winter season bike equipment
As I mentioned inside my last post not anything is better than a winter ride here is a checklist of my “Winter Ride Essentials”
Before you can actually take into account the bike you have to decide what to wear, with the big selection of clothing open to help keep you warm it could be difficult to choose so now is a variety of my favourites.
Bottom Layer – Endura Baa Baa Merino Long Sleeve Base Layer
Jersey- Altura Attack Long Sleeve Jersey
Jacket – Gore Alp X III Jacket
Legwear – Altura Attack Waterproof Trousers
After you have kitted out with all the basics it could be worth paying for some warm socks or high performance overshoes to stop your toes from freezing to death. Whenever your good to go kit up your Mountain Bike with essentials which include; inner tubes, energy food & drink and even more importantly a mobile phone in case.
Another item you may want to take with you is a high performance light to be sure you don’t get caught out in low light levels, I prefer a Exposure Joystick that allows me to ride all night long in thick snow, but then again I am a bit mad.
[20/12/2010 17:13:20] John Morgan: After a few bad reviews from the likes of Bike Radar, I had been sceptical of riding the Moda Presto Mountain Bike, but simply because it was shiny and brimming with first class kit I just now couldn’t resist. Taking it around the lake I stumbled upon several problems mostly regarding the ascents and descents making me feel slightly nervous in comparison to my Felt but I stayed with it, around the flat parts of the lake is the place the Presto shone through offering amazingly high spec for a bike under £1000 it flew over small bumps using the Reba SL Fork absorbing most of the vibrations.
Towards the end with the 25 mile course I wasn’t obsessed about the Presto (I enjoy my Felt too much to care bout another bike) however it has still impressed me a lot more than almost every other full suspension bike within the £1000 cost range, mostly because every other full susser in this price structure is a sack of crap filled up with poor quality components or well recognized brands “value models” however the Presto has some of the best kit available (in addition to the rear shock).
After all where else could you get the blend of American Classic MTB 26 Disc wheels having a full Shimano XT drivetrain along with a Reba SL Team Fork for just £1000, you could possibly might find these under that price if you searched online for weeks but thats not precisely what the Presto is, its a whole bike offering amazing components as well as a frame and all additional bits and bobs you have to construct a bike.
The most severe scenario sceanrio is the fact that you buy this bike take it for just a ride and absolutely hate it, you can strip it down throw everything onto a superior performance frame such as a Cove Handjob and you’d result in an amazing hardtail for a super good deal, plus you can actually ebay the shock.
My recommendation would be to grab one of them because at this price they will not be around for long.
About the Author
Wintertime is here now and its time to really think about possibly settling the <a href=”http://http://www.rutlandcycling.com/g/61/Mountain-Bikes.html”>mountain bike</a> aside or covering up. If its the second item heres exactly what you will want to know.
Brasileirão Petrobras | Galo Forte Vingador
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Altura Night Vision Long Sleeve Cycling Jersey Medium Yellow £44.99 Altura Mens Night Vision Long Sleeve Jersey in Yellow Traditional long sleeve jersey with the Night Vision treatment producing an essential piece of kit for anyone riding on the road. … |
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Altura Night Vision Short Sleeve Jersey Medium Hi-Vis Yellow £35.99 KEY FEATURES: • High wicking, quick dry fabric • 3 rear pockets • Highly reflective trim • Night Vision Velcro LED mount 100% polyester … |
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Altura Womens Night Vision Short Sleeve Jersey In Yellow 12, YELLOW £35.99 KEY FEATURES: • High wicking, quick dry fabric • 3 rear pockets • Highly reflective trim • Night Vision Velcro LED mount 100% polyester … |
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Altura Women’s Synergy S/S Cycling Jersey Red Size 10 £14.99 … |
Know Your Bike Frame by Alastair Hamilton
The bicycle is over 200 years old. It’s evolution proceeded quickly when it was first invented, and the changes continue to this day.
The bicycle can trace its history back to Germany in the year 1817, when inventor Karl Drais developed a push bike – one without pedals.
Like any other invention there were actually quite a few contributors to the changing design over the years. Other inventors who contributed to the evolution of the bicycle are Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick MacMillan, Frenchmen Ernest Michaux and Pierre Lallement, and Englishman James Starley – whose bicycle design, with the extremely large front wheel and the extremely tiny rear wheel was called the “penny farthing.” The “safety bicycle”, with both wheels the same height in a “diamond frame” that is still in use today, came into use in 1885, and in 1888 rides became much more comfortable with the invention of the “pneumatic” tire by Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop.
Over One Hundred Years Later, Improvement Continues
Just over a hundred years later, the basic design of the bicycle has not changed, but improvements are nevertheless being made all the time. The “new age” materials now in use – aluminum, titanium and carbon fire – have enabled bicycles to be made just as sturdy as can be desired, but with the light weight which most people these days desire.
The diamond bicycle frame consists of a series of tubes: the main triangle which consists of the head tube, top tube, down tube and seat tube. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube, paired chain stays and seat stays.
What are bicycle frames made of? The metal they’re made of is important, because a lot of factors have to be taken into account: the density of the metal will determine how heavy the bike is, the stiffness will affect the ride comfort and the control efficiency. There is always the danger of crashes so yield strength is important – how much force will permanently “deform” the metal? Also a consideration for crash-worthiness is the elongation capability of the metal. And then there’s the fatigue limit and the endurance limit.
A great many bike frames are made from steel. It’s got all the best qualities needed for a frame, but its major drawback is that it is very heavy.
Aluminum is very popular for use in bike frames, because of its very low weight. But the problem with aluminum is that it is very easy to bend it – and thus break it.
Titanium is rapidly becoming a popular material for bike frames. It’s strong, and its light…and its very expensive. Only high-end bicycles are made with titanium.
Carbon fiber is a non-metallic material for making bicycle frames. It is light weight, resists corrosion, and can be formed into practically any shape desired. However, carbon fiber does have low impact resistance, so it’s not so good for the mountain biker. And of course it’s expensive also
Bicycle manufacturers are always experimenting with new materials, of course. Currently, the use of thermoplastics is being tested, as is that of magnesium.
There’s great days ahead for the evolution of bicycling, so keep your helmet on and go full speed ahead!
Alastair Hamilton is the author of many resources about bicycle parts and bike frames. Read more at http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Know-Your-Bike-Frame/97994