Mountain Biking Accessories
Just like all new hobbies, mountain biking can get fairly confusing for the novice, particularly if you have never bought a bike before. However, once you have the bike you might want to purchase some accessories in order to enhance your biking experience. This is one more minefield for the novice.
The first items to buy are those that will increase your safety, your comfort and your enjoyment. Not all the accessories are expensive and most of them are fairly obvious, but here is a list of the most essential accessories for the beginner mountain bike rider.
Crash Helmet: the biking crash helmet is not the same as a motorbike crash helmet, because the speeds concerned are not as high. However, a tumble at 15-20 MPH may still get fairly significant and even fatal.
Most of the significant biking injuries are head injuries. The bikers’ crash helmet is the same as is worn by Olympic riders and competitors in the Tour de France, so they are up to the job. Do not fail to buy a helmet of good quality or you may just as well not bother.
Riding Gloves: no matter what weather you cycle in, gloves are helpful. If the weather is hot, the gloves will soak up your perspiration and help you keep a decent grip on the handlebars. If the weather is cold, they will protect you from the cold and keep some sensation in your fingers.
Not only that, but it is standard practice to hold your hands out in case of a tumble, so the hands are frequently injured and fingers can get broken. Decent mountain bike gloves will go a long way to protecting you from these ordinary accidents.
Cycling Shorts: these are not absolutely vital, but they will absorb perspiration and protect you if you come off your bike. It depends on the weather and how much you would like to exercise yourself truly. In colder weather, you may prefer to wear a track suit, whereas you could wear the shorts in the summer.
Cycling Shoes: these again are not definitely crucial, but cycling shoes are more comfortable for cyclists than general trainers. The grips on pedals may be fairly rough, so you will need shoes with a harder sole than standard so that you do not notice the grip dig into you.
The toe part should be toughened as well, because cyclists often scrape the toes of their shoes whilst kicking off and crashing. You might want some ankle support too.
Eye Protection: if you are riding at speed or on a narrow mountain trail, it could be disastrous to get a blinding flash or an insect in your eye. A flash of bright light off glass or a lake or a fly in the eye, can cause you to crash or come off the path and take a serious fall, which could be dangerous if you are in a distant area.
Water Bottle: you will have to keep drinking water if you are exerting yourself. Stay hydrated so that you remain strong. You do not want to faint or be forced to drink polluted river water.
Puncture Repair Kit: let’s face it, punctures happen and nuts wear loose, so it is important to have a repair kit and a few spanners so that you do not get caught out.
Mobile Phone: a mobile phone will get you out of difficulty should the worst come to the worst.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several topics, but is now concerned with Top Cruiser Bicycles. If you would like to know more, please go over to our web site at Sports Current Events.