Bicycle Tools Are An Important Mountain Biking Accessory

You should have the proper biking gear and the essential skills if you wish to enjoy the terribly dificult sport of mountain biking to the core. The wide variety of mountain bike accessories found nowadays is truly amazing, and purchasing different products can cost you as much money as you had set up for the bike itself. Hence, you should be careful with that you purchase and know how to separate the gimmicky items from the really important ones, and buy those that will fulfill your needs. Better stay away from the items that are merely flashy fashion accessories, or you’ll go overboard your budget without getting the really important itemsthat you do need.

There are some biking accessories that you really cannot do without

As any veteran mountain biker will agree, a few accessories are extremely important and cannot be ignored. For example, the helmet, now any one can tell you how important is it to venture out on rough terrains with a protection over your head. Falling or stumbling off your bike is a common occurrence and the helmet will simply save you from incurring fatal wounds. In fact, the importance of a biking helmet cannot be overemphasized.

Riding over a rough surface can badly affect your body and cause difficulties. Thus you should be as much comfortable as possible on your bike, and to ensure that comfort you would need a good pair of mountain bike shorts that absorbs moisture and prevents any irritation. Then again, gloves are also important mountain accessories that can absorb some of the shocks you may feel an also prevent burns and injuries to your hands.

If falling off a mountain bike is a daily incident then so is the bike breaking down when you are not expecting it at all. Hence it would always be wise to carry a repair kit with you. Important things that should always be a part of your repair kit are spoke tool, spanners, screwdriver, pump, Allen key, puncture repair kit, a bottom bracket tool as well as some lubricant. It goes without saying that you should have a basic idea of what to do in case your bike breaks down in the wilderness, where you cannot possibly get any help.

You would also require mountain bike accessories like cleaning equipment that can dust off the dirt from bikes. Constant riding in dust and dirt can make your bike really dusty and dirty. Other important accessories include bike bottles and cages, lock and cycle lights.

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September 16 2008 | Bike Accessories | No Comments »

Maintaining Your Mountain Bike

Mountain Bike Maintenance is something we’d prefer to ignore if we can get away with it. Face it, however, things will go wrong from time to time.

Hey, you’ve invested some real coin in this machine, so keeping it in peak condition for the strains and pounding it’s going to take only makes sense. Mountain bikes are, for the most part, durable, but anything that’s mechanical needs some attention from time to time.

Take a little time to look over this article we found on the topic of maintaining your mountain bike, and you’ll pick up some valuable tips.

Mountain Bike Maintenance – Mechanics 101

Mountain bike maintenance can become an obstacle course, if you don’t have some basic skills.

Owning a mountain bike – whether you are a serious rider or simply enjoy it as a sport – is an investment in time and money. Protect that investment by learning a few tricks of the trade as far as mountain bike maintenance is concerned.

The first important thing in mountain bike maintenance is very simple: keep your bike clean! Wipe off excess dirt once a week, using a dry cloth or a damp soapy sponge. During wet weather, or with frequent use, it is a good idea to wash your bike after every ride. If you don’t do this, you will find that there are a lot of sticky stuff out there that may become unwelcome, permanent fixtures.

Another regular habit you need to adopt as part of mountain bike maintenance, is degreasing the chain and drivetrain. How often you do this depends on how often you ride. It should be done once a month at least, and up to two or three times per month if you ride on a regular basis.

Lubrication of the chain is essential. There are many excellent lubricants on the market. Choose one that suits your needs. Keep in mind that newer lubricants such as White Lightning are self-cleaning, which minimizes mountain bike maintenance.

It is best to apply lubricant the night before you ride. Doing it ten minutes before, prevents it from getting into the chain properly.

As part of mountain bike maintenance, it is vital to maintain the correct air pressure in the tires. Taking care of this small detail will protect your expensive tires. It also prevents frequent tube problems.

Gear cables tend to stretch over time, which makes gear shifting less effective. Gear and brake cables should be checked regularly, and replaced more often than most people realize. New ones should be put in every six to nine months as part of general mountain bike maintenance, and the cable housing should be replaced at the same time.

Another item on you mountain bike maintenance list, is your brake pads. These wear extremely fast. You need to check the alignment of the brake pads against the rims. They should sit squarely on the rim when the brakes are applied.

When relaxed, they should be clear of the sidewall of your tire as it turns. Replace the brake pads when they get to the wear line. Allowing them to go onto the metal casing, will damage your rims.

Check all the nuts and bolts in your monthly mountain bike maintenance routine. Invest in an Allen key or spanner and tighten the loose bolts, such as crank bolts, seatpost bolts, and headset locknuts.

Lastly, one simple way to look after your bike is to keep it under cover, preferably indoors. Don’t expose it to the elements any more than necessary.

Be careful when using a bike cover outside. These tend to trap moisture between the cover and the ground, and will cause the steel parts on your bike to corrode more rapidly, giving cause for more mountain bike maintenance than you ever had in mind!

Take good care of your bike and it will take good care of you!

For more information visit Best-Mountain-Biking.com

Rika Susan of Article-Alert.com researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

July 12 2008 | Mountain Bikes | 1 Comment »