Thursday, 15 May 2014

Throwback Thursday #4: Top 5 Youtube Mountain Bike Videos

Since the invention of YouTube in 2005, millions of videos have been uploaded, making for an endless database of films to trawl through. A large portion of those are insanely boring blog posts from 'vloggers', and I'm sure most have you have landed yourself in the weird 'animal' section of the site. However, buried amongst the weird and useless junk are some pieces of gold. Today we're counting down the top 5 mountain biking videos on YouTube. I've decided not to include uploads of commercially released mountain bike films, as these weren't originally intended for YouTube. And keep in mind we all have our own opinions, so if you disagree feel free to comment!

Cam Zink's backflip at Rampage 2013 was just insane. Thankfully there's a video on YouTube to relive the historical moment. Photo retrieved from galleryhip.com, used under a Creative Commons license.

Skills Video #8: How to Ride Roll Downs

Today we're learning how to ride one of the rarer and more intimidating features on a trail - roll downs.

Tuesday, 13 May 2014

Tinker Tuesdays #4: Changing a Wheel/Tyre

I can guarantee you that at some point you will have to remove a tyre... punctured tubes are perhaps the most common mechanical mishap, and tyres wear out over time warranting replacement. Furthermore, you might feel the need to change wheels sometime - perhaps an upgrade to a lighter, better set of wheels or a replacement because your old rim has had all the life dinged out of it. Whatever the reason, it's important to know how to change a wheel and/or tyre, so here's a guide showing you how.


Monday, 12 May 2014

Skills Video #7: How to Ride Off Cambers

Today we're explaining how to handle one of the trickier parts of a mountain bike course... off cambers.

Saturday, 10 May 2014

Skills Video #6: How to Corner

Corners are the guts of practically every mountain bike track, so its definitely essential to practice your cornering skills.

Thursday, 8 May 2014

Throwback Thursdays #3: Intense M1

Intense is a brand that's synonymous with quality, good old American craftsmanship, exclusivity and the M1. The M1 was Intense's flagship downhill model from 1994 to 2004, and was undoubtedly the most wanted downhill bike of its era.


Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Skills Video #5: How to Jump

Finally, the long-awaited video for arguably the most desirable skill in mountain biking... jumping.

 

Tuesday, 6 May 2014

Tinker Tuesdays #3: How to Install/Set Up a Rear Shock

There are a plethora of rear shocks to choose from on the market and with prices coming down lower and lower, upgrading can be very tempting. Rock Shox and Fox are leading the market in affordable, high performance shocks and have great ranges to choose a shock from. If you find yourself with a shiny new (or second hand!) shock on your doorstep but realise you've never fitted one before, don't stress! Here's a helpful guide to the basics of fitting and setting up a rear shock.


Monday, 5 May 2014

Sunday, 4 May 2014

Style Check - Jumping Techniques

Everyone has a distinctive style while riding a bike and will interpret a corner, jump or other obstacle their own unique way. Lets look at 3 different ways one jump can be handled. Remember, these are just about specific styles over a jump! If you want to learn the basics of jumping a bike, watch our jumping skills video here.


Friday, 2 May 2014

Skills Video #3: How to Pre Jump

For this skills video, we're explaining the pre jump and how to execute this maneuver.

Thursday, 1 May 2014

Throwback Thursdays #2: Trek Y-Series

Wind the clock back to the late 1990's and the mountain bike market was a very different place. Full suspension bikes were breaking through and turning heads left, right and centre. No longer did a rider have to suffer the constant jarring impacts a hardtail dishes out. Even those who wanted to climb up the hill before riding down now had a viable alternative. Full suspension bikes were being subjected to rapid dieting and weights were coming down. Specialized and GT, among others, were quick to bring out new linkage designs in efforts to win over consumers. It was a changing market, and ready to accept any wacky inventions that could be thought of.