Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine #3

mounta

in b

ike m

agazine

www.freeridermag.in

Iss

ue

03 | M

ay 2

011 | F

ree

Dow

nloa

d

NOTE: We have done our best to make sure that all content in this issue of Freerider mountain bike magazine is accurate, but would emphasise that we at Freerider mountian bike magazine accept no responsibility for any errors in the magazine/content or any errors caused to your computer while reading our magazine.

Summertime! The bikes are ready to go and you want that wind in your hair

feeling. So we go out riding on home trails, look for new riding areas,

or prepare for a mountain bike race.

EDITORIAL

In this issue we explain different kind of mountain bikes, from hard tail cross

country bikes, dirt jumper to full suspension rigs and also teach how to bunny

hop and take a drop.

We hope that you go out riding on whatever bike you have, enjoying the fresh

air, the speed and the dirt!Ride on!

Mesum Verma, Editor-in-Chief

CONTENTS

TECH MANUAL Know your bike II.........................4

HOT SHOTS Professional photos.........................24

TRICKNOLOGY

WHATS UPThru hail and back.........................28

Drop n Hop.........................19

TRAIL GOSSIP New Stuff.........................34

SHOW TIME

Photos from India & Nepal.........................33

Sneek Peek About next issue.........................35

Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine#2434-A, Sector: 39-CChandigarh. 160036INDIA.........................................................This magazine is intended forfree distribution and is onlyavailable through our web portalwww.freeridermag.in ........................................................Feel free to write or contribute.E-mail us at: [email protected]

Staff:

Editor-in-chief: Mesum [email protected]

Deputy Editor: Vineet [email protected]

Photographers and Editors: Hansueli SpitznagelChristophe MargotMarco JaggiSimon GrimmerKarchoong Diyali

COV

ER -

Phot

o: C

hrist

ophe

Mar

got |

Rid

er: B

en W

alke

r | L

ocati

on: R

oche

r de

Nay

e (S

witz

erla

nd)

Tech Manual

KNOWYOURBIKE

IISince the development of the sport in the 1970s many new subtypes of mountain biking have developed, such as cross-country biking, all-mountain endurance biking, Freeride-biking, downhill mountain biking, and a variety of track and slalom competitions. Each of these place different demands on the bike requiring different designs for optimal performance.

Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine | 4

CROSS COUNTRY (XC)Cross country bikes are lightweight and efficient and are equipped with short travel (65 to 110mm) front suspension forks. Although intended for off-road use, Cross Country mountain bikes with their emphasis on lightweight construction are not designed for use on the most steep or severe terrain. Cross country racing consists of steep climbs, speed and endurance and XC bike fulfills the demand.

Hardtail

Photo: Cannondale | Track & Trail.

This bike is available at: www.trackandtrail.in

Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine | 6Photo: Christoph Margot| Location: World Cup XC in Hauffalize (Belgium)

CROSS COUNTRY 29erAs the name suggests 29er their rims have a diameter of approximately 24.5 whereas the typical 26 rim has a diameter of 22.0. These bikes have larger wheels which are supposed to roll over obstacles more easily due to decrease in approach angle and are less prone to sinking in soft material such as sand and mud due to the larger contact patch causing lower ground pressure. But on the other side few claimed drawbacks like more force is needed to change steering angle due to greater mass, a more laterally flexible wheel etc are in debate including Who invented the 29er.

Photo: Santa Cruz Bicycles | Forrest Akawara


Photo: Hansueli Spitznagel| Rider: Damien Perrin| Location: Niederhorn - Switzerland

CROSS COUNTRY (XC)


Full Suspension

For those mountain bikers, who love single trails, but also climb technical uphills, without losing too much traction and gnarly action all day long, having a XC full suspension bike is a great comfort as one does not lose too much energy while pedaling because the rear suspension on some bikes have a Lock out, or at least a Pro Pedalfunction. Most of these bikes also come with a front lock-out to make riding stiffer. XC full suspension bike are light and weigh around 11 kg to 13 kg in total with travel suspension of 100 mm 130 mm.

Photo: Trek Bikes| Firefox BikesThis bike is available under: www.firefoxbikes.com


Photo: Lars Scharl

ENDURO | ALL MOUNTAIN (AM)AM bike is a breed between cross-country and freeride bikes, typically weighing between 13 to 16 kilograms. These bikes are equipped with greater suspension travel, frequently as much as 6 inches (150 mm) or 7 of front and rear travel. They are designed to be able to climb and descend well, these bikes are intended to be ridden on all-day rides involving steep climbs and steep descents, hence the term all-mountain.



Photo: Dorjee Tsering| Rider: Wolfgang, Thomas and Mesum | Location: Lingshed (Ladakh) - India

FREERIDE (FR)Freeride bikes are designed with less emphasis on weight and more on strength. These bikes have at least 7 inches (180 mm) of travel and stronger bomb-proof components. Freeride bike are very effective on technical downhill trails big drops etc but slack head tube angles make them difficult to maneuver while angled up a hill or traveling at a low speed. Frame geometry on a FR bike is less aggressive than a Downhill bike. Freeride bikes typically range in weight from 14 to 20 kilograms.


Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine | 14Photo: Hansueli Spitznagel| Rider: Thomas Toedtli| Location: Lauterbrunnen - Switzerland

DOWNHILL (DH)

Downhill Mountain bikes are made for one thing and one thing only; riding down dedicated downhill trails and race courses very fast. These big monsters have eight or more inches (200 mm) of suspension travel and are built with frames that are strong, yet light. DH bikes head angles can be as slack as 63 degrees which helps to get ample traction to go fast over bumpy trails assisted by gravity. Due to the high-speed nature of downhill riding most bikes only have one chain ring in the front. Few DH bikes also use internal gearbox instead of traditional derailleur, but internal gearbox design is not widely used.Photo: Santa Cruz Bicycles | Forrest Akawara

Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine | 16Photo: Hansueli Spitznagel| Rider: Pascal Breitenstein (Front) & Mischa Breitenstein | Location: Gurten, Bern - Switzerland

DIRT JUMPER (DJ)These strong bikes are mixture of BMX and Freeride bikes with a stronger 100 to 150 mm front suspension. Tires on these bikes are usually fast-rolling, slick or semi-slicks and these bikes are also used as single speed depend-ing on riders preference. Dirt jumpers usually have low seatposts, oversized handlebars and extended rear brake cable installed and has no front brake, which allows the rider to spin the handle bars without tangling the brake cables. These bikes can be good fun on the track or in Urban areasPhoto: Cannondale | Track & Trail.

This bike is available at: www.trackandtrail.in

Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine | 18Photo: Mongoose / Track and trail| Rider: Chris Akrigg| This bike is available at www.trackandtrail.in

HOPDROP

n

TEXT (BUNNY HOP: SIMON GRIMMER | DROP: MARCO JAGGI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MESUM VERMA

The bunny-hop, like the ollie for skateboarding or a bottom turn in surfing is the fundamental move for free riding. It is essential for anyone wanting to get up a set of stairs, over a curb or onto a bench. You need a hop in order to clear a gap, and a flatland 180 or the extra height off a kicker wouldnt be possible without it. Its hard to jump an imaginary obstacle. If there is nothing in the way of your bike, its hard to get any decent air at all. Any free rider needs to be prepared to clear all manner of obstacles so find an authentic obstacle (even a stick will do) and a bit of clear ground to practice.Speed and confidence are the key. If you hesitate or break your concentration flow, youll never clear the obstacle in your path. Looking beyond the obstacle and instead focusing on it can be a way to show this confidence. It tells your brain that you are already looking ahead for the next challenge.Getting up: Once youve sized up the terrain, attack the obstacle slowly (speed can increase once you become more proficient) Lean back and straighten your arms and legs. Pull the bike up with your arms by using the momentum you get from shifting your center of gravity back across the bike. Use your arms to pull your bike the rest of the way up and then pedal to lift

the bike up.

In the air: Shift your weight forward quickly, but not so quickly that you throw yourself forward as this will mess with your balance. Try to keep the bike level in the air as when you eventually start bunny-hopping higher obstacles or bigger gaps, you will need this form.

Coming down: Front wheel landings are ugly and can be messy. get your rear wheel down first. It also stabilizes your landing and makes controlling the bike easier. Absorb the impact of your back wheel with your body and rollaway or set up for the next trick. Shout!

Practice bunny-hopping over a range obstacles,increase the height or distance of the gap. You have to be able to adapt this skill to all different obstacles and kinds of free ride terrain


Preparing the drop Knowing what to expect.Its better to evolve step by step and not to take on the big stuff in the beginning. After feeling safe and confident on smaller things, youre ready to go for the larger pieces of cake. The bigger the drop, the more youll need nerves The trick is not to get too nervous, especially at the take-off and in the air, because these are the two most critical points. It helps a lot to carefully look at a drop or kicker before riding it. This will give you confidence because you know what youre up for and can avoid bad surprises. Checking out the run-in, take-off, landing and where to continue your line are key things. If necessary clean out loose rocks and branches or use them as marks (e.g. to mark where to take-off or land). I usually test the run-in a few times without jumping. That will give me the feeling for the right speed and timing.

Even professional riders do these things very carefully. When filming with the top shot riders, I spent a fair amount of time just examining trails and obstacles to figure out radical lines to ride and juicy angles to shoot from.

Run-in Stabilize your bike and control your speed. The run-in gives you the necessary speed and stability for the drop. First I try to make sure my bike feels stable when riding towards the drop and I keep my eyes focused on the take-off point. If you dont feel comfortable or in control of your bike before doing the drop just stop and retry again. A sketchy uncontrolled run-in can mess up your take-off and get you into trouble.

Approaching the take-off Focus the take-off, than the landing.When riding towards the drop I stop pedaling 2-3m before, get out of the saddle and level my pedals horizontally. Then I focus my eyes on the take-off point for the last time and before doing the drop my eyes already focus on the landing. Your eyes guide your mind and your body. Never focus on where you dont want to go.


Take-off Focus on the landing and push your bike off the ground slightly.Before the front wheel runs off the ledge I pull it slightly up with my arms and half a second later push off my back wheel from the ground, just like a bunny hop. With a drop like this you dont have to make a huge bunny hop. That would make you less stable in the air, cost you energy and in case of a race even give you unnecessary long air-time. Just a subtle push-off will be enough. Of course if you like to style it give it a stronger push-off. That way you have more time in the air to fly further and maybe do a trick.

In the air Stay calm, direct your bike with your arms, knees and feet and focus on the landing.The trail turns left just after the drop. If you drop straight youll fly into the bushes and crash. To turn my bike I use arms and legs. My feet and knees put slight pressure on pedals and frame/saddle in the direction I want to go. For this drop this means slightly to the left. My arms also push the handlebar slightly to the left. You can see that the wheel is even turned a little to the left. My arms are stretched, my butt is behind the saddle, eyes are focused on the landing. Dont lean forward or stay in the saddle when in the air. That will make your front wheel sink and youll land on your front wheel or crash. Stay cool and make all movements controlled and slowly. You have enough time and youll be fine.

Landing Stretch arms and knees, level your wheels, focus on where to go after landing, take the impact.Shortly before you land, the bike should be in line with the trail and your front wheel straight. During the air time I have stretched my arms and legs and moved my butt forward, just above the saddle. That way I make sure both wheels land at the same time and my body can absorb the impact of the landing. With the help of arms and legs you can level your bike and make sure not one of the wheels touches the ground before the other. That way you can absorb the impact with all your bikes suspension and your body and have a controlled, smooth landing.Half a second before the landing, your eyes already focus on where to go after. A drop doesnt end with the landing, but only with the first few meters after the impact. If you focus on the landing too long, it can happen that your bike falls forward, you land with the front wheel first, get surprised by what happens next and bang!

Where to go next Already know how to ride the next few meters.Mostly I forget the drop the second I land and only see the trail ahead. Make sure you know whats coming next and know how to ride it. A drop or a jump will give you extra acceleration, so make sure to control the speed after land-ing.

The more you take drops the easier and more fun it gets. If you than ride the whole trail, you often dont really notice it when riding the drop, because it gets to be just as normal as riding a bumpy rock section or a strong turn. Thats when you start getting the flow Enjoy it!!

Marco JaggiMarco has been biking for almost 20 years. Growing up in Switzerland he had more than enough great trails to ride and explore. Bringing together his passion for filmmaking and riding, he produced Europes biggest mountain bike movie evermore in 2006 featuring world class riders like Greg Minaar, Anne-Caroline Chausson, Timo Pritzel, Thomas Frischknecht and many more. Biking has taken me so many amazing places and given me the chance to share moments of absolute bliss with my best friends or even with some of the best riders in the world. Up to this day, some of the most glorious moments in life are those speeding down a flowing, technical single-trail, wind in your face, nothing going through your head but the trail before you. Pure freedom!Today Marco lives and works in Shanghai, enjoying the unknown trails of China.www.evermore.ch


Hot ShotsEpic shots by professional photographers from around the world

Photo: Marco Jaggi| Rider: Mesum Verma| Location: Purple Mountain (Nanjing - China)Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine | 24

Photo: Christoph Margot| Rider: Katja Rupf, Rene Wildhaber, Ross Schnell| Location: Flims - Switzerland)


Photo: Lars Scharl| Rider: Simon|Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine | 26

Freerider mountain bike magazine

is first and only dedicated

MTB magazine in India and Nepal

from the people who love to ride

and keeps you up to date with

the Latest news, events, reviews of

the latest products and gear for mountain bikers

the latest products and gear for mountain bikers

in India, Nepal and around the world.

ADVERTISE IN

Our readers want to know about your products and services

ww

w.v

ine

etd

esig

ns.c

om

www.freeridermag.in

Whats up

Get out of your comfort zone! is all I remember my friend tell me when I called up to announce that I am in two minds about taking the 2 days ride out to a little known village in North Sikkim that weekend. If I didnt go, I know Id have lived to regret the decision for the rest of my life.Having led a fairly sedentary life of a bookseller, taking up biking just a few months back has been one helluva adventure for me. Ive got to experience the Himalayas in ways I could have never imagined. The mountains are my home. I live there. But one notices the magnificence of the mountains only from the saddle of a bike. And the prospect of a 2 days marathon was making me feel nervous, I have to admit. It had to be done!So there I was, backpack and all, riding up to Tashi View Point that sultry morn-ing. Karchoong, Tamding, Thendup and I made it to our rendezvous point where Brinda, Palden and Tenzing met up with us.The plan was to go to a sleepy hamlet called Bagcha, from where we were to leave the road and take the steep climb to a village called Labi. Palden had ar-ranged for our stay at a relatives house.No sooner did we start climbing the newly dug road, the portentous clouds up above signalled us to hurry up. So we pushed, dragged and carried the bikes through the jungle for a few kilometres before the rain followed by hailstorm finally caught up with us.While some decided to take shelter in a nearby hut, some of us carried on. It was the evening of the hailstones the size of peaches and plums. Only harder. With the group disbanded, the four of us were forced to take shelter in a roadside cave where we foraged for twigs and leaves and lit a fire. With the hailstone pound-ing down, we soon saw the landscape turn totally white. By the time we found the house we were supposed to be staying at for the night, it was totally dark. We were drenched to the bones and we were all laughing at our situation.

THRU HAIL AND BACK TEXT BY RAMAN SHRESTA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARCHOONG DIYALI

Our hosts, Mr Passang Namgay and his family more than took good care of us. Tea and snacks were followed by millet beer, served in tall bamboo jars and longer straws. The sweetest we ever had. Dinner was like a kings feast. And

sleep was well earned that night. We were well rewarded.

Well, I could probably write about how fun it is riding a bike. I could probably share with you some of the lessons I learnt early on, like how you gotta push

and pedal 36kms uphill if you wanna glide 36kms downhill; like how nature is that much closer and how non-intrusive you are and can therefore hear every

bird and animal in the thickets; like how you notice every curl on every fern that make up that thicket; like how Im able to wear my old jeans that was too

tight for me for years.

I really could. But for me, biking has been about going out of my comfort zone, and making myself comfortable there. The vast nature is spread out there. And the vast expanse each of us has within us is for us to explore. Best was to take this trip within? On the saddle of a bicycle.

Fireflies MTB Sikkim can be contacted at: [email protected]


Wheels for Hills, a newly opened Mountain bike outlet in Bhutan and also the only authorized dealer of Commencal Mountain bikes in Bhutan organized the first cross-country mountain bike race in Bhutan in association with Bhutan Olympic Committee. The race rules and regulations were in accordance with the International Cycle Union (UCI) standard. This was first of its kind mountain bike race organized in Bhutan that is recognized by the Bhutan Olympic Committee. The off-road race track measured approximately 7.2 kilometers in one lap. The elite riders had to complete three laps, followed by two laps for both Junior Men and Elite Women. Despite this being the first race, 34 racers participated with 28 elite men riders, 5 junior men and one female.

Wheels for Hills will also be organizing downhill races in Bhutan says the organizer and proprietor Mr. Karma Loday who is the only downhill rider in Bhutan and participated in downhill races outside of Bhutan.

BHUTANRISI

NG

In the last year the with a great success debuted the underground mountain bike race in Budapest, which will be arranged in 2011 again. The bikers longing for a special adventure are waited on 13rd of August into the Kbnyai Merkapt Maraton Sports Center, thus in the hottest summer month an underground adventure of pleasant climate may bring refreshment for everyone.Way of the arrangement: In 5 different runs - where professionals and amateurs may compete separately - maximum 70 racers may start. The ground is 2 km long and the runs will last for 60 - 80 minutes, depending on the category. A part (700 meters) of the course is be developed in a 150 year old tunnel system cut into stone at 10 meters under the ground level, where the starters may drive in unparalleled mood. The cellar is of varying internal height, of 2-2,5 meters in average and the width of the passages varies between 3 and 6 meters, however, one or two narrow and low sections will also increase the excitement.

More information: www.underworldkupa.hu


Firestorm MTB race was organized in the broken terrain of the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary situated in the Aravalli Hills (Delhi). The race postponed earlier was finally organized on 26th March 2011. Around 100 riders participated in expert/enthusiast category and experienced lot of flat tires on rocky and thorny multi lap terrain. Firefox bikes hopes that future mountain bike challenges such as FireStorm become an annual feature.

FIRESTORM


SHOW TIMEmountain bike magazine

Ajay Narsingh Rana- DH Rider/Mountain Bike Coach from Nepal.Photo taken by: Nagen Rai. Location: Shivapuri (Nepal)

Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine will select and show one best photograph submitted by the readers from India, Nepal and Bhutan Only. Amateur photographers can E-mail their photographs to us at: [email protected]

Show Time section is only for amateur photographers and photos related to any discipline of mountain biking i:e Downhill, freeride, four cross, dirt jumping, trials, cross country etc will be entertained.

Some more rules that you should follow:

1. Only the photographer can submit his/her original image.2. Images may not be submitted by a third party member on behalf of the photographer.3. Any image which has riding action without a proper riding helmet will not be selected.4. Each participant can submit upto 3 images for each magazine issue.5. It is mandatory to show details from the image: Name of the photographer, name of the rider or riders, and location.6. All digital images must contain original metadate such as date, camera model, lens aperture, exposure, resolution etc.7. Minimum picture size can be 6 MegaPixel.


Avid Elixir 5Avid unveiled their Elixir hydraulic discs brakes a while ago and are favorite among many riders without any doubt. These wonderful brakes are sure to get the most attention with their proven Taperbore master cylinder design. We tried brand new Avid Elixir 5 and found then very responsive, neat and easy to service. Stay tuned for a more detailed review on these user friendly brakes that makes you fly

Trail Gossip


Join us on facebook

www.freeridermag.in

NEXT ISSUE - JULY 2011

Documents

Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine #3