With more snow predicted over the next week you might be starting to think that you'll never get a consistent training program going unless you grab a road bike and “pretend” your outside. This type of training might suit brain dead roadies, but for the likes of us mountain bike fans, we need to feel the terrain, get a sore ass and break some nails, no matter what winter throws at us.
Of course this is easier said than done especially when your sat at home with the fire blazing, the last thing in your mind is “you know what? I wanna go freeze at the local trail” but there are a great deal of reasons and advantages to taking your trusty steed out for a blast.
Reason One - No “everyday” walkers
Everyone in their time has had the annoying situation where a family with kid's just happened to pick the best mountain bike spot to go for their “pleasure walk”, now nothing is wrong with this but as a rider this can be the most annoying thing known to man. Without random kid's running around and having to concentrate on them more than the course you can never truly go full pelt, bring on winter where all these families stay indoors you probably have a whole mountain to enjoy, all to yourself.
Reason Two – Snow = Fun
Nothing is more fun than blasting around a trail when youur rear end suddenly slips out and you just manage to stay on the bike, the thrill, the fun, all this can be enjoyed 10 times more when the whole trail is covered in pure white slippery goodness.
Reason Three – Fitness
Not riding during winter can be disastrous come spring, last year I totally forgot that my mountain bike existed and come spring when the weather was warm and I was ready to hit the trails, I was lucky to make it out of the village alive. From this experience I know that bracing the harsh winter weather just one hour a week keeps me slightly fit and ready to tackle spring. This is why I recommend you go for a light or even rigour “fun” ride every week in winter, atleast then you can eat a bit more food for that winter jacket!
Reason Four (Males Only ^^) - Toughness
Nothing screams out your a man (or an insane man riding his bike) than going out in the snow and facing the harshness of winter head on, now I can't promise anyone will see you (all those “roadies” hiding in their warm houses) but if they do they'll be amazed at how manly you are as you slog through 3 inches of new snow.
Ok so I lied I could only think of four reasons, well one wasn't very good so three but I cant stress enough the importance of winter riding to your all year cycling enjoyment and with today's modern winter clothing you won't feel the cold.
After a few bad reviews from the likes of Bike Radar, I was sceptical of riding the Moda Presto, but due to the fact it was shiny and full of top end kit I just couldn’t resist. Taking it round the lake I found a few problems mostly involving the ascents and descents making me feel a little nervous compared to my Felt Bike but I stuck with it, on the flat sections of the lake is where the Presto shone through offering amazingly high spec for a bike under £1000 it flew over small bumps with the Reba SL Fork absorbing most of the vibrations.
At the end of the 25 mile course I wasn’t in love with the Presto (I love my Felt too much) but it has still impressed me more than any other full suspension bike in the £1000 price range, mostly because every other full susser in that price range is made of 'poorer' quality components or well known brands “value models” but the Presto has some of the best kit available.
I mean where else could you find the combination of American Classic MTB 26 Disc wheels with a full Shimano XT drivetrain and a Reba SL Team Fork for less than £1000, maybe you could find these under that price if you searched online for weeks but thats not what the Presto is, its a whole bike offering amazing components as well as a frame and all the other bits and bobs you need to build a bike.
The worst case sceanrio is that you buy this bike take it for a ride and absolutely hate it, you could strip it down throw it all onto a high performance frame like a Cove Handjob and you'd have an amazing hardtail for a super low price, plus you could ebay the shock.
My recommendation is to grab one of these because at this price they won't be around for long.
One problem faced by mountain bikers everywhere is winter, wet mud and grit can build up on your frame and components which if left untreated will destroy your bike before summer comes. Fear not help is at hand with our helpful cleaning guide.
The best way to avoid letting winter mud build up is to give the bike a hose down and gie the drivetrain a new application of lube straight after will keep your bike running smoothly.
Sometimes you can forget to hose down your mountain bike and the mud starts to build up, this is when the big guns need to come out to bring your bike back to it's former glory.
Tools needed to tackle the grime:Bucket
Warm water
Brushes and sponges
Degreaser
Polish
Grease
Chain lube
Rags (like an old t-shirt or bed sheet)
Step 1 – Cleaning the chainThe chain is one of the most important parts of your bike, keeping this sparkling clean can help save money and boost performance. To clean the chain, scrub away using one of brushes combine with hot water, for more effective cleaning a squirt of washing up liquid can be used to remove stubborn dirt, cleaning the chain with the bike in the highest gear makes it easier to reach all sides of the bike chain.
After the chain has been cleaned of stubborn mud and grime use the your degreaser on the chain and allow it to soak in for a few minutes, this will completely remove all the dirt from your chain, to help boost cleaning rotate the cranks backwards to allow the degreaser to reach deep down into the links. Allow to dry.
When the degreaser is dry wipe the chain with a smooth rag, massaging the links as you go to completely clean the chain. When the chain appears totally clean apply a new coat of chain lube, making sure to coat every part of the chain while spinning the cranks to ensure the inner links are perfectly lubed.
Step 2 – Cleaning the front mechThe front mech is probably one of the hardest parts of any mountain bikes to clean, due to them being hard to access and often jammed full of dirt. The first stage of washing the front mech is to whip out your brush and warm water, an old toothbrush can help reaching the hardest parts.
After a good scrub wipe the front mech with your rag taking care to ensure both the inside and outside of the cage gets a good scrub.
Step 3 – Cleaning the rear mechThere is no point having a sparkling clean chain if the rear mech is covered in dirt. The first step to finishing off your smooth running drivetrain is to use a small flat screwdriver to hook out all the grime in the jockey wheels, with the serious grim out of the way it's time to apply a good layer of degreaser combined with a small brush t scrub out ever bit of dirt from inside the mech. After the rear mech is completely clean, lightly lube both the front and rear mechs and wipe away any excess with a clean rag.
Step 4 – Cleaning the cassetteYou'd be surprised how much dirt and grime can be lurking between your seemingly clean cassette, hampering your performance and slowing shifts. The first stage to cleaning the cassette is to use a small flat screwdriver to take the majority of large grime from out of the cogs.
After the majority of grime has been scrapped out, you guessed it, it's time to get out the trusty brush and water and start scrubbing. Exceptionally stubborn dirt can be removed with a squirt of degreaser and a 2nd round of scrubbing. Reaching the backs of the sprockets can be tricky but the cleaner the sprockets the harder it is for new dirt to build up.
When all the dirt has been removed, use a clean rag and “floss” between the sprockets and buff away any outstanding marks. The cleaner the sprockets, the faster they shift and the longer they'll last so make sure to reach every nook and cranny possible.
Step 5 – Optional cleaningYou can get away with cleaning the major drivetrain components but nothing else will impress other mountain bikers than rolling up with a showroom clean bike. We recommend using the Muc-Off Bike Cleaner to achieve the perfect finish.
Earlier this week I got my hands on Kona's latest scandium framed full suspension mountain bike. Without touching the bike you can see that Kona have put a lot of effort into the frame design making it look exceptionally sick in a highly polished scandium and green paint job.
Kona have changed the geometry slightly for 2011 by bringing the BB height to the same level as other long travel trail bikes and reducing the head angle by 1.3 to 67.8, this when combined to the wider 710nn handlebar offers a drastic improvement to the handling of the bike, offering a snappier and smooth steering feel to help avoid all the obstacles put in your way.
For 2011 the Abra Cadabra showcases a wide range of new technologies including a super slick 3x10 shimano XR drivetrain, the award winning Easton haven wheels combined with the latest shocks from Fox combine to create an extremely capable. This high spec is backed up by the Kona Magic Link suspension platform which gives the bike a varied riding feel, when riding up hills there is virtually no pedal bob which allowed me to tackle steep hills that I find challenging on my cross country bike.When the trail tilts the opposite way the Talas 150mm fork and RP23 shock shine though by merging perfectly with the geometry of the frame to give a super sturdy riding feel which left me in control for even the tightest sections of the route which was incredibly confidence inspiring.
ScoresFrame – 4/5A considerable improved from last years model mainly due to the slacker geometry combined with the lightest scandium alloy Kona have produced to create a stiff and durable frame capable of tackling the toughest trails.
Components - 4/5High spec component list offers amazing performance, the Fox shocks offer super plush travel which was easy to balance. The drivetrains and Easton wheels combine to offer efficient power transfer and a responsive feel.
