Ride the right bike and gear!

[manual63]

http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14685

I posted this today in the freeride thread.

I want to reinforce this as I feel it is extremely important to all. It is very important to have a bicycle that can handle the type and style of riding you do. In my many BMX years, I have experienced and seen bike part failure, some which resulted in serious injury to the rider. And parents, take note of what your kids are doing on a bicycle. It's worth it to spend more money on good beefy bikes or components than to spend it later on medical bills. I saw DJer doing that huge no-handed air on an XC bike and it scares me. Something like the stem breaks and it's not going to be pretty.

So please ride the correct and safest bike for what you are doing. This goes for freeriding, but also goes for some XC people who may be doing stuff in the XX-Loop at Leb or other places similar. Also, make sure you and your kids, if you have any, are riding the correct size bike. This is also a big safety thing.

Anyway, just thought I would stress this. Freeriding is still fairly new and it's important people realize that this type of riding requires a much stronger bike and components that can handle it.

This coming from a guy who usually doesn't wear a helmet......:):laugh:

[SpecHR55]

Man i dont think a 3ft. drop or less will snap/crack a stem or handlebars. If they do i would seriosley sue the pants off that lame company that made it.

[manual63]

Man i dont think a 3ft. drop or less will snap/crack a stem or handlebars. If they do i would seriosley sue the pants off that lame company that made it.

Okay, so if you do everything right and land as smooth as glass, then sure, it will probably hold. But what about those times when the landing isn't just quite perfect....all riders have them, some more than others.

You won't win a lawsuit against a company for bike part failure if you are jumping a bike. Only if a part is obviously defective, but jumping something not designed for that use.....good luck.

[Magic]

Austin, I hope your joking about the "suing comment". It's people and thought's like that, that will kill biking. Nobody told you to do the drop. So if the part fails, it's your fault. Not the company who made the part or the person who made the jump. It is YOU and only YOU.

[jeffgude]

I'm sure everybody has heard it before, but as Keith Bontrager said:

"Light, cheap, strong; pick two."

[nigel]

If anyone actually were to read that owners manual you get with a new bike, there are quite a few things you can do to void that warranty, leaving yourself no right to sue, they cover themselves pretty good. Some even null and void all warranty if you remove the reflectors!

[Wolfchimp]

Like Troy said, I truly hope you are just joking around. I'm not trying to knock you down, just trying to make you realize how ridiculous that comment is. It's sad that our society has gotten all "SUE HAPPY".

[Magic]

Right on brother Porter.

[Jordan M.]

Your post kinda makes sense, but being a 16 year old myself We can't afford to go out and buy 1,000+ bikes and our parents think a bike is a bike. I took my old raleigh m50 off a 8 stair a couple times, Its not the smartest thing to do but I doubt my skinny body could break that frame or stem. But now that I have two jobs I own a thousand dollar xc bike and a decent Dirt jumper that I bought used.

[SpecHR55]

Austin, I hope your joking about the "suing comment". It's people and thought's like that, that will kill biking. Nobody told you to do the drop. So if the part fails, it's your fault. Not the company who made the part or the person who made the jump. It is YOU and only YOU.

Ya i was just kiddin about that, I was saying it figurtivly. Sueing companies is just bad cuz then ya got the wacked out parents B17CHINg about every thing.

peace

[bikeoutback]

Your post kinda makes sense, but being a 16 year old myself We can't afford to go out and buy 1,000+ bikes .

Jordan, I'm 25 with a full time job and can't "afford" to go out and buy a $1000 xc bike or just go drop $1000 on anything, your two bikes up on me already and I wish I could go back to 16 years old, I definatly had alot more expendable income in those days....just wish I could remember what I spent it on... oh well I remember having fun guess thats all that matters!!!

p.s. 10 years ago I thought a bike was just a bike, I'm just now learning the difference thanks to trails like salem, bottoms, leb... and the people on these boards!!

[homebrewbiker]

16 year olds are a lot harder to break than old timers like me (40). So you guys can get away with doing crazy stuff on bikes not meant to withstand the abuse. At least get away with it a little bit easier ;)

[manual63]

Funny, I paid $650.00 for my P.2. Most everything lasted me 1 1/2 years. Then I had to upgrade the fork and a few other minor parts.

You can get a pretty good and strong freeride hardtail these days, for not much money, that can handle drops and jumping a lot better than an XC bike.

[Magic]

You can't put a price tag on fun. When you do, it no longer is FUN. I try to live by this little saying. Sometimes it's hard to with a family and all, but it always seems to work out in the end.

[steef]

This coming from a guy who usually doesn't wear a helmet......:):laugh:

Whew, At least I'm not the only one. I usually wear a bandana which can double as an emergency bandage...