Mountain Bike Questions?

Question by jreyst: Mountain Bike Questions?

Note that I am a relative noob when it comes to mountain bikes, brands, and what is good and what is not. I know very little about it at the moment.

I purchased a used mountain bike about 8-9 years ago from an avid rider. He said the bike was fairly high-end and that he paid around $ 1000 for it when he bought it. It is a Mongoose IBOC (or at least that’s what is printed on the frame). The bike is very nice and has grip-shifts and strange blue aluminum handle bar extensions that poke out of the ends of the handlebars and point upwards. I have no idea if they are a racing thing, or what, but its comfortable changing grips from the rubber grips to holding the extender things when riding for longer durations. Also, the tires have Presta valves. Before today I had no idea what they were but I found an air pump that allows me to pump the tires. I can’t take it to any standard gas station air machine though. Anyway, the point of this post:

1) What are the handlebar extenders called and are they for racing, or just a common accessory?

2) The tires are yellowish tan. Not black with yellow/tan trim but all yellow/tan, the whole tire, front and back. Is that anything special? I have been googling half the day but apparently can’t get the right query to tell me anything useful about “yellow mountain bike tires” or anything.

Any help is appreciated!

Best answer:

Answer by Bob A
Answer to #1 they are called bar ends

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/fix/bar-end.htm

Answer to #2 color doesn’t mean anything you can get them in almost any color you want.

Presta valves, you can buy an adapter at the local bike shop to convert it to a shrader valve for $ 1 I always carry one just in case my pump fails.

http://bicycletutor.com/presta-valve/

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Five Ways to Keep Tires Out of Landfills

Copyright (c) 2009 John Curry

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 290 million scrap tires are generated in the United States every year. While recycling tires has increased dramatically in recent years, the fact remains that there are too many used tires clogging our landfills. On the surface, this may not seem like a huge problem, but tire piles are more than just a nuisance – they are a health hazard. They attract pests like rodents who nest in them and mosquitoes that live in the stagnant rain water collected in the tires. In addition, if the tires catch fire, they produce black smoke and air pollutants, posing significant risks to humans, animals and the environment.

Fortunately, we can help to solve the problem by finding creative ways to recycle and reuse tire rubber. Here are five ways to keep tires out of landfills:

1. Curb ramps – Made from crumb rubber, auto curb ramps are used to bridge the gap from street to driveway in neighborhoods where rollover curbs make the transition difficult. In a three-piece curb bridge set, 12 tires are recycled.

2. Highway resurfacing – In several states crumb rubber is being mixed with recycled and virgin asphalt materials attaining a high reduction of internal vehicle noise as well as a reduction of highway noise in highly populated areas. This reduces the amount of limited resource virgin asphalt being used.

3. Highway sound barriers – Many states are now using sound barriers to protect neighborhoods from the loud noises produced by nearby highways. In northern Virginia, a sound barrier was developed using a mixture of concrete aggregate, cement, water and small pieces of shredded tires. Sounds are absorbed by this “Whisper Wall.”

4. Rubber surfacing – Rubber tires are being used as playground and running track surfacing. The resulting material is durable as well as soft, lessening the impact of a fall and reduces injury to runners. This same material is also being used as mulch in road medians or landscaping areas.

5. Tires as fuel – Scrap tires can be used as fuel in shredded form or whole to make tire-derived fuel (TDF). TDF produces the same amount of energy as oil and 25% more energy than coal, and is used as a supplemental fuel source to wood and coal. In 2003, 130 million scrap tires were used for fuel.

These solutions are typically utilized by manufacturers, construction companies and government entities in their zeal to cut costs and be environmentally-friendly. Consumers can help too by using and properly maintaining durable tires, purchasing used tires and retreads, and buying products made from recycled tires like tire swings, floor mats and curb ramps.