UNSWOC
Born in a tent
Login
Upcoming trips
Biking
Mountain biking is a sport that has a number of elements to it, making it a fun and challanging activity for people with all levels of experence. It can range from easy flat ground, to a highly technical sport where the aim is to ride over everything. There are also a number of differend disciplines, such as cross-country, downhill, trials, freeriding as well as others all doing their own thing.
Sydney also has a number of excellent trails that cater for all levels of experence. There are also a number of cross-country and endurance races, as well as cycling rogaines.
Trails
Sydney has an awsome selections of trails, you just need to know where to look!A good starting point is Tony Fathers web site http://members.iinet.net.au/~fathers/mtb.htm
It mainly has trails in the Blue Mountains, but these are easy to get to (most canbe accessed by train), and are usually of a relativly easy standard. The site is updated reguarly by somone who rides in the area, and is fairly realistic about the difficulty of the trails.
Other areas that are worth checking out include:
- Manly dam
- Oxford falls
- Red hill
- Lindfield
- Royal national park
Bikes
Currently the Club has 3 bikes that can be borrowed for club trips. These ae ideal for people who want to try out mountain biking. Currently these are looked after by some of the club exec, and where required, professionally by a bike shop.As with all gear of a technical nature, it is up to the user to know how to use it. While every effort is made by the club to make sure that the bikes are functioning correctly, ultimatly the responsibility still falls on the user. Part of the sport is knowing how to service and fix your bike, really, it's easy!
Road Rules
Over the years that mountain biking has been around, a set of protocols has developed for what to do when encountering other riders and pedestrians. They are based on common sense and are followed by riders in nearly all parts of the world.- When two riders meet head on in steep single track, the rider going downhill gives way to the rider going uphill. It will be much easier for the downhill rider to get going again, while the uphill rider will have a lot of difficulty starting again.
- When a bike meets a walker, from the front or behind, the biker should always give way to the walker. Mountain bikers are intimidating: they stand higher on their bikes, and they hide behind glasses and helmets.
- If you are behind another ride who you want to overtake, then wait till the rider infront of you lets you past. Don't push them off the trail.
- When you are passing, let the rider infront know that you are there with a call like "on your right" or "on your left".
- If a faster rider comes up behind you, be polite and let them past as soon as you can. Choose an area where it is safe for them to pass, but don't feel that you must stop and get off the trail for them, your there for the same reasons.
- When you encounter other bikes or vehicles, keep to the left if there is room to do so. This is what drivers and other riders will expect in this country.
- Always ride at a speed that you can control. You never know what will be round the next corner. If you can't stop in time to avoid another rider or walker, then you are going too fast. If your a speed demon who likes going fast because you can, then you can be good at stopping too!
Mountain Biking Safety
Getting Started
Choosing a bike the right size is important. A bike that is too big for you could be difficult to control while a bike too small will be uncomfortable and also hard to control. Adjust the seat so that when you peddle down, your leg is almost fully extended. Having the seat too high will mean you’re top heavy and more likely to go over the handle bars in a crash. Having the seat too low is a waste of energy and tiring, as you would soon discover. If you’re about to head off on a challenging downhill section, adjust the seat lower than you would have it riding on the flat.
Brakes
Test to make sure that both the front and rear brakes are working properly. This might sound obvious but if you have to stop in a hurry, you don’t want to be relying on just one brake. Caliper brakes are relatively easy to adjust with a pair of pliers. The brake pads should be resting about 5mm off the wheel rim. Disc brakes are more difficult to adjust. If they seem to be broken and you can’t fix it yourself, ask someone who knows what they’re doing or take the bike to a bike shop.
Tyres
Tyres vary greatly in size, shape and purpose. Just like a car tyre, you want to make sure that there is adequate tread. While there is no rule of thumb for the amount of tread on the tyre, if you notice that you are starting to slide a lot more than you use to, particularly on the back wheel, it is time to get new tyres. The inner tube on a tyre will generally say what the inflation pressure is, generally 30-45 psi. If you’re riding in sand or fine soil, have a bit less air in the tyres than if you were riding on the road.
Helmet
Fitting your helmet properly is important. www.mbaction.com provides the following guide:
V-Strap: The side straps on your helmet should form a nice V around the ear with the tension adjuster snug below the ear lobe. The front strap will keep the front of the helmet in place while the rear strap prevents the helmet from falling over your eyes. Common mistakes are having one strap too loose, or completely messing up the fit either by pulling the back of the helmet down or pulling the rear strap over the ear.
Head wrap: Most modern helmets have some sort of skull cradle on the back to keep the helmet in place on even the roughest rides. This should fit snugly just under the base of the skull, centered evenly with equal tension from each side strap. A common fitting mistake is having the strap too high or too loose, not utilizing the stabilizing benefits.
Take a good look: This is the most common fitting problem of all time. Too many riders tilt the front of their helmet up. Guess what? If you crash on your forehead it's gonna hurt like you weren't even wearing a helmet.
Burn it up: After cutting your chin strap down in length, take a match and burn the end to prevent fraying. The chin strap buckle should be centered snugly under your chin. A common mistake is a chin strap that's too loose and dangles under the chin, even when buckled
Track Safety
Once you’re out riding, mountain biking is like any other physical activity - enjoy yourself but know the boundaries of your equipment and yourself. No matter how good you are at riding, no one can anticipate a shut gate or fallen tree. Don’t try a 30ft jump you saw on You-Tube if you’re new to the sport. Don’t stop on blind bends and if you do fall on a bend, quickly get you and your bike off the track. If this isn’t possible, shout loudly to warn anyone above.
Few tracks are exclusively for mountain bikers. There might also be walkers and horse riders in the area. Keep this in mind. Many walkers don’t appreciate cyclists racing past an inch away. You might think that you’re riding in control but they might think otherwise.
If you’re riding in a group and coming up to a challenging or steep section, ride in single file and leave adequate space between each rider.
First Aid
Like any outdoor activity, carrying a first aid kit is strongly recommended and the more people trained in first aid, the better.