various "wares" -- water bottles, pump, tool bag, etc. -- scattered as if on display for sale.

Mechanical  any problem with the bike, (flats, bad shifting, brake failures, something coming loose) that stops your ride.

Taco  damage to a wheel (usually from poor maintenance coupled with overly exuberant riding) that results in the wheel resembling the famed Mexican food shell.

Three-hour tour n. a ride that looks like a piece of cake at the outset but turns out to be a death march. Derived from the theme song to "Gilligan's Island."

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

Bike Types

What to carry (& why & how)

Standing and staying loose (expect the unexpected)

Trail Care & Maintenance

Hydration

Track Stand

Bunny Hop

Wheelie

“Cleaning” the mud

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201