One of the best low impact fitness exercises is using a rowing machine. A rowing machine is also a great piece of fitness equipment because it tends to be more compact than other home gyms, which allows you to easily fit one in your home without having to dedicate a whole room for your fitness equipment.
Stationary bikes and treadmills are big and bulky and often only work out one area of your body. A rowing machine will give you strength and endurance training.
A rowing machine is one of the best ways to strengthen and condition your back. This is extremely important as back problems later in life can be very debilitating.
This piece of fitness equipment not only works out your back, but also you arms, shoulders, abdomen and leg muscles. A rowing machine also offers a great all around exercise routine and a fan favorite for sure in terms of gym equipment. It uses all of your muscles without much impact having to be put on your joints while doing so, which makes it very convenient and suitable for all ages.
The ideal resistance on fitness equipment like a rowing machine is one which is going to allow you to move fast but smoothly. If you are able to do this, then you will be able to get a great aerobic workout that will develop muscle endurance and tone. You will know that the tension being used is correct when you find yourself able to make it through a session without over-exhausting yourself.
Where To Look For Rowing Machines
If you are interested in purchasing fitness equipment, like a rowing machine to add to your existing collection of gym equipment, then you should check out your local gym or fitness stores.
Many pieces of fitness equipment, such as rowing machines can also be purchased online. I would suggest going to your local gym to try out some of the different machines and then go online or to you local store to purchase the one that suits you best.
Just to get you acclimated to some of the brand names you might find in a store or at a gym these are some of the most well-known, high quality brand name companies:
* Precor
* Pacemaster
* Nautilus
* Cybex
* Bowflex
* Everglide
* Bodycraft
* Diamondback Fitness
* Schwinn Fitness
* Torque Fitness
* Northern Lights
Each of these rowing machines offers a wide variety of features and benefits. How many features you need on your piece of fitness equipment depends on how often you use it and what you are using it for.
If you are training for the Olympics, for example, you are going to want a machine that offers very high resistance and multiple exercises. If you are only going to be using your rowing machine once a week for ten minutes you could save some money and purchase a very basic one, although I would suggest using any piece of fitness equipment at least three times a week.
Whether you are buying a rowing machine or other pieces of fitness equipment, make sure that you take your time by trying out different machines to see what suits you best. Then shop around and compare prices to get the best deal.
Just make sure you use whatever rowing machine you pick out. Remember you only get the benefits from a rowing machine or any piece of fitness equipment by actually using it.

Florida’s wildlife is fun to watch and there is white tailed deer, barred owls, raccoons, alligators and diamondback rattle snakes amongst many others.
A vast variety of trees can be found at Rock Springs Run State Reserve. In its 14,000 acres of land, it has trees that can be found throughout central Florida’s landscape.
Facilities here available here are camping, hiking, nature study, picnicking, biking, limited hunting and horseback riding. Vehicle entry to the park is also limited.
Walking, cycling and horseback riding is available at Gainesville-Howthorne State Trail. It is located quite near the city of Gainesville. This railroad got constructed in 1850 from Fernandina to Cedar Key. Parking is provided at the two trailheads, Bouleware Springs Park in Gainesville and in Hawthorne.
If you want to observe some wet marsh lands with mesic trees than come to San Felasco Hammock State Preserve. It is spread in 6,500 acres and extreme changes in elevations make it a beautiful landscape. Many species of hardwood trees can be found here like hydric hammock, sand hill, swamp etc. On request you can explore the interiors on a horseback, go group hiking or simply walk.
On Amelia Island where tourist places and residential buildings are fully developed, just a little South in this island you will find Amelia Island State Recreation Area. It is spread in 200 acres in undeveloped sea offering lots of recreations.
Original Florida can be seen here with its virgin beaches, salt marshes and coastal maritime forests. Sea horse stables offer a ride on the horseback on these beaches. Other activities include fishing, hiking, bird watching and sunning.
Gasparilla Island State Recreation Area is a place for commercial fishing. Collecting live shells is prohibited, but still you can do swimming and excellent salt water fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Picnicking, shelling in winter and swimming in the deep waters of Boca Grande Pass are the other facilities offered.
In 1978, a bordering body of water Big Lagoon gave its name to Big Lagoon State Recreation Area. It is in 698 upland acres and beckons the visitors with recreational activities.
A boat ramp and dock makes it easy to the lagoon and water ways. A variety of fish are found here like red fish, blue fish, flounder and sea trout seasonally. Crabbing and castnetting are also popular here..
When sand bars created by the current of Apalachicola River blocked the Chipola Rive, it created Dead Lakes State Recreation Area. This process killed lots of trees, giving this place its name.
With a boat ramp, it offers boating, fishing, camping and nature study. John U. Lloyd State Recreation Area is a barrier between Atlantic Ocean and the Interacostal Waterways, Port Everglades on the North and Dania in the South.
On the Northern side of the park you can do fishing and watch the ships going and leaving Port Everglades. OK, lots to look at and enjoy in the state of Florida.

Business skills and personal experiences mix to rally support for Arizona’s homeless.

Steve Zabilski got the entrepreneurial yearning as a kid whereas caddying Sundays for his father at the native golf course in Los Angeles.

“My father would give me a dollar at the end of each round,” explains Steve. “I loved it, not simply for the chance to make cash, however mainly for the quality time with my dad.”

By age 11, after a pair years of caddying for his father, Steve realized there was one more golf course down the road he could bike to and caddy for other golfers. Instead of a modest dollar from expensive old dad, he’d earn up to 10 bucks a spherical from his clients.

“It absolutely was my first real job,” he continues. “I liked that I used to be progressing financially. I opened my 1st bank account and would build deposits on my method home from the golf course.”

He notes a clear distinction from helping his father and the opposite golfers, one that resonates in his work nowadays as govt director for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix, a global nonprofit organization founded over 175 years ago in Paris, France.

“Caddying for money was great, but it absolutely was just a job. Being on the golf course with my father was entirely different. I revered him and when I was with him the money didn’t matter. Whereas I respected the opposite golfers too, it wasn’t the same because the bond between a father and his son.”

Quick forward through Steve’s faculty years at California State University – Northridge, and across fifteen years of combined work for KPMG Peat Marwick, a world CPA firm, and Transamerica, a giant insurance company, and we find Steve still going strong having currently served 13 years for St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix.

“I loved each day of my corporate business experiences,” says Steve, “but with St. Vincent de Paul I feel I’m back to doing something I really like even more. It’s definitely not for the money. I don’t suppose of it as employment, so a lot of as a mission. This can be who I am and what I’m meant to be doing. Nowadays, I feel like I’m caddying for my father again, not just working at the country club. This is a sense many of our volunteers can relate to as well. They are doing what they’re called to try to to, where their hearts lead them, and in the process they’re creating a distinction every day for central and northern Arizona’s homeless and operating poor.”

That distinction is important, particularly considering the breadth of services the Society provides in Arizona.

The Phoenix operations of St. Vincent de Paul span central and northern regions of the state where Steve and his team of two hundred employees organize and empower approximately sixteen,000 volunteers who facilitate staff 5 charity dining rooms and medical and dental clinics that offer essential living services for the homeless and people in need. St. Vincent de Paul conjointly operates a food reclamation center, a homeless outreach ministry that has counseling and job help, twelve thrift stores, a homeless shelter, and a lot of more.

Though Steve’s efforts are recognized with community awards including the United Way Chisolm Award and the Phoenix Community Alliance Center’s City Star Award, his razor-sharp purview of charitable funds collected by St. Vincent de Paul is possibly the foremost spectacular accomplishment. Additional than ninety cents of each dollar donated to SVdP goes towards funding programs and services for the homeless and working poor. Steve is fast to credit the organization, workers and volunteers for this

“This isn’t an organization that folks send money to, simply to have it randomly dispersed. St. Vincent de Paul is volunteer-driven, and primarily facilitates how volunteers from within the community will put their energy and skills to smart use on our campuses. I think this approach makes us different from other nonprofit organizations – although we tend to naturally applaud the efforts of all organizations that serve needy adults, families and children through their chosen methods.”

Steve insists that volunteers and monetary supporters feel possession in St. Vincent de Paul. “This isn’t guilt-driven volunteerism. It’s driven by people and passion.”

After all, after 1st expressing much appreciation for the Society’s Arizona and world employees, he explains that the organization makes a concerted effort to stay his workers to a minimum since its focus is clearly on volunteerism.

“If someone walked in and said ‘I’ll give you a billion greenbacks to set up an endowment therefore you don’t should constantly recruit and train volunteers,’ we wouldn’t take the money. Would we take it for funding our programs? Fully! But we tend to wouldn’t settle for it if it absolutely was solely to rent additional employees at the expense of our volunteers.”

It’s this sense of the community that enables St. Vincent de Paul to thrive in Arizona.

Steve describes the Bigger Phoenix space, the state’s fifth largest town, as an area that gives all the opportunities of a big town (education, business community, sports, museums, out of doors activities, etc) however with a hometown feel and culture that helps him get to grasp native volunteers, donors, business individuals and the media better than he may elsewhere.

“I don’t recognize if I might facilitate secure as many essential business relationships and funds for St. Vincent de Paul if I lived in another city,” he says.

“I’m fortunate to know several executives and individuals from our local business, sports and media industries on a 1st name basis. My counterparts in alternative cities are amazed that I can call Bishop Olmstead or the Arizona Diamondbacks and get a solution right away. This simply proves that we have a tendency to’re a community of people who extremely care, comprised of people representing all walks of life.”

And with that, Steve is kind of content and honored that he gets to bring people to St. Vincent de Paul campuses, introduce them around, and show them how volunteering and donating will enrich their lives , with those of their families and businesses, while helping individuals in central and northern Arizona who need assistance.

“To see it all unfold; to determine a family provide up their evening to serve alternative families in our dining hall; and to see the thrill folks experience while helping others, it’s such a special blessing. I don’t think I may expertise it quite like this anywhere else.”

Educators planning a trip for their students will find the Maryland Science Center, located at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, a great place to visit.
A variety of exhibits will have students and teachers alike wishing they had more time to spend at the Science Center. Or more likely, already making plans to take another trip to spend even more hours exploring all the facility has to offer.
Many begin with Dinosaur Mysteries, where students and teachers will step into the world of prehistoric predators and plant eaters. More than a dozen full size dinosaurs roam a landscape filled with dig pits, a field lab, excavation sites, and other areas of discovery. Students will meet T. Rex and Astrodon and see full size skeletons and casts of fossilized remains, all hands-on.
There are also live animals, including amphibians and lizards, to help students see the connection between past and present. Some students may even agree with scientists who think birds and dinosaurs are related.
Another display at the Maryland Science Center, “Follow the Blue Crab,” is an exhibit focused on the Chesapeake Bay and its relationship to Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic. Featuring live diamondback terrapins, crabs, fish, seahorses, and native plants in aquatic display tanks, the exhibit gives guests a chance to walk the Bay by way of huge full color satellite imagery that takes up a major part of the floor space. By walking across the map, students are able to observe the ratio of water to land, concentrations of population centers, and learn why the health of the Bay is so important for the health of the region.
Also in the Blue Crab display is a huge mechanical crab, an icon of the Science Center. The completely refurbished giant, with waving claws and moving legs, is a family favorite.
In Fossil Quest, those on student tours see evidence of meat eating dinosaurs, raptors, and crocodiles that once roamed Maryland. There is also evidence that giant Sequoia trees once grew in the area, albeit millions of years ago.
Fossils on display include 70 million year old crocodile armor; teeth from a 100 million year old Mosasaur, prehistoric shells of oysters and nautilus as well as cones believed to have dropped from a giant redwood eons ago.
Visitors to the Maryland Science Center will also delight in Kid’s Room, where they can send boats down a river channel, operate a fish cam in a submarine, or dress-up like a turtle. Fun activities such as sending messages through a pneumatic tube on the ceiling abound.
In Newton’s Alley, one of the Maryland Science Center’s most popular exhibits, students get a chance to play a stringless harp. Or touch a cloud. They “see sound” and can stretch a soap film, all by people power.
The highly interactive discovery areas reveal the phenomena of matter, energy, force and motion, all through some of the best demonstrations of Sir Isaac’s principles using active exploration.
In the Our Place in Space exhibit–also home to Science On a Sphere–a large visualization system uses computers and video projectors to display animated data onto the outside of a sphere. The entire exhibit is an animated globe that shows dynamic images of the atmosphere, oceans, and land of a planet, allowing students to imagine gazing upon Earth while suspended in orbit above its surface.
Even beyond the surface of Earth, there are wonders to explore, including data collected from Moon missions and Mars explorations that have been translated into a mix of live presentations and computer simulations.
In Your Body: The Inside Story, Maryland Science Center visitors are able to explore a day in the life of the body, with an emphasis on the sounds, smells, sights, and sensations of everyday life.
Examples include walking through the waking chamber after “sleeping” on a real bed of nails, watching an ordinary bike ride to school morph into thermal imagery of muscle activity, and standing inside the heart and lungs to feel the rhythmic beats and breaths, from head to toes.
In Bodylink, one of three “Link” galleries, students will enjoy a high tech environment accompanied by high touch experiences. They’ll be able to test their nutrition I.Q., monitor their pulse and heart rate as they pedal a stationary bike, or surf the Web, watching video clips of the latest news from the world of healthcare and health science.
This part media center, part discovery room, part newsroom is equipped with Internet-ready computers, media players, satellite television and surround-sound audio systems. Computer and video sources displayed on huge screens offer visitors a unique immersive experience.
SpaceLink, the second of the Link galleries at the Maryland Science Center, is a place where students can “dock” the Space Shuttle or construct a planetary rover. They can also watch NASA’s latest launch countdowns and press conferences or try on a flight suit.
SpaceLink is also home to the Hubble Space Telescope National Visitor Center, where students can keep up with the latest discoveries from this orbiting observatory.
In TerraLink, the third of the Link galleries, students can fly over images of local cities and cities around the world and navigate from low-Earth-orbit to the top of their house using real data. They can even observe and disrupt a forming tornado with their hand.
All in all, the Maryland Science Center is a great place for teachers to bring their students as part of an adventurous educational travel experience.

Introducing RAD for the next generation. An ultimate BMX racing movie released in 1986, featuring local kid Cru Jones and Helltrack – Cochrane’s new BMX track that is not to be messed with. It is the “ET” movie of BMX.

Filmed in Canada, the popularity for this movie has never waned and to date, countless reviews and comments are still being posted on internet sites worldwide.

Meet Eddie Fiola. Famed for the stunts of Cru Jones and flat land scenes before and after the movie, Eddie has experienced a succesful career in BMX, which has opened doors as a stuntsman. He’d originally picked up the skateboarding scene before swapping the board for the bike, mainly because it was easier to get from A to B. Competitions at the time were only for skateboards in swimming pools.

In the beginning, Eddie began his passion in the racing scene (beginner and expert) before focusing on freestyle and flatland. His first sponsor at the age of 16 was Premier Helmets after he met Fred Blood (SE Racing/General) who introduced him to Denise Barter (now Director of Marketing for Premier Helmets – who were founded in California in 1961 and moved their production to Italy in 1987) and Harry Larry (talented BMX racer who later became the Production Manager for the Diamondback Company).

“Riding in general is great in the first place” says Eddie, talking from his Californian home. “You’re paid to ride. My first show paid food, $25 and I got to ride all day”.

Eddie believes RAD is loosely based on his life, as director Hal Needham had paid him a visit to his home several years earlier. He’d been interested in Eddie’s life and had asked him many questions, which put together, paints a similar picture of Cru Jones life, who’s dad had also passed away several years earlier.

As a sponsored youth, life was busy as he travelled alone from show to show in the 80’s as his mother, a single parent, was looking after his two other siblings. Although Eddie didn’t really think much of it at the time, he only thought about riding his bike. Life consisted of travelling to specific areas for tours, riding for the entire show, packing up, sleeping and then driving to the next show. But he doesn’t miss it.

“I like to play around now. My favourite tricks are backflips as they’re fun but 360º are my favourite’. Moonwalks on a bicycle also come up high on his list and he can be seen on various old-school You Tube videos. Many of the old tricks he does these days awe inspire the kids into thinking they’re new.

These days, Eddie Fiola works long hours as a Stuntman and Film Stunt Coordinator, particularly on movie sets. His impressive resume include stunts on Superman 2 & 3 and The Dukes of Hazzard. “Being able to see and do stunts and then watch the movie, is amazing” he says.

One of his most popoular television ads to feature in Australia, showed him chasing a cheetah through the Texan (Tahone) Pass – in California desert, after it’d stolen his Mountain Dew. When he catches up with the cat, he tackles it to the ground, retrieves the can from the bottom of its stomach and states “bad cheetah”. After the six days of filming this scene, the three boys who drank the can at the end and said “see . . . that’s why I’m not a cat person”, were lucky enough to go to South Africa just for that scene, leaving Eddie to stay home in California!

These days, life is mainly about stuntwork and married life with his young daughter. He’s come a long way in the world of bmx and movies. But he still holds the dream of winning the lottery.

www.jametbikeco.com

When I was a kid there were few things more important to me than my bike, and there were few things I’d rather be doing than riding my bike. Just up the road from me was an empty dirt lot known as “the Jumps”. All the kids in the neighborhood went to the Jumps to jump our bikes. The local streets and driveways were where we attempted the tricks we saw on TV and in freestyling magazines. This was when freestyling was just getting popular, before the modern era of X Games and multi-million dollar stunt riders. The names of pros were known only to the dedicated few who spent their allowances on freestyling and BMX magazines.

I remember there was an older kid a few blocks over who was the hero of all the younger kids. He just seemed cooler, ya know? And his bike was better than ours. He rode a Redline. Nobody else I knew had a Redline. Redlines were the ultimate bike in my mind. It was the brand legendary freestyler R.L. Osborn rode. That cool older kid a few blocks over had a Redline and he was the best rider I knew. Now that I think about it, though, I have no recollection of having actually seeing him ride. I just remember him sitting there on his gleaming Redline, just being cool. That’s what cool’s all about. Another bike company which was popular at the time was Haro. Haro had all the best riders like Ron Wilkerson and Dennis McCoy. Then there was Hutch. Know anyone who had a Hutch bike? Know anyone who still has one? It could be worth something because Hutch is no longer in business. Other popular brands when I was a kid were Mongoose, Diamondback, GT, Dyno, and CW. The fact that I can still list these brands at my age is a testament to the impact this period had on my life.

I’m talking about 80’s, that halcyon decade when BMX and freestyle riding was just getting big but it wasn’t the huge deal that it is today. These days you can see riders on television hawking everything from deodorant to mobile phone companies to video games. Heck, a bunch of riders have video games named after them. Dave Mirra comes to mind when I think of such mega-popular ridres. Another superstar is Matt Hoffman. Hoffman has his own bike company. I remember when he was the young gun. Dennis McCoy, who I mentioned earlier, was another young up-and-comer who exploded on the scene, took over, and has since become one of the old guys. Time flies, doesn’t it?

If you’re interested in learning more about BMX and freestyle history, there are some excellent web sites which will jog your memory and take you back to the days when doing an “endo” was the coolest thing to do, when riding in circles in your neighbors driveway was a way to pass an afternoon. If you’re in the market for a bike today, there’s also plenty of info online for that. Most of the companies I mentioned are still in business and continue to lead the market and sponsor the top riders. All of them have web sites providing more information on their history and their current product lines.

Summer is slowly turning to fall and the heat and humidity here in New England we complained about for the last 3 or 4 months will soon turn to dry, bitter cold. Heating bills arrive, along with colds and the flu, shovels take the place of rakes, snowthrowers replace lawn mowers. The days of the leisurely barefoot stroll to the mailbox are over. For some of us, winter means hibernation like so many of nature’s creatures.
There are those who venture south though. Where the sun is a little higher in the sky, the nightly temperatures don’t drop below 40 and the sky’s are not cloudy all day. With the weather patterns not being favorable to the south and southeast lately, one of the more inviting spots in America is the desert southwest. I had a chance to spend some time in Phoenix, Arizona a few years back and I can honestly say that wintering in Phoenix is high on my list of todo’s.
I rode my bicycle year round, never once touched a snow shovel in the entire time I was there, and could usually walk barefoot to my mailbox. And because I stayed active the whole year, I never piled on those “winter pounds”. Yes, life was good.
With an average yearly temperature of just under 73 degrees, Phoenix enjoys what most of us have only read about. July and August averages top out in the low 90’s. In the dead of winter, while we are scraping windshields before we can drive to work, Phoenicians are enjoying temps in the low 50’s. That’s light jacket weather for those of us closer to the North Pole.
The city of Phoenix is situated in a valley in the heart of the Sonoran Desert with the Great Basin and the Rocky Mountains to the northeast and the aptly named South Mountain to the south. It’s comfortably nestled in this crib at an elevation of about 1100 feet above sea level. Except for a few local outcroppings, the area is flat as an ironing board and if you climb one of the local mountains, Camelback, Superstition Mountains (love that name!) or Phoenix Mountain for instance, you’re treated to a spectacular view hundreds of miles in every direction. Voted one of the top 10 safest cities by Risk and Insurance Magazine back in 2005 because of the unlikely event of natural disaster, the biggest concern for residents is the summer heat.
The locals bask in the glow of the sun’s rays an average of 211 days a year, we might see 90 if we’re lucky. I personally don’t count the day as sunny if you can’t feel the heat. That brings that 90 number way down in my book.
Outdoor activities abound in Phoenix. More hiking trails, parks and preserves than you can count. Hundreds of miles of canals make perfect bike paths. Of course you’ll have to share a lane with the runners or even an occasional horse but it’s sheer joy under the fair, blue skies. The only precaution is to make sure you bring water. That’s true for almost any outdoor activity in Phoenix. With the dry climate you may not be aware of how much you’re perspiring and you can quickly dehydrate without realizing it.
For those hearty soles who don’t mind traveling a few miles, the Grand Canyon is just North of Phoenix. Daily tours are available for anyone wanting to hike or maybe take a mule ride down into the canyon. You won’t be sorry – anyone who’s been can attest to the spectacular views along the trails or even up top at the rim. There’s even a new attraction called the Grand Canyon Skyway. Dangling precariously over the South Rim, it places those who dare 70 feet out into the canyon. From nearly a mile up, about 4,000 feet, it provides a glimpse of what the falcons and eagles might see as they hunt prey from their lofty heights.
For the golf enthusiast, there are over 200 courses to challenge you and many of the PGA and LPGA tournaments are held in Phoenix. If speed is your thing, Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) hosts Indy Car and NASCAR. Of course swimming is high on everyone’s list and there’s no lack of water in Phoenix in spite of its desert location. There are no less than 6 lakes within an hour and a half of the city including Apache Lake, Lake Pleasant, Canyon and Saguaro each offering boating, sailing and fishing. There are more boat owners per capita in Arizona than any of the other 49 states.
Professional sports isn’t forgotten in the Valley of the Sun. There are 8 professional teams including the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, the Rattlers and the Suns for baseball, football and basketball fans.
Yes, the city of Phoenix has won a place in my heart just as it has of nearly anyone who’s been there. Just ask the approximately 4 million people in the Greater Phoenix area and they’ll echo the praises just as this author has. It’s a little piece of Paradise on earth.

When I was a kid there were few things more important to me than my bike, and there were few things I’d rather be doing than riding my bike. Just up the road from me was an empty dirt lot known as “the Jumps”. All the kids in the neighborhood went to the Jumps to jump our bikes. The local streets and driveways were where we attempted the tricks we saw on TV and in freestyling magazines. This was when freestyling was just getting popular, before the modern era of X Games and multi-million dollar stunt riders. The names of pros were known only to the dedicated few who spent their allowances on freestyling and BMX magazines.

I remember there was an older kid a few blocks over who was the hero of all the younger kids. He just seemed cooler, ya know? And his bike was better than ours. He rode a Redline. Nobody else I knew had a Redline. Redlines were the ultimate bike in my mind. It was the brand legendary freestyler R.L. Osborn rode. That cool older kid a few blocks over had a Redline and he was the best rider I knew. Now that I think about it, though, I have no recollection of having actually seeing him ride. I just remember him sitting there on his gleaming Redline, just being cool. That’s what cool’s all about. Another bike company which was popular at the time was Haro. Haro had all the best riders like Ron Wilkerson and Dennis McCoy. Then there was Hutch. Know anyone who had a Hutch bike? Know anyone who still has one? It could be worth something because Hutch is no longer in business. Other popular brands when I was a kid were Mongoose, Diamondback, GT, Dyno, and CW. The fact that I can still list these brands at my age is a testament to the impact this period had on my life.

I’m talking about 80’s, that halcyon decade when BMX and freestyle riding was just getting big but it wasn’t the huge deal that it is today. These days you can see riders on television hawking everything from deodorant to mobile phone companies to video games. Heck, a bunch of riders have video games named after them. Dave Mirra comes to mind when I think of such mega-popular ridres. Another superstar is Matt Hoffman. Hoffman has his own bike company. I remember when he was the young gun. Dennis McCoy, who I mentioned earlier, was another young up-and-comer who exploded on the scene, took over, and has since become one of the old guys. Time flies, doesn’t it?

If you’re interested in learning more about BMX and freestyle history, there are some excellent web sites which will jog your memory and take you back to the days when doing an “endo” was the coolest thing to do, when riding in circles in your neighbors driveway was a way to pass an afternoon. If you’re in the market for a bike today, there’s also plenty of info online for that. Most of the companies I mentioned are still in business and continue to lead the market and sponsor the top riders. All of them have web sites providing more information on their history and their current product lines.

Buying a mountain bike can seem like a big decision but you can help yourself by getting educated about the important aspects of the bike. The following six areas should be thought about before you make your next mountain bike purchase. Six Points: 1.  Price 2.  Frame 3.  Brakes 4.  Shifters 5.  Tires 6.  Fit Price: The best mountain bikes can cost thousands of dollars and can cost as little as several hundred dollars. The first place to start your search is to determine the price you are willing to pay. A good beginner mountain bike will cost between 400 and 800 dollars depending on where you buy it. To insure that you won’t be replacing your mountain bike in the near future don’t go the route of buying the Walmart specials. Many people make this very mistake when start out to buy a mountain bike. Rather than getting the inexpensive mountain bike in the beginning and replacing it within a year, you would have been better off with the higher priced mountain from the start. The Iron Horse Mountain Bike is a good example of a popular mountain bike at an affordable price. Brakes: Obviously the best mountain bikes have the best brakes. The decision you have to make is whether to use disk brakes or rim brakes. The cost of disk brakes are higher but the braking power is superior. Rim brakes offer a lighter, lower cost alternative but you will sacrifice some performance particularly in wet conditions. The Diamondback Recoil Full Suspension Mountain Bike is a fine example of a high quality mountain bike that incorporates dual disk brakes. Shifters: Mountain bikes use two different types of shifters, the Gripfit and the Rapidfire shifters. The Rapidfire shifters are located under the brake lever and Gripfit shifters are incorporated into the handlebars that work similar to a motorcycle. It does come down to a matter of preference but the better riders seem to refer the Rapidfire shifters over the Gripfit shifters. Tires: It is important to have the larger knobby tires if you are going to be spending most of your time off road. You will get better traction and more control on the uneven terrain. If you are using the mountain bike for mainly street use then you can get away with the smaller knobs for less resistance on the flatter paved surfaces. If you are going to use the mountain bike for off road and on road then look for a tire with a ridge in the middle and medium sized knobs on the side of the tire. Fit To get the best mountain bike that suits you well it is important to get the right size bike. A good starting point would be to have a three inch clearance above the top frame tube while you are straddling the bike. It does matter what terrain you will be ridding on. If you are going to be riding a bit more aggressively you can increase this to four to six inches of clearance to allow for ease of operation over very uneven surfaces. As you are sitting on the bike and your feet on the pedals try and maintain a 30 degree angle with the leg at the bottom of the apex. Generally speaking 30 degrees of knee bend is a good place to start. That’s the basics you need to know before buying the best mountain bike for yourself. Choose wisely when starting out and you can expect to get many miles out of your mountain bike. If you are looking to buy a durable mountain bike that meets the strictest standards of many advanced riders than you have to checkout the Iron Horse Warrior Mountain Bike