Oakley/Arnette -Oakleys were the first cool sunglasses. Arnettes - designed by the guy who helped create the Oakley mystique - were second. The problem is that sunglass fashion doesn't always equal sunglass function, and even when it does, you probably can't afford it. Here's a hint: once you start seeing your favorite off-road shades on the faces of movie stars and models, it's over. By the way, those dark lenses? They're keeping you from riding faster on shaded singletrack. Sunglass recommendation: Smith's sliders. For less than a pair of high-fashion shades, you get good-looking, tough specs with three interchangeable lenses. Off-camber turn - the surface slopes sway from the curve, making it difficult and dangerous to go through with speed. Off the back (OTB) - describes one or more riders who have failed to keep pace with the main group. Olympics -Proof that mountain biking's a legit sport. When's the first mountain biker/caffeine drug bust expulsion going to happen? On any Sunday -The motorcycle flick starring off-road legend Mert Lawill, one of the sport's reigning (and somewhat under-appreciated) geniuses. If you're not from the west coast, you might not understand the passion and joy this movie brought, how it inspired a whole breed of motocrossers and BMX punks - nearly every one of whom now rides a mountain bike. Rent it. While you're at it, pick up Bruce Brown's surf masterpiece, "Endless Summer." Organ Donor - someone who rides without a helmet. Also called a "metal head". Orthotics - custom-made supports worn in shoes to help neutralize biomechanical imbalances in the feet or legs. Overend, Ned - What more needs to be said? The baddest, bestest mountain biker of all time. Ned kept going long after anybody thought he could be effective. And he remains one of the most gracious and humble pros (which shouldn't make you assume he's not intense, super-competitive, and as hard core as they get.) Overgear - using a gear ratio too big for the terrain or level of fitness. Overtraining - deep-seated fatigue, both physical and mental, caused by training at a volume higher than that to which the body can adapt. Oxygen debt - the amount of oxygen that needs to be consumed to pay back the deficit incurred by anaerobic work. |