Guest post by Lucas Baier

With the harsh winter months winding down it’s time to get off the couch and get ready for some extreme mountain biking. And one of the most popular forms of extreme mountain biking is cross country or XC.

Just imagine pumping up steep inclines, gliding down grassy hills and flying over all types of harsh terrain; it’s no wonder cross country mountain biking is an Olympic sport.

Just because it’s popular, don’t be fooled into thinking that XC mountain biking is only for the weak. To become a professional on the XC circuit, competitors train for years; peddling through multiple, grueling courses. Fortunately, getting started in this form of extreme mountain biking is fairly simple. But finding the right gear is vital to the safety and progress of the cross country mountain biker; with the mountain bike being the most important investment.

The Bike

Finding the right mountain bike and having it set up properly are extremely important to the XC mountain biker. The weight and suspension of your mountain bike are essential to get the most out if this form of extreme mountain biking. The weight of the bike should range between 20 and 30 pounds, with the front suspension travel between 60mm and 120mm. The suspension travel is the movement that the shocks can absorb; the more travel you have the smoother the ride.

While many mountain bikes come ready for the XC circuits right off the rack, you may need to make a few alterations to help make your bike the ideal tool for extreme mountain biking. For cross country mountain biking, you may need to make the following adjustments:

• Remove all unneeded accessories. This includes rack, bells and lights.

• Set your seat height and position. For proper seat height, raise your seat until your leg is straight when the pedal is at the six o’clock position. Seat position is based on rider comfort. Start with the seat level and move it accordingly.

• Position the handlebars. For XC mountain biking, the handlebars should be about 2 ½ inches below the seat. The lower the bars, the more control you will have during your climbs; higher bars give more control when your coming down.

The Rider

For extreme mountain biking, the condition of the rider is just as important as the condition of the mountain bike. Being in good physical condition will help you on the steep inclines and over the rough trails associated with XC circuits. But just because you’re a little soft around the middle, don’t let it discourage you from hitting the trails. Start slow and work your way up to more difficult courses, and incorporate strength conditioning into your workout to get the most out of this form of extreme mountain biking.

Many people choose cross country mountain biking because of the freedom they feel as they navigate XC circuits. XC racing is often considered the least extreme form of extreme mountain biking and can be the easiest form to get started in. All you need is a mountain bike, protective gear and the little bit of nerve required to rush through the rugged trails.

Check out more cool Cross Country Extreme Mountain Biking info and join the extreme sports community at http://www.sackupsports.com where you gotta sack up to go downhill hard!

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Up next, some raw helmet cam footage of extreme mountain biking in Whistler… Cool clips for the Red Bull sponsored Mountain Bike Rampage… A collection of mountain biking crashes that you don’t want to miss.. and a few more surprises.

Enjoy the video and feel free share you vids with us. We will be glad to post them right here on ExtremeSportVideo.net in a future post.

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If you like the helmet cam clip and are thinking about getting the gear, check out our exclusive helmet cam recording system.

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Not so long ago, anyone participating in sporting events would never get to watch themselves.

Then, someone got the bright idea to videotape the events so they could be saved and rewatched.

Here’s what the typical scenario used to be: Some nice friend would show up with one of those gigantic camcorders, one of the ones you need two hands to hold, and attempt to catch your mountain biking exploits on tape? The video was usually very jumpy, you weren’t always in the line of sight, and the sound would be muffled.

I suppose that’s better than nothing, but there are a lot of flaws to this method of recording your sporting events.

Fortunately, camcorder technology has come a long way in the last few years. Cameras and recorders are smaller, have better resolution, and have better sound than ever before.

The newest helmet cams and bullet cams (or lipstick cams), with small personal digital video recorders are the perfect solution for recording your sporting events. The tiny camera attaches securely to your helmet and the small, lightweight personal digital video recorder tucks away safely into your pocket.

With a solid-state design and no moving parts, these devices are very durable and can really take the abuse of extreme sports. You can’t hold onto one of those old camcorders and record what you see! (Well, let’s just say that’s been proven to be a really bad idea and you really shouldn’t…..)

The Perfect Way to Record Trail Riding and Stunts

The new helmet cams, bullet cams and personal digital recorders are the perfect way to record extreme sports. The helmet cam stays focused on exactly what you see while you are doing any stunts or tricks. Be the first on your block to make skateboarding videos. Be that guy that really tries everything, and makes skydiving videos, too! There are no limits to how the helmet cam can be used to record your sporting achievements.

Let your friend wear the helmet cam and follow you as you power through the mountain biking trail… check out this video for an example:

Easy to Use

Helmet cams with personal digital video recorders are easy to use. Get the equipment set up, and just hit start before you begin. Let the camera roll for the entire event, capturing every highlight, every move, and, every wipeout, too!!

Having the helmet cam attached to your helmet with the recorder in your pocket means no distractions while you are filming your extreme sports video. This means you are safer, your hands are free, and you are better able to concentrate on what you’re doing.

Share the Excitement

With the new helmet cam and personal digital video recorder equipment, it’s really easy to transfer the video footage to your PC and watch it over and over again. It’s simple to make DVDs, or email the videos to your friends and family to show off your tricks. Post your mountain biking footage on video websites like revver.com opr youtube.com and amaze the world.

Be careful about sending it to your mother without proper warning, though. She may not want to know…..

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Create ESPN Quality Helmet Cam Video of Yourself! Check Out Our Exclusive SportMaxCam

Image via WikipediaMountain biking is an exciting extreme sports adventure, and is a very popular sport these days.

Today’s mountain bikes are constructed of high-tech materials that allow the bikes to cover the most extreme and exciting terrain, areas previously considered far too dangerous for biking. This can make for some very extreme adventures, ones that are not for the faint-of-heart.

Any extreme sports enthusiast loves to brag about their conquests and exploits. And, of course, don’t forget about their wipeouts and accidents (sometimes these are even more fun to relive, after the bruises heal).

Wouldn’t it be great to capture these exciting adventures on film? Especially when your particular favorite extreme sport is more of a “solo sport” and most of your friends and family will miss the entire event? Nobody has to be left out any more.

New Helmet Cams and Personal Digital Video Recorders

The perfect gadget for any mountain bike enthusiast is the new helmet cam, or bullet cam, that comes with a lightweight personal digital video recorder. These gadgets are ideal for hands-free, safe and worry-free operation during mountain biking, or any other extreme sport, for that matter.

The helmet cam mounts safely and securely to your helmet, and the small, lightweight personal digital video recorder tucks away into a pocket. You can just hit the ‘start’ button when you are ready to begin, put the mini DVR into your pocket, and continuously record the entire event.

Using the hands-free device keeps your hands right where they belong, on the handlebars, and avoids any unnecessary or dangerous distractions. This is really the only way to accurately and safely record mountain biking adventures.

The high-tech solid-state design and construction means that the equipment is durable and can withstand the intensity involved in mountain biking adventures. No need to worry about damaging expensive and fragile devices.

Easy to Download to Your PC

Once you record your amazing, exciting video footage onto your mini personal DVR using your new helmet cam, or bullet cam, you will want to download the extreme sports videos. You can download them and be able to watch them on your PC—the video files are easily transferred from the SD card in the mini DVR to your computer’s hard drive.

Once you download them, you can store them to watch over and over, you can make DVDs to watch on your television, you can email the videos to friends and family, or you can even upload the videos to the best extreme sports websites to share them with the world! The equipment is simple to use, with clear instructions. Downloading takes only a few minutes, then you can do whatever you want with those videos.

Don’t waste another adventure by not being able to re-watch it yourself or share it with your family and friends. Get yourself a helmet camera with a personal digital video recorder today and start capturing every exciting minute of your extreme sports adventures on video!

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Create ESPN Quality Helmet Cam Video of Yourself! Check Out Our Exclusive SportMaxCam