MountainBikeRiding.com | How to Mountain Bike, Mountain Bike Tips, Mountain Bike Maintenance
Mountain Biking and Mountain Bike Maintenance Tips to Give You a Better Ride!
This mountain bike riding resource is for you. If you have any questions about any topic about mountain bike riding, racing, maintenance, bike fit, or anythings else mountain bike related please submit a comment below and I will try to address it in an upcoming post on this website. I look forward to hearing from you!
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Hello, Pete ! I would appreciate your opinion about how to keep front suspension in good condition. My friend has Giant hardtail and his front sus is very stiff and rusty. I just bought Trek 3500. It works good. Someone told me to apply Vaseline on the moving part and rubber. Do you think is a good idea?
Hi Sergiy,
Without knowing what kind of fork he has it is difficult for me to give you a good recommendation to fix the problem. There are many different suspension forks out there that have their own ways of lubrication. If the fork is rusty, it might be beyond hope and he may be better off buying a new fork. At this point it could be worth trying some grease on the seals and stanchions, but I would not use vaseline. Here is a grease that I use as a general grease and it might help his fork:
http://bit.ly/9GZ2f1
Well, I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Pete
Pete,
how can I apply for IMBA if there is no such group in my country the philippines since I am the designer and officer in charge of the philippine army mountain bike circuit.-
Hi Alwen,
Great question! I believe that you can sign up as a club at IMBA. Here is the link to their club registration. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Pete
will you pls give me tips for bike jumping and what kind of bike for jumping
Hi Alwen,
I will see if I can put together some tips on jumping in future articles. I have heard that these are good bikes for jumping: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCExperience.jsp?eid=4348&menuItemId=9252
Hi Pete, looking for my first MTB. Thinking a 29er for the type of trails around home.I am close to Tahoe for that type of riding. So many brands! What should I look for as far as the components and what to stay away from. What brands recommende. Giant, Marin, Speailized etc. Would like to stay under a Grand until I know for sure how much riding I am going to be doing.
Cheers,
Michael
Hi Michael,
I hear ya, there are so many different bikes to choose from! I think the most important thing is how the bike fits you and if you like how it rides. Some people like a quick aggresive feel and others like a slower, more stable geometry. The best thing is to take the bikes you are considering for a test ride and see what feels most comfortable to you and what inspires you to ride! Maybe you can rent one for a day and really get a feel for it.
As far as brands I have always been a fan of Specialized, Kona and Trek (Gary Fisher and Klein are owned by Trek). I wouldn’t get too concerned about comparing component and frame specs too much because with these brands you will get a good quality bike and they will all be pretty comparable across the different price points. Again I would focus on riding a few of your top picks and see what feels best to you.
And yes the 29er’s are sweet! A 29er is perfect for the Tahoe area. I have experience in that area! Would love to ride there again soon.
Hope that helps.
Pete
Pete,
I’m not very experienced this forks, wanna do an update to my bike so i need to know how to spend that money right. I have a RST Gila Plus T7 which i found it too heavy for me so my idea is to get something more lighter not so worry about fork travel.
Thank you!
Hi Fa,
I have had good luck with Rock Shox and Marzocchi forks. I recommend comparing the forks from those companies in your price range and see which one has the features you want. Both of those fork brands have relatively low maintenance and offer good features for the money. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hey Pete,
I’m new to the MTB scene and caught between two bicycles. After more than two weeks of on-line research and multiple trips to the local bikes shop, I have decided that the Cannondale f5 2010 and the Marin Hawk Hill 2009 are the best bikes for my skill level. Which MTB would you choose for your first bike?
Thanks,
GN
Hi GN,
Choosing bikes these days can be kind of a headache! There are so many choices and so many different components to consider. I looked at both bikes that you have narrowed it down to. They both look great and I think they both offer good components that will last. My recommendation is to ride both of them extensively and decide which one “feels” the best to you. The “feel” is how the bike fits you and how it performs. For the fit, make sure that you are comfortable on it. For the performance, decide if you want a quick responding bike or one that is a little more laid back. Some people like a more “racey” style bike that accelerates and turns quick. Other people like a bike that is a little more laid back and is a little more forgiving in the way it handles.
If you can take each bike out for a long test ride or rent them for a ride off road that will give a good idea of what feels best to you. I wouldn’t agonize about the differences between components and frames right now. You can always upgrade and change things as you get more into mountain biking.
Also, here are some articles on buying a mountain bike:
http://mountainbikeriding.com/how-to-buy-your-first-mountain-bike-part-1-budget/
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Enjoy that new bike!
Pete
Hey Pete,
Any plans to sell hats or t-shirts with the mountainbikeriding.com logo? Me and the family want some gear, man!
Hi Pablo!
Yes, I have been looking into that. I will let you know as soon as they are available.
Hey Pete, found mtnbikeriding.com while researching 26v.29, good explainations, but I am still stuck! I currently ride a 2001 Spec. RockHop FSR XC, you know w/the Fox float behind the seat post. Anyway it’s time to upgrade, I am 5’9″, and I have my eye on either a small frame 2010 26″ Spec. Stumpjmp FSR Elite or a demo med. frame 2009 Stumpjmp FSR Expert 29″, for essentially the same price. I ride in Tulsa, OK, most of the year on our local Turkey Mtn, most reveues say it’s technical many rocks and single trk., but I do like to go ‘ol’man riding at CO ski areas, and I do single track in Arkansas, and XC also in CO, w/ ambitions of riding all over, so I am looking for a great all around bike, that will last technology wise and componet wise for a few yrs, that is stable for a 40 yr old, I am not in race mode. Can you help with any other decision specifics? I plan to ride them both this week, but only parking lot. I know the final decision is all mine, but I guess its hard b/c I am looking at two great options. Thanks in advance. Also, I tried to use the ‘join’ link and it has an error msg, so I joined at Facebook for now. Thank you.
Hi Willie,
Decisions, decisions! Both bikes look good. I like the way that Specialized bikes ride.
Well, I am a big fan of the 29er. Based on the riding you described I think that you will also like the 29er. Is there any way you can take out the 29er on a longer ride? I think you know what the 26″ bike is going to feel like because of your previous bike. If you can take the 29er on a longer trail ride I think that will help a lot. Keep in mind that it may take a little while to get used the way a 29er handles, but again, based on the type of riding that you do, I think it will suit you well. I would recommend the 26″ if you spend a lot of your time doing downhill runs at the ski areas. But based on your description, my vote is for the 29er.
When it comes to comparing the components, I would not get too worried about it because you can always upgrade later. The components on both bikes look good.
Thanks for letting me know about the join link! I appreciate it.
Let me know which bike you decide on. Getting a new bike is so cool!
Hello Pete,
I got it, the Spec. FSR Expert 29er. I was able to demo it on the trail, and then a jumped back on my 26er for comparision, and it was an amazing difference! I was glad it was so cut and dry, the 29er was so stable, it fits me very well, it’s all I hoped it would be and more. The fit is really good, in fact in my opinion the tall guys are missing out b/c they all review that the 29er fits them like a 26er, where as I feel like I am ‘in’ the bike, I don’t have to hang over the back hardly at all on steep downhills, which increases my confidence. Thanks so much for your advice, and maybe I will get out to AZ sometime and you can show me some trails.
Best regards, Willie.
Hi Willie,
I am glad that you were able to demo the bike on the trail. That is really a great way to decide if the bike is for you. There are so many things that you can compare between bikes, but the thing that matters most is how you like the ride. Great description of how the 29er feels! Let me know if you get out to AZ.
Going for the Vermont 50 Miler trail event this year (www.vermont50.com).
Will invest in a new bike shortly. I’m endurance experienced with hardtails but wondering whether to go full-suspension now that prices are getting within my reach.
My focus going forward will continue to be long endurance events on technical single track where-ever and whenever possible.
Hi Peter,
That’s awesome your into endurance events! This is one of my favorites: http://www.cascadecreampuff.com/
I think full suspension bikes are perfect for endurance rides and races because they give you a break over the rough stuff and that will save you energy during the event. They can help you stay seated and spinning on a climb by absorbing the rocks and roots. They also may help you stay out of trouble when you get tired and may not be as quick to react to an obstacle that would otherwise give a hardtail problems.
Full suspension designs have improved in regards to pedaling efficiency too. They are active while climbing and descending but keep the energy loss at a minimum. The VPP design (Santa Cruz) and Horst Link design (Specialized) are well know for this.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions.
Have a great next ride!
Pete
Hello, im 15 and I am going to start mountain biking, but i need to find a a bike. And I need a bike that isnt to expensive but is very good if anyone has answers email me at rvdjc54@yahoo.com thanks
Hi Edward,
Welcome to MountainBikeRiding.com! I’m glad to hear that you are getting into mountain biking at a young age. I first started riding when I was 13 and it has been a lot of fun to involved in this sport!
I would recommend that you start out with a bike in the $400-$500 price range. You can buy a cheaper bike, but if you plan on doing any kind of significant trail riding the $400-$500 bikes hold up much better. Here are some that I think might suit you well:
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain_hardtail/4_series/4300/
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45756&eid=4340&menuItemId=9253
http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=firemountain
Remember that the most important thing in a bike is how it fits you and feels to you. You want to be comfortable and inspired to take your bike out on the trail!