Freeride Mountain Biking
August 31st, 2010 | 
Author:
Downhill Mtn Biking at Mount Fromme
Image by VancityAllie
Freeride Mountain Biking Tips
Mountain biking is one of the most challenging sports ever developed. It provides the adrenalin rush and the natural high any sport and adventure-loving soul is looking for to fill those cravings. Among its sub-disciplines, freeride mountain biking is definitely making waves among thrill-seekers. More and more individuals are learning and enjoy the sheer fun and excitement of a freeride mountain biking. Anyone can just imagine what would ever happen to China- the bicycle capital of the world, if its entire people would learn how to freeride mountain bike. A big circus and carnival would be imminent and worthy of a Guinness World Record. Just what is freeride m.b.? What makes it different among other types of m.b.?
Freeride mountain biking, being true to its name, suggests that it is a free-movement type of mountain biking. It is also popularly called as the Big Hit. This sport had been developed just recently, making the newest addition to mountain biking. It is a fusion of downhill m.b. and dirtjumping mountain biking. The name freeride was borrowed from the freeriding concept of common water sports like skiing, windsurfing, and snowboarding. In short it’s a free for all sport that does not require any rules to follow and course to pursue. Perhaps the only instruction to obey is to enjoy the ride.
Some of the features of the freeride m.b. were inspired from downhill. One of those similar characteristics is the make-up of the bikes, which practically look the same. The difference between the two is that in downhill biking the bikers will follow a more natural track with multiple jump acts and other obstacles like roots and natural humps while the freeriders will challenge a man-made course, nevertheless the route, trail, and the hurdles are as difficult and as challenging as the downhill biking
The other distinguishable difference is that the bikes of the freeride biking are much lighter than the downhill bikes. Expectedly, the weight of the freeride bikes should be kept lighter because of the many stunts that bikers have to perform. Moreover, bikers who want the try the famous North Shore course has to go through its technical parts that are rather relatively difficult to master. But as soon as any biker will get to master the dexterity and proficiency required in conquering the North Shore course, he or she ahs just certified himself or herself as one of the toughest bikers at least in the world of biking.
Freeride mountain biking is a fun-filled and adventure laden sport that will never fail to amaze anyone who will try it. With all the stunts and the obstacles involve will surely make everyone enjoy a great ride of a lifetime.
If you want to get more information please visit my blog at http://blogonline24.com
High-speed mountain biking down the narrow alleys of Taxco, Mexico – it’s the ‘Down The Hill’ race 2005.
Check out more mountain bikes at Amazon:
Planet Bike 3044 Blaze 1-Watt LED Headlight
- Bright light offers three modes: high, low, and flashing
- Reinforced alloy midsection
- High and low power beam along with SuperFlash flashing mode
- QuickCam bracket mounts, adjusts, or removes in seconds without tools
- Includes two AA batteries
Ideal for safe commuting and for low-light riding, Planet Bike’s Blaze 1-Watt LED headlight will keep your path well lit. The Blaze offers a high and low power beam along with SuperFlash flashing mode, which is highly visible in daylight as well as darker conditions. In addition, the light attaches securely to your bike thanks to the Quick Cam bracket mounts, which adjust or remove in seconds without tools. The Blaze–which offers high/low/flashing run times of 7, 14, 20 hours–runs on two inclu
Rating: 
(out of 48 reviews)
List Price: $ 44.99
Price: $ 35.96
Topeak JoeBlow Max II Floor Bike Pump
- Has a pumping capacity of 120 psi
- Twin head construction
- Weighs 3.53-pounds(1.6-kilogram)
Topeak Joe Blow Floor Pump
Rating: 
(out of 66 reviews)
List Price: $ 27.99
Price: $ 20.24
Planet Bike Blinky “7″ 7-Led Rear Bicycle Light
- 7 Super-bright eXtreme LEDs aimed 5 ways provide 220 degrees of visibility for up to 1 mile
- Flashing and steady mode
- Ultra compact vertical design is weatherproof, light weight and durable
- Includes bike mounts, clip mount and arm strap for multiple mounting options
- Up to 100 hours of run time on 2 AAA batteries (included)
The Planet Bike BRT-7 Taillight features 220 degree visibility and a soft-touch flash/constant/off switch. Features: Soft-touch flash/constant/off switch. 220 degree visibility. Includes batteries, armstrap, and seatpost and seatstay mounts. Brighter LED’s
Rating: (out of 80 reviews)
List Price: $ 19.99
Price: $ 13.99
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Tags: adrenalin rush, dirtjumping, downhill biking, freeride mountain biking, freeriders, mount fromme, mountain bike, thrill seekers
Posted in Best Mountain Bike | 
Tags: adrenalin rush, dirtjumping, downhill biking, freeride mountain biking, freeriders, mount fromme, mountain bike, thrill seekers
16 Responses to “Freeride Mountain Biking”
Review by John Resch for Planet Bike 3044 Blaze 1-Watt LED Headlight
Rating:
I am the type of person who reads the reviews before buying something. I read many reviews on several bike lights. I knew what I wanted to spend and started reading about the lights in my price range. Many of the reviews of this light complained about the way it attaches to the handle bars. I found that this was not a problem. This may be because my Cannondale has thicker handle bars than some of the bikes in the reviews. I am not sure, but it fit easily and securely. The other complaint was about the strength of the light. Most reviews claimed that you would not be able to see very well on a dark trail, but that it was sufficient in a lit city. This is not really the case. I bought two and mounted them easily on my bike. I ride on dark trails at night and have found that even when riding fast I can see really well. This is true even with only one turned on, though I prefer both on at the same time. They don’t light the trail like my Honda CRV, but it is plenty bright. Once while riding through the city I had the lights on strobe so that cars will notice my presence better. They are pretty bright and really show up in the reflective surface of street and stop signs. Two motorcyclists riding in front of me saw this strobe effect and pulled over, only to realize that I wasn’t a cop. They were probably drunk, but that is still pretty bright. I am glad I chose this light. The battery life is also great, especially with rechargeable batteries. As for the people out there bashing this light, yeah it probably isn’t as powerful as one of those $300, $400, or $500 bike lights. However, this light was $32 and more than does the job. If you are looking for car or truck headlight performance, you are not going to get that with a $32 1 watt LED. If you want a very good and reliable bike light for riding at night in and out of the city, this light is gives great bang for the buck! Hope this helps!
Review by David C. Filmer for Planet Bike 3044 Blaze 1-Watt LED Headlight
Rating:
I have both the one-watt Blaze and the 5-LED Beamer lights on my bike (note that I am comparing the one-watt Blaze, not the half-watt Blaze). I use the Blaze for constant-on illumination (to see) and the Beamer as a blinker (to be seen).
First of all, there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THE MOUNT (which is the same for both lights). Please ignore other reviews to the contrary, which were posted by people who are apparently unable to read an instruction sheet.
The mounting strap is ADJUSTABLE. It will accommodate very small handlebars, as well as massively oversized handlebars. If you turn the mounting bracket over and examine the underside, you will see that the mounting strap has ratchet-teeth. There is a keep directly beneath the mount which holds the strap to the desired length. If the mount is too loose, push the strap towards the mount to ratchet it to a smaller size. If the mount is too tight, use a small screwdriver to hold the keep up as you let the strap out. The mount may be further adjusted by turning the set-screw (by turning the cam-lever). Don’t make it too tight, or it will be hard to adjust vertically.
The mount is very secure, yet the lights are easily removed (and can easily double as a flashlight when needed – and you could easily hold it in your teeth for roadside repairs).
Photos of both the Blaze and the Beamer look rather similar – I wondered if they used the same plastic housing. But the Blaze is substantially larger than the Beamer (in both length and diameter, even thought they both use the same size (AA) batteries). As I said before, the mount is the same.
In blinking mode, the Beamer is actually brighter (overall) than the Blaze. This is because the Blaze (wisely) does not flash at full-intensity all of the time (otherwise you would absolutely blind passing motorists). The Blaze mostly flashes at low-intensity, but every sixth or seventh flash is at high-intensity. The Beamer flashes at maximum intensity with each flash, which is brighter than the Blaze for most flashes, but not as bright as the occasional max-flash of the Blaze. Overall, the Beamer is brighter in flash-mode, although I am not sure it is better. But it is sufficient for my needs.
Many bike lights are designed like flashlights, where the beam is really visible only from the front – someone viewing from the side would not see any light from the bulb itself (only the things that the bulb illuminated). Both the Blaze and the Beamer have lens bezels which fully expose the bulb to aspect view, giving these lights about 210-degrees of visibility.
In steady-on mode, there is really no comparison in lighting intensity. The Blaze has a high and low mode for steady-on, while the Beamer has only one steady-on mode. My comparison is only using the Blaze in high-mode. The Blaze’s intensity is why I give it five stars (I gave the Beamer only four stars because it was lacking in comparison).
The Beamer’s steady-on mode is rather hazy and unfocused. The five-bulb light source can be seen in the uneven lighting it produces. The Blaze (which has a single bulb) produces a much whiter and brighter light which is highly uniform. I’m not sure I would recommend the Blaze for absolute pitch-dark riding over difficult surfaces (such as singletrack wilderness and mountain trails), but it is perfectly sufficient for fill-lighting in urban commutes, with occasional very-dark spots. The Beamer is sufficient only for urban fill-lighting – I would not want to use this light in very dark conditions.
If I found myself riding an extended bit of pitch-dark road, I would reconfigure my lights to use the Blaze as a distance light and the Beamer as a close-in light.
Some posters complain that NiMh rechargeable batteries are inferior to alkaline. I am not able to discern any difference in the Blaze. NiMh batteries are 1.2 volts, whereas ordinary batteries are 1.5 volts. However, it is not really voltage, but milliamp-hours (mAh) which determine a battery’s power potential.
The Energizer e2 MiMh batteries can be charged to 2,450 mAh (milliamp-hours), while fresh Energizer Alkaline batteries are rated at 2,850 mAh.. So the difference in power is about 8.75%. I cannot perceive this difference. However, a freshly-charged MiMh battery will ALWAYS out-shine a somewhat-discharged (but still relatively new) alkaline battery. There is a temptation to use disposable alkaline batteries until they are absolutely worthless – thereby depriving ourselves of good lighting (few people toss out batteries because they are only at 91% power – the point at which fresh NiMh batteries exceed their 8.75% discharged alkaline counterparts). It is better, IMO, to have a slightly inferior battery that I can recharge each evening, so I always have an absolutely fresh battery, rather than a disposable battery that may be slightly brighter for the first hour or two, but soon looses ground to a freshly charged NiMh battery.
Review by bjrubble for Planet Bike 3044 Blaze 1-Watt LED Headlight
Rating:
Generally lights in this price range are “be seen” lights (for others to see you) rather than “see” lights (to illuminate the road). This light (barely) crosses the threshold to be considered a “see” light — I can ride at 15mph on a completely dark trail and see enough to feel safe. I couldn’t find any other light as bright for twice the price, making this the best deal in a headlamp that I know of.
The light has several shortcomings, but they only add up to one lost star because the brightness is really the only critical issue:
* There’s little difference between “high” and “low” modes. I haven’t investigated whether this makes a difference in battery life, but the “low” mode seems kind of pointless.
* The “flash” mode is at full brightness. The problem here is that the light is so bright, it creates a disorienting “strobe” effect that actually makes it hard to concentrate on the road. Since you’d only use this mode to be seen, the flash could (and should) be at a much lower intensity.
* The mounting hardware is pretty bad — it’s hard to get the light mounted really securely. (The attachment of the light to the mounting hardware, on the other hand, is pretty good — easy to attach and detach the light even while wearing gloves.)
Review by Mike Tursellino for Planet Bike 3044 Blaze 1-Watt LED Headlight
Rating:
This is a good option for road riding, and commuting on lit streets. I use it for a 45 min workout at dusk. The super flash mode is awesome. Pros – high powered spot, only takes 2 AA batteries (easy to carry spares with you) SUPERFLASH MODE. Cons – mounting is questionable (not for off road use) would be nice to have a wide angle option (sliding or swinging diffuser) works well on headlamps. all in all definitely a good buy.
Review by Alan Walker for Planet Bike 3044 Blaze 1-Watt LED Headlight
Rating:
I ride on rural roads with kangaroos on pitch-black moonless nights.
I have had this light for one week. It scares kangaroos. Truck drivers dip their lights. Motorists slow down and move over.
At a distance of about 20 metres (say 60 feet) the beam is wide enough to light up the whole road. It will pick out reflectors on road side posts at about 400 metres (say quarter of a mile).
The mounting is stable, secure and easy to adjust. The on-off switch is easy to use, even with gloves, and has good tactile feedback. The side illumination is good, to ensure visibility in urban streets, without light shining back into the rider’s eyes.
If you want to look into the beam, get some welding goggles.
Review by P. Bahniuk for Topeak JoeBlow Max II Floor Bike Pump
Rating:
I’ve had this pump for about a month.
Pumps up tires/tubes with Shrader valves OK.
The Presta valve side of the twin head does not work properly with short stemmed Presta valves. It seems that the pump nozzle has difficulty in forming a good seal with short stemmed Presta valves. The pump will only pump up to around 75 PSI into the tire/tube. Pressures beyond 75 PSI appear to “seal” the valve, which prevents further tire/tube inflation. The extra pressure just pressurizes the pump hose only!
Pumping to higher pressures is a bit difficult. Especially when compared to easier working pumps such as Specialized and Blackburn brands which I have also.
Overall it is an average pump.
Not recommended for use with short stemmed Presta valves.
Review by Silverer for Topeak JoeBlow Max II Floor Bike Pump
Rating:
When the pump arrived, it was larger than the impression I had from the picture in the ad. Nice quality of construction. When you place it on a level surface, it stands instead of falling over like many other pumps. The action is very smooth on this pump. On mountain bike tires, each time the pump was stroked a full cycle, it added about 4.5 lbs. of pressure to the tire. Not bad. So if the tire is low, at say 20 psi, it takes only about 7 pumps to bring it up to 50 psi. (This will be different on different size tires, expect to pump a lot more strokes on a car tire). The pressure gauge has a movable collar not visible in the photo that has a red arrow on it. Align the red arrow with the desired pressure, and just pump until the needle is aligned. The valve connector worked well and locked in place without any air leakage. Storage of the hose is well thought out. After clipping the hose in place, it also holds in the handle from unwanted extension if picked up by the handle or laid on its side, also protecting the polished rod by keeping it inside the cylinder. For the money, it looks like you can’t go wrong!
Review by T. Toft for Topeak JoeBlow Max II Floor Bike Pump
Rating:
If you want a simple, reliable, and economical floor pump, you don’t need to look any further. It’s easy to use, works like you’d expect, and I’ve not had any problems with it at all. On top of it’s basic utility, it also provides the means to store its accessories (alternate hose tips) directly on the pump so that you don’t need to risk losing them.
Review by Midwest birdwatcher for Topeak JoeBlow Max II Floor Bike Pump
Rating:
This pump is OK for inflating mountain bike tires to 60 lbs (and the gauge is fairly accurate up to that point), but forget about higher pressures unless you weigh a couple hundred pounds yourself.
Beyond 70 lbs I had to push down on the pump handle and jump off the floor at the same time to force the handle down, three jumps to complete one pump! That worked for a couple of pumps, but at about 80 lbs the handle refused to budge with all of my weight on it (a bit under 150 lbs). The gauge was not accurate and read much higher. I tried several tires thinking I might not have the head seated correctly, and yes I bled the presta valves, but I got the same results.
I ended up filling road tires to 100 lbs with the compact emergency road pump I’ve been using up to this point. I think the “fast, high pressure” and “max 120 psi” advertising is misleading; I wouldn’t recommend this pump for higher tire pressures at all. Niagara’s return policy says they only accept returns in unopened, original packaging, so I guess I’m stuck with it.
Review by Paul Moser for Topeak JoeBlow Max II Floor Bike Pump
Rating:
For the longest time, I had to take my bike to the local gas station to pump my bike tires to 90lbs. I had a small electric air pump that couldn’t get to that high of a pressure. This hand pump was able to get my tires right back up to 90lbs.
Review by K. Yasuhara for Planet Bike Blinky “7″ 7-Led Rear Bicycle Light
Rating:
LEDs generally have very focused beams, so you have to be looking straight at them to see their full brightness. This light cleverly orients seven LEDs in five different directions to cover a pretty wide angle of visibility, horizontally. (Planet Bike claims 220 degrees of visibility.) Three are directed straight back and through lens sections of the transparent red casing for maximum brightness in that direction. The remaining four are directed left, right, and partway between straight back and left/right. Brightness is lower in these side and intermediate directions, but many cheaper blinkers aren’t visible at all from the side, so it’s a start. (I sometimes put another blinker on my pannier side for better side visibility.)
One important consideration is that, as with most LED blinkers, the vertical angle of visibility is very narrow. I recommend mounting this light rigidly and precisely, e.g., on your seatpost or seatstay and not your helmet back or on a seat wedge bag. Adjust the mount and step back from your bike with the blinker running to make sure the LEDs are as bright as possible from the height of an average car driver.
I really like the mount design for this light. The clip is built into the light and does not have to be removed to slide it onto the quick-release bracket, which comes with hardware for mounting on a seatpost or a seatstay. (It’s nice to have the seatstay option, but I don’t do this, since I usually have panniers and prefer mounting the light higher.) The included elastic, velcro band makes it easy to pop the light off your bike and clip it on the back of your upper arm for a nighttime jog. I guess I’ve also seen cyclists with lights strapped to the back of their calves or ankles. Anyway, being able to pop it off the bike mount and clip it to a bag, belt or whatever without messing with a screwdriver or otherwise adding/removing parts is very handy.
The overall package is surprisingly small and light, especially compared to those hefty, five-LED, 2xAA blinkers that seem very popular. The case is easy to open with a coin or key and seems decently sealed with a rubber gasket. Planet Bike claims this light to be “weatherproof”, and I’ve definitely had no trouble riding with it in the rain. The switch design is pretty clever, with a button directly under the bottom section of the transparent plastic case. That section of the case is thin enough to flex when you push on it, letting you operate the button, which stays safely sealed away from the elements. You don’t get a satisfying click, but I think this is a great, inexpensive design for a weatherproof switch.
I’m very happy with this purchase, especially since Planet Bike donates 25% of profits to bike advocacy.
p.s. Check out Planet Bike’s new Blinky Superflash, which is a more expensive, brighter light that’s similar to this one.
Review by SportsMan50 for Planet Bike Blinky “7″ 7-Led Rear Bicycle Light
Rating:
These lights work well, seem to be sturdy in construction and one battery seems to last quite a while. I’m very pleased with them but I couldn’t give them 5 stars due to the design of the white light.
I had been using them for about a week and had to take an extra early ride in to work. It was my first when it was dark out. When I turned on the white light on the handlebars it shone in a wide arc, over 180 degrees up and down and left and right. I couldn’t see because the light was shinning in my face as well as everywhere else.
A piece of black tape on the top part of the light and I was soon on my way. An easy fix to this if it happens to you.
Still riding with it and it is still working well. It’s getting a bit darker every morning this time of year.
As other have noted this light shouldn’t be counted on to light your way in the dark (I usually ride on lighted streets) but it will make you much more visible to others on the road.
Review by The Derrty Egg for Planet Bike Blinky “7″ 7-Led Rear Bicycle Light
Rating:
They are cheap and work great. That is pretty much all there is to these. However, make sure that you are buying these in order to make yourself more visible to drives, and not to make late night rides more visible to you. They do offer some light on your pathway, but not enough to make it worth it if that is your goal. If, like me, you are simply looking for an inexpensive way to keep from getting hit by drivers at night, then this is one of your best choices.
Review by Celeste for Planet Bike Blinky “7″ 7-Led Rear Bicycle Light
Rating:
I have been using this light for a few years now. The clerk at my LBS talked me away from another light and to this one. He thought the light was sufficient and the main selling point was the long battery life. The batteries last so long in this I can forget about them. It is not bright enough to use on an overcast day. I can’t even tell if mine is off or on unless it is pitch black. I live in an urban area where roads are traffic heavy, bicyclist and motorist tensions tend to run high and visibility is often very poor and days very dark. I am switching to a brighter light, even if it means changing the batteries more often.
Review by A. Shea for Planet Bike Blinky “7″ 7-Led Rear Bicycle Light
Rating:
Just got these in the mail, so can’t speak for battery life, but these are really neat for kids bikes. I have a 5 and 8 year old, and they love these little lights. They are about the size of a small egg… not very big at all, but they really are very bright. The headlight bulb fit perfect on the bike and has 3 modes. Push the button once and it flashes (fast like a strobe light), push the button again and the light stays on, push again and turns off. The head light can also be adjusted up or down. Very easy to install and use. The red light does the same except does not adjust once on the bike. My kids were riding in the garage in the dark today having a blast with these lights! I’d even get one for my own bike, if I rode at night. Very fast shipping also.
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