Looking for a fun and exciting workout? What about mountain biking:
Mountain bike forks are the part of a mountain bike that attaches the front wheel with the frame. This allows the rider to balance and steer the bicycle through rough terrain. A typical bike fork has two protruding ends that fasten onto a fork crown which holds the wheel axle (sounds a lot like the design of our cup holder). The wheel axle in turn holds the wheels themselves, while the top of the forks connects to the handlebar through a stem.
Most mountain bike forks have a set of springs or shock absorbers to protect the frame while driving over rough ground, assuming the same abilities of some wheelchair accessories. Without this type of suspension, the bicycle could easily break when bouncing off a rock or ledge especially when riding downhill mountain bikes. The handling and travel characteristics of each spring will depend on the exact type of mountain riding the bike is designed for. For example, there are different fork designs for free riding, downhill, and cross country biking. XC racing forks are usually lighter and contain less suspension features.
Bikes designed for extreme conditions or rough terrain usually have very large suspension systems, allowing them easily traverse over rocks, bumps, and drops (so the drink in your bike drink holder doesn’t spill). However, these large springs prevent the bike from traveling quickly on flat roads. This is why road racing forks usually have little or no suspension to allow the bike to travel quickly without any hindrance from a bouncing suspension. Some mountain bicycles have the ability to adapt their forks to suit different traveling environments. Less suspension is usually required for flat or uphill terrain compared downhill terrain, so bikers can modify their suspension to reach optimal speeds. Some advanced bike designs have the ability to completely lock out the fork. Although this is not suitable for extreme racing, it will cause the bike to travel rapidly on flat roads and surfaces. A lockout can either be done manually or performed via remote, depending on the type of bike.
