Mountain Bike Product Safety
A few months ago one of my friends called to tell me he was going to be late to the trail because he had a part on his bike that was being recalled. He wanted to stop at the bike shop and have his part replaced before our regularly scheduled ride. I too thought it was a good idea to get the part replaced before our ride so I told him that I will see him when he is finished at the store.
When I met up with my friend later in the day I asked him how he found out about his recalled part. He told me that his wife signed up for email alerts on product recalls. She subscribes to these email notification to be aware of toy issue for their children and it just so happened that a mountain bike part was on the email.
Just like other consumer products, mountain bike products occasionally get recalled for various reasons. I do not want to speculate so I am not going to give examples. It is important to be aware and not to ignore these recalls because your safety could be in jeopardy.
So in an effort to keep riders aware of product recalls the links below will direct you to the Consumer Affairs and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission websites. These sites will allow you to search their database for product recalls that might pertain to your bike, gear or both.
The two sites listed below are not meant to be the all encompassing sources of information. It is to help you get started in you product recall search. If you come across more sites with mountain bike recall information let us know and we will add it to the list.
Check out the websites below.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- www.cpsc.gov/
Consumer Affairs
- www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls/recalls.htm
You can find new or near new parts on Bike Servant is a mountain bike classifieds website which lists mountain bikes for sale, bike parts and race events.
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Finding Mountain Bike Trails
So you purchased a mountain bike and you have been riding for awhile. You are getting faster and more courageous on your mountain bike but you are getting bored riding on the same trails. You and your friends have realized that you need new trail excitement in your life.
So you have talked to your friends and people at the local bike shop for more information about trails in the area. Most of them pointed you back to the trails that you are familiar with but some have introduced you to a new trail or two.
To add to you trail information many of us in the mountain bike community suggest you try a very handy directory. This is a Google directory that lists sites which contain trail information. Once you browse the directory you will be surprised at all of the trails that riders have documented. I have found that no one site has all of the trail information so you have to browse through the directory.
The web address below will help you find the local mountain bike trails in your region. The link is a Google directory of mountain bike websites that list trail information. Most of the trails listed contain directions to the trail head so you know where you are going. So check it out it is pretty helpful.
Mountain Bike Trails
You can find new or near new parts on Bike Servant which lists mountain bikes for sale, bike parts and race events. See you on the trail.
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Every year bicycle manufacturers make better, lighter and cheaper mountain bikes which make them more attractive to consumers. Do you want to buy a full suspension mountain bike? If you do below is a list of items that you might want to considered before buying a new mountain bike.
One of the most important questions to ask yourself is what type of terrain will you be riding on? If you are going to be riding cross country maybe a full suspension mountain bike is not warranted and a hardtail will better suit your needs. However if you are going to be riding downhill or on rough terrain a full suspension bike might be right up your alley.
Determine your budget and stick to it. Consider buying the best bike you can afford within your budget. Many riders suggest that if you have less then $700 to spend on a bike you might want to consider a hardtail because full suspension bikes are more costly. However you could consider buying a used full suspension bike at a good price on a mountain bike classifieds site.
If you determine that a full suspension mountain bike is what you need and want then consider the different frame designs. Single-pivot, sweet-spot and horst-link are a few popular designs and each has their advantages and disadvantages. The best way to truly understand the difference is to go to a few bike stores and test ride the different designs. The bike store guy will be more then happy to explain and point out the pros and cons of each design.
Remember that full suspension bikes are heavier then hardtail bikes. Full suspension frames are a little heavier and they carry more parts then hardtails so be prepared to pedal around a little more weight on the trail.
Read some of the online forums to determine what other riders like and don’t like about their bikes. You can learn a lot from other rider’s opinions.
Do not forget to factor in your maintenance costs into the equation. Full suspension bikes require a little more maintenance and for the do it yourself type you will need a few extra tools.
Finally, test ride as many bikes as you can before buying. Also do not forget to test ride a full suspension mountain bike with the front and or rear shock locked out.
See you on the trail
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