How to Select Mountain Bike Components

Mountain Biking How To — How to select Mountain Bike components

When you read the specs of the mountain bikes in the local professional shop on the web sites of your favorite brands I am sure you are often trying to decipher the meaning behind the ratios in the Front Derailleur, the wheel size, of suspension / front fork travel size and/or mechanical spring vs air spring implementation….So here I go with some clarifications you can hopefully use in your selection process

  • Gears:  So what is that front derailleur all about?  Well in general the more recent models of mountain bikes come with either 2×10 or 3×10 gearing.  What is the difference?  Well it is all about how many rings do you have up front (see photo below – which in the case of the photo – my bike is 3×10) and how many in the rear.  Trek Gary Fisher here you see the photo of 3×10 – 3 chainrings upfront and 10 in the rear TREK Gary Fisher This setup essentially defines how many gears you would have total – with the 3×10 providing for a wider range and several more gears in the middle of that spread.  The 2×10 offers lighter weight, faster movement of increments in gearing – i.e. faster shifting up and down.   All in all the 2×10 option has started to appear on increasing number of bikes – it offers also lower cost and in reality meets the needs of over 50% of riders.
  • Wheel size selection:  29-inch vs. 27.5-inch vs 26-inch…? The (almost) age old question – which bike with what wheels I should buy?   The reality – they all have plus and minus valuation points.  Smaller wheels are more maneuverable – but large wheel offer more comfort and speed…..So as usual – novel idea – take a test ride..!
  • Front shock / fork:  mechanical or air spring implementation.  You will be surprised how many biking enthusiasts have no idea what their shock is and what should they be looking for.  The bad news is that based on which bike model select many of the components will come with the specific bike (per how the manufacturer has outfitted the bike / model).  If you want to replace the fork for example, that will cost you dearly.  So my advice – look for more expensive model – the tier above your current selection and then look for end of the model year discounts!

So with those advice in mind – go on and look for a bike…

Please keep in mind – it is best for you to test ride the bike!  No spec descriptions will replace the in-person on the pedals experience!

Mountain Biking How To – Riding on Gravel Trails

Mountain Biking How To — How to ride on gravel trails

Texas Biking TrailsI have been on rides across many parts of the US, Asia, and Eastern Europe.  Given my experience – conditions in the US Southwest are somewhat unique – specifically they are unique in the fact that the trails are often made of relatively loose gravel.  Many of the trails in Texas for example are covered with crushed lime stone and other rocks – and overall represent a relatively tricky surface for many beginners and less experienced riders.  After several recent bike rides with my family, I decided to post this “HOW TO” summary to provide some guidance at least based on my experience of riding in those conditions for the last 5-6 years.   So here we go:

  1. As you start on the ride, you need to relax and try not to tense your body.  Being anxious you would tend to tighten your shoulders, elbows and arms and as you start riding the vibrations of the track will translate into your tense body and cause an early fatigue and potentially discomfort.
  2. Being tense will also potentially bring to less ability to maneuver fast along the track and may even cause you to lose control of your bike in some cases
  3. Focus on steering not only with your hands but also with your overall body especially with your hips.  You may want to practice this first on a relatively flat surface — I suggest you do that around your house – on a safe street practice maneuvers where you use your body and hips to direct the bike.
  4. Make sure you look ahead on the trails and time the use of brakes.  More so, please apply brakes OFTEN and in a GENTLE manner — i.e. control your speed on a frequent basis rather than via sudden stops. WHY?  You will prevent going over the handlebars!   Trust me – I have done that on more than one occasion as I learned to control my bike.  The brake system on new mountain bikes – with hydraulic brakes – is so efficient in translating force of brake initiation to braking that you get a braking action very fast and that combined with the momentum of a fast moving bike will cause you to go over the handlebars…..So let’s avoid that by figuring out the physics of the movement – i.e. reduce speed by braking often and with a slight touch.
  5. Stay high on your bike and try to stand up above the saddle often especially when going over a series of larger rocks – that will reduce the likelihood of busting your tires and potentially also flipping off the bike.

All in all biking on gravel trails is not tough once you get used to it.  If you pay attention to the pointers above and enjoy the rides!

Texas Mountain Biking Trails

iPhone Bike Mount – How To Video

Well folks, this is it – now you can leverage Kristin’s tech review channel to get to various reviews of cases for smart devices (iPhones and iPads predominantly).  Over the last week or we were able to also get a couple of hands on reviews going on for the bike mounts for the smart gadgets.

I personally find the mounts for iPhone (or Android phones for that matter) on my bike extremely useful and over the last several years have written multiple times about my experiences on the subject.  Now you can see the video of how to install / use as well.

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Here is also a link to some further description on the mounts.

Why do I find these mounts so useful?  For several reasons:

  • Allow you to have a good tool for assessing your exercise level
  • You are not likely to get lost on the trail — YES! believe me, multiple friends have told me they have had experiences where they were disoriented on a remote trail and took some time finding their way back to the car…
  • You can receive a phone call while biking – I do not recommend it BUT WHAT if there is an emergency….
  • …I am sure you will find other use cases as well (e.g. listening to music in some cases)

So check out the options I recommend and look for more reviews to come over the weeks ahead.

 

Biking Computer Applications on iPhone 6 plus

Earlier in the week I finally upgraded my phone from the very good and solid iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6 Plus.  In previous postings on this blog I have described how useful a smart phone – whether iPhone or one with Android – can be in terms of providing a biking computer platform for various navigation and exercise planning applications.

There are multiple options for how one can use the previous generations of iPhone 4, iPhone 5 and even iPhone 6 – here are several that I have tried and/or used on my mountain bikes over the last 4-5 years:
 

Now my new phone posed a larger (literally) challenge – being the iPhone 6 Plus – its size is pretty amazing when seen on the handlebars of the bike….But for that I will provide you with a better visibility over the next couple of days – we are preparing a through review of the Tigra mountain bike case for the phone.

Today, I tested the setup on my Trek bike and was pleased with the overall stability of the case and phone.  HOWEVER, I discovered a nuisance – several of the mountain bike computer applications did not change orientation when I turned the iPhone 90 degrees to be in a landscape format on my handlebars.   I rode as usual with the Runtastic Mountain Bike Pro application on and to my surprise it stayed in portrait mode even when I turned the phone 90-degrees to landscape.  Needless to say – this turned out to be pretty annoying fast.

Then I tried other apps – and surprisingly all of them – BikeBrain, BikeComputer, Cyclemeter, iBike, TheBike – did not change orientation….Strange!  To say the least.  iBiker was the only one of the bunch – of the ones I tested – that actually automatically adjusted to landscape mode when I turned the phone to be more aligned with my handlebars.

iBiker Bike Computer view of the iBiker Dashboard

So, with that in mind, the quest for the ‘perfect application’ needs to continue – this time with iPhone 6 Plus mounted on a mountain bike handlebars in mind!  Wish me luck and drop me a comment if you have a recommendation on a good Bike Computer Application.   Thanks in advance!

Connected Gadgets for Your Bicycle

CES 2015 has been certainly the year of connectivity.  Gone are the days when the stars of the show were 60-inch, then 80-inch, then 105-inch flat panel TVs…Those are now well underway to the homes of many consumers.

This year, it seems like transportation has invaded the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) – all sort of smart cars and…..wait….gadgets for bicycles as well.  In previous article I talked about the Car-to-Bicycle Communicating Helmet, and now we have a pedal that allows the bike it is part of to be connected.  A French company Connected Cycle, has developed this pedal which notifies you any time the bike is moved and also provides you with the location of the bike.

Connected Pedal Smart Phone and Pedal Connected

Connected Pedal Colors

The pedal has integrated GPS functionality that creates the tracking and prevents the bicycle from being stolen – a significant plus in a big city or part of a bike sharing program.

In addition, the pedal records the bike’s speed, route, incline, and calories burnt and of course those will be stored and accessed via a cloud service.  So overall, useful and interesting.

 

 

iPhone Bike Mount

Well folks by now (2+ years after starting to use my iPhone as a bike computer) I am completely sold on the concept and convinced that using my smart phone on the bike handlebars and going on multiple trails is OK, safe and useful.

The phones I have used on my bike (actually two different mountain bikes – a Specialized Rockhopper Comp SL 29 and a Trek X-Caliber 29 Gary Fisher) have survived multiple accidents, including 2 or 3 major spills from my bike with the phone on the handlebars in its holder….without any damages to it.

2+ years ago I wrote about the phone mount I have been using — I still use it but lately have started searching through companies that supply new and more versatile mounts and cases including water proof implementations.

Here I must add a disclaimer on my current setup – the mount I am using  does not provide splash, rain, etc water protection.  In those cases I have to remove my phone and put it in my under the seat pouch for safety.

So, what have I found from recent browsing through manufacturers’ web sites – the company that appears to have developed an interesting water proof and very versatile – ie being usable on bikes and other situations, is Tigra Sport.   The specific mount and case I am considering is  which has some very interesting features. These images (from the Tigra Web site) provide a good idea why I consider them a good option if you are looking for water proof solution:

Tigra Sport Bike phone Case  Tigra Sport iPhone Bike Case Tigra Sport  Tigra Sport This last image shows the versatility the case offers.  So next stop for me will be the long term test – i.e. riding for a few (very cold – burr…..!) Winter weeks with the case – as soon as I get it.  Stay tuned for another update.  In the mean time I do believe this mount and case will be a winner.

Flat Pedals – Another Way to Get Extra Power

I have always believed in flat pedals as a preferable ‘propulsion mechanism’ when compared to the clip shoes and pedals. I have been sold to by many bike store professionals about the great value and benefits offered by the clip based pedals for mountain bikes, but for some reason – just personal preference I would say – I have always stayed with the platform pedals.  Now I have been vindicated – more and more trainers and store assistants offer the platform pedals for mountain bikes as the preferred approach.

Why do I like the flat pedals:

  • They offer the ability for you to jump off the bike easily if you see yourself and the bike falling
  • the big surface of the pedals allow you to exert significant power and propel the bike well
  • the large surface they offer also provide for good stability when you ride upright for additional power as you climb hills
  • overall they offer a lot more stability on the bike and make you feel more in control

Assuming you like the pedals (as I do) here is a list of pedals you can consider for your mountain bike:

  • Spank Spike Platform Pedals: these pedals are about 420gr. weight, thikness of 12mm, 20-adjustable pins for traction; made of cold forged alloy – which has proven to be the best approach for rigid / stiff body while still being molded in a thin size for best fit on the bike – i.e. not to be in the way.  (The Oozy Trail is another option from Spank – costlier but lower weight)

    

  • Shimano PD-MX80 Saint Pedals:  These pedals are very comfortable, offer VERY strong grip to your shoes – still no clips mind you! — and a big platform, hence lots of ability to push for power.  Their key differentiation: Concave platform shape for long ride comfort and pedaling efficiency;  These pedals come also with washers to allow you to adjust the pins for the right fit to your shoes.

     

  •  xpedo Spry pedal: I like this pedal for it is probably the lightest at 260 gram weight and 11mm thickness and of course a very low price.  The manufacturer has used softer material – magnesium – and that contributes to more scratches and dents on the trail.  But overall a good set for your mountain bike.
  • DMR Vault Pedals:  has a platform shape that is concave for better fit with the shoe sole – and makes this pedal well liked even if it is larger overall and heavier; 

SmartHat Concept Helmet

It is the season for gift giving – with Christmas approaching – we all look for the special gift for the special people in our lives.   As all of you know the Web has become the proverbial shopping mall for many of us – we search through it, browse as we think of ideas for presents and in the process often come across the unexpected.

Late last week I came across the unexpected as well – the Smart-Hat – Helmet for the Responsible Cyclists.  The notion is being developed by a startup focused on adding tons of sensor and information gathering and displaying technology to the ordinary bicycle helmet.  Take a look – images courtesy of the Smart-Hat web site (http://www.smarthat.info/)

Smart-Hat  Smat-Hat-Detail

Here is the list of features offered in the Innovative (Too much innovation in my opinion):

  • multi layer helmet construction with impact absorbing features
    and facial protection from ground impact

  • in helmet bluetooth display with speaker, full satnav, speedometer, speed zones, temperature, heart rate, tilt sensor, ultrasonic object proximity warning, turn signal indicators, system icons, time

  • remote control turn indicators

  • automatic brake lights

  • automatic head light and night lights

  • a retractable visor system with rear view mirrors

  • a remote control, motorised wiper system for bad weather

  • integrated digital camera

  • smart phone storage

  • e-tag storage

  • batteries

  • bluetooth remote control switch mounted on bike handlebar

  • provision for an ID sign

  • customisable outer skin to any colour or graphics

  • provision for an in helmet cooling fan

  • superior comfort and safety in operation

At any rate, I hope we can get the current limited number of sensors integrated into a useful display on the bike – or on a smart phone securely attached to the bike – see my articles / postings about the phone-caddy.  That will be a good step forward.  This helmet (in my opinion) can wait…

Mountain Bikes Carrier for Motorcycles – An Impressive Story

Have you seen a mountain bike carrier for a motorcycle??? Until today I had not!  But live and learn, right…!  Now I have seen that too.

Fellow riders – I was amazed to see a story published by salsacycles.com on a couple of avid mountain bikers and their journey via motorcycle and mountain bikes through 5 states in the Midwest…. The impressive parts of the story are multiple, but what really caught my attention was the clever way in which the mountain bikes were transported on the BMW (I suppose the brand of the motorcycle is not relevant) motorbikes.   Take a look for yourself — the photos below are from salsacycles.com

Bike Carrier

BMW motorcycle with a bike carrier

Mountain bike carrier

Mountain bike carrier – another view

I have been experimenting with bike carriers for a number of years now – and I must admit this is my first for a motorcycle — very clever one indeed!

Mountain Bikes on Motorcycles

 

(Note: All the images above are from Salsa Cycles’s Web site – I posted here as the site was having intermittent outages over the last several days including today (Dec.7th))

So now that I have seen that – I decided to search for the carrier on the Web and yes, it is a productized item – 2X2 Cycles Motorcycle Bicycle Rack – so for those of you who need it check their Web site – describing the rack developed by Garrett Blake.

 

 

Rational Mountain Bike Cost

So here we go – the next installment of some thoughts around what makes a ‘rational’ mountain bike price.  I put the statement rational in quotes in an attempt early on to highlight the fact that, in my opinion, there is very little that is rational about this topic.  The reality is that the companies that build mountain bikes do that for their customer base – i.e. if you do not like the price and features on a given bike, guess what others (large majority) do!

So with that in mind, the best thing you can do is decide for yourself what are the conditions that you will be experiencing and how will you be using the mountain bike you desire to purchase.  Based on that you could develop a general guideline for the amount of money you need to allocate for your purchase.  Here are some general rule of thumb considerations – based on riding you expect to do:

  • Light use hardtail bike (i.e. no rear suspension): approximately $500
  • Track and cross country hardtail (not racing): sub-$1000
  • Race capable hardtail (for amateurs): $1100-$1900
  • Hardtail with specialized components: above $2000
  • Add rear suspension to the categories above — add on the average $500-$700 on top of the prices listed above in the corresponding categories

Then you can start adding big $$$ for special frame – e.g. carbon frame for mountain bike can cost you.  Case in point the Pivot Phoenix DH Carbon – shown below – is a carbon based frame bike which with its bells and whistles still weighs only 31lbs (per pivotcycles.com)

pivot

Then you can also get a special set of brake pads for your disc brakes – yes, most durable and worth getting mountain bikes these days already come with at least mechanical if not fluid operated disc brakes.  Tribull from Taiwan has developed Shimano compatible brake pads with integrated heat sink – quite a setup to see… Here is a snap from their web site:

Tribull  
And next to it is the compatible Shimano product – you can purchase from Amazon.com or just head to your pro-bike shop if you do not want to tinker;

At any rate, these types of options can significantly increase the price of your bike but they also come with significant benefits – lower weight and more maneuverable bike, better brakes, and so the list goes…

Like I said in my previous posting – even at $3000 a bike can be a good investment towards your health – just think – you will ride it for at least 5 years, therefore if you ride each Saturday and Sunday – that will amount to about 100 days per year — hence about 500 days — or as I said in an earlier article — that amounts to about $6 per day – almost as pricey as your cup of fancy latte….in your local coffee shop!