The Passion of Mountain Bikes :: Mountain Bikes Transportation Essays

The Passion of Mountain Bikes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been a decade in the making, but the mountain bike has become a passion for many people. Along with this passion it has also become the most environmental way to get from point A to B. It has gone through a very intense evolution process over the past decade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all started with some guys from California who took their bikes out for a ride on their day off, they modified their bikes and turned a hobby of theirs into a worldwide phenomenon. The mountain bike's rapid increase in popularity was influenced by social and economic situations, and by technological improvements that had the needs of bike riders in mind. The introduction of the mountain bike at a bike convention in Long Beach, California, early in the 1980's coincided with the need for a bike that combined technical superiority, ease of care, and multipurpose use.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technological advances came extremely fast after it's introduction into the world. The advances have made riding mountain bikes easier, which makes it possible for the rider to explore new terrain. I hope that this report will be able to provide some information on the subject of mountain bikes and the advances in technology that the bike has gone through, and what might be in the future of the mountain bike.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The road bike has taken more than a hundred years to evolve into the frame that it is being used on todays bicycle. Because of the increasingly popularity of the mountain bike the demand for advances to be made have come very rapidly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The evolution of the mountain bike has been a stormy one over the past decade. Within one decade the design has changed radically; this is due to three reasons. First , because geometry and design were copied from the first "Stone- Age bikes"; second, because off-road riding created different problems ; and third, because innovative frame design mirrored the "spirit of the times": young, new, dynamic, and strong. The off-road bike required extra stability. Frame   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important to know the basic frame geometry and how to measure it. The combination of tube length and angle determines not only the maneuverability of the bike, but also determines the seating position and the transfer of power. Variances of 1 ° of the headset angle, or a 1' (2cm) difference in the distance between the rear-wheel axle and the center of the bottom bracket, can have very serious consequences. Frame Geometry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The basic elements of frame geometry are: A- Height of the seat tube; B- Length of the top tube; C- Seat-tube angle; D- Headset-tube angle; E- Trail, F-