Training....or maybe I could say Improving :)

So I was thinking about writing a little bit about training, but then I realized that I haven't ever trained for a big race or anything! So I decided to change the wording a little to how you could improve your biking skills. Now, I can't say I'm an expert by any means, but I have definitely been able to improve my biking skills from the first few rides I ever went on until now.

So I know that it might sound dumb when I say this, but really the best thing that I've done is ride on different trails and different terrains. We started out riding a lot around this area, for example Bonneville Shoreline trail up behind Weber State, Wheeler's Creek up around the Ogden Canyon area, different trails up at Snowbasin, and Mueller Creek over in Bountiful. These trails are really great and fun, but they aren't very 'hard' if I dare say that. When we went down to Moab, those trails are hard. They have ledges and drop-offs and some are just killers! And really after riding harder trails like that, coming back up to Northern Utah and riding the trails around here, it just seemed like they were easier. It was a fun feeling and made me feel good and let me know that I really was improving.

The last thing I'll say about this is keep exercising during the winter! I know it is hard to do, but that is the best thing to do. You could even just run in the gym or ride the stationary bikes in the Weber gym for example. So keep up the hard work so when Spring comes around we'll be ready to get out riding the trails again!

Much needed Accessories!!

The first bike ride that I ever went on I had my bike and a helmet....needless to say, after the ride I was dying!! Having gone on quite a few rides now, there are some things that I've learned to make the ride a lot more enjoyable. So let's talk about some of the much needed accessories!

First, you obviously need a helmet. And I will talk a little about helmet safety later, and I wouldn't consider this an accessory....this is a necessity! So the first thing I found was a lot easier was having a Camelbak. Water bottles are great, don't get me wrong and for shorter rides around home, a lot of times they are more convenient, but having a Camelbak, especially for those longer rides is a life saver! It really doesn't weigh much and you can get a light weight and relatively inexpensive one for around 30 or 35 dollars. When I have it on, you can barely notice it and along with the water, you can pack an extra tube, energy gels and small tools in case something happens on the trail.

Another thing that makes the ride better are gloves. At first you wouldn't think that they would make a big difference, I sure didn't realize it before using them, but they are awesome! I noticed the biggest difference on the longer rides. They protect your hands from getting blisters and protect you when you fall (because let's be honest, it happens to us all).

The last thing I'd like to mention is an accessory and kind of a little toy. It is a bike computer. It isn't really needed to have a great ride, but it is fun to look at how far you've really gone, how fast and how long you've been riding for. So really you don't need one to enjoy yourself, but it is definitely fun!!

When is the best time to buy a bike?

Now, I wouldn't take this as doctrine or anything, but overall the best time to buy a bike is right now!! November and December are great times to buy bikes because the season is over and a lot of people want to sell the bike they have so that the next season they can upgrade. Now we don't have the time or money to just buy a bike and sell it and buy one the next year and continue this cycle. If you are in the same boat, then now is the time to buy! You can go to bike shops in the area and another great place is KSL.com. It doesn't seem like it but they have some great deals. My husband just bought a 2010 bike for a great deal just because it was the end of the season. Some deals are so good they are almost too good to be true!! Like I said, I'm not saying that this is the only time to look, but during the fall, it is a great time to buy a bike. Sometimes it is hard because you have to wait until Spring to use it, but when that time comes, with the money you could save now, it would be totally worth it!!

Last trip of the season to Moab

So over fall break we went to Moab for the last time this year. It was so much fun, as it always is. We stay in a campground just above the Slick Rock trail and it is just 10 bucks a night per car load! The only downside is that there is no shower, so we have to take a portable one when we go. Overall, just to tell you how cheap the trip was, we spent 150 dollars between my husband and I to go down there with some family. That was for food, gas, and where we stayed, for 3 days in total! Awesome trip and you can plan it super cheap too!

So about the trails. I rode on 3 trails this time around, Slick Rock, Sovereign and one called Monitor and Merrimac. They were awesome trails! Monitor and Merrimac was the shortest of the 3, it was super fun, but last time I had a Full-Suspension and this time a Hardtail....I noticed a difference to say the least. Sovereign was the longest most challenging of the 3. It was definitely fun, and I learned a lot, but it was long and hard and would love to have a Full-Suspension next time for this ride too! The last, but probably my favorite was Slick Rock. It was really smooth overall and pretty much the whole trail is on Slick Rock, hence the name. At first it can be a little intimidating and there are some really steep parts, but it was the best and I'd recommend any of these trails for those that go down to Moab!

Hardtail or Full-Suspension?

HARDTAIL

FULL-SUSPENSION

One of the biggest differences in mountain bikes is whether they are Full-Suspension or a Hardtail. Road bikes are more than anything the same, as in the way they are built. None have shocks on the front or back and so the differences are in the components and the material the frame is made out of (aluminum or carbon fiber). But the difference between a Full-Suspension and a Hardtail are huge. So what is the difference though? A Hardtail mountain bike means that you have a shock on the front, but there isn't one on the back of the bike. A Full-Suspension has a shock on the front and also in the back of the bike (see images).

So if they make 2 different bikes, there has to be pros and cons to both right? We'll start with the Hardtail. These bikes are great for racing because they are lighter and easier to control, two big things needed to help win a race. But the down side is that you can lose momentum and bounce around a lot, if the trail is super bumpy. A Full-Suspension on the other hand has the shock absorber on the back as well and so it makes it easier to have a smoother, more enjoyable ride. The downside though is that it makes the bike heavier and a little harder to control.

Having taken rides on both bikes, the difference is pretty big. Depending on where you ride, if it be on smoother trails like up in Bountiful or crazy rocky ledges in Moab, personally I'd take a Full-Suspension any day. But don't count out the Hardtail, it is a great learning bike and from my little experience at least, it helps you to appreciate the Full-Suspension when you one day get one.

Advantages of the Clipless Pedals

One of the things I hate most about riding a bike is when you are going up a hill, you go over a rock, and your foot slips off the pedal. First, your pedal usually swings around and hits you in the shin, second, you lose your momentum, which is something you need to get up a hill.

With flat pedals, you can ride a bike with just about any kind of shoe. This is convenient, but sometimes your feet will slip, whether because its wet or if you change gears and the pressure needed to push down on your pedal changes. The first solution to this problem was to add toe clips and straps to the pedals, this helped keep the foot on the pedal, but there was a better solution out there.

Clipless pedals are called clipless because they no longer have the straps and clips that cage your foot to the pedal. Instead, you use a special cycling shoe that has cleats (metal hooks on the bottom of the shoe) that clip into the pedals.

There are some disadvantages to clipless pedals:

-When you first use them they can feel awkward.

-Every time you choose to bike, you have to put on you cycling shoes, which may be inconvenient when you aren't going very far.

-To get you foot off the pedal you have to twist your foot, while learning to get use to this action, you may fall a few times.

The advantages to clipless pedals definitely outweigh the disadvantages:

-Your foot is anchored securely to the pedal, so no energy is wasted trying to keep your foot on the pedal.

-Because you foot is anchored to the pedal you not only push down on the pedal, but also pull up on the pedal, giving you more power.

-They also give you more control over your bike.

Although clipless shoes may be hard to get use to, once you do get use to them they will help you become a more efficient biker.

The History of Mountain Biking

Although there was some off-road biking earlier, most people say the beginnings of mountain biking started in the 1970s in California. Some of the people given credit for starting mountain biking as we know it today are Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher, Charlie Cunningham, Keith Bontrager, and Tom Ritchey.

The first mountain bikers were mostly downhillers; they would drive their bikes to the top of a mountain trail and then race down. These first downhill bikes used coaster brakes, but the problem with these brakes was that they would over heat, so the riders would have to repack the brakes with grease, often times halfway through the descent. Later those brakes were replaced by cantilever brakes, which are both lighter and stronger.

About the same time cantilever brakes were replacing coaster brakes, some riders decided that they should ride up the mountain to truly enjoy the downhill ride. This is when multi-speed bikes with shifters and gears came about.

Since the 1970s a lot has changed. Mountain biking has become much more popular. New components like disc brakes and full suspension on bikes are just a few of these changes. There are also now professional racers; and with the rising level of competition, the performance level of mountain bikes goes up as well.

My Ride Up Mueller Park Trail

We went on a ride up on the Mueller Park Trail in Bountiful recently, by we I mean my brother- and sister-in-law and my husband. We started in the morning around 9 and the entire ride took a little over 2 hours. It was a crowded Saturday with quite a few other bikers and hikers and even a few horse riders were up there enjoying the scenery. In total the ride was just under 14 miles round trip.

The best way to describe this trail is by cutting it into 2 halves. The first half is a lot easier and the trail is a lot smoother and wider than the second half of the trial. The land mark where I could mark midway is a huge rock over-looking the mountains called Elephant rock or to some, Suicide Rock. Here is where the trail ends for most of the hikers. The second half is a lot steeper in comparison and a lot more technical. We have to maneuver around and over rocks and tree roots sticking out in quite a few places along the way. All the way at the top is where the trail ends in a small meadow surrounded by trees.

The ride down is worth all the pain going up. It is a blast, but sadly it passes by a lot quicker than the ride up does; riding all the way down in about a fourth of the time. It was so much fun and we'll definitely be doing that trail again!! It wasn't my first time riding this trail and it won't be the last!!

Mountain Bikes vs. Road Bikes

There are four areas where mountain bikes and road bikes differ: shape, weight, tires, and suspension.

Shape: Road bikes are designed for speed. Their handle bars are built lower to position the biker closer to the tire and pedal, making it possible for high efficiency for getting power from your legs and making the biker more aerodynamic. On mountain bikes the handle bars are wider and higher, giving the biker more control over the bike, which is needed when going up and down mountain trails.

Weight: Again, road bikes are built for speed, so a well made bike will lose as much excess weight as possible. Higher quality road bikes are usually made out of titanium or carbon fiber, which are strong, but light materials. Mountain bikes are usually heavier because of their wider tires and suspension systems that help make riding on mountains trails easier to manage.

Tires: Mountain bike tires need traction, so they are wider and covered with deep tread; both of these help the bike stay in contact with the trail. Road bike tires are usually very thin and very smooth. Also, road bike tires are pumped up to around 80 psi or a little more whereas mountain bike tires are around half that.

Suspension: Because road bikes are built for speed, they don’t have a need for any suspension, but they are usually built out of materials that absorb vibrations that come from unevenly paved roads. Mountain bikes, on the other hand, usually have a couple different types of suspension. Hard tail mountain bikes only have front shock absorbers and full-suspension mountain bikes have both front and rear suspension systems.

Image from bedandbreakfastinnva.com

Biking. In all its forms. From road to mountain, Moab to Northern Utah. Racing, training, accessories. For men and women. Biking in all its glory. As an amateur biker, I, with you, will discover the wonderful world of biking. Look at the differences in road bikes and mountain bikes. Discover where the best places are to bike in Utah, from the north to the south. If you really enjoy biking, how best to train and get better. How to sign up for races and compete with fellow bikers. What accessories do you need to bike, which are best. Discover when biking became a sport instead of simply a mode of transportation. The list is endless!

Let's grab our bikes and head out into the world of biking!