Extremists Mountain Biking Page - mountain biking links pics and info

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What is Mountain Biking?

There are two types of competition mountain biking: downhill and cross country.

Downhill mountain biking involves riding down the side of a large hill or mountain on a narrow track. It requires great skill and lightning fast reflexes, as high speeds are often achieved. Downhill mountain bikers usually go for dual suspension bikes as they provide alot more traction and control.

Cross country mountain biking involves riding on a set course over a long distance. The course is usually very rough, with some hills. Weight is very critical and most competitors will only have front shocks to reduce weight. Very high fitness levels are required in cross country mountain biking. The picture on the right is a typical cross country mountain bike.

What's new in Mountain Bikes ?

The Mountain Bike you see above is state of the art technology. It has 3 chains and weighs about 40 pounds. The rear suspension has 4 moving pivot points and the front suspension can be programmed with 5 different curve settings via a laptop computer. This bike would be more suited to downhill racing.

Another innovation in mountain bike technology is electronic gear shifting. The ZAP electronic gear shifting system (pictured above) consists of switches mounted on the handle bars (top left) and a solenoid (top right) mounted on the rear derailleur. When a button is pressed a signal is sent down the wire, which tell the motor to react appropriately. The system is powered by a small battery which is attached to the handlebar and is advertised as being fully waterproof.

Mountain Biking Pics
(click the numbers on the right and the picture will be displayed in the middle)