Know Velocity

Mountain Bikes are unrecognisable from their early ancestors of the 1970s thanks to the advancement of new technologies. Originally based on road bikes, the technology has changed enormously to cater for the rigours and strains of cycling on difficult off road conditions.

Nowadays mountain bikes are bristling with technological bits and bobs, all designed to make riding easier and more accessible. This means you can take on harder trails, higher risk and a hell of a lot more fun.

Gears
Take as much of the strain away from your legs with up to 27 gears on many mountain bikes.

Suspension
A good quality suspension system is invaluable when off road biking at speed. Most mountain bikes have at least front suspension – great for uneven descents. For the seriously rough stuff you will need a full suspension bike as this will be much easier to ride.

Frames
Tough terrain, heavy use and front-and-rear suspension puts a lot of strain on your mountain bike’s frame. Your frame has to be tough enough to take the hammer it will get on route, so needs to be made from the strongest possible alloys. But it’s no good having an indestructible frame if it’s too heavy to use; it needs to be light enough for you to be able to respond quickly to those last minute detours.

Brakes
Today, disc brakes are commonplace on nearly all mountain bikes. Fitted to the centre of the wheel they stay well away from all that mud and dirt, making them more durable, efficient and reliable.

Filed at 5:37 am under Motorbikes + Cycles
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