Mountain Bikes Hub

Mountain Biking : It was in July 1, 2006

had thoroughly enjoyed my guided bicycle tour with Ça Roule and Bruno, a licensed city guide from Guidatour, really introduced Montreal up close to us. And my own independent explorations of the bicycle trail along the Lachine Canal introduced me to a side of Montreal I had never been exposed to. After returning my bike after a full day of exercise I wanted to find out a bit more about who is behind this operation, Ça Roule, or Montreal on Wheels, as it is known in English.

Montreal, by the way, is a fabulous city to explore by bicycle. The Old Port area, the bicycle path network along the Lachine Canal and alongside the St. Lawrence River, as well as the islands of Ile St. Hélène and Parc Jean Drapeau in the St. Lawrence are eminently bikeable. Of course the trail network on Mont Royal also adds some interesting terrain for cycling enthusiasts and many of Montreal’s quaint neighbourhoods lend themselves perfectly to be discovered en vélo. Montreal was actually voted the number 1 city for bicyclists in 1999 by Bicycling magazine.

Ça Roule is a Bicycle Rental and Touring Shop located on the harbour front boulevard at 27 De La Commune Est. André Giroux, the owner, created this company 12 years ago. He originally studied law and spent 7 years as a lawyer, specialized in litigation and legal consulting for large real estate developers. As an avid sports person, André plays hockey and tennis and he really enjoys cycling and in 1994 he decided to open a small rental store that initially focused on renting roller blades, a big craze in the mid 1990s. His original stable of equipment also included 12 bicycles. In the meantime his fleet has grown to more than 70 bicycles which include touring bikes, tandems, trail bikes, electric bikes and electric scooters. His store also rents kids trailers and child carriers.

I asked him what the name “Ça Roule” actually means and he explained that this French phrase literally means “it’s rolling”, but is generally understood as “it’s going well”, “it’s running well”. He explained that his store specializes in customer service, his staff is knowledgeable, and they are available to provide advice on all sorts of biking activities in and around Montreal. Everyone gets outfitted with a city-wide cycling map and a free bottle of water is included in every tour.

His customers come from all over the world including the USA, the rest of Canada and a wide variety of European countries. Even Australian, Korean and Japanese travelers rent muscle-powered equipment from him and many of his clients are referred by hotels and the Montreal Tourist Office. In addition he also offers bicycle repairs and some of his repair clients are part of the 3500 permanent residents that now live in Old Montreal, or employees that work in Old Montreal and commute there by bicycle.

Ça Rule has six staff members: two bicycle repair technicians and four tour leaders. Recently he has started to collaborate with Guidatour and both companies combined have developed an Official City Tour By Bike that is led by a licensed tour guide. This morning I participated in this official city tour and in my opinion exploring a city by bike has to be one of the best ways of discovering a new place.

In any northern country, the bicycling business is seasonal, and the high season at Ça Roule goes from May to October, sometimes stretching into November, depending on the weather. During the winter André works on updating the website and preparing the strategies for the next business years and last year he had a chance to go to Florida for 3 weeks. During the summer the shop is very busy and André and his staff members work very had, but he tries to go out bicycling himself in the evenings between 7 and 8 pm. He loves to cycle over to Montreal’s islands: Ile St. Hélène and Jean Drapeau Park.

André also pointed out that Ça Roule is able to offer customized bicycle tours. One time a group of people asked to start a tour on top of Mont Royal. So he rented a cargo van and carted several bikes up to the top of the mountain so the tour group could start their ride at their intended starting point. All sorts of special assignments can be done, they might just require a bit of notice to organize.

With all this exercise I was ready for a very solid dinner, so I thanked André for his time and for putting on the Official Guide City Tour, one of the best ways of getting to know the city and continued my explorations of Montreal on this Canada Day.

For the entire article including photos please visit

Other bike related topics: Kids Mountain Bikes, Mountain Bike Fork and Women Mountain Bikes

http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/montreal_ca_roule.htm

Susanne Pacher

http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hello-from-montreal-part-11–a-chat-with-andreacute-giroux-owner-of-ccedila-roule-bicyle-rentals-93325.html

Technorati Tags: Ça Roule, Lachine Canal, Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking , For the Adventure Loving Lot

Mountain biking, as the name suggests, is a biking sport in which bicycle-riders ride along mountain trails. Biking through a mountain terrain is pure fun, but it also has its share of adventure and excitement. The best-known locations for biking in mountainous surroundings have unpaved surfaces and so you need to be an expert biker to truly experience the thrill.

History

Since their invention, bicycles have been used on all terrains, including rugged mountainous territories. However, it was not until 1970s that biking in the mountains became an organized sport. Groups of bicycle-riders from different parts of the United States played a pivotal role in the evolution of this thrilling biking-sport – experimenting with Best Mountain Bikes of different makes and modifying them so that they could take the rigors of riding in the uneven, craggy mountainous lands.

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, however, bestows the honor to a group of bikers in Marin County, California. The group (consisting of famous names in this field like Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Keith Bontrager and Otis Guy among others) undertook bike-ride down Mount Tamalpais (Mt Tam) on old 1930s and 40s Schwinn bicycles retrofitted with advanced brakes and fat tires.

The first ‘proper’ mountain bike was built by Joe Breeze in 1977. The present-day mountain bikes are based on the bicycle first marketed by the MountainBikes Company. The frame of this particular bike was built by Tom Ritchey and it was accessorized by Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly.

Types

Bikers usually engage in four different kinds of cycling tours in the mountains:

1. Cross-Country (or XC) biking is the most familiar type mountain riding sport and naturally has the maximum number of followers. The sport involves riding between points or in loops. It includes ascents and descents on different terrains. (Cross-Country racing competitions are different from cross-country biking). A typical XC bike weighs some 22-28 lbs and it has 0-4 inches of suspension travel front and rear.

2. Freeride is the other popular type of biking in mountain trails. It restricts the biker with no specific rules rather allows the rider to do ‘anything and everything’ – downhill rides (without clock), jumps, stunts – that require skill and are hence meant for professionals. Freeride biking requires the rider to assemble the bike as per convenience and style, but these bikes are a bit heavier (weighing between 30 and 40 lbs) and are amply suspended (generally has 6 inches of suspension front and rear).

3. Downhill, as the name suggests, involves riding mountain bikes downhill. It is generally associated with racing-oriented downhill riding. Downhill biking does not require the rider to pedal up the hill. The bikers along with their bikes are transported up the hill with the help of a truck or ski-lift. The downhill climb is indeed challenging including jumps and drops as well as physical hindrances. Tough mentality, physical strength, swiftness and mounted heavy bikes weighing some 40-50 lbs make you eligible for these races.

4. Trials riding, which is quite similar to skateboarding, involves hopping and jumping over obstacles with your bike. It demands great sense of balance and control. The riders make use of special bikes that make use of 20″, 24″ or 26″ wheels fitted to small, low frames.

The following tips will prove helpful if you are planning a bicycle-trip in the rocky, hilly terrains for the first time:

1. You must have stamina and endurance to bike down a mountain.

2. Selection of a superior quality bike, especially one that perfectly meets your type of mountain riding is also very crucial.

3. You cannot avoid minor cuts and bruises but you can certainly prevent major mishaps by resorting to precautionary measures, buying yourself some protection in the form of helmets, knee-caps and elbow-caps. A good pair of goggles will also prove handy.

4. Special competitions are organized by various mountain bikers’ groups and you can join in with them. If you choose to go on your own, you will need to collect all relevant information – routes, rules, et al.

5. Whether you go with a bikers’ group or go biking all by yourself, you must remember to carry your equipment kit so that you can take care of all your bicycle-repairs.

Other related topic: Kids Mountain Bikes, Mountain Bike Fork, Women Mountain Bikes

Robert Sheehan

http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/mountain-biking-for-the-adventure-loving-lot-92136.html

Technorati Tags: Best Mountain Bike, Charlie Kelly, Cross-Country (or XC) biking, Downhill, Freeride, Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Keith Bontrager, Mount Tamalpais, Mountain Biking, Otis Guy, Tom Ritchey, Trials riding

Replacing Mountain Bike Components

Best Mountain Bike: Enthusiasts of mountain biking are always searching for new ways to help make their bike riding better. This may include making their bike more controllable, more comfortable to ride, or faster. Serious mountain bikers are always looking at the newest technologies available to help make their mountain biking more fun. The best way to find the most up-to-date components is to visit one of the many trustworthy bicycle shops online.

Adding a new saddle to your mountain bike can help to make it much more comfortable. This is an easy way to add comfort to your bike and saddles come in many different styles and designs to help you find the one that will make you the most comfortable. They come in styles especially for women mountain bikes and they come in styles that are made especially for men and Kids Mountain Bikes. Another easy way to help make your bike feel better is to adjust the handlebars. If you heighten them by just a few inches, it can allow you to be upright more, which is more comfortable for some riders.

If you have been biking for a while, then you know that you need to base your tire tread choice on the terrain that you are going to be riding. This helps you to have maximum control of your bicycle. For stopping your bike, you want to choose a high quality V-type brake for your bike.

Most mountain bikers would put the suspension system and shocks at the top of their list of most important components. If you have good shocks, then you can withstand the hilly terrain that most trails offer and can enjoy the ride without pain. If you want to make your bike more controllable, then you may want to replace some of the heavier components on your bike with those made of aluminum of titanium. This can also help you to go faster, which makes more riders very happy. You can find all of these components at your local bike shop or online.

If your bike is not riding like it did when you first got it or if you want to make it more fun to ride, then you will find that replacing just a few things can make a big impact. Whether you are trying to make your bicycle more comfortable, easier to control, or faster, you can just change a few components to give you a big bang for your buck. Your local bicycle shop should be able to help you find the parts that you need to make your bike feel like new.

If your goals are to ride faster and to increase control, then you will find that reducing the weight of your bike can make a huge difference. If you replace some of the heavier components with some more high-tech materials, like titanium, carbon fiber, or aluminum, you can make a big difference in the control and quickness of your ride.

Other related topics: Mountain Bike Clothing, Mountain Bike Fork

Alastair Hamilton

http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/replacing-mountain-bike-components-102918.html

Technorati Tags: bicycle shops online, Enthusiasts of mountain biking, handlebars, high quality V-type brake, Mountain Bike Components, mountain bikers, Mountain Biking, Replacing Mountain Bike Components, saddle