Mastering Mountain Bike Skills

Mastering Mountain Bike Skills
by Brian Lopes, Lee McCormack

List Price: ~~$22.95~~
Our Price: $14.49
You Save: $8.46 (37%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $13.99 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Compare Prices for Mastering Mountain Bike Skills

Buy this book at online book store in your country
Canada | UK | Germany | France

Book Summary Information

Author: Brian Lopes, Lee McCormack
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-03-13
ISBN: 0736056246
Number of pages: 216
Publisher: Human Kinetics Publishers

Book Reviews of Mastering Mountain Bike Skills

Book Review: I wish so much I could edit this book....
Summary: 3 Stars

I'm a former amateur road cyclist/USCF, etc., who hates cars & discovered serious mountain biking 7 years ago. I'm addicted to agressive, technical, cross-country single-track & ride 10-20 hours/week. I have taught myself over the years by asking questions and observing, reading, etc. I did learn several things from this book, and reread parts just to renew my consciousness and allow key points to settle into my subconscious, and it does and has helped my riding, indeed, but nowhere near as much as I'd like. Still, I would recommend purchasing it.
Just that I would love to sit down with Lopes and edit each sentence, each diagram and photo, detailing in very clear, understandable language as to what is really meant to be conveyed, so that a mostly self-taught enthusiast who is into mountain biking purely for the personal thrill, and doesn't care about the lingo or keeping track of the "stars" or racing, could more easily incorporate into his/her passion. The book makes some good points, a lot of them in fact, but it's just not well-written, and is frequently bereft of true definition. Both descriptions and terminology are lacking in definitive substance just where they are needed, and as good as the photos and sequencing might appear to someone flipping through, they too are often frustrating: when a very detailed, point-by-point explanation or diagram is needed, much is left to the imagination to finish.
One simple example, for example, lies in the use of words like "preload" and "load" in different places, when they mean the exact same thing: compress the fork and prepare to unload it. 'Preload' should only be used to indicate a static shock, as in its position when the bike is at rest in order to adjust air pressure/inspect a fork/ measure, etc. Similarly, "pump" might sound obvious to the writers, but 'pump' is what my father would yell when I was 4-years old, meaning pedal hard. Defining terms and actions accurately and precisely, in a scientific sense and in relationship to similar words, for the benefit of the reader-student, seems to have been rarely taken into consideration. Many sentences and paragraphs are left open-ended (& often filled with puns - not that there's not a place for humor at times, but it's often distracting and leaves me wondering what the hell are they talking about). In addition to wanting to sit down with Lopes and help rewrite this book, which could be so much better than it is, an artist of the technical ability of say, the late illustrator Oscar Ratti (see _Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere_), could do a much better job than many of the photos. As with any good first textbook, hopefully this one will evolve into a 2nd edition, and edited for clarity by someone outside of the "industry'.

Write your own review

All Mastering Mountain Bike Skills Customer Reviews

Summary of Mastering Mountain Bike Skills

Increase your speed, control, and versatility on the bike. Mastering Mountain Bike Skills provides detailed technical instruction for all mountain biking disciplines:

Cross-country
Downhill
Mountain cross
Free riding
Dirt jumping
Urban terrain

With top pro mountain biker Brian Lopes as your teacher, you'll learn how to handle the bike better than ever, in any conditions, across all types of terrain. Key tips and special photo sequences throughout the book add insight to Lopes' world-class instruction.

General Books

Book Subjects

Most talked about in Bicycle accessories worth considering

Mastering Mountain Bike Skills
by Brian Lopes, Lee McCormack
Human Kinetics Publishers; Published: 2005-03-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.91
Price in other shops: ~~$22.95~~

The Cyclist's Training Bible
by Joe Friel
VeloPress; Published: 2003-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.49
Price in other shops: ~~$22.95~~

The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes(Expanded and Revised 5th Edition)
by Todd Downs
Rodale Books; Published: 2005-03-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.00
Price in other shops: ~~$21.95~~

CycleOps Stackable Climbing Block for Indoor Bicycle Trainers
CycleOps; CycleOps; Sports
Best price: $19.99

CycleOps Fluid 2 Indoor Bicycle Trainer
CycleOps; CycleOps; Sports
Best price: $269.99
Price in other shops: ~~$299.99~~

Bell Motivator Mag Indoor Bicycle Trainer
Bell; Bell; Sports
Best price: $79.99
Price in other shops: ~~$99.99~~

Bell Key 'N Go Steel Cable Padlock for Bike
Bell; Bell; Sports
Best price: $7.99

Kryptonite Keeper U Lock 4 x 8 Standard, Black Image

Kryptonite Keeper U Lock 4 x 8 Standard, Black
Kryptonite; Kryptonite; Sports
Best price: $17.49

Polar Insulated Water Bottle
Polar Bottle; Polar; Sports
Price in other shops: ~~$12.99~~

Blackburn Chicane Bicycle Water Bottle Cage
Blackburn; Blackburn; Sports
Best price: $13.00
Price in other shops: ~~$13.99~~

Similar Books and other products

Mountain Bike!: A Manual of Beginning to Advanced Technique
by William Nealy
Menasha Ridge Press; Published: 1992-05-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.95
Price in other shops: ~~$14.95~~

Performance Mountain Biking
Release date: 2004-05-01; DVD
Best price: $25.99
Price in other shops: ~~$29.95~~

Mountain Bike Magazine's Complete Guide To Mountain Biking Skills: Expert Tips On Conquering Curves, Corners, Dips, Descents, Hills, Water Hazards, And Other All-Terrain Challenges
by Mountain Bike Magazine Editors, Bicycling Magazine Editors
Rodale Books; Published: 1996-02-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.35
Price in other shops: ~~$14.95~~

Mountain Bike Maintenance
by Guy Andrews
Falcon; Published: 2006-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.10
Price in other shops: ~~$19.95~~

The Mountain Biker's Training Bible
by Joe Friel
VeloPress; Published: 2000-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.66
Price in other shops: ~~$19.95~~

Mountain Bike Maintenance: The Illustrated Manual
by Mel Allwood
Firefly Books; Published: 2004-09-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $16.90
Price in other shops: ~~$26.95~~

Fundamentals Mountain Bike Technique DVD
Video Action Sports; DVD
Best price: $18.89
Price in other shops: ~~$24.95~~

Mountain Bike Like a Champion
by Ned Overend, Ben Hewitt, Ed Pavelka
Rodale Books; Published: 1999-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.84
Price in other shops: ~~$18.95~~

Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance
by Lennard Zinn
VeloPress; Published: 2005-04-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.43
Price in other shops: ~~$24.95~~