Initially when you first decide to do mountain biking it can be a bit daunting when you visit a mountain bike shop as there is a vast choice of mountain bikes and accessories to choose from

There are several mountain biking accessories and related products that you can purchase. Although the sales staff will try to sell you anything they can, the real question for those on a budget isn’t what’s cool, but what accessories you need to make your rides more safe and enjoyable. You need to consider accessories carefully By starting with these accessories, you’ll be just fine when you hit the trails.

Bike Helmet

The bike helmet is the most important mountain biking accessory that you can buy.No one should ever be on a bike without a helmet. Serious head injurys can be prevented by wearing a helmet, there have been many people who have been unfortunate enough to have experienced this.

Mountain bike helmets are stylish and comfortable people who ride on trails wears one.

Mountain Bike Gloves

It doesn’t matter which season you ride in your hands can take a hammering It can be brutal on your hands if you are just starting out as you keep a tight grip of the handle bars If you fall off your hands will the first thing to hit the ground. Your hands will take a huge beating so having mountain bike gloves are a must have accessory

Mountain Bike Shorts

After the first few mountain bike rides you take, you’ll notice that your rear end will be quite uncomfortable. Although your body will get used to the bike position, bike shorts do make your ride more comfortable. Shorts are a great addidtion to your mountain bike ride as they make your ride more bearable.

Mountain Bike Shoes

You will need to pick your mountain bike shoes accordingly dependent on the type of pedal and the type of riding
you do.
You’ll want to get shoes to accept the special cleat for your pedals, if your bike has clipless type pedals. When purchasing mountain bike shoes things to take into consideration are their durablility, do they have a stiff sole for better efficiency when pedaling and are they comfortable. Also, you should make sure to get the right shoe for the terrain you’ll be ridingin as well.

Eye Protection

You can run off the trail in a matter of seconds if you get something in your eye. Sunglasses or clear lense glasses can help protect your eyes from any debris which may kick up from the trail as well as protecting them from the wind. Make sure they are non-breakable when you buy your glasses.

Hydration System

It is always a good idea to bring a water bottle or hydration backpack with you. It’s very easy to get dehydrated so you should always bring water with you and drink it on the trail to ensure that your body stays properly hydrated at all times.

Trail Repair Kit

It’s easy to get stuck in the woods or on the trail if you don’t bring the proper repair kit for your bike. To cover all eventualiities bring a multi-tool designed for bike repair , tyre levers and a patch kit for mending flat tyres

Mountain Bikes are unrecognisable from their early ancestors of the 1970s thanks to the advancement of new technologies. The core of any bike is the frame and this is an area that has been subjected to some of the biggest changes to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Off road riding is made much easier thanks to the innovations in the bikes design and build. So you can take on more demanding terrain, harder rides and thanks to the advancement in safety equipment take on much more dangerous descents.

Gears
With up to 27 gears available even the steepest of hills can be taken on.

Suspension
One of the greatest leaps forwards has been the development of your bike’s suspension which makes the roughest of rides much more comfortable. Most mountain bikes have at least front suspension – great for uneven descents. A full suspension bike provides greater control, comfort and agility when the ground is bumpy and rocky – but probably isn’t needed if you only plan to cycle on light tracks.

Frames
Improved suspension makes harder rides more fun, so your bike gets puts through its paces and this increases the strain on you bike’s frame. This is why super-strong materials and specialised shapes are de rigueur. Your bikes frame has of course got to be strong but at the same time must be light weight for maximum performance.

Brakes
Disc brakes are found on even budget mountain bikes these days. By moving the braking system to the middle of the wheel they are much easier to keep clean as do not come into contact with the ground which will often be wet and muddy.

Tyres
Mountain bike tyres are thicker and more ‘knobbly’ than on road bikes. Better absorption of shocks and greater grip on slippery tracks makes these tyres idea for off-road terrain. You can change your tyres to deal with different conditions.

Women-Specific
Women’s bikes are tailored to a woman’s size and shape. That means smaller reach from seat to handlebars, smaller reach on brake handles and seats shaped for greater comfort. Many brands now offer both men and women’s bikes enabling ladies to try both to see which is most comfortable and best suited to their needs.

Cross-Country (XC) is the most popular form of mountain biking, and the standard for most riders. It generally means riding point-to-point or in a loop including climbs and descents on a variety of terrain. A typical XC bike weighs around 25-30 lbs, and has 0-4 inches of suspension travel front and sometimes rear. Some XC riders aspire to XC racing, which is even more physically demanding than regular XC, and like all sports at an elite level requires years of training to compete at a national level. Quickly expanding All-mountain (AM) bike category typically provides 5-7 inches of rear and front suspension travel and stronger components then XC models, while still providing overall weight suitable for climbing and descending on a variety of terrain.

Dirt Jumping (DJ) is one of the names given to the practice of riding bikes over shaped mounds of dirt or soil and becoming airborne. The idea is that after riding over the ‘take off’ the rider will become momentarily airborne, and aim to land on the ‘landing’. Dirt jumping can be done on almost anything with wheels, but it is usually executed on a bicycle. tricks e.g backflips are performed in the air as well.

Downhill (DH) is, in the most general sense, riding mountain bikes downhill. The rider usually travels to the point of descent by other means than cycling, such as a ski lift or automobile, as the weight of the downhill mountain bike Mountain Bike often precludes any serious climbing. While cross country riding inevitably has a downhill component, Downhill (or DH for short) usually refers to racing-oriented downhill riding. Downhill-specific bikes are universally equipped with front and rear suspension, large disc brakes, and use heavier frame tubing than other mountain bikes. Because of their extremely steep terrain (often located in summer at ski resorts), downhill courses are one of the most physically demanding and dangerous venues for mountain biking. They include large jumps (up to and including 40 feet), drops of 10+ feet, and are generally rough and steep top to bottom. To negotiate these obstacles at race speed, racers must possess a unique combination of total body strength, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, and mental control. Minimum body protection in a true downhill setting is knee pads and a full face helmet with goggles, although riders and racers commonly sport full body suits to protect themselves. Downhill bikes now weigh around 35 -40 lbs, while professional downhill mountain bikes can weigh as little as 33 lbs, fully equipped with custom carbon fibre parts, air suspension tubeless tires and more. Downhill frames get anywhere from 7 to 10 inches of travel and are usually mounted with an 8 inch travel dual-crown fork.

Freeride / Big Hit / Hucking. Freeride, as the name suggests is a ‘do anything’ discipline that encompasses everything from downhill racing (see above) without the clock to jumping, riding ‘North Shore’ style (elevated trails made of interconnecting bridges and logs), and generally riding trails and/or stunts that require more skill and aggressive techniques than XC. Freeride bikes are generally heavier and more amply suspended than their XC counterparts, but usually retain much of their climbing ability. It is up to the rider to build his or her bike to lean more toward a preferred level of aggressiveness. “Slopestyle” type riding is an increasingly popular genre that combines big-air, stunt-ridden freeride with BMX style tricks. Slopestyle courses are usually constructed at already established mountain bike parks and include jumps, large drops, quarter-pipes, and other wooden obstacles. There are always multiple lines through a course and riders compete for judges’ points by choosing lines that highlight their particular skills. A “typical” freeride bike is hard to define, but 30-40 lbs with 4-7 inches of suspension front and rear is a good generalization.

Trials riding consists of hopping and jumping bikes over obstacles. It can be performed either off-road or in an urban environment. It requires an excellent sense of balance. As with Dirt Jumping and BMX-style riding, emphasis is placed on style, originality and technique. Trials bikes look almost nothing like mountain bikes. They use either 20″, 24″ or 26″ wheels and have very small, low frames, some types without a saddle.

Short Cross or Speed Cross (SC) is the newest form of mountain biking. The idea is to ride short, narrow forest paths with rocks, roots and dints, but not necessarily any ramps on them. The optimal length of the paths are from a few tens to hundreds of meters. The shortness is to provide extreme speed and thrilling to get through the hindrances as fast as possible without crashing. The altitude of the paths does not have to vary much. The ultimate direction of the paths from vertical aspect can be the both ways, either up or down. The transitions between these essential parts are to be taken lightly and stopping at the beginning of every path is to provide maximum amount of thrilling action gained through the speed. The bikes for this purpose can vary from XC to FR.

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To ski or not to ski - that is the question! Snowboarding is sweeping slopes all over the world, but is this high speed sport for everyone? Skiing and snowboarding appear similar, but they actually have little in common. Some diehard skiers have crossed over to the world of snowboarding because of the thrilling runs and aerial maneuvers, while some remain fiercely loyal to skiing. Do you know which sport best suits you? In this article, we’ll look at the ups and downs of both sports and determine which best suits your style.

Snowboard riders constantly have to sit or exert energy to remain on edge while they are stationary. Unlike skiing, you will not have poles to help you remain upright and standing when you are not moving. Snowboarding is a lot easier on the knees compared to skiing, and there are less injuries in snowboarding versus skiing. Snowboarding can, however, be a lot more brutal on your wrists so make sure you wear wrist guards. You’ll start to develop a deep hatred for flat terrain when you’re starting out. Again, you won’t have your ski poles to bail you out. You will, however, begin to fall in love with deeper and softer snow. Snowboards maneuver nicely in powder, while skis prefer moguls and ice.

The biggest difference between skiing and snowboarding is the gear. Snowboarding gear is simpler than skiing equipment in many ways. For one, there is much less equipment to carry around - it’s just you and your board. Snowboarding is also more comfortable since the snowboarding boots are soft and your hands stay warmer because they’re not gripping ski poles. Ski gear is designed to function well while on the slopes, but it’s exasperating to get across the parking lot in those boots and trying to carry all your equipment.

Skiing and snowboarding also draws different demographics. While the skier tends to be a baby boomer and so dresses conservatively, the snowboarder is much more likely to be a young adult who is seeking thrills as well as spills. The snowboarder also tends to be an outdoor lover of all seasons and often has summer sports listed as mountain biking and trecking in the summer and extreme sports such as winter camping and snowboarding during the winter months.

Contrary to popular belief, snowboarding is actually easier than skiing. Besides having less equipment to tote around, snowboarding is less technical. Most advanced skiers will tell you that it takes a lot of work and skill to become an expert. Contrarily, snowboarders seem to take to the sport like a duck to water. Some riders learn to snowboard advanced terrain during their first season on a board. However, skiing is a great workout that does require tremendous skill and practice. Whatever you choose, remember that both skiing and snowboarding offer fun and that’s what is really important.

Almost all mountain biking enthusiast love the adrenaline rush involved in going through rough, challenging and difficult terrains. To get the extra push in the adrenaline department many take up extreme downhill mountain biking.

Extreme downhill mountain biking is both exhilarating and dangerous. The sport offers unlimited challenges and pushes both the bike and the biker to their limits. It is common sport among young mountain bikers. Teenagers have this innate urge within them to keep themselves pushing to the limits.

The Scottish Boarders are a young breed of talents who are well known in the downhill mountain biking arena, so much so, many aspiring amateur riders seek their professional help. They have categorized their extreme downhill courses into two - the Red Bull Downhill Course, and the Glentress Forest.

The Red Bull Downhill Course still holds the reputation of being the fastest extreme downhill mountain biking course. It has received rave reviews as it has been heralded for its expertise in the profession of mountain biking training, as far as technical riding is concerned.

On the other hand, the Glentress Forest caters for the up and coming bikers who are ‘wet behind the ears’ when it comes to extreme downhill mountain biking. To provide for bikers of all levels, the Glentress Forest course is split into 4 sections that are color coded. Green for beginners, blue for those with little experience, red for intermediate and lastly black for the experts.

Extreme downhill mountain biking is completely different from your everyday mountain biking. It is recommended that novice of the sport enroll in a proper course that involves with this kind of outdoor adventure. Always remember to wear mountain biking safety equipment - helmets, elbow pads, knee pads at all times.