Muddymoles

Tips to get kids and teenagers mountain biking

Originally posted by Matt.

Filed under 'Tips' during September 08.

So far there's 5 comment(s) on this post.

Most of us have kids. And obviously we like mountain biking. So how and what can we do to get them interested in the social and health benefits that riding a mountain bike can bring? After all, we need the next generation of 30-something riders to start somewhere!

And who's that sniggering at the back, when I say social and health benefits in the same sentence as mountain biking?

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Think about bike insurance

Originally posted by Matt.

Filed under 'Tips' during July 08.

So far there's 4 comment(s) on this post.

If there's one thing that has beome abundantly clear from the aftermath of my recent accident it's that, if you haven't already considered it, bike insurance would be a good idea.

I'm a simple fellow and confess to not giving this the attention it deserves in the past. But having injured myself reasonably badly it's clear that I would hate to
inflict this on anybody else. To do that would be bad enough, but to then face a significant financial penalty simply because I wasn't grown up enough to have taken out insurance would be unforgivable.

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How to: repair a tubeless (UST) tyre

Originally posted by Matt.

Filed under 'Tips' during April 08.

So far there's 2 comment(s) on this post.

Sunday's ride saw one puncture. Me. Odd you might think given I'm running tubeless tyres but there is a simple reason for it. Originally my Orange Five came equipped with Panaracer Fire XC Pro's in their tubeless incarnation, to go on the Mavic 819 UST wheelset.

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How to: Check your sag

Originally posted by Colin.

Filed under 'Tips' during December 07.

So far there's 0 comment(s) on this post.

When was the last time you measured your sag?

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A guide for biking divas

Originally posted by Matt.

Filed under 'Tips' during October 07.

So far there's 0 comment(s) on this post.

Admittedly, this isn't a problem I suffer often, but you never know when you might find yourself having to defend your modesty while riding a bike in a skirt.

Heaven knows I'd be mortified if I hadn't read Lisa's advice on the subject in her article Diva's Guide to Biking. As a savvy New Yorker who's thought about this subject far more than I have (OK, maybe in a different way to what I have), there's some useful advice for the unwary.

Hopefully our female readers will see the value here but let's not rule anything out. As I've said before, us moles are a broad church.

MTB tips Hall of Fame - your front brake

Originally posted by Matt.

Filed under 'Tips' during August 07.

So far there's 0 comment(s) on this post.

Following on from my tip about using your rear brake, it's time to turn our attention to it's partner in crime, the front brake. Hopefully there's people out there, particularly beginners, who might find this sort of thing useful?

Now it's not hard to see why, from an early age (probably from when your Dad let's you go solo on two wheels for the first time), it's drummed into cyclists to beware the front brake. After all, jamming on the front brake is a recipe for eating tarmac as the wheel locks up and pitches you forwards or sideways - ouch! And we've all done it!

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MTB tips Hall of Fame - your rear brake

Originally posted by Matt.

Filed under 'Tips' during July 07.

So far there's 3 comment(s) on this post.

If there's one thing about Mountain Bikers, it's how nice they generally seem to be and how willing they are to share any knowledge they may have with others.

In that spirit, Jem recently returned from an MTB skills course to dispense all manner of useful advice along the lines of 'Pedal, pedal, pedal', said in a kind of All Mountain yodel.

But one nugget of information he imparted did at least seem to lodge itself in my consciousness and I've been trying it out ever since. I'm talking about using the rear brake more effectively, not just in moments of major 'I've got to stop' panic when all anchors are thrown overboard.

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How to: Make a tyre boot

Originally posted by Matt.

Filed under 'Tips' during May 07.

So far there's 0 comment(s) on this post.

Yesterday I phoned Cycleworks and it seems that my new Orange Five is on its way. Well, its due to be painted this week anyway so I hope that's the case. A combination of a custom colour and unprecedented demand for the Five after MBR's 10 out of 10 review (PDF file) has left Orange struggling to keep up with demand.

Since I've specced the new bike with Mavic 819 UST (tubeless) rims I've realised that the biggest risk I face is cuts to the tyre sidewalls, especially with our flinty Surrey singletrack. Taking the unusual step of planning ahead, I've made myself a tyre boot that I can press into service in an emergency. Cycleworks recommend that you carry a spare inner tube anyway so this really is a contingency for extreme tyre damage.

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Cable zen

Originally posted by Matt.

Filed under 'Tips' during January 06.

So far there's 0 comment(s) on this post.

So far this year I have replaced my jockey wheels, chain, middle chainring and the rear cassette in an attempt to improve the gear shift on my Rift Zone. They all needed replacing anyway but how frustrating is it to discover that part of the problem was stemming from a frayed gear cable that could have been replaced for less than a fiver?

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