Source: https://www.trailexplorers.co.uk/category/bikes/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 19:41:33+00:00

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Since Trail Explorers opened a lot has changed, we took on new brands and grew the range in store. Every time we did it on the advice of you our customers.
We started with Regatta and Jack Wolfskin for our outdoors range and with Orbea and SCOTT for our Bike range, we also had SCOTT and Aussie Grit for our active wear and Running range. After a few months we realised that our Running department was failing, the demand just was not there.
As with all Independent Businesses to survive you have to act fast and be savvy with your stock. So we shut down the Running department, we also decided to drop Aussie Grit from both our Running and Riding clothing. Why drop a supplier you might ask, its simple, support is a massive thing when starting a business. It doesn’t matter if its the best clothing in the world (And Aussie Grit is very good clothing) if it doesn’t sell and you don’t get support it has to go.
This was a good change for Trail Explorers though, It gave way to a more focused core in Hiking and Biking. With the removal of Running we could bring more high end products to Scarborough.
For our outdoors range we added Montane for their fantastic and world renowned outdoors and sports clothing. We added LifeSystems for their safety and survival kit. Petzl for their lighting. Light My Fire for their quirky and ultra useful camping and survival kit. Trek’ N Eat for our food supplier as if it doesn’t taste good why waste the weight carrying it.
On the bike side of the business we brought in Yeti and Nukeproof. We added Race Face for our core after market parts brand. We then secured Alpine Stars as our MTB Clothing and protection supplier and EVOC for rider packs, and our workshop grew as well as our Cycle Servicing business. This allowed us to became an authorised Sturmey Archer repair centre. We became an official Orbea eBike service Centre for the eBike Motion drive systems.
Feedback has been great, our reviews really speak for the work we have put in. We have 100% positive reviews achieving 5 Star across TrustPilot, Google, Facebook, Yell, Yelp, and Cylex.
v. Leaping off the bike to avoid a more serious crash. Best done into a soft pile of leaves at the side of a trail.
“I went so fast around that berm.”n. A banked corner that can be ridden faster than a flat corner. A very common trail feature.
n. A large jump that requires a lot of commitment.
abbrev. Bike Shaped Object. A cheap bike designed to look like a mountain bike that would have no real off-road use. Often bought from a supermarket.
v. To complete a section of trail without crashing, stopping or taking your feet off the pedals.
v. Quickly taking a foot off your pedal to stop yourself from crashing.
adj. When your set up is perfect allowing you to ride to the top of your ability.
n. A downwards-facing slope that allows you to gain extra speed, it will normally be after a jump.
n. The trail nirvana. A feeling all mountain bikers seek where one obstacle melds into another just perfectly. You know it when you’ve found it.
n. A jump with a hole in the middle, this increases the risk for the rider.
adj. An especially difficult feature.
v. Performing a large jump without any real thought for the consequences.
n. A steep jump that gives you a lot of airtime.
abbrev. Local Bike Shop. Your go-to place for any repairs, upgrades or just a nice chat about bikes.
“The loam here is amazing.”n. A specific type of loose, dry dirt. Desireable for it’s grippy characteristics and the ability to create roost.
adj. To ride on the edge of control.
n. Raised wooden board walks, named after the North Shore area of Vancouver that popularised this style of riding.
adj. Extremely nice bikes or components.
1. v. A technique that allows you to gain speed without pedalling.
v. To ride a corner so well it is as if you are “on rails”.
n. Dirt that is kicked up behind a rider as they ride sideways into a corner.
v. A motocross technique used to keep low and fast over a jump.
v. To repeatedly ride a section until you have perfected it.
v. To ride in an aggressive manner.
n. A jump where the landing is lower than the take off.
n. A jump where the landing is higher than the take off.
1. n. A jump with a flat layer of dirt across the top, this is thought to be more safe than a double or gap jump.
2. n. A trick where the bike is laid flat underneath the rider in the air.
v. When a wheel has been bent by an impact to the extent that it looks like a taco.
v. When the bike is pushed sideways in the air. A whip is seen as a stylish manoeuvre.
spoken. A general expression of excitement.
Mountain biking is great fun because of the huge variety of riding and terrain most mountain bikes can tackle.
That means there’s a whole range of exciting but potentially confusing types of MTB to choose between. Don’t worry though, this guide should help you through all the options to choose the perfect mountain bike for your riding.
quality machine but also include specialist gold medal winners that are up to £5,600 for a fully carbon monster. They’re designed to be efficient and easy to pedal so expect fast rolling tyres and relatively lightweight frames and components. You’ll often find 29in wheels on more expensive XC bikes for a smoother, more speed sustaining ride too.
They’ll have around 80 to 120mm of front and/or rear suspension movement to absorb occasional rocks and roots on your local trails. It also increases grip and improves comfort so you can go faster, for longer with more control. That makes XC bikes great whether you want to get places fast, fancy doing a race or challenge event or if your fitness levels just need a boost from your bike.
Trail bikes blend the easy speed of ‘cross-country’ bikes with the tackle anything technology of ‘enduro’ machines. Up to £1,700, you’re generally best sticking with a front suspension only ‘hardtail’, but from £1,700 upwards it’s worth thinking about front and rear ‘full suspension’ for the extra control and comfort it adds. If we’re talking numbers, suspension travel ranges from 120 to 160mm, head angles should be 69 degrees or less, stems 90mm or shorter and bar widths 700mm or wider.
Look for 650b or 29er wheels, held in place with 15mm front and 12mm rear axles for extra security and stiffness. More aggressive trail bikes will have some features of enduro rigs but they should still be light and pedal well enough to make climbing comfortable and cross-country riding fun. This makes them the greatest ‘have a go hero’ mountain bike that’ll let you tackle any trail or challenge.
Enduro bikes are full suspension trail bikes with extra aggro attitude. Suspension travel is typically longer at 140 to 170mm, bars wider (750mm) and stems can be as short as 30mm. Slack 67 degree or less head angles give power assisted style steering and frames are lowered for high-speed cornering stability. Telescopic ‘dropper’ seatposts let you throw your weight around when things get wild and chainguides keep your power hooked up on the roughest trails. The latest 650b wheel size works really well for enduro but there are really good 26 and 29in wheel bikes too.
These features let you ride and race the maddest courses from trail centre black runs to off piste Alpine terrain in total confidence.‘Trail’ style air suspension and other tough but light kit means they’re responsive enough to be a riot on normal trails. They can still be pedaled back uphill if you’re patient too. This level of technology doesn’t come cheap though, so expect to spend £1,700-plus for even a basic enduro machine and don’t be shocked to see bikes priced at well over £6,900. It’s a cost well worth paying if you want to pack the most gravity assisted, go-anywhere fun into any ride.
Downhill (DH) bikes are the most specialised mountain bikes of all. Their super slack steering (65 degree head angle or less), long and low stance and massive sticky compound tyres can tame the steepest, fastest courses. Huge amounts of suspension (180 to 220mm) via motorbike style, extended leg ‘triple crown’ forks and metal coil spring rear shocks can swallow the biggest drops and rocks at insane speeds.
Their bomber-strong frames and components make them seriously heavy though, and there are no climbing gears. That means you’ll need to push back to the top if there’s no ski lift or uplift truck to help. Specialist high performance components essential to extreme trail survival also means prices start around £3,000. That’s why only true freefall freaks need a full-on DH rig… but the only limit to what they can do on a downhill is you.
Mountain Bikes are tough and versatile machines which are designed to take challenging terrain in their stride. There’s a vast array of Mountain Bikes available from beginner-friendly builds to more specialised models that are equipped with cutting edge technology.
The type of Mountain Bike you choose will depend on the type of riding you do, the terrain you ride and the budget you have. Full Suspension bikes feature a shock at the back and fork up front with various amounts of travel in order to tackle the toughest of trails. Hardtail bikes exchange the rear shock for a rigid frame. They typically use front suspension for some comfort while some race focused hardtails have rigid forks.
Both Hardtail and Full Suspension Mountain Bikes are available in women-specific variants to reflect the different ergonomic needs of female cyclists.
There are many different types of front suspension bikes, some designed as all-rounders and others to cater for specific disciplines. Geometry, strength, suspension travel and components will vary according to what type of riding the bike is intended for, while different frame materials suit rider preferences or the particular demands of a certain branch of the sport. Most budget and mid-range hardtail MTBs will feature a lightweight aluminium frame. Top-end bikes typically use lightweight carbon fibre, while many bike makers also offer steel or titanium frames that appeal to a wide range of riders.
The full-suspension bike has some obvious advantages over the hardtail, with the best of modern suspension designs also virtually eliminating any disadvantages with regard to weight or pedalling efficiency. Because the extra suspension absorbs more of trail obstacles encountered when riding over typical off-road terrain, the bike can typically go faster, with the back end smoothly sucking up the hits rather than being kicked around. The extra cushioning of rear suspension can also offer increased comfort on long-cross country rides, especially helping to minimize lower back and knee pain.

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