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THE ART OF MOUNTAIN BIKING: SINGLETRACK SKILLS FOR ALL RIDERS 2011 No matter how many years/miles you ride, you'll never master the unique art of riding a two-wheeled machine on a skinny, rocky trail in the mountains. No matter how good you get, skill and strength advancing by leaps and bounds, the trail will always be a little bit better. This book leaves few 'babyheads' unturned in its quest to provide useful trail-riding tips for all riders, from beginner to expert. Robert Hurst's love for the mountains, the trails and the bottomless challenge of riding them shines through in this darkly humorous manual. BUY IT NOW: AMAZON, BARNES N NOBLE, TATTERED COVER, POWELL'S. |
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DECEMBER 13, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS |
 INTRODUCTION: 1982 PART 1: RIDING BIKES ON TRAILS The Soft Style 2 Wu-Tang Mountain Biking 4 The Golden Ticket 6 The Labyrinth 7 Cycles 9 The Empty Vessel 11 Strange Cargo 14 A Cautionary Note on Suspension 16 Hands 17 Notes on Bike Setup and Fit 19 Feet 22 Toppling Over 24 Eyes 24 Trail Vision 27 What the Guru on the Top of the Mountain Says When You Go Up Into His Guru Area 25 A Tale of Two Lines: Rear 33 A Tale of Two Lines: Front 29 Propelling the Bike 35 Out of the Saddle 39 
Cornering and Braking 41 A Natural History of Dirt 45 Tires: The Interface 49 Step Up 52 Restarting on a Steep Hill 56 The Tetris Analogy 59 Hazard Fixation 60 The Workout 62 Too Much 66 A Good Trail Will Erase Your Brain 67 Confidence and Fear 72 Mojo Workin' 73 The Dragon and the Dirt 75 Casualties 76 Who Crashes? 78 Some Things to Practice 78
PART 2: LOGISTICS What's In Your Pack? 82 
Food and Water 85 Other Stuff 87 The Group 88 Misadventure 91 Basic Trail Etiquette 95
PART 3: THE BIG PICTURE Too Many 100 Impact 102 Trailism 103 The Design and Destruction of American Trails 104 Stream Crossings 106 Mechanical Transport 107 
Epilogue: The Window 111 Appendix A: Buying a Mountain Bike 115 Appendix B: Two Nine 119 Appendix C: Glossary 121 Notes 124 Index 132
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NOVEMBER 13, 2011 INDEX TIME |
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The index of this new book The Art of Mountain Biking is unfortunately not quite as wacked out as the index behind The Cyclist's Manifesto, but there is some fun stuff in there. A few highlights:
I couldn't wait four pages to start in with the Jackie Chan, apparently. There is a strong martial arts theme running through the book. Both Hendrix and London had some things to say about floatation. And of course there are also appearances by actual mountain biking heroes, Alison Dunlap, Wiens, Overend, etc. As you might guess from some of these entries, The Art of Mountain Biking is a 'holistic' how-to guide for riding singletrack. I tried to look at some previously glossed-over yet critical aspects of the sport from new angles -- or very old angles as the case may be -- and I think the book just might help to unravel some of the persistent mysteries of mountain bike trail riding, for beginners as well as vets. The Art of Mountain Biking is up there on the shelves right now, splattered with mud and feeling a little self-conscious around all those clean-smelling comrades. BUY IT NOW!!! AMAZON, BARNES N NOBLE, TATTERED COVER, POWELL'S. Thanks.
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Like many of you, I've been transfixed by events so far in 2011. We see several oppressive oil-rich states struggling to the brink of all-out war against courageous citizens who refuse to take it any more. Saudi troops in Bahrain, the enemy -- freedom. Bombing missions seemingly about to start over Libya. The oil markets are roiling with uncertainty. We see massively indebted world powers struggling against the forces of nature to maintain their lifeblood, cheap energy, to the point of meltdown and blowout. Cheap energy isn't really very cheap, is it? Not any more. Meanwhile, I've been wrestling with a subject that can be known only to the terminally comfortable and secure. A subject that depends on affluence and cheap energy for its very existence. Something that is, in a roundabout way, under attack by current events: Mountain biking.
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To give some idea of the mind-warpitude with which its readers will be grappling, I proudly present a stunted bibliography for my new book. Referenced are several how-to guides by notable practictioners of the sport, as you might expect. There are also books about motorcycle racing, horseback riding, rock climbing, tennis, skiing, martial arts and other activities which are among the many cousins of the elusive art of mountain biking. And of course there are a few works of history, natural and otherwise. Plus Gray's Anatomy and a book about Ted Bundy.
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READ MORE ABOUT IT. SHOP FOR IT ON AMAZON, BARNES N NOBLE,TATTERED COVER, POWELL'S. |
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