Super bike com - Mini Motorcycle

Super bike com - Mini Motorcycle

Super bike com

Super bike com: Mountain bike basics: find the right instructor¡ªand pedal to two-wheeled Nirvana - Travel Getting Started

No doubt you have some good excuses for missing the mountain-biking bandwagon. You were too busy training for a marathon. You're not so stable on pavement in the first place--much less on dirt. But once you pedal onto a single-track trail through a field of wildflowers, or coast down a hill as oak trees blur past, you'll see what all the hubbub has been about. Mountain biking means fresh air, physical challenge, speed, and scenery.

Don't let the guys in neon shirts with $4,000 titanium super-bikes scare you off. You don't need all that. Here's what you do need: a primer for getting started.

Learn the vocabulary

Early in his marriage, my husband's brother wanted to teach his new bride the joys of biking off-road. At a tricky point in the trail, the couple stalled. Their friends rode ahead. Behind them they heard voices, increasingly elevated, that culminated in someone shouting very loudly, "What do you want from me?!"

And the group had a long ride home in silence.

The lesson of the story is that finding the right teacher is key. Probably you should not be related, through blood or marriage, to your instructor. Taking a skills clinic can jump-start your mountain-biking education by compressing a lot of information into one or a few days.

Former mountain-bike national champion Jacquie Phelan teaches clinics for women at a facility in Fairfax, California, where the sport got its start a couple of decades ago. She says she first teaches newbies the terminology. When people can talk about something, Phelan says, they are better prepared to do it. Curb-hopping, rear-tire skidding, and dabs-on-the-fly are all part of her one-day course.

The exercises help riders get comfortable on their bikes. "I unstick them from their attachment to the saddle," Phelan says. Unlike a road biker, a mountain biker needs to shift weight constantly according to the terrain-back on a downhill, forward on a climb.

"One other lesson I teach is: look where you want to go," Phelan says. "That's a good one for life too."

Dreamride on slickrock

After you've been bitten by the mountain-biking bug, you're going to want to ride in Moab. This small town in southeastern Utah is the country's premier mountain-biking destination.

I learned a ton about biking, as well as about the area, during three days of riding with Lee Bridgers and Kenneth Moody from Dreamride, which leads biking clinics and tours. I arrived with some experience, but I hadn't ridden since the previous summer. And I'd never tested my skills on slickrock-- Moab's famous sandstone that grips a bike's tires as thoroughly as desert gumbo clumps after a rain, providing amazing traction so you can ride up inclines you'd otherwise slide down.

We started with a lesson in a city park, riding over curbs (made much easier by the plush full-suspension rental bike) and practicing riding with our weight way back for greater stability when going downhill. Our first trail ride was north of town, along a dirt road out to some slickrock swells. Bridgers's enthusiastic account of the region's natural history--detailing the different strata of rock and Moab's mining past--kept me distracted, even when I felt tired.

The second day we rode to more challenging slickrock terrain. The two guides stood at the ready, spotting me as I huffed up a short but very steep climb. Having spotters gave me the courage to try routes that were more difficult than I'd normally attempt.

From the trail we had great views of Monitor and Merrimac, hulking buttes in the distance named for the Civil War ships. During the breathtaking descent back, I found myself riding clown ledges I wouldn't have gone anywhere near just two days earlier.

After the third day, there wasn't a mountain I couldn't tackle--even though was almost too tired to move.

On our final morning in town, a fellow in a bike shirt caught my eye. "Are you a biker?" he asked, holding out the trail map he'd been puzzling over.

"Yes," I replied, with a level of confidence that surprised me, "I am."

RELATED ARTICLE: Mountain bike schools

Here are some of the West's best schools. For great places to ride, visit www.sunset.com.

ASPEN, CO. Timberline Mountain Bike School. Beginner to advanced classes. Jun-Sep. From $150 per half-day for two people. (800) 842-2453 or www.timberlinebike.com.

FAIRFAX, CA. Women's Mountain Bike & Tea Society (WOMBATS).

One-day skills clinics led by former national champion mountain-biker Jacquie Phelan. From $100 a day. (415) 459-0980 or www.wombats.org.

MOAB, UT. Dreamride. From $595 for a three-day vacation package including a one-day skills clinic (lodging not included). 59 E. Center St.; (435) 259-6419 or

www.dreamride.com.

SEATTLE. Singletrack Ranch.

Multiday skills clinics taught by ultramarathon mountain-bike racer John Stamstad. From $925 for three days (lodging included). (888) 310-1212 or www.singletrackranch.com.

WEST REDDING, CT. Dirt Camp.

One-day and multiday classes. Through mid-Oct. From $90 a day. (800) 711-3478 or www.dirtcamp.com.

Get outfitted

Choices can be overwhelming when you set out to buy a mountain bike. Don't get talked into buying more than you need. Start with the basics: an aluminum- or steel-frame bicycle with wide, knobby tires and lots of gears--27 is good.

A. Bike. Bikes are made from aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, or titanium. Aluminum is the most popular material. Titanium and carbon fiber make for strong, lightweight frames, but they are pricey. Don't buy a hybrid bicycle--they aren't really made for off-road riding. Good fit is key: Make sure the salesperson sizes you. In general, you want two inches of clearance between your body and the bike when you are standing astride it. Prices for a decent bike start at $600; you can get an excellent bike for less than $1000.

B. Suspension. Most mountain bikes have front suspension--shocks that cushion front wheel bumps. Many upscale bikes have front and rear, or full, suspension for a cushier ride. But for a first mountain bike, that isn't necessary-and it usually costs a lot.

C. Shoes. Shoes should have stiff, flat soles--running shoes won't work, but lightweight hiking shoes can. It's important that your shoes are comfortable, can get dirty, and aren't too heavy. Eventually you'll want to get special shoes to attach to clipless pedals, which can improve efficiency. ("Clipless" is a misleading term; the shoes clip directly to the pedal.) But avoid them until you're very comfortable on the trail, because they can be tricky to get out of at first. Bike shoes cost about $80.

D. Helmet. Fit is important: Sizes or adjustable pads help to ensure that the helmet is snug on your crown. The chin strap should not gap. Helmets cost from $50 to $200; the more expensive ones are lighter and have better ventilation.

E. Shorts. No matter how silly you feel, get padded shorts. They cost about $60, and you will appreciate every penny you paid after an hour of riding. If you're not into skintight fashion, baggier padded shorts are available. (And no, nothing should come between you and the shorts.)

Moab is a must

The southeastern Utah town of Moab is the place to get hooked on mountain biking. The region's slickrock, sandstone from long-gone seabeds, is a moonscape of crinkles and undulations that make for exhilarating riding.

The Slickrock Bike Trail is Moab's most famous ride--but it's an expert-level route, not something to try when you're starting out, Even the 2 1/4-mile practice loop is hard. For newcomers, the best way to experience Moab's trails is on a guided ride with one of the town's many outfitters. A guide can steer you to trails suitable for your skill level, keep you on the route (it can be hard to find trail markers), and make sure you don't wander off-trail and damage the desert ecosystem.

Essentials

Moab lies 235 miles southeast of Salt Lake City and 350 miles west of Denver. Nearest air service is through Grand Junction, Colorado, 110 miles to the east.

For area information, contact the Moab information Center (Center and Main Streets; 800/635-6622 or www.discovermoab.com).

Bike rentals and outfitters

Dreamride. (See also "Mountain bike schools," page 42.) Guided rides from $395 for three days. Full-suspension bike rentals from $75 a day. 59 E Center St.; (435) 259-6419 or www.dreamride.com.

Moab Cyclery & Kaibab Outfitters. Van support available. Front-suspension bikes from $35 a day; full-suspension from $40. Guided rides from $75 for a half-day 391 S. Main St.; (435) 259-7423 or www.moabcyclery.com.

Poison Spider Bikes. Rentals from $32 a day for front-suspension and $38 a day for full-suspension. 497 N. Main; (800) 635-1792.

Rim Tours. Guided rides from $60 a day 1233 S. Hwy 191; (800) 626-7335 or www.rimtours.com.

Western Spirit Cycling. Guided rides around Moab and other parts of Utah, as well as in other states. 478 Mill Creek Dr.; (800) 845-2453 or www.westernspirit.com.

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