h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Mountain Bikes - A760871
Author: British_Bulldog - U195572

Do you think this is an o.k. entry? It's my first and I want to see what people think of it.

Thnaks in advance for any suggestions.

Hi BB - this is an interesting subject, but a big one. I think it needs fleshing out a bit. Things which occur to me straight off:

Mountain bikes were originally a development of the bikes used by Gary Fisher and others for downhill races in Marin County (they were mostly old balloon tyred coaster-brake machines - the hill they raced down was known as "repack hill" because one trip down it was enough to destroy the grease in a coaster brake hub so it needed repacking.

They started to be manufactured as a separate range in the 1980s, and Richard Ballantine, the author and bicycle guru, was instrumental in bringing them to the UK.

Although competition bikes are used either for downhill or cross-country, most mountain bikes hardly ever go off road, and the genus mountain bike has now become a generic term for a bike with 26" wheels, wide-range gears and a sloping downtube. Many of these are really hybrids (mountain bike frame with touring gears and a rack).

Buying - you should start with the fit of the bike. Riding on road you need to be able to put the saddle high enough for efficient pedalling - pedal to top of saddle should be around 109% of inside leg length; the leg should be nearly straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Off-road, you drop the saddle. That's why you need a quick-release on the seatpin. Many riders set the bike up so they can sit on the saddle with feet flat on the floor - this leads to the classic non-cyclist pedalling technique of standing up and pedalling furiously for thirty seconds, then sitting down and coasting.

Sizing is a nightmare as makers use different reference points for measurement (bottom bracket to top of seat tube, notional equivalent standard diamond frame size, top tube length etc.) Essentially the sizes boil down to small, medium and large. A good bike shop will help you choose. Childrens versions are available with 24" or 26" wheels - the 24" is suitable up to about age 10, above that go for 26"

Tyres are usually gnarlies, but if you are going to ride on road it makes good sense to get higher pressure tyres with a central bead, as otherwise you are wasting energy. Full-sus mountain bikes make good commuting bikes for short journeys on bad roads (but fit mudguards).

Mostly, though, suspension is a waste of money and effort unless you are genuinely going to ride off-road (and that means tree roots and rocks, not forst tracks which are perfectly doable on a non-suspension bike). Avoid cheap mountain bikes with flashy-looking suspension - it's always junk. Especially avoid it for children, as poor quality sus forks can compromise handling and control. Much better to get a good rigid bike.

If you do need suspension and will also ride on road, invest in a system with lock-out on the front - it improves road handling and reduces pedalling effort.

Frames - aluminium or steel. Aluminium is lighter but less durable, steel comes in many grades (make sure it's more or less the same grade everywhere, don't gat a bike with chrome-moly tubing and unspecified steel forks). All good steel bikes have a frame sticker which gives this kind of information. For the connoiseur, titanium is available - at a price.

Pedals - clipless are good, SPD is common but the new cruciform pedals are gaining popularity. Safer than toeclips, and actually better than plain platforms in many cases.

Be aware of A209963 - off road bicycles. this is already in the edited guide and there is some degree of overlap.

on the whole though, not to bad.

I look forward to seeing it when you have done a litle more work on it.