If you’re going to spend money on a new mountain bike, it is absolutely worth considering what kind of suspension you want. The difference can be fairly substantial. So let’s take a look at the two options:

Front Suspension

There are advantages to a front suspension bike. Pedaling is generally more efficient, especially on smooth ground (ideal for road or light off-road riding). They are also lighter than their full cousins, and in tend to require less maintenance. If you plan on doing long distance biking, on generally smooth conditions, the hardtail is probably the optimal choice. They are also prized for dirt jumping, because they provide better performance jump to jump.

Full Suspension

Front-and-rear suspension mountain bikes are generally more comfortable and controllable to ride. By combining front- and rear-wheel shocks, a full suspension ensures maximum distribution of weight, which means hitting those bumps is a lot easier on your body. This is especially important if you plan to do rough-terrain biking or serious downhill rides.

There is a drawback, however: adding additional shocks adds an inevitable weight to the bike. Serious mountain bikes tend to be pretty hefty to begin with, so further weight is a legitimate issue. Additionally, a full suspension is going to be more expensive than the hardtail, if only because you’re doubling the equipment.

Conclusion:

In the end, it all comes down to how you plan on riding. If you’re looking for a bike for basic or road conditions, you’re probably better off with the front suspension. But if you plan on tackling serious terrain, we strongly recommend spending the extra dollars for a full suspension.

I have spoken with and email a lot of clients who are in a “slump” and not riding up to their potential. Slumps can be really hard to break out of but if you can identify the cause of the slump it is easier to reverse.

Often slumps are a skills issue brought on by losing competence in the core skills, if you think this may be the cause of the slump return to your drills and spend a little more time practicing the core skills.
If you are riding well but crashing in races or when losing focus it is usually a mental issue. In the mental case there are usually one of two things going on. The first issue is often a lack of focus or concentration. If you find yourself riding the tough sections well and crashing on the easy parts of the trail this lack of concentration is often the culprit. To control your focus create a pre-ride/pre-race routine that helps you put away your everyday life and focus on the ride.

The second mental cause of crashing is a confidence issue that can be cyclical (you are not riding confidently so you fall which further lowers your confidence and the cycle repeats). These are the toughest slumps to break but it can be done. To break this type of slump you need to rely on three things, a past history search, a new focus and a break in the pattern. A past history search is simply remembering how hard you have been training, reliving your successes and remembering how good a rider you really are. Combine this with a new focus on what you want to do (often in a slump people will set goals like, “just don’t crash”. This sets them up for failure by focusing on the negative. So set goals such as, “ride my best and rip all the corners”). To break the pattern use your new goal in your training and every time you rail a section compliment yourself (“that was more like it.” “I am ripping again.” “I love riding bikes.” “I am riding really well.” Etc).

Orbea-For Goodness Sakes! have always been committed to nourishing young biking talent as well as supporting experienced riders in their cycling career. Steve Charles is the manager of the men’s team and is excited about the prospects of the individual members and the team as a whole. The guys have already clicked on and off the bikes in preparation for their training camp in Mallorca at the end of February. With a hard winter of training behind them the team and the coaches are hopeful that they will be bringing some medals home after the European and domestic competitions have finished.

For the women’s team, the future looks bright for Orbea-For Goodness Shakes! as there are some world championship and Olympic medal hopes amongst the girls. Rebecca Romero who already has an Olympic gold medal in the pursuit event has brought fresh energy to the team that already included world champion, Janet Birkmyre and other up-and-coming bikers including Emilie Fisher and Cassie Gledhill.

Both teams are hoping to win prizes in time trials, on the road and on the tracks. The riders have put their success so far down to the fantastic support that their sponsors have shown and the brilliant Orbea mountain bikes and road bikes which they use for training and competition.

However, if you are using this bike for competitions and for rough terrains then you should keep in mind its proper maintenance and upgrading time to time. Recently, standard mountain bikes are available with quality material and all required features. However, if you do not have some features, you can simply upgrade your bike according to the demands and needs. Moreover, if any part of your bicycle is damaged, you should upgrade it immediately to keep great efficiency while taking a ride.

Another thing to remember is that upgrading is important to decrease the weight of your bike. Remember, if you have a heavy frame bike then the efficiency of your bike would be decreased. On the other hand, light frame mountain bike offers greater speed, flexibility and jumps without any jerk and damage. Light weight bikes offer comfort and faster cycling to the user. Moreover, climbing on steep and sharp road would be easy for the rider with the help of light weight bikes.

Upgrading can also change your entire bike. You can get entirely unique and new bike with the help of it. Upgrading can prove to be an experiment as well. So, it is very important to select new parts and frame carefully while upgrading your bike. Do not go blindly for any item. Always consider those you really think better for your bike. Moreover, if there are so many parts you feel to replace then carefully calculate their cost. If it costs more than half then it is advisable and wise to buy a new bike.