The most commonly used Mountain Bikes are:
Downhill Bikes:Most prominently used for competition in which one goes down the hill. So with that speed, bikes need to be with tough frames and with heavy-duty brakes such as disc or hydraulic brakes.
XC Bikes: This is another kind of bike which is highly used for competition in which one can go both down and climb hills. So its frame should be light but reasonably tough. Brakes used in this particular bike are v-brakes and light disc brakes.
Hybrid Bikes: This category of bikes is a good option for those who want to ride on both mountains and road.
These bikes either run on front suspension or on full suspension (which is a combination of both front and back suspensions). Various kinds of brakes employed in these bikes are:-
Rim Brakes: They are both light and powerful but their power decreases in muddy terrain where they become slippery.
Disc Brakes: They are light and powerful and are not affected by weather.
Hydraulic Brakes: They are very powerful and don?t need much maintenance, but are expensive than other brakes.
Frame Materials: The bikes can be made of aluminum, steel or titanium. These are very important elements of the bike as their composition determines the weight, strength, responsiveness and life of the bike.
Size: Like conventional bikes, mountain bikes come in small, medium and large sizes. But different manufactures use different reference point of measurement therefore sizing is not always consistent.
Latest Trends:
All Mountain Bikes: The ?All Mountain Bikes? are characterized by 5-6 inch (125-150 mm) rims to take on very rough conditions.
29er Bike: This uses 700cc-sized rims and is suited for tires of 2 inches (50mm) width or more, so that it is able to roll over the obstacles.
Singlespeed: This is a blend of simplicity with innovation in suspension design.
Some of the other trends includeStable Platform Value Suspension Technology. Here the compressor shim stack has been replaced with a pair of overlapping cups. It also employs VPP suspension designs to balance different forces thereby eliminating unwanted compression without limiting bump absorption.
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Andrew Caxton is the author and editor of many resources published at http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com . For additional information regarding MTB, including suspension forks and disc brakes go to mountain bikes |
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Pocket bikes, also known as mini motors are miniature-sized motorcycles, fueled with either gas or oil and powered with gas-burning engines. The concept of motorbikes had begun in Japan, a country known for miniaturizing full-scale products.
Previously pocket bikes were used only on closed racetracks, private roads and on roads that were not under public traffic laws, so that no big car or truck can run into your minute sized pocket bikes. But these you will often find pocket bikes zinging in and out of the parking lots, up and down the residential streets and occasionally onto the side of the cars.
The pocket bikes usually move at a top speed of 35 mph, but often the speed can be raised further. Another interesting feature of these pocket bikes are their duplicate imitation of normal-sized street motorcycles. The pocket bikes are equipped with handlebars, twist-grip throttles, and chain drives, electronic ignition and disk brakes.
The pocket bikes are not at all safe for the highways or high traffic zone areas. If you are driving a small sports car and someone is driving a mini pocket bike behind you, you will fail to see him or the pocket bike. So it becomes really dangerous to move in a traffic-crowded area, as the rider can be easily run-down by the driver of the bigger truck. The pocket bikes are specially designed to travel only on the racetracks.
There are some safety measures that should be followed while one is driving these pocket bikes. The person driving the bike should be an ace in driving and he should always carry his helmet and pads. If by chance if your kid is riding the pocket bike, then make sure that he/she does not go out of the backyard or the driveway.
The pocket bikes follow hi-tech technology so the snazziest models cost even more than thousands. The smaller models, however, cost around $200 to $800. They basically come from Japan and China and are specially famous amongst the teenagers and people in their early youths. These bikes weigh almost 50 pounds, stand about a foot and half high and can be carried stacked in a corner of the trunk of the car. They have really tiny engines with 47 cc to 49cc displacement, less than 1/20th the size of the bigger motorcycles.
Try out the pocket bikes. If you want something thrilling, something exciting, something enticing to bring a difference to your monotonous days, then pocket bikes are the best alternatives for you.
About the Author:
Sharon Albright is the owner of Pocket Bikes Site. Read more articles on Pocket Bikes and visit her recommended resources.
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