It’s the constant battle of balance between the need to hit the trail and spend time at home. During a time where we are all working longer hours, the stress relief of riding keeps us in shape both mentally and physically, but that also means there is less time to spend at home with our other halves and families. With the prime riding season starring us in the face on the northern hemisphere, this is going to be an challenge [...]
Review: Feedback Sports Pro-Elite Bicycle Repair Stand
Having a secure and easy to use bicycle repair stand can make the difference between a hassle free, painless repair and a frustrating trip to the garage. Whether you are changing out tires or building up a bike from the frame, having a repair stand is one of those essential “non-trail related” products that every cyclist should have regardless of wrenching ability. Feedback Sports sent over their top of the line Pro-Elite bike repair stand for review on Bike198.com. This [...]
Dumbing Down The Trail: The Art Of Removing Technical Trail Features
A wreck over the weekend has stirred up some intense debate over removing obstacles in the trail in the name of safety. This past weekend, a friend of ours fractured his C7 vertebrae after having a head on collision with a diagonal tree that overhangs the trail on a non-technical trail in north Georgia. This specific tree has been known for collarbone breaks and numerous life flights out of the area, so after this last serious encounter, it was removed. [...]
The New Look, The Livestrong Foundation and Bike198
There have been some big changes and releases over at Bike198.com, so I wanted to give you a heads up on each. Bike198.com and The Livestrong Foundation Starting today, we are releasing Bike198 jersey’s and shorts for purchase. However, we didn’t want it to be just another “me too” website cycling jersey. We wanted the sale of our kits to actually mean something and give back to an industry that has provided so much to us over the years…so we [...]
Mountain Biking Videos: Preparing for the Weekend
What better way to get ready for a weekend of riding than looking at some mountain biking videos? While you are sitting in your office on a Friday afternoon planning the weekend escape, take a look at these vids to help the day pass by quicker. 5.Spot Video with Unique Camera Angles Kodiak Alaska Summer Singletrack from Philip Tschersich on Vimeo. MRP Crew Hitting Up Fruita’s famous Horsethief Bench MRP Rides with Danny Hart from NoahColorado on Vimeo. Road Biking: [...]
First Look: Diamondback Mission 4 AM Mountain Bike
Next up on the chopping block at Bike198 is the Mission 4 from Diamondback. This 150mm rear wheel travel all mountain styled mountain bike comes kitted out with some of the best the industry has to offer with the Truvativ Hammerschmidt AM mated to a 9 speed X.0 drivetrain with top of the line Fox Racing Shox components to handle the suspension work. The Mission 4 is the top of the line in the Mission lineup with several more options all the [...]
Poll: Do You Run Tubes Or Go Tubeless In Your Tires?
Gone are the days of 1.8 tires filled up with 50 psi just hoping that you do not pinch flat your tubes and have to tear the tight tires off the v-brake rims. With wider and lighter tires, wider and lighter rims and a wide variety of different options for mountain bikers, you can enjoy the benefits of more rubber in more ways than ever. Running a set of tubeless tires used to mean heavy rims and heavy tires, but [...]
Here Is Your 29er Mr. President – Niner Bikes Goes Presidential
I just received a pretty cool email from the crew over at Niner Bikes. The attached press release (below) and picture (credit: C.A. Smith | casmithphotography.com) you see above is Chris Cugai and Steve Domahidy of Niner Bikes delivering a Niner Jet 9 to former President George W. Bush. President Bush has been known for his 26″ obsession, but this is his first jump into the big wheeled category and he picked a great bike to start on. This story [...]
Review: Specialized Vice AM Style Mountain Bike Helmet
There is a growing trend in the mountain biking industry for helmets that provide more protection while trail riding. Mountain bikers looking for increased protection that are not as weight sensitive now have a wide range of lids to choose from that going away from the typical racer look that mtb helmets have typically had in the past. It all seemed to start with the Fox Flux and now we are seeing helmets like this Specialized Vice on review and [...]
Extreme Mountain Biking: Making The Most of the Terrain (Video Content)
The term extreme mountain biking is thrown around a lot in magazines and other more conventional print sources. With riders like Thomas Vanderham and Sam Hill ripping up North Shore and Cam McCaul killing stunts we never thought would be possible, extreme mountain biking is something that has a different definition than it did 10 years ago. However, when it comes down to it…reality sets in. Just as Thomas Vanderham said in a recent interview, “I am just a mountain [...]