The Mountain Bikes

The sport of mountain biking has over the last 20 years, developed into one that is both competitive and shows endurance of the riders. Mountain biking started in the 1970s when riders started taking their bicycles off road and onto more rugged terrain. During these early years anyone wishing to do mountain biking had to customize their own bikes to make them more sturdy for the rougher ride.

Some of the first men’s mountain bike races involved the riders taking their bikes up hills and mountains and then racing them down the descent. The bicycles at the time were not equipped to deal with the speed that was gained on these descents or the surfaces that the mountain bikers rode on. During these early years breaks would over heat and the frames and suspensions could not stand up to the pressure of the mountain bike ride. Because of this mountain bikers began working on their own mountain bikes to make them capable for the sport and various mountain bike parts became available on the market along with specialized bikes for mountain biking.

So what makes a good mountain bike? Mountain bikes of the present, and in particular men’s mountain bikes, have to be sturdy for this rugged sport. The frames of mountain bikes are heavier than that of a normal street bike and the mountain bike suspension is more durable. The mountain bikes have a double suspension shock absorber that cushions the jolts and vibrations from the rough mountain rides.

Specialized mountain bikes should also have breaks that are good, don’t over heat and give graduated breaking capabilities. Over the years the cycles of mountain biking have had various breaking systems that have evolved as well as other mountain bike parts. The most common of breaks that can be found on specialized mountain bikes is a counter lever breaking system, which allows mountain bikes to gradually break without overheating both the breaks and the tires.

Gears are also another consideration for a good mountain bike. Mountain biking is geared at riders who race over rough terrain, up steep hills and mountains or inclines, in any weather and on any surface. So to be ready to manage these varied elements a mountain bike should have multiple gears. Gears allow the riders to be able to traverse the different gradients easily while ascending and descending hills and mountains. As with a car the more gears the more manageable the vehicle and the more responsive it can be when the right gears are applied. The same is true for the gears of a mountain bike, the more gears the cycles have the better they are to tackle the terrain. The tires are also wider and thicker than those of the street bike to take the beating of the mountain bike trails.

Mountain biking has now evolved into a sport that is not for the faint hearted. It has a large following especially in men’s mountain biking, and there are many trails that are being identified and reviewed worldwide. Mountain biking as a sport shows the endurance, navigation skill and survival skills of riders who need to be able to maintain their mountain bikes in any situation due to the nature of the routes that some of the trails may take. Knowledge of their equipment and good biking skills means the difference between winning a race and finishing uninjured.

However a good mountain bike, and safety equipment also helps the rider.

J.J. Jessup is a recognized expert mountain biker. He’s been riding for over 15 years and is a regular contributor to many mountain bike websites. You can find more articles by J.J. at http://www.schwinnmountainbikes.com.

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