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Mountain Biking: The Five Minute Scoop
Since the invention of the
bicycle, scattered groups of individuals around the U.S. were practicing the
concept of putting fat tires on road bikes. It wasn't until the 1970s in
Marin County, California, that a group of cyclists developed their hobby
into what would eventually be termed ‘mountain biking’. In general, these
bikes differ from road bikes in that due to their balloon tires, they are
capable of handling a variety of terrain, from pavement to mountains to
forests. In short, mountain bikes are the 4x4 vehicles of the bicycling
community.
Currently, there are two segments of the sport and both entail different
versions of bikes. Downhilling includes freestyle, slalom, giant slalom, and
downhill events and is centered on precise traction and control of the bike
while maneuvering through downhill terrain. The bikes often sacrifice light
weight for sturdiness and support. Cross-country mountain biking is the
other segment of the sport and are often staged in the same manner as other
cross country events. The bikes required for this type of riding are
constructed to be as lightweight as possible because, unlike downhilling,
climbing hills is the most important element of the ride.
The
sport continues to increase in popularity and cross-country racing is now an
Olympic Medal event. This phenomenal growth has largely been credited due to
the sport's accessibility as mountain bikes are easy to ride on or off road.
Mountain Biking: Favorite Links
MountainZone.com
- This versatile site
covers mountain biking as well as snowboarding, hiking, skiing, climbing,
and photography. Includes detailed articles as well as solid gear reviews.
Trento Bike
Pages - The Trento Bike Pages includes an impressive and useful
collection of articles and route information. The focus is on biking in
Europe and the Mediterranean so if cycling through Iceland has ever been on
your list of things to do, these are superb pages to checkout and learn
from.
Mountain
Bike - This
site covers everything from equipment to event schedules. This is the
web-version of the magazine Mountain Bike.
USA Cycling
- This website covers mountain
biking but also road, cyclo-cross, and BMX as well. A good base to keep up
to date on the professional side of the sport as includes comprehensive race
schedules for the year.
IMBA
- This is the website of the
International Mountain Biking Association, a network that preserves trail
opportunities for enthusiasts of the sport around the world.
Mountain Biking Shopping Best Bets
Interested in buying a yoga book, DVD,
or piece of equipment? We've reviewed what's available and listed our top
picks. Click the title to read the complete review.
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