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PART II
SECTION C.
MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDING
See also APPENDIX B. Maximum Fork Length.
See also SECTION B. Intended Use.
OFF-ROAD RIDING
Off road riding usually involves many, many
variables such as constantly changing traction,
obstacles, changes in line of sight, up hill, down
hill, soft surfaces, dry surfaces, wet surfaces.
Off road riding requires managing a complex and
constantly changing rider–to-bicycle feedback
loop of traction, weight distribution, application
of power, application of brakes and steering driven
by the conditions one encounters. The complexity
and ever-changing nature of off road riding requires
focus, concentration, strength, fitness and learning
to read the trail. The art of managing all this while
surrounded by nature makes this a challenging and
wonderful sport.
If you have ridden your mountain bike on a paved
road, or on a gravel or dirt road, you have done
very little in the way of learning to mountain bike.
Learning to ride off road is a process. It does not
automatically occur because you have a mountain
bike. Learning to ride off road does not come from
watching “extreme” mountain bike videos or TV.
In fact the riders in those films are professional
entertainers and/or daredevils, not teachers.
WARNING
MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDING IS VERY DIFFERENT
FROM RIDING A BIKE ON THE ROAD.
For starters, it is almost certain you will fall off.
Get training! Join a club and find experienced
people to teach you. It is likely that your retailer
can hook you up with local rides. Practice and
learn to stay in control. Carefully, progressively,
learn to expand your limits, but always ride
within them.
BIKE TYPES
WARNING
PICK A MOUNTAIN BIKE FOR HOW YOU WILL
RIDE.
There are now many different kinds of
“mountain bikes.” Cannondale makes mountain
bikes ranging from the light, nimble Rush and
Scalpels, designed for cross country (XC) racing,
to our rugged, long-travel freeride bikes. A
Scalpel is not designed for freeride! If you
try using your bike for something it was not
intended, you may break it with risk of serious
injury, paralysis or death.
Matching the intended use of any kind of
mountain bike to your expected riding is import.
Read PART II SECTION B. INTENDED USE.
INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE ROUTINES
WARNING
MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDING IS VERY HARD ON
BIKES.
MOUNTAIN BIKES NEED FREQUENT CLEANING,
MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION.
Clean your bike after every ride and conduct a
pre-ride inspection before every ride. Detailed
inspection as outlined in
PART II SECTION D
. in
this manual is needed more often than for road
bikes. Failure to keep up with maintenance and
inspection increases the risk of an accident, with
risk of serious injury, paralysis or death.
