Mountain Sport blog

Setting Your Tire Pressure

Riding your mountain bike with the appropriate
amount of tire pressure can make a huge difference
in how much control you have over your bike.

Setting your tire pressure too high will make for
poor contact with the ground and also make your
bike less controllable.  Setting your tire pressure
too low will make your tires unpredictable and also
make them susceptible to pinch flats.

The appropriate amount of tire pressure in a
mountain bike will vary between rider to rider and
tire setup to tire setup.  The conditions of your
trail and the type of terrain your riding will also
greatly impact what tire pressure you should be using
in your tires.

The trick here is to find out exactly what mountain
bike tire pressure works for you and your setup during
normal conditions.  After doing this, you can learn
to adjust your pressure for different trails and types
of terrain as needed.

You should start by finding a reliable pressure gauge
or a pump with a pressure gauge.  Then, use this same
gauge or pump anytime you are making adjustments.  A
gauge can be very inaccurate, so if you switch around
it you can make things much more difficult.

You should start with a higher pressure of around 40 -
50 psi.  If you have a tubeless system, you should
start lower, 30 - 40 psi.  The more you weigh, the
higher pressure you should start with.  Try this
pressure for a while and get a feel for how the tires
take corners and loose dirt.

Drop the pressure by 5 psi in each tire and get a feel
for how this new setup rides and how it compares to your
previous setting.  You should notice some improvement
in stability, and if you don’t, drop the pressure by
another 5 psi.

You want to find the lowest pressure you can ride with
without sacrificing pinch flat resistance.  A pinch flat
occurs when your tire rolls over an object then compresses
to the point where the tire and the tube get pinched
between the object and the rim on the wheel.

With tubeless tire systems, you can run much lower air
pressure, as you don’t have to worry about getting pinch
flats.  If you start to dent your rims, burp air out
along the bead, or feel the tire roll under the rim
during hard cornering, you’ve taken the pressure much
too low.

Once you’ve found a comfortable setting for your tire
pressure, learn what your tire feels like when you
squeeze it with your hands.  Once you know what your
tires feel like you can always get the right air
pressure - with any pump.

Posted in Mountain Sports | No Comments »

Sizing Mountain bikes

Along with giving you a better selection and expert
advice, bike shop personnel can you help you get
fitted to the right size bike.  You can get the bike
either too big or too small, which will cause your
enjoyment to suffer.  Follow the tips below, and
you’ll have the perfect fit for your mountain bike.

Standover height
When you check the fitting yourself, the first thing
you want to check is the inseam clearance, or the
standover height.  You want to have plenty of room
between yourself and the top tube when you come to
a stop.  There should be around four to six inches
of clearance from the top of your inseam to the top
of the top tube.

Leg and feet position
There’s a nifty formula for determining the leg
position for riding a mountain bike.  When riding
a mountain bike, the terrain constantly changes,
raising you off the seat constantly, sometimes just
slightly, other times completely off.

Therefore, you’ll need to sit your saddle slightly
lower than you would on any other type of bike. 
Be sure you take this slightly lower seat height
position into effect when you factor the size of
the frame.

Riding compartment
The next thing you’ll want to check is the rider
compartment layout (the distance between the saddle
and the handlebars).  Once the proper leg extension
has been determined, be sure the handlebar is one
to two inches below the height of the saddle.  You
should never have the handlebars higher than the
seat, unless there is some type of upper body
problem.

Dual suspension bikes
With suspension being at both ends, you’ll want
your weight more in the middle of the bike so that
your weight is distributed evenly between the front
and rear suspension units, thus allowing the front
and rear suspension to work as a unit. 

This can be done quite easily by using either a
higher or shorter stem to raise the hand height,
which will in turn move the upper body up and the
weight towards the rear.  The increase in rise
shouldn’t be no more than two inches, then the
decrease in reach shouldn’t be any more than two
inches.

Test ride
Once you have taken all of these steps into account,
go out and test drive the bike.  Make sure you
wear a helmet, even if you are going to be testing
for a brief period of time.  Be sure that the tires
are set to the right pressure, and the shop has
adjusted the bike for you properly.

You should have a shop employee observe your body
position and ride height while riding, to determine
is any further adjustments need to be made.  Ride
the bike around for a bit to get used to its
handling and new equipment.  Start off slowly, then
give the bike a bit of time to present its personality.

After a few minutes, you might notice that something
isn’t working correctly or just doesn’t feel right
in general.  If this happens, go back to the shop
and have the problem corrected before you rule out
the bike. 

The more you ride bikes, the easier it will be to
tell the difference in the ride types.  Keep in mind,
it may take months and even years to appreciate the
way a bike handles.  Talk to those who ride, and
ask them if they ride the bikes they sell.  This
way, you’ll learn more about the mountain bikes you
love so much!

Posted in Mountain Sports | 1 Comment »

Red Crackle Finish Ski Goggles Mirrored Lenses Skiing
These BRAND NEW red and white crackle finish Edge Performance Vision snow goggles are perfect for snow skiing, snowboarding, or for riding snowmobiles. They have a reflective mirrored coating on the front for extra scratch resistance and that ultra-cool look, and the lenses are smoke, perfect for sunny or glaring conditions. The lenses are polycarbonate, fog resistant, shatterproof and rated UV400 to block out the harmful ultraviolet light. The goggles have upper and lower louvered vents to maximize air circulation and cut down on condensation. Soft foam padding on the inside of the frames gives you all day comfort, and the adjustable elastic strap makes these goggles compatible with most helmets. The goggles measure 7 inches across, and are 3 1/4 inches tall.These goggles are BRAND NEW, in their original packaging. They come with a microfiber cloth carry bag which doubles as a cleaning cloth. Winter is here, so get yours now!

-

Rocky Mountain 2: Above the Treeline Sight in your weapons and prepare for a new helping of high adventure. Immerse yourself in a fully 3-D environment complete with new animals, new weapons, and realistic natural settings. As you make your way through majestic wilderness, you’ll face tough terrain, extreme weather conditions, and challenging big game.
Customer Review: Rocky Mountain Trophy Hunter 2 above the treeline
If you are looking for a great realistic hunting games this is the game. Features and graphics are pretty good compared to most hunting games. Lots of locations, rifles,shotguns,muzzeloaders, archery and even a pistol. If you are looking for one of the best games there are buy Buckmasters Deer Hunting and Bird Hunter Wild Wings Edition. They are realistic and have great graphics. Lots of location and guns.
Customer Review: A Terrific Hunting Game!
This game is the bomb. It has over 5 animals to hunt on the box cover (and book cover) but there are alot more than that. The graphics are the best, also it is cool because you can scope in your weapon. The best is how good the animals responed to gunfire. The only thing I don’t like about it is the man who is holding the gun’s voice that you can’t hardly hear him say the sentence only if you blair the speakers but you don’t need to hear what he is saying because he dosn’t say anything special. That still keeps the 5 stars.

Posted in Mountain Sports | No Comments »

Skiing Aminco Team USA Lapel Pin
A patriotic way for you to support the US Olympic team! Aminco is especially proud to be the exclusive manufacturer of lapel pins to the Olympic community and its fans. Each sport-specific pin features full-color art with the five-ring logo in a USA shield. Makes a great collectible for Olympic buffs or sports fans! Sz: 1 1/4″ x 1 1/4″. ****PLEASE NOTE: This item does not qualify for standard shipping charges or shipping discounts. The cost of shipping and handling for this item is $0.99***

-

Everest (Jewel Case) Ascend the greatest, most dangerous mountain on earth with a virtual guide. You’ll have to evade a host of hostile weather conditions on your way to the summit. All in totally authentic 3D environments.
Customer Review: This is an OK game
I thought this game was not the best in the world. The graphics were not the best (nothing to special) but they were exceptible. I didn’t think it was very good though.

Posted in Mountain Sports | No Comments »