Skiing Resorts For Mountain Biking In Summer

This year was a good one for ski resorts around the world. Europe has been blessed with some great dumps of snow this year and America hasn’t done too badly either. The same cannot be said for Canada however, although they have had great snow for as many years as we can remember so it was about time they had a bad season. The majority of ski resort owners where made very happy this year as the looming recession threatened to make the slopes a very lonely place to be. The simple realization however that they could potentially be soon facing financial problems led many to explore other ways to make money in the summer months.

The U.S introduced a bill to Congress recently which would increase the ease at which local ski areas could build and maintain summertime activities. Not to be left behind, European resorts are looking into doing the same. Currently a successful ski resort might earn around 15% of their money during the summer time. This percentage could be vastly increased if the resorts where used for a much wider and diverse range of sports and events. The activity that has generated the most buzz and excitement around introducing it has been mountain biking

There are often mountain bike trails at the base of ski mountains already and used mountain bikes shops dotted around the areas. This would make the sport very accessible to locals and visitors alike as they wouldn’t have to buy their own gear, just rent it as they would a pair of skis. The proposed idea however is for mountain biking a little more on the extreme sports side of things, utilising the ski lifts that are already in place to host downhill mountain biking events and competitions on the steep runs.

Roger Joules who runs one of Lake Tahoe’s ski resorts says “mountain bikers have been looking for some steep and challenging runs and our slopes are perfect for that in the summer. If we charge a small amount for the use of our lifts then it’s a situation where both parties win”

Different Types Of Mountain Bikes

A mountain bike should always have a proper full suspension system. It is important because it helps absorb the shock when going over rugged terrain and helps to provide a smoother ride. You will find that full suspension bikes have both a front and back suspension. Hard tail mountain bikes have a shock system in place of the front fork and a solid rear fork. Bikes without a suspension at all tend to be fairly lower end mountain bikes.

A cross country rider will need a bike with both descending and climbing ability. The rear suspension will only move about 4 inches so that it doesn’t cause a problem when trying to climb uphill. Cross country bikes have 28 gears as standard which provide a wide greater options for travelling over different terrain.

If you are a more technical mountain bike rider you will probably need a trial bike as they are a little more robust. The movement in the suspension can be between 4 inches and 7 inches. Uphill pedaling will be more difficult but you will in general get a much smoother ride. You will need to decide whether it is worth having a smoother ride against the struggle of pedaling uphill. Trek Track Bikes is a great place to look on the internet for all terrain bikes.

If you will mainly be using your bike for going downhill you can expect up to 8 inches in suspension movement. It is these type of mountain bikes which are specifically designed for racing downhill. A downhill bike with more movement in the suspension is easier to control going downhill but a lot more difficult to pedal going uphill.

Another variety of mountain bike would be the dirt jump bikes. A dirt jump bike are used for jumping and only have a front suspension. These type of bikes are built for speed and usually come with 16 gears.