(man 'i mal) n., {Latin>manimalus, orig., man animal'} 1. Crazed mountainbiker- part man and part animal with characteristics of both. Why I Ride *Riding a mountainbike is great exercise, physically as well as spiritualy. Here are a list of the "top ten" reasons why I ride... 1. Help you to more effectively manage your stress. 2. Improves functioning of your immune system. 3. Reduces your risk of getting heart disease. 4. Allows you to consume greater quantities of food and still maintain caloric balance. 5. Helps you sleep easier and better. 6. Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure. 7. Improves the likelihood of survival from a heart attack. 8. Helps to boost creativity. 9. Reduces your risk of having a stroke. 10. Helps decrease your appetite. Many of you probably ride for some of these reasons as well! If you have any you would like to add to the list, just let me know... thanx stanimal 7 MaNiMaL Night Riding Tips *ALWAYS try to carry (3) sources of light when riding at night. This could be a handlebar mounted light, maybe a helmet mounted light as well, and then a small flashlight in your pocket. Others may use two handlebar mounted lights, and carry a lighter with them. You could also carry a CYALUME Light Stick, which provides adequate background light if you are stopped during a break and want to turn off your main lights, as these will go for hours to provide constant very low level light. *DISCUSS the route with your fellow riders, or at least a friend at home if you are going alone, and formulate a plan for the night ride where all the riders have a common plan. Discuss what to do if separated, lost, or if you have a breakdown. All riders should be on the same game plan and wavelength for the ride. Stick together and regroup often. *CARRY a cell phone if possible – this is always a good idea in case of emergency, and more important at night. Your phone may also be one of the (3) sources of light you should have for safety. *MAKE sure that you are riding legally… some trails close at dark, and other trails may close at 10pm. Some may be open all night, and others may prohibit night riding. Plan your parking as needed. It is always a good idea at night to be low key and stealth –do not shine your light directly at a fellow trail user or partner, and slow down in case you encounter other users or animals. *CONSERVE energy… allow time for your eyes to adjust to the dark before turning on the lights. If you are riding with another rider on easy terrain, maybe one can turn off their lights. Ride on the lowest settings unless you have difficult terrain or a fast section. In large group, you can share the light. While stopped, turn OFF the main lights and use one of your other sources. Check the time and mileage, and know the turn around point so that your light does not run out. *BE prepared – make sure that your bike and lights are working well. Have the batteries charged, and check the bulbs before you leave. Check any wires for dead spots or frays. Have appropriate clothing and gear in case of emergency. Be familiar with the terrain, and know what to do if you get lost. *BE careful – riding at night on most singletrack is never as fast as during daylight hours. Watch for changing terrain, and be prepared for the trail to just “disappear” if it is difficult to follow due to leaves, twists, or poorly demarcated from the surrounding terrain. It certainly is easier to get off course at night if you don’t know the trail well - and you may find yourself riding off into the woods!! Always be prepared to stop if necessary, and ride defensively. More small obstacles on the ground will go unseen at night on your line, so be on guard to hit some of these… Your line is the exact track that your tires will take over the terrain on which you happen to be riding - in mud, it stands out clearly after you have passed...One fun thing about this sport is the challenge to see your line, plan for it, and then ride it. Sometimes last minute decisions must be made, and other times you just seem to glide through. YOU can choose a fast, easy, or safe line depending upon your mood and how you feel like riding. Sometimes I pick the hardest line as a challenge. When riding full suspension, often times you can just go right down the middle if you want, and disregard the line altogether. A rider must be more "choosy" if he is riding a rigid bike, as he will often take the smoothest line available, and cannot proceed as recklessly as one with the shocks. Follow the line with your eyes from just a few feet in front of your bike to as far as you can forward and do some scanning - PLAN AHEAD... On difficult rock gardens, tough terrain, etc... you may want to select the easiest way through. Other times you may chose the most challenging line, or just go out of your way to make it tougher by following the most difficult line you can. Just remember to look forward well ahead of where your tire is - if things are happeneing too fast to select the line, you may want to slow down, or just hold on and hope for the best if the section is short. If riding behind someone>>leave enough room so that you are searching for your own line on the trail, and not looking at his back wheel or following his line. Many obstacles and apparent blockings in the trail can be circumvented with proper planning and foresight as you approach them, so look for detours or go-arounds quickly by scanning on both side of the obstacle. Use visualization techniques, scanning, and think ahead... the right line belongs only to you... ride on stan Here is a summary, and from my recollections, most of the breakdowns I have experienced during the past year (or so) on my mountain bike... *Broken chain *Bent Rear XT Cluster 2nd to largest gear *Ditto above - yes it happened with the new XT cogs, same one got bent after 3 weeks. *Broken Derailleur Hanger *Ditto above - broke another new hanger after 3 months.. *Broken rail on saddle - rode without saddle (just don't sit down!) *Broken spoke *Only one flat tire in 2 years (it's the Kujo's!) *Broken free hub body *Broken rear shock holding bolt (could have caused the below problem... hm...) *Broken Star Nut Holding Free Hub Body to Hub *Stripped Crank Arm *Broken Front Axle *Rear Fox coil shock required rebuild at Fox Factory *New water bottle cage - bent *One water bottle braze-ons stripped *New middle chainring *New bottom bracket *Rebuild headset *Factory re-build of the front suspension fork *New rear derailleur & Sram 9 spd 1-1 ratio grip shift installed to replace XT derailleur Other than that, my Super V has been pretty good :( Also, I'm sure there are a few things I have missed, like worn out handle bar end plugs, new rear brake cable, and a few I can't remember..... stan ~~FREEWHEELING~~ Narrow, twisty, turny, hardpack single track where you don't have to pedal and don't have to brake! This is freewheeling at it's finest. Reminds me of a roller coaster ride without the accompanying nausea and dizziness. Sure you have to pedal a little to gain a little elevation, but Schaefer Road Farm Park has an ample supply of great freewheeling, punctuated by more than a few logs, or multiple log, crossings... There is nothing like just letting the bike roll, faster and faster, thru the slightly downhill sections where pedaling is not needed and you can grab the bars only and avoid the brake levers... Hang on tight and use your balance and weight shifting to make those curly turns, sometimes 10 or 20 in a row as your speed is solely determined by the grade. Plan ahead and see how long you can hold on to the best line as you whip thru the woods with the breeze keeping you cool and comfortable... If things get out-of-hand, just use your brakes to regain your composure again and get back on line. The skill and fun is to see how long you can ride and freewheel using just the pull of gravity and your balance to keep you a-twisin' and a-turnin' ~~MaNiMaL~ ***SEATS, BASHING, AND YOUR BUTT*** Even though a full suspension mountain bike is my weapon of choice when bashing on rocky single track, the issue of comfort and your seat is still important. While it is true that full suspension enables your body to take a beating on a more rigorous trail with less abuse than a hardtail, remember that the seat is an important factor in overall comfort and health. A good seat is comfortable for your body, and allows you to ride for a longer time than one that is not a good fit. There is also the issue of impotence and trauma to the prostate that is worth considering in selecting a saddle. For a long time I used a gel seat ALONG WITH a Trico blob and a seatcover for a kush ride. It seemed comfortable and certainly was padded enough, even if it did weigh a couple of pounds! Rear suspension reduced the need for such extreme tactics and I found the excess weight of the blob and gel for comfort could be dispensed with. Recently, experimentation was begun using several types of ergonomic seats with a cutout and eliminating the gel and Trico blob overtop. While each rider needs to see what is right for him, I found that the Specialized Body Geometry Seat, and Mythos Trans Am worked wonders on my BUTT. It was also discovered that a seat that had a slick cover was far superior to a "tacky" one when doing technical single track, as it allowed easier movement on and off the saddle while changing riding positions during difficult sections. The "cutout" minimized pressure where it counts, and extended both comfort and riding time. Needless to say, I have a collection of old saddles that I will not use again. As a fellow rider, please try one of the new ergonomic saddle designs especially if: 1) you are over 30 and 2)you ride rough terrain or 3)you ride for long durations or are uncomfortable on your current seat, or after you ride. These saddles are also excellent for the women riders on the trail as well. Your body will appreciate it! Send any comments to: manimal@webmountainbike.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EDITORIAL The winter snows have finally hit Maryland, so I guess it is time to hang up the bike and breakout the snowboard! NOT! The opportunity for snow-biking is a rare treat and not to be passed up for the simple joy of shredding the big one. Of course, you could always try to ride the lift with your bike instead of your board>>Do You Think They Would Notice?>> Assuming you made it to the top unscathed with your steed, what slope would be best? If there was powder, I guess you would have to go BLUE intermediate>>> but what about the expert slope! Surely you would go unnoticed among the skiers and boarders thrashing around, wiping on the moguls and icy patches!@# You decide to go BLACK and go ball busting down the hill - why worry about traction - just stick out your leg (this is your brake). Remember to go lightly on the front brake, and watch out for all those beginners who don't know what they are doing* ACTUALLY, the snow-biking will be a peaceful and serene journey over gently rolling terrain, with no gates, moguls or other individuals strewn about struggling to keep their balance. Your tire tracks will leave a fleeting memory of your passing, along with the tracks of all the animals scurrying about, searching for food, water, and shelter as your search for the perfect line. Time stands still in the snow covered forest as you make your way thru the white dream. JUST REMEMBER those days in July when you could wring the sweat from your clothing, and guzzle anything liquid in sight trying not to DIE from dehydration and heat-stroke... This doesn't seem so bad after all... * You, of course, know exactly what you are doing and plan a near perfect descent, linking turn after turn for all those vertical feet, descending like a cat on a track, unaware of the chaos and hazards surrounding you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MaNiMaL~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
