Calgary Public Library

The art of mountain biking, singletrack skills for all riders, Robert Hurst

eng

Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-132) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The art of mountain biking

electronic resource

bibliographydictionaries

841505029

Robert Hurst

singletrack skills for all riders

An unprecedented new look at mountain biking and trail riding techniques from the author of The Art of Cycling<P style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt>&nbsp;<P style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt>Riding obstacle-strewn singletrack trails on a two-wheeled machine is one of those seductive challenges that can never be fully mastered, even by the most talented and experienced. In The Art of Mountain Biking, Robert Hurst deliberately avoids discussion of equipment, training, and other subjects that have already been beaten to death in mountain bike books and magazines, to focus on the deeply complex art of riding trails. From page to page and switchback to switchback, he chases the complex mysteries that make trail riding so difficultand so rewardingfrom the application of soft power and the biomechanics of balance and vision, to the philosophy of line choice and the Riccatti equations that describe the path of the bike's rear wheel, to the nature of dirt itself. <P style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt> Built on the author's own quarter-century of experience and the tried-and-true wisdom of many other veteran mountain bikers, this environmentalist and darkly humorous manual provides a collection of unexpected knowledge that will be indispensable to both novices and experts. Throughout, Hurst explains with clarity, revelationand a healthy dash of witthe ins and outs of riding a mountain bike

pt. 1. Riding bikes on trails. The soft style -- Wu-Tang mountain biking -- The golden ticket -- The labyrinth -- Cycles -- The empty vessel -- Strange cargo -- A cautionary note on suspension -- Hands -- Notes on bike setup and fit -- Feet -- Toppling over -- Eyes -- What the guru on the top of the mountain says when you go up into his guru area -- Trail vision -- A tale of two lines: front -- A tale of two lines: rear -- Propelling the bike -- Out of the saddle -- Cornering and braking -- A natural history of dirt -- Tires: the interface -- Step up -- Restarting on a steep hill -- The Tetris analogy -- Hazard fixation -- The workout -- Too much -- A good trail will erase your brain -- Confidence and fear -- Mojo workin' -- The dragon and the dirt -- Casualties -- Who crashes? -- Some things to practice -- pt. 2. Logistics. What's in your pack? -- Food and water -- Other stuff -- The group -- Misadventure -- Basic trail etiquette -- pt. 3. The big picture. Too many -- Impact -- Trailism -- The design and destruction of American trails -- Stream crossings -- Mechanical transport