1.1 Which brand should I go with? Cannondale, trek are all established brands you can trust, however, if this is your first bike, you probably should find a shop that rents bikes, and try out a few bikes. Take a bike out for a one day trip, and see how you like it. If you cannot tell, then try a different one. Ask the folks at the shop to help you if you are not sure which one to rent.[GORP] 1.2 What are the things I need to pay attention to when buying a mountain bike? Shock (suspension) is the first thing you want to look out for. A bike may have a front suspension only (hard tail) or both front and rear suspension (full suspension). There are typically two companies making bike shocks: RockShox and Fox, rockshox used to dominate the market, but in the past five years, it's been overpassed by fox. For brakes, there is mechanic brake, and there's hydraulic (fluid) brake. Hydraulic brakes are typically better then mechanical ones. 2 Mountain biking Do's and Dont's From dirtragmag.com[D] DON'T hose your bike off in your shower. Yes it might only take 5 minutes to clean the bike, but it took me over an hour to clean and unclog the shower afterwards. DON'T grab a handful of front brake on a sketchy descent, DO assume every car is trying to kill you. DON'T forget to pack spare tubes, even if you're going tubeless, DO be nice to that new rider in the group even if they're wearing soccer shorts and a cotton t shirt... DON'T don't follow your fellow rider too closely, even if you're on level terrain. DON'T assume the weather will be on your side, DO be nice to non wheeled trail users. DON'T singlespeed your full suspension bike, it will break your chainstay DON'T ever say "Hey dude! Check this out!" before trying a new trick, DO lube your chain now and then. DON'T forget to put your front wheel in the car or run over it, DON'T drive into a car port with your bike on the roof rack DON'T remove leaves that are wedged between your front wheel and the fork arch while you are riding DON'T poach a trail closed due to erosion, DO stop and enjoy nature. DON'T ride on wet railroad tracks, Do greet people especially hikers so they won't be mad at you when you soar by. DON'T pogo off the top of your head while endo-ing, DO wait up for slower, new riders. DON'T leave toilet paper in the woods, DO respect trails and wildlife. DON'T go for three hour rides in 95 degree heat after eating a pound and a half of salmon. DO cover up salmon puke with leaves when finished. DO slow down when you pass DO speak up or ring bell when you see other bikers DO stop and talk to the horse and rider when you see equidestrians Do yield to bikers going uphill when you go downhill, this helps them keep the momentum 3 Misc 3.1 What's the typical speed for mtn biking? It depends greatly on the terrain, but on a flat paved surface, it's usually 15-20 miles/h. 3.2 How about a road bike? speed-wise About 5-10 miles faster. 3.3 What is endo? An endo is the trick when rear wheel is off the ground and everything goes on the front wheel. Endo is the basis for many tricks. 3.4 How to store a bike? There are all kinds of bike storage racks out there. Remeber, if you have suspension or hydraulic brakes, storing your bike upside down may cause fluid leakage [S] 4 Where to bike in the San Francisco Bay Area? 4.1 Bay area ridge trail http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm 5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
Cannondale, trek are all established brands you can trust, however, if this is your first bike, you probably should find a shop that rents bikes, and try out a few bikes. Take a bike out for a one day trip, and see how you like it. If you cannot tell, then try a different one. Ask the folks at the shop to help you if you are not sure which one to rent.[GORP] 1.2 What are the things I need to pay attention to when buying a mountain bike? Shock (suspension) is the first thing you want to look out for. A bike may have a front suspension only (hard tail) or both front and rear suspension (full suspension). There are typically two companies making bike shocks: RockShox and Fox, rockshox used to dominate the market, but in the past five years, it's been overpassed by fox. For brakes, there is mechanic brake, and there's hydraulic (fluid) brake. Hydraulic brakes are typically better then mechanical ones. 2 Mountain biking Do's and Dont's From dirtragmag.com[D] DON'T hose your bike off in your shower. Yes it might only take 5 minutes to clean the bike, but it took me over an hour to clean and unclog the shower afterwards. DON'T grab a handful of front brake on a sketchy descent, DO assume every car is trying to kill you. DON'T forget to pack spare tubes, even if you're going tubeless, DO be nice to that new rider in the group even if they're wearing soccer shorts and a cotton t shirt... DON'T don't follow your fellow rider too closely, even if you're on level terrain. DON'T assume the weather will be on your side, DO be nice to non wheeled trail users. DON'T singlespeed your full suspension bike, it will break your chainstay DON'T ever say "Hey dude! Check this out!" before trying a new trick, DO lube your chain now and then. DON'T forget to put your front wheel in the car or run over it, DON'T drive into a car port with your bike on the roof rack DON'T remove leaves that are wedged between your front wheel and the fork arch while you are riding DON'T poach a trail closed due to erosion, DO stop and enjoy nature. DON'T ride on wet railroad tracks, Do greet people especially hikers so they won't be mad at you when you soar by. DON'T pogo off the top of your head while endo-ing, DO wait up for slower, new riders. DON'T leave toilet paper in the woods, DO respect trails and wildlife. DON'T go for three hour rides in 95 degree heat after eating a pound and a half of salmon. DO cover up salmon puke with leaves when finished. DO slow down when you pass DO speak up or ring bell when you see other bikers DO stop and talk to the horse and rider when you see equidestrians Do yield to bikers going uphill when you go downhill, this helps them keep the momentum 3 Misc 3.1 What's the typical speed for mtn biking? It depends greatly on the terrain, but on a flat paved surface, it's usually 15-20 miles/h. 3.2 How about a road bike? speed-wise About 5-10 miles faster. 3.3 What is endo? An endo is the trick when rear wheel is off the ground and everything goes on the front wheel. Endo is the basis for many tricks. 3.4 How to store a bike? There are all kinds of bike storage racks out there. Remeber, if you have suspension or hydraulic brakes, storing your bike upside down may cause fluid leakage [S] 4 Where to bike in the San Francisco Bay Area? 4.1 Bay area ridge trail http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm 5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
Shock (suspension) is the first thing you want to look out for. A bike may have a front suspension only (hard tail) or both front and rear suspension (full suspension). There are typically two companies making bike shocks: RockShox and Fox, rockshox used to dominate the market, but in the past five years, it's been overpassed by fox.
For brakes, there is mechanic brake, and there's hydraulic (fluid) brake. Hydraulic brakes are typically better then mechanical ones.
2 Mountain biking Do's and Dont's From dirtragmag.com[D] DON'T hose your bike off in your shower. Yes it might only take 5 minutes to clean the bike, but it took me over an hour to clean and unclog the shower afterwards. DON'T grab a handful of front brake on a sketchy descent, DO assume every car is trying to kill you. DON'T forget to pack spare tubes, even if you're going tubeless, DO be nice to that new rider in the group even if they're wearing soccer shorts and a cotton t shirt... DON'T don't follow your fellow rider too closely, even if you're on level terrain. DON'T assume the weather will be on your side, DO be nice to non wheeled trail users. DON'T singlespeed your full suspension bike, it will break your chainstay DON'T ever say "Hey dude! Check this out!" before trying a new trick, DO lube your chain now and then. DON'T forget to put your front wheel in the car or run over it, DON'T drive into a car port with your bike on the roof rack DON'T remove leaves that are wedged between your front wheel and the fork arch while you are riding DON'T poach a trail closed due to erosion, DO stop and enjoy nature. DON'T ride on wet railroad tracks, Do greet people especially hikers so they won't be mad at you when you soar by. DON'T pogo off the top of your head while endo-ing, DO wait up for slower, new riders. DON'T leave toilet paper in the woods, DO respect trails and wildlife. DON'T go for three hour rides in 95 degree heat after eating a pound and a half of salmon. DO cover up salmon puke with leaves when finished. DO slow down when you pass DO speak up or ring bell when you see other bikers DO stop and talk to the horse and rider when you see equidestrians Do yield to bikers going uphill when you go downhill, this helps them keep the momentum 3 Misc 3.1 What's the typical speed for mtn biking? It depends greatly on the terrain, but on a flat paved surface, it's usually 15-20 miles/h. 3.2 How about a road bike? speed-wise About 5-10 miles faster. 3.3 What is endo? An endo is the trick when rear wheel is off the ground and everything goes on the front wheel. Endo is the basis for many tricks. 3.4 How to store a bike? There are all kinds of bike storage racks out there. Remeber, if you have suspension or hydraulic brakes, storing your bike upside down may cause fluid leakage [S] 4 Where to bike in the San Francisco Bay Area? 4.1 Bay area ridge trail http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm 5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
From dirtragmag.com[D]
3.1 What's the typical speed for mtn biking? It depends greatly on the terrain, but on a flat paved surface, it's usually 15-20 miles/h. 3.2 How about a road bike? speed-wise About 5-10 miles faster. 3.3 What is endo? An endo is the trick when rear wheel is off the ground and everything goes on the front wheel. Endo is the basis for many tricks. 3.4 How to store a bike? There are all kinds of bike storage racks out there. Remeber, if you have suspension or hydraulic brakes, storing your bike upside down may cause fluid leakage [S] 4 Where to bike in the San Francisco Bay Area? 4.1 Bay area ridge trail http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm 5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
It depends greatly on the terrain, but on a flat paved surface, it's usually 15-20 miles/h. 3.2 How about a road bike? speed-wise About 5-10 miles faster. 3.3 What is endo? An endo is the trick when rear wheel is off the ground and everything goes on the front wheel. Endo is the basis for many tricks. 3.4 How to store a bike? There are all kinds of bike storage racks out there. Remeber, if you have suspension or hydraulic brakes, storing your bike upside down may cause fluid leakage [S] 4 Where to bike in the San Francisco Bay Area? 4.1 Bay area ridge trail http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm 5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
About 5-10 miles faster. 3.3 What is endo? An endo is the trick when rear wheel is off the ground and everything goes on the front wheel. Endo is the basis for many tricks. 3.4 How to store a bike? There are all kinds of bike storage racks out there. Remeber, if you have suspension or hydraulic brakes, storing your bike upside down may cause fluid leakage [S] 4 Where to bike in the San Francisco Bay Area? 4.1 Bay area ridge trail http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm 5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
An endo is the trick when rear wheel is off the ground and everything goes on the front wheel. Endo is the basis for many tricks.
3.4 How to store a bike? There are all kinds of bike storage racks out there. Remeber, if you have suspension or hydraulic brakes, storing your bike upside down may cause fluid leakage [S] 4 Where to bike in the San Francisco Bay Area? 4.1 Bay area ridge trail http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm 5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
There are all kinds of bike storage racks out there. Remeber, if you have suspension or hydraulic brakes, storing your bike upside down may cause fluid leakage [S]
4 Where to bike in the San Francisco Bay Area? 4.1 Bay area ridge trail http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm 5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
4.1 Bay area ridge trail http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm 5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
http://www.ridgetrail.org/trail/map.cfm
5 What about tire pressure? It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
It ranges from 30-50. Start from a higher pressure (e.g. 45psi), and then keep lowering the pressure as your go with your rides until you find the perfect pressure for yourselfAC http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/f/tire_pressure.htm 6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
6 Links Greg Kaiser's Bike Tour across the Americas San Francisco Mountain Biking, a lot of useful resources about off-road trails in san francisco area San Francisco bike trails from bikely How to lock your bike IMBA official mountain biking rules California bicycle laws Biking kit MTB FAQ CNN mountain biking tips MtnBikingTips MtnBikingEtiquettes Bicycles FAQ: Great FAQ! Beginner's MTB guide Comments References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
References[D] http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-4923.html[GORP] http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/biking/expert/bikebuy.htm[S] http://www.bikekinetix.com/bike_tips/bike-storage-solutions.php
