So there you are riding your 8 year old mountain bike with the standard 26 inch wheels and a weight of 35 lbs. and worthless suspension… if any. Now you finally have the money for an upgrade and are hearing everyone talking about 29ers and 27.5 inch wheel bikes and this is better than that and so on.

Now that you are confused and unsure of what type of bike you want you need to first determine what type of riding you will be doing and the terrain you will mostly be riding on. Of course there are other factors besides wheel size to consider when buying a new bike but in this article we are only talking wheels. When it comes to wheel size think of 26 inch wheels (559 millimeters) as being better for tight corners and more responsive steering while 29 inch wheels (622 millimeters) are better for bumps and rocks because they roll over them smoother. They can also be better for climbing but don't seem to handle the corners as well. To get the best of both worlds, well maybe not the best there is also the 27.5 inch wheel (584 millimeters) which offers good cornering as well as smooth transitions over the bumpy stuff. This wheel size is also referred to as the 650b wheel size.

So you are getting a little bored of our local trails since you have done them a thousand times over. Sure you can take a road trip to some other trails but that involves researching how to get there, how to find the trailhead and where to go so you don't get lost. I'm not saying you shouldn't be doing this by any means but sometimes it can be a gamble.

One alternative to trail hunting is to try a bike park. This way you can have a variety of trials to choose from and they will be clearly marked so you don't get yourself lost. Plus most of them offer maps so you can plan ahead and find your way while out on the trail. And if you are not sure of your skills the trails will be ranked on difficulty level so you don't get over your head. And most importantly if you are lazy and don't like to ride up you can take the chair lift to the top and simply ride down!

Now that summer is here depending on where you live it can be too hot to ride during the day which can take all the fun out if mountain biking. It can also be dangerous since it's easy to over exert yourself and you really have to drink your water to stay hydrated to avoid overheating. Plus overdoing it in extreme temperatures can be downright dangerous.

So how about doing some rides at night? Sure you can't get the same views as during the day but it does add a little more of a challenge to your ride because of the decreased visibility. And one of the best parts is that you don't need to worry about getting a sunburn or slathering on the sunscreen. Depending on where you live it can even be pretty hot at night so you still need to bring your water. Being able to ride at night also opens up more possibilities for after work rides since you don’t have to rush to beat the sun from going down. Plus it leaves your weekend days done for things like…chores.

For most rides a good amount of water will do the trick to make sure your ride is dehydration free. Many riders use hydration packs such as CamelBaks which are worn as a backpack and feature a water tube that you sling over your shoulder to suck the water out of the bladder within the backpack. You can get these packs in various sizes with pockets to hold other things such as food and tools. You can also get various size water bladders as well depending on your needs. One nice trick is to put ice cubes in the bladder along with your water to keep it cooler longer.

If you are a Southern California resident and want to test your riding expertise with others your age and skill level then it's getting easier and easier to find races that you would be able to enter and be able to be competitive in. One of these race series is put on by Southridge U.S.A. and offers races for cross country and downhill riders as well as what they call Super D. Super D is a mixture of both and consists of some technical cross country riding as well as a little downhill mixed in.

The Southridge U.S.A. race series takes place at different times of the year and usually has a winter and summer series with races held at various locations. One of the more common locations is in Fontana because it is setup for cross country, downhill and Super D all in one location. The classes are broken up by skill level such as beginner, sport, expert and pro as well as various age groups. There is also a breakdown for men and women. Your class will determine how many laps you will be doing.

Today's bike computers are more advanced than earlier models and also have a few additional features such as temperature sensors and the ability to read your altitude. And if you want the best of both worlds there are models by manufacturers such as Garmin that have Strava built into them so you can share your ride experiences with your friends.

Yeah we know packing up the truck and getting people to commit to a long drive JUST to go riding can be a pain but almost every time you do it you will be glad you did. Once you get out in the open and start exploring some new trails the memories of the long drive and prep work will fade away. And you never know, you may just find the trails of your dreams and it will want to come back more in the future.

Of course you should do some planning before just hitting the road so you don't end up lost and disappointed. Check out trail reviews online or talk to people who have done these trails. YouTube is a great way to see how the trails look and check the difficulty level. Also try and find current trail conditions so you don't end up at a trail that hasn't been maintained and is overgrown with weeds.