How to Make Your Bike Lighter

Several bikes are made from lighter material but it may that the stiffness is less than the heavier material; the most popular material used for frames are aluminum, hi-ten, and chromolly, and recent days with the carbon fiber in certain bikes. Aluminum is the lighter but at the same time is the weakest than another. But, are there any ways to make the bike lighter without take an attention to the frame? One thing you should remember, that the bike is the combination of several parts which is become one nation, so, you can make the variation in the parts, beside the frame. There are several things you have to remember to make your bike is lighter, check the list below.

#1 - Choose Tire Carefully

Several tires are heavier than others, and you have to choose carefully when you want to install new tire in your mountain bike. Consider also the type of the tire, what kind of bike you want to ride? 29er, 650b, or 26"? You have to decide it first for this, because these wheelsets are different in the weight. Check the previous article about 29er, 650b, and 26" bike here to help you decide what bike is best for you.
#2 - Use Suspension Fork
Of course this part is more expensive than rigid fork, but suspension fork is lighter than rigid fork. Pay attention before you choose suspension fork, because some forks are still heavy enough, so choose carefully the fork as your bike needed.
#3 - Try Tubeless
This no need long explanation, just try and feel the different by yourselves.
#4 - Diet
Hmm..this is dilemma, when your bike is light enough, but you are big, you will face the same problem: it's hard to control the bike. So, before you change the part of your bike with the lighter, I recommend you to reduce your fat first. Sorry to say this, but when you have slim body, you will feel comfortable in doing any activity, include riding activity.

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Cycling Tips #9: Things to Consider - Flat Pedal Shoes

Riding activity is a great activity to spend your weekend after a long day in the office or school, maybe. This activity today becomes more popular in almost around the world with the massive progression of the new bike brands. But, in the riding activity, you have to aware about the safety, not only just happiness, because the riding activity today start to the rocky track, or maybe roots everywhere. Across the jungle till downhill in the unbelievable track. So, the rider have to wear protection kit from head to the foot to protect the body contact or maybe if the rider fall down because the extreme track. Helmet, knee and elbow protector, gloves, and also shoes are the kit that will protect you from the incident you won't expect. Special for shoes, it is quite difficult to choose where shoes is better than other, so, this article will help you to decide where shoes you have to buy, with the several consideration in some aspects of the shoes.

#1 - Rubber Sole

First of all, watch carefully about the sole of the shoes because this is important. Better you choose the shoes that use rubber for the sole, because it can improve the control and stability and leech-like grip while in pedaling. 

#2 - Howling Dogs

Extreme riding activity sometimes will bring you to the muddy and wet place, and of course your shoes will be muddy and wet. If your shoes is like that, you have to do a little treatment for your shoes to avoid your shoes become smell.

#3 - Tread Carefully

Different brand of flat shoes usually have their own method about the way to tread the shoes after the usage, and you have to obey the method to make your shoes have longer time to accompany you across the jungle.

#4 - Size

I think I don't have to explain this. In other words, you are the one who knows about your leg. Find the shoes that comfort in your feet.

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Antoine Bizet's Kona Carbon Operator at Red Bull Rampage 2013

The event of Red Bull Rampage 2013 becomes the way for the rider to show their new machine, like also for the French rider Antoine Bizet with his new DH monster, the Antoine Bizet's Kona Carbon Operator. We must remember his double backflip with his Kona Operator in the last September; now the monster has been improved and ready for the event at Red Bull Rampage 2013. What have been improved by Kona for the Antoine Bizet's Kona Carbon Operator?

The frame of Antoine Bizet's Kona Carbon Operator is more impressive with the usage of Rockshox Vivid Air in the rear shock, with the combination of Rockshox Boxxer for the front suspension. The Kona Carbon Operator for Antoine Bizet also use SRAM X0 short cage rear derailleur, 1x10, SRAM X-SYNC 36 tooth, and Truvativ X0 SRAM crank. This bike is typically a SRAM bikes, because this bike also use brakeset Avid Code series. 

This bike also use internal cable routing system which is integrated to the frame, and the result is the bike is looking stylish and also clear.

photo credit: Nathan Hughes at pinkbike.com

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Cycling Tips #8: Build a Custom Wheelset

Like the bike itself, the development of the parts of the bike has grown very fast and getting sophisticated. Even some parts are priced more than certain bike, and the result is the bike has very complicated and also very expensive. One of the part is the wheelset. Basically all parts are important because when the bike is missing one part, the bike can work as usual; but why wheelset that become the topic today? A consideration about this is that wheelset is the part that most people see after the frames. So, I'm sure that you will be proud if you have a pair of expensive wheelset, or custom wheelset which is only you that own that kind of wheelset. But, are there any considerations when I want to build custom wheelset? What should I notice for that? What are the supporting parts to get best custom wheelset?

Wheel Builder

What does it mean? You have to know first about the difference between handmade product or factory product, because those are very different. But this depends on your taste, where do you want to be installed on your bike. The wheel from factory of course will be produced massively, it means that there are people that own the wheel like yours, but that's not a big problem because you can modify it with your touch. But, choose the handmade wheel will make you looks very custom, because only you that owned the wheel, nobody else. Now, depends on your decision.

Hubs

Don't forget that wheelset is a combination of some parts, and this is the base of the wheel, the hubs. You have to consider several things about the hubs before you installed to your wheelset. What are they; first of all you have to consider the size of the hubs. The recommendation hubs size is 142mm both rear and front. Then you have to find out also the axles of the hubs. Today we know two ways, QR (quick releases) and TA (tappered), and on the biking activity today, QR is the most used in many bikes. Before decide this, you have to see your fork and rear dropout frame design. Consider also the weight/durability; the holes, you have to choose the hubs with the holes same with the holes on the rims. Then for the sweetness, choose the color of the hubs that match with frame or rims.

Rims

You have to decide first what size of the rims you want to use, 29er, 650b, or 26" wheel? You have to learn about this first (see my article about this, here and here), because this is the hottest issue in the world biking today. After you decide the size, take a note about the strength of the rims, weight, width, and think about tubeless or not.

Spokes and Nipples

These are the last parts before your wheelset is ready to be installed on your bike. Choose the color as you like, and the material used for the spokes. If you passed this step, it means that your custom wheelset is ready and be prepared because you will look different with your partners! 

Those are the things you have to be considered when you want to build a custom wheelset. You can make it more different with adding the stickers of you. Oh one more important thing, you have to adjust it with your budget, lest you have build a great custom wheelset, but the fact your budget is minus. Let's make it simple, more money you have, you are free to build a custom wheelset as you like.

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Cycling Tips #7: 29er or 650b (27,5) or 26"? part 1

After Giant announced that they will totally produce the 650b (27,5") in almost all their bikes for 2014, the option in choosing what kind of bikes will be more difficult for some people, especially the beginners; what kind of bike should I choose, the 29er or 650b (27,5) or 26"? This is such an common question for beginners; but there are several things to help for deciding what bikes are fit for you, 29er or 650b (27,5) or 26" mountain bikes. Maybe you have to know it first, before you enter to the deep discussion about this topic and finally find the best set up for your bike. One thing you should remember, no right answer for this question, so you just calm down and enjoy this debate and the hill is waiting for you.

First of all, let's see what offered by 29er for us. The 29er bike is better in the performance when used in over the rocks and roots, it also longer pedal rotation, and then the tire needs more air in the smooth track. The distance between pedals and ground level also higher, so it quite save when you want to ride in the rocky or track with full of rock and roots. But, the bigger size of wheel also make the weight of wheel is increase. The bigger tire also difficult to use for extreme maneuver. And you have to tall enough to be fit with the 29er mountain bike. Those are things to be considered in choosing the 29er mountain bike, and now let's see the 650b or 27.5" mountain bike.

This kind of bike have been adopted by Giant that have released their most popular bikes in this version (27.5") for the 2014 bike lineups. But, what is this bike? Take in the mid place between 29er and 26", what can be done by this bike? Of course, this wheel can be better in the rocks and roots than 26", that is the first. Basically another is same with the 29er offered, with the addition that the parts that special for 27,5 are still rare, but it seems that the era of 650b have to come soon. Another things to consider to decide which bike is good for you is this; just stand over the mirror, look at yourself, because the most important when choosing the bike is you. Yes, dude, You are the most important to make final decision. Let me explain this for you. Ok, let's make easier:

Taller riders: 29er and 650b YES

Mid height riders: 29er, 650b, and 26 YES

Shorter Riders: 650b and 26 YES

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