Mountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle (abbreviated MTB or ATB (all-terrain bicycle)) is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines, on dirt trails, logging roads, and other unpaved environments—activities usually called mountain biking. These bicycles need to be able to withstand the stresses of off-road use with obstacles such as logs and rocks. Most mountain bikes use wheels with rims which are 559mm in ISO sizing, colloquially referred to as "26-inch", although the term is inaccurate as it covers too many rim and tire sizes to be meaningful. Wheels used on mountain bikes usually use wide, knobby tires for good traction on uneven terrain and shock absorption. Since the mid-1990s, front wheel suspension has become the norm and since the late 1990s, full front and rear suspension has become increasingly common. Some mountain bikes are also fitted with bar ends on the handlebars to give extra leverage for hill-climbing.
2011 Tour de France
Johnny Hoogerland, the People's Hero
Bellignat, France (Bicycling.com): With No. 21 pinned to his jersey he could be a team leader. And considering the ovations he's been getting from the crowds lately, he could be Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, even Thomas Voeckler.
But Johnny Hoogerland is none of the above. No, he’s something different; he’s cycling’s most acclaimed martyr.
But Johnny Hoogerland is none of the above. No, he’s something different; he’s cycling’s most acclaimed martyr.
2011 Tour of California
What We Learned at the 2011 Tour of California
The 2011 Amgen Tour of California concluded Sunday in Thousand Oaks with HTC-Highroad’sMatthew Goss taking the stage and RadioShack’s Chris Horner winning the overall title. Here’s the Backseat DS with a wrap-up of what we learned:1. The average age of this year’s ATOC podium is 36, proof that sometimes age trumps youth. But before you start picking them to lead your fantasy cycling Tour de France team, consider that before the Tour of California, Horner and Leipheimer—the race’s two strongest riders—had last raced on April 9.
