The Bunny Hop on Your Bike
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_M.]James M.
The bunny hop stands at the basis of numerous BMX tricks. Someone does a bunny hop when they jump gradually, not at once. A lot of beginners make mistakes and lift both of their wheels at once.
The bunny hop consists of three moves. One of them is about lifting your front wheel, then you move on to lifting your back wheel and, last but not least, you have to sit tight and push your bicycle forward. At first, it doesn't really matter how far away you jump as long as you make the right move. In time, you will succeed in jumping further. So, you want to jump over a kerb or over an obstacle and the main idea is to lift your front wheel so that it overcomes the obstacle without leaning backwards.
You have to lift the handlebar to your abdomen and your feet need to be parallel with the ground. Once you have reached the proper height, you have to lift your back wheel. If you want to lift your bike even more, you have to sit tight and push your bicycle forward. Your back wheel has to be very close to your buttocks and so, your bunny hop is higher. Once you have learned this move, all you need to do is to practise it. In the beginning, you should try jumping over small boxes and then move on to bigger ones.
This is a very interesting trick you can do, so learn it and feel the satisfaction you get for doing something interesting with your bike.
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Bunny-Hop-on-Your-Bike&id=5019442] The Bunny Hop on Your Bike
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Mountain Biking For Losing Weight
Riding a mountain bike is one of the great outdoor recreational activities. Whether you are a novice who simply enjoys spinning down the local fitness trail or the experienced rider who likes to tackle the big cross country rides, mountain biking is great for getting in shape and losing weight.
Mountain bikes are typically used for off-road adventures. They have fat knobby tires making it perfect for riding down forest service roads, tight singletrack or local recreational paths. Mostly they are more comfortable than the typical road bike and are durable for handling the bumps that are common on most trails.
Because these cycles are more accessible to more people they can be a great tool for helping them lose weight. People that are comfortable and having fun are more likely to continue the activity. If they are moving then they will certainly be burning calories and unwanted pounds. Cycling requires the rider to develop stamina, muscle strength and cardiovascular conditioning which are all important aspects for weight loss. The more you ride the better your fitness becomes.
Mountain biking can actually be considered more rigorous than road cycling particularly as you become more advanced on the trails. The roughness of the trail require the rider to be fit and coordinated as they negotiate over roots, rocks, bumps, creeks and other objects found on the trail. This develops your leg muscles as well as your core. Your cardiovascular system on a tough trail is fully engaged as your heart rate is increased to get you up the mountain. It is fantastic exercise and one that will have the rider burning enormous amounts of calories and getting in shape.
Beginners will have to take it easy at first as their fitness will not be at a level that will allow them to ride the big hills for a couple of hours. It takes time to build up to that kind of fitness level. There are many people that would simple rather ride on the local rail-to-trails flat terrain. Whatever they decide to ride they will be getting fit and losing weight. At some point many beginners enjoy riding so much that bike upgrades are made and more difficult trails are ridden. These are the folks that find themselves with increasing fitness levels.
Mountain biking is a great way to achieve weight loss. The bike is adaptable to most any terrain the rider is willing to ride. This will keep them interested and having fun as well as getting fit and losing weight.
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Thursday, September 16, 2010
10 Mountain Biking Tips to Ride Rock Gardens With Confidence
When encountering a rock garden, it can be intimidating for many of us and we may resort to hiking our bikes through the rocks. With the following tips and some practice, however, riding rock gardens can be a very fun, adrenaline boosting experience that improves your confidence and mountain biking abilities.
1. Trust your bike: Your mountain bike suspension is made to handle rough terrain. The shocks and other components are built to absorb bumps and hits.
2. Find the best line: Before riding the rock garden, get off your bike and roll it through the rock garden to determine a good line, but if you deviate from the line when you are riding, keep motoring through.
3. Keep your momentum through the rocks. If you can not do full pedal strokes because of obstacles, move your pedals in a ratcheting motion to keep moving. If you get off course and are not on your line anymore, keep going. Follow where your bike takes you. Avoid forcing sudden changes in direction.
4. Maintain a medium speed when approaching the rocks. This can be scary because it feels like you are going to fly over the handlebars when you hit the rocks, but this is more likely to happen if you are going too slow.
5. Keep your arms and legs bent to absorb bumps and hits. Stay back on your seat so you do not go over the handlebars. Get way back and drop your seatpost a few inches if you are going downhill.
6. Focus on where you want to go and not on the rocks that are right in front of you or the ones you are trying to avoid. Look at the trail several feet ahead of you.
7. Avoid granny gear: If possible, have your gear in either the smallest front chain ring combined with a midrange rear sprocket or the middle front chain ring combined with the small rear sprocket. This makes it easier to power through obstacles.
8. Push your handlebars forward with your arms to get over rocks when necessary.
9. Chill out! It is natural to feel some anxiety when approaching technical sections. Try to stay loose, but strong with a firm grip on the handlebars so that you have control. If you are rigid with fear and unable to relax, you will crash and it is best to try the challenge another day or start with something less intimidating.
10. Strength and balance are very important for mountain biking over obstacles. Weight lifting and cross training will help increase strength to power over rocks and other obstacles. Practicing the trackstand and other exercises will help to improve balance.
If you are a beginner, do not go crazy and start with the extreme terrain right away. Start small and work your way up as you gain more confidence. You may want to start with what are commonly referred to as "baby-head rocks." These are the rocks that are around the size and shape of a toddler's head. Once you are comfortable with these, try more difficult terrain.
For more skill builders on improving balance and technique on your mountain bike, please visit http://www.mountain-bike-buzz.com/beginning-mountain-biking.html
Mary Blomquist is a mountain biking enthusiast who lives in Colorado and is the founder of http://www.mountain-bike-buzz.com/, a site that is full of information and tips for mountain bikers.
Getting Hooked Into Biking
By Robert Shorn
Means of transportation and sport at the same time, biking has countless advantages for everyone. Try it and you will soon enjoy the feeling that all that time you're spending every day on road is not a waste anymore.
Biking will transform you into a more fit, energetic and healthier person. It will shape your body you into an athlete's body and it is also great if you worry about extra kilograms.
Mind and body go together as one. Thus, if you try biking, not only will you have the benefit of a great body, but also of a fresher and more relaxed mind. You will be amazed of how revitalized you will feel after a biking trip.
Biking also allows you to see more of the things and of the people you're passing by in a rush every day while driving. Plus, the world you'll see will be a better one, the air you'll breathe will be a cleaner one and you will know you have contributed yourself to this a little.
Another great thing about biking is that you will always find a parking spot for your two-wheeled vehicle. Plus, you won't even notice when you get to your destination rolling down the road.
Add to these the advantage of speeding on your bike by all the angry drivers lining-up at the traffic light. Also, don't forget that bikes are allowed in many areas where cars cannot even get close to.
Moreover, think about the fact that you can get all these benefits without spending a penny. On the contrary, you will save important money if you choose biking over driving on a regular basis.
Biking will help you cut off significant expenses with gas and car repairing. All the money you spend to keep your car running will stay yours.
Get a bike if you don't have one already and check all these advantages by yourself.
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Top Bicycle Car Racks
By Tom Tessin
When you're thinking about getting a bicycle rack for your car, there are a few things that you're going to ask yourself before you set out and purchase one. You're going to find that the selection out there is rather large and rather than making a bad purchase, you're going to want to make sure that you're making a good one.
What type of bike rack for car do you want? The first thing that you want to ask yourself is what kind of rack that you want. You can choose from many different types. You have roof, hitch, trunk, spare tire, as well as a truck bed mount. The hitch mount is generally the most popular mount as its very easy to connect and don't cost an arm and leg.
How many bikes do you want to hook up? Your typical rack is going to hold up to 2 bikes. If you want more, you can get a rack that can hold up to 4. While these are rare, many people just plan on holding 2. Sure, you can get one for just one bike, but you may want that extra space for the near future.
Now, those are really the only questions you have to ask yourself. You're also going to want to make sure that you're getting one that's worth the money. On top of that, you're going to want to make sure that you're getting one that has decent reviews online. By having good reviews, you can trust that other people out there are having luck with theirs. If the review is good, you might as well try it too.
With so many brands out there, you can choose from name brands such as Hollywood racks, Topeak, Thule, and more. They all vary in shapes and sizes.
Check out my top 5 bicycle car racks list. Find a rack that can work for you and your bike!
Best Bike Racks For Cars - Choosing One
By Tom Tessin
As a biker myself, I love to bike, but I find my local area to get awfully boring after a while. There are only so many places that you can go. Thankfully for bike racks, I'm able to transform my car into a little bike towing machine. Now, if you're lucky and have a truck, van, or something else, you're going to find that you probably won't need a bike rack. I know there can be occasions when you need one for road trips, etc, but this isn't always the case.
Now, when you're ready to pick out a rack, there are a few pointers that I want to throw your way. By following these pointers, you should be able to pick out a rack that's going to work the best for you.
#1 What kind of bike rack are you going to want?
There are a few bike racks for cars that you can choose from. The most common type of racks are roof mounts, hitch mounts, trunk mounts, as well as a truck bed and spare tire mount. The roof mount is generally the most common but you may find that you like a different style.
#2 How many bikes do you want to tow around?
Most bike racks on the market carry 2, but some carry 1, while others can carry up to 4. It's up to you to decide on how many you're going to lug around. You may find in the future that you may want to tow around 2, compared today, where you only want to tow around 1.
#3 You don't want to be cheap
With a bike rack, you may be tempted to purchase something that isn't going to cost you a whole lot of money. Trust me, you're going to get what you pay for. Instead of being cheap, spend the extra $50. You're going to find that with cheaper racks, it's going to rub against your bike, or even the car. You're going to want something thats protective of both your car and bike.
With those pointers out of the way, there are a few brands that I would recommend that you check out. Many of them have great reviews online and they aren't going to break the bank.
Listed below are a few brands to check out...
- Hollywood Racks
- Topeak
- Thule
- Saris
- Allen Bike Racks
- Racor
- Bell
- Swagman
- Wald
The list continues where I provide links, reviews, and more. Check out the best bike racks for cars, where I have a complete top 5 list.