Searching out some videos for posting in the Mountain Biking Videos catagory here at Pailheadweb.com I stumbled upon this fantastic site with tons of mountain biking videos - www.mpora.com

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Whether you’re into Skate, Surf, Snow, Mountain Biking, Motocross or BMX - Mpora has it all covered.

The original home of action sports, Mpora scours the web to make sure that you have access to the best content, the best locations, and the best riders around.

For the first time on the web, you can now see an interactive map of the action sports world. Pick your sport, work out where you want to go, and we”ll show you where it’’s at. Add to our map, build your own map, or simply comment on what is already there: the action sports playground is now open.

But Mpora is more than just a map. By creating your own profile, you can upload your videos and photos to the site. From now on, you”ll be able to share your best - and worst - moments with your mates, and let the world see you in action.

Or just see how the best do it. Because across Mpora will be a selection of clips from some of the best riders at some of the biggest events in the action sports calendar.

And when you’ve done watching the action, you can talk about it in the forums. Chat to fellow riders about issues that are getting under your skin, ask them questions or simply hang out.

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Cinco de Mayo, The 5th of May, The Day of the Dead, what ever you choose to call it, it is a day of celebration. A day to party…

Well this year it was on a Monday, not much of a day for a party. So a bit of a different ride was in order. Starting out on the north side of Rochester, Michigan rather than starting out on the south side, as usual.

Doing this eliminated the need to climb the ridge on the south side of Rochester, which is a royal pain. You really get an idea of the size of the ridge when you click the Display Elevation button on the maps. The royal pain it is to climb, there is of course the great reward of bombing down it. There are plenty of choices when it comes to riding down, adding to the greatness. The best choices are found in Bloomer Park.

Riding this route still featured the single track along the Clinton river, Stoney Creek, and the techincal sections behind Yates Cider Mill. Riding in downtown Rochester is a good time as well. Being that it was Cinco de Mayo, a pit stop at the Paint Creek Tavern was a perfect choice. I highly recommend the Cobb Salad and…

The begining / end of this route incudes a section of the Paint Creek Trail. The good thing about this trail is it’s easy to ride at night.

Nate scares the Beavers…

Nice Decline!

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It is always a great idea to carry some basic tools on long rides no matter what your sport. Whether you ride motorcycles, roadbikes, mountain bikes, heck even a unicycle…be PREPARED!

At least that was the thought when I purchased the Blackburn Airfix CO2 Pump with integrated Multitool. This thing has really saved my butt a few times on the trail already. I have repaired a chain more than once on the trail with it, and learned a trick or two about working with the chain tool. DO NOT TAKE THE PIN ALL THE WAY OUT! With that said, I must say that it is a very well designed tool that seems to be for sale at most all local bike shops. Which now brings me to my next point.

REFILLS - last summer and this spring my most frequented bike shops (which did still have this tool for sale) did not have the proper CO2 refills in stock. After using up the ones that came with it, the Blackburn Airfix Multitool / CO2 Pump is nothing to me now but a Backburn Multi-tool that used to pump up tires at one time. Well the wait is over and the time has come…if the bike shops do not want to sell me the refills, I guess they force me to make the purchase online. I found them for sale at Jensons, check it out! Price was decent to!

BLACKBURN AIRFIX CO2 PUMP/MULTITOOL Price: $19.00 (AS OF 4/29/2008) By combining nine must-have tools with a powerful CO2 inflator, the AirFix puts everything you need in the palm of your hand.

BLACKBURN AIRFIX/SHOT REFILL CARTRIDGE Price: 3.00 (AS OF 4/29/2008) Blackburn 16g threadless CO2 cartridge.

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After years of riding my shins are missing chunks. Years of BMX with good ole’ Bear Trap pedals have take their toll. as a cheap peice of mind I have decided to invest in a set of shin / knee guards. The objective here is to spend as little as possiable, get the most protection while not being able to notice they are there. I am not sure how successful I will be at finding something to fill all those criteria…but we’ll see. I have narrowed down my choices to two different brands of shin / knee pads. The Fox Racing Standard Knee/Shin Guard and the SHIFT Knee/Shin Guards. Both are priced very fairly with the SHIFT brand coming in cheaper at $12.95 (as of 04/22/2008). The Fox shin guards are priced at 14.95 (as of 04/22/2008). As I as get some time wearing them in expect to find more in the comments of this post…

CLICK TO ENLARGE Fox Racing Standard Knee/Shin Guard Adult High impact plastic shells with high density foam padding for superior quality and comfort. Adjustable elastic straps with hook and loops close for secure fit. $14.95 as of 4/22/2008

CLICK TO ENLARGE Shift Knee/Shin Guards Adult Two-piece hard plastic shell construction. Comfortable perforated foam backing and abrasion resistant binding. Elastic adjustment straps with Velcro fasteners. Vented for comfort and breathability. $12.95 as of 4/22/2008

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The first thing on my list to purchase this 2008 season is a new helmet. Not because my old helmet is tired and wore out, but because I have never owned a bicycle helmet. The only time I personally ever wore a helmet on bicycle was while racing BMX in the late 70’s early 80’s. The NBL rules mandated that all riders wore a helmet. To meet the needs of this rule most every rider wore a heavy and hot motorcycle helmet. Welcome to 2008. I am still riding bicycles. The last sanctioned bike event, race, or anything of the sort is now just a foggy memory of good times past. Granted I am a bit older, but I still find myself trying and doing things on a bike that I really should not be doing…even with a helmet. So I have decided that this is the year I get smart. And for the record, this has absolutely nothing to do with all the stink/evil eyes thrown at me on the trail. I don’t like a helmet. DEAL WITH IT. Yeah, I might fall. Yeah, I might hit my head. Yeah, unfortunately, I may need to be carried out of the trails. But you, with your fancy helmet…you too can just as easily find yourself in the same situation. But none the less the hunt is on for a comfortable and cool (in all senses of the word) helmet. Research has narrowed my choice to two helmets. The Fox Flux Bike Helmet and the 2006 Giro Xen Mountain Bike Helmet. I have owned many Fox products over the years and have always found them to be of the highest quality with very few if any problems. Giro, well I have personally never owned anything manufactured by them, but have been witness to many friends who have used Giro helmets. Not one person has complained about Giro. Seems both helmets pass the test here. Next on the list of important things for me to consider is style. Looking at the two helmets, I think the Fox Flux clearly pulls of a win here. The Fox Flux includes visor and a rear spoiler. Good thing it has the rear spoiler. I know it has to have huge effects at 15 mph. Look cool anyway. Available in 3 finishes - Black Camo, Stone Camo, and good ole Black. Price as always is a big factor. The disappointment here is with the Giro Xen. Clearly stated in the title is 2006. Should be a bit more of a price reduction I would think. But non the less the Xen beats out the fox by a measly 5 bux…close enough to call it a tie I would say.

Fox Flux Bike Helmet - $ 99.95 The Fox Flux helmet is a new pursuit for the company. It’s a helmet that combines the freestyle shape with cross country ventilation, taking the best from both worlds into a unique skid lid that looks good on the trails, on the ramps, in the parking lot, even riding down the street.

2006 Giro Xen Mountain Bike Helmet - $ 94.99 Cross country helmet with the extra coverage of a skate helmet

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All Mountain CLIMB HIGHER; DESCEND FARTHER. With six inches of plush travel and totally integrated suspension components, the Enduro® SL begs you to climb higher and descend farther.Inside Tech The SL’s incredibly rigid E150 fork boasts a category leading stiffness-to-weight ratio, guaranteeing telepathic handling and faster accelerations. A totally integrated approach to suspension design and our patented Spike Valve, gives the E150 the same stability and bump management capabilities as the Enduro SL’s AFR Shock.

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Hopefully I am not speaking to soon, but it seems the snow is gone. Now is the perfect time to go over your bike with a fine tooth comb. Personally I prefer to take my bike to my local bike shop and have them go over it and make recommendations. They tend to notice things I over look. Other than that, maintaining my bike is something I enjoy and take pretty serious. You should to.

I found the Following guide very informative and thought sharing it here could be helpful.

How to Maintain a Mountain Bike

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

(Read the article)

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The 2008 Specialized Enduro…yeah, yeah, so what, it is my Dream Bike, wanna fight about it?

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Under current state law, the DNR cannot sell park passes (a.k.a. motor vehicle permits) starting January 1st, 2007. This provides a significant portion (over $13 million) of the DNR Parks budget and they cannot keep all the parks open without this funding. The MMBA is working with Senator Michelle McManus to get a bill passed this year that would extend the 2007 deadline to 2010.

Senator McManus’s SB 924 passed out of committee yesterday and is heading to the Senate floor. Today we’ll send an MMBA letter of support and a “please rush” message to the Senate leadership. Feel free to contact your own Senator and do the same.

This bill also allows the DNR Director and Parks Chief to waive entry fee requirements for some events. This could be done for stewardship events (e.g. MMBA trail days) where the benefit to the park outweighs the lost revenue.

MMBA Forum Thread

Senate Bill -0924

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