As the bike enthusiasts over at DirtWorld.com point out, there’s no need for your mountain bike to go into hibernation this winter. To stay warm and dry while you’re pedaling in the chilly winter weather, the site suggests bringing along a lightweight, waterproof jacket (stored in a water-resistant pack) for when you need to change layers. And, DirtWorld.com adds, “if you think the temp may really drop on the way down, think about tossing in some ski gloves and maybe even some toe warmers in that pack. Remember, if you lose feeling in your hands, you’re going to lose the ability to maintain control of your bike.”

When it comes to finding your ideal mountain bike in the first place, take a spin around ThisNext to discover what our cycling shopcasters are recommending. Santa Cruz Bicycles appear to be a fave, with theninja007, Gordon, blondie, gearnoise, and Julie Kipfer all showing their love for the Santa Cruz Blur XC mountain bike. While blondie deems the Blur XC “perfect for the long climbs and fast rolling down hills” and gearnoise notes that it’s a “real evolution in bike design,” Julie proclaims that “I love my bike because it fits me - it’s light and fast. The suspension allows me to climb anything with ease. The descents are faster because I roll over every obstacle.” Another Santa Cruz devotee, John Johnston is all about the Santa Cruz Nomad Mountain Bike, a new find that’s “black and sleek with more travel than I know what to do with, but I’ll think of something.”

...continued: Mid-winter mountain biking

Who could resist a bike good-looking enough to double as wall art? “Stripped for all unnecessary equipment,” according to its designers, the Alta bike gets down to the basics for a no-frills ride through the city streets. “Simplifying the essence of a bike is the basic idea behind Alta Bikes,” explains ThisNexter elmanco, adding “I love Scandinavian design!” Also a fan of that Scandinavian style, shopcaster lifeiscarbon regards the “cult fixed wheel/no gear street racing bike” as an “affordable design classic.” And, back when the Alta first debuted in 2004, Treehugger raved that the bike is “sleek, fast, comfortable, and — for all you hipsters out there — looks damn fine.” So fine, in fact, that “it looks equally good hanging in your apartment as it does wooshing down Broadway. You’ll happily eschew pollution-producing cabs and buses in exchange for yet another good, clean mode of transport.”

Designed for the “ultra-skinny, scary-fast, heart-rate-monitor-wearing contingent of the Santa Cruz Bicycle riding family,” the Santa Cruz Blur XC mountain bike has pedaled its way into the hearts of several of our shopcasters. “I love my bike because it fits me - it’s light and fast,” says Julie Kipfer of her Blur. “The suspension allows me to climb anything with ease. The descents are faster because I roll over every obstacle. I have now learned to trust my bike and I’m amazed what it carries me over.” Gordon also loves that lightness, adding that the bike is “durable and responsive” and “great for cross-country enduro-rides and can be used for cruising as well.” For Britt, it’s all about “the long climbs and fast rolling down hills,” while Gear Noise believes the Blur to be “very well designed, balanced, light weight, a real evolution in bike design.”

Everybody has a different head. Which is something you were probably already aware of, but it’s a key point for About.com to make in its guide to Bike Helmet Basics. “Even among helmets made by the same manufacturer, the shape of each model can vary widely,” the guide notes. “The only way you can figure out what works best for you is to go to your local shop and start trying on helmets.” Atlanta Bike Commuter agrees that visiting your local bike shop and checking the fit of various products is one of the best ways to simplify the “fairly daunting task” of helmet shopping.

In a post on the 10 essentials for bike commuting, Atlanta Bike Commuter selects the Bell Arc Sport Helmet ‘05 and as low-priced model that still gets the job done (“The biggest reason for a helmet to be over 100 dollars is that it will have more vents than a cheaper helmet, but still hold up in a crash,” Atlanta Bike Commuter points out. “More expensive helmets also are lighter and usually fit much better. I am a cost conscious biker and tend to stay in the 40-60 dollar price range for a helmet.”) Indeed, The Gear Junkie recently reviewed a series of bike helmets and crowned Bell’s Sweep XC as his favorite. “I felt comfortable using the helmet racing down the road and off trail on tough, muddy and root-laden singletrack,” says Gear Junkie, calling attention to the helmet’s “airy, lightweight design,” breathability, and easy-to-use twist-knob and chin-strap buckle. ThisNexters Brian Lopes and Gordon also recommend Bell helmets, with Gordon classifying the brand as “a great biking brain-bucket.” (“Little visor keeps some sun out of my face, light weight and keeps my head cool too,” he adds. “Adjusts easily and securely.”)

...continued: Best brain buckets

Although I am no longer the (semi-)hardcore runner I used to be, there are still those days when I push myself hard enough to experience some considerable muscle ache later on. When that happens, I usually take the “whine and do nothing” approach to self-care. But the athletes of ThisNext, who know way more about this stuff than I do, each have his/her own secret solutions for soothing sore muscles.

Mariko Hirakawa, a yoga instructor and dancer, favors muscle rubs infused with naturally healing ingredients. First there’s Zip’s Muscle Rub from Indigo Wild, an essential-oil-based salve that works to ease pain in both your muscles and your joints. Says Mariko:

“It is my favorite muscle rub for sore, knotted muscles, because it contains natural, high quality oils that condition that skin, as well as healing herbs, such as angelica, arnica, and goldenseal, which truly aid in healing the muscles underneath. Plus, it has a pleasant, natural fragrance that has an aroma-therapeutic effect.”

Mariko also turns to the anti-inflammatory, analgesic Traumeel, noting that - even though it lacks “the penetrating feel that Ben Gay or Tiger Balm has” - the rub contains homeopathic remedies that “really speed the healing process.”

Those anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties are also found in Pharmanex FlexCreme, a menthol-based product proven effective by a Medical Journal of Rheumatology double-blind clinical study. In her FlexCreme shopcast, Kayaker Tanya Faux announces that “after shoulder surgery, it was the only thing that gave me instant pain relief.”

...continued: (Don't) feel the burn

Once a little-known secret among, as one Pittsburgh Post Gazette article tells it, “mountain bikers and counterculture types” (e.g., Burning Man partiers and “granola-eating fitness buffs”), CamelBak has now become the hydration pack of choice for everyone from hikers and hunters to Navy SEALs and police officers. The CamelBak-loving outdoorsmen and women of ThisNext most likely lean more toward the granola-eating fitness buff side of things (in a really good way), with each shopcasting his or her pack style of choice and favored use.

Travel and adventure writer Shanti Sosienski, for instance, takes her CamelBak Women’s Isis 100 oz. Hydration Pack along in her many excursions around the globe, noting that the small pack is “great for traveling because you can go with or without the water bladder and it makes a good day pack.”

Deb Schiff also recommends her CamelBak 2006 Day Star 70oz. Women’s Hike Hydration Pack for travel – along with long hikes – since the pack “holds extra socks, sandals, snacks, first aid kit, 70 oz of water, and more.” Deb dubs the Day Star perfect for “hiker chicks,” which may have to do with its women-specific design (including a harness that “curves with your body for a comfortable fit,” according to Outdoor Equipment blog).

...continued: How to drink like a camel

We all have our dreams. Some are just more unique than others. Take Paul at (At Least) One Cool Thing, for instance: “I’ve often said that if I am ever obscenely wealthy,” he writes in a recent post, “one of my eccentricities will be to never wear the same pair of socks twice. There is something about the new sock feel that puts an extra spring in your step.” Paul’s dream sock of choice is Thorlo athletic socks, which “retain that new sock feel even after dozen of washings.” Our own Gordon is a Thorlo fan as well, as evidenced by his Running Crew Socks shopcast (“A run without my Thorlos is always a bit sketchy, often ends in blisters,” Gordon points out).

...continued: ThisNext will knock your socks off

Click the “energy bar” tag on ThisNext and you’ll get a whole page of Clif products. Indeed, in trolling the running/biking/hiking blogosphere over the past few months I’ve found that bloggers love Clif. And what’s not to love? Not only does Clif skimp on scary mystery ingredients and go for yummy, naturally energizing stuff like organic peanut butter and loads of vitamins and minerals—the eco-conscious company promotes the use of renewable energy, donates 2,080 hours of volunteer time to various groups yearly, and gives back to causes such as the American Hiking Society and the Breast Cancer Fund. To discover the best of the best, here’s a look at ThisNext’s most favorite Clif products—and what makes each so superior.

...continued: ThisNext: Crazy for Clif

After a long, long bike ride, there’s nothing like a nice sip of once-ice-cold bottled water that’s turned hot as fresh-brewed coffee in the midst of your journey. Or not. To keep your water chilly as you ride, Fitness Gadgets recommends the Evap-A-Wrappa cooling sleeve. Almost as cool as Fitness Gadget’s latest post: a waterproof iPod shell that lets you soundtrack your swimming with your favorite MP3s.

ThisNext loves it when athlete bloggers get all giddy over new gear, especially when they’re slightly coy about said giddiness. Case in point: Nancy Toby at Run Big! (a superblogger who also posts at Tour de France Lanterne Rouge, Ironman Florida 2006, and Virtual Cycling Trips) who recently asked her readers:

“How sick is it that I’m totally indifferent to clothes and jewelry and makeup these days, but I can really get excited that my new Felt handlebar tape just arrived?”

The overall consensus: not sick at all, with one commenter clarifying, “You are a girl after my own heart! Bike stuff makes me drool!”

The best blogs are all about imagination. And Virtual Cycling Trips takes imaginative blogging to a whole level, inviting readers to “join some friendly travelers on our ‘just-pretend’ bike trips across the continent.” Virtual Cycling’s blogging trio (Nancytoby, Ellie, and Dianne W.) chronicle their make-believe biking adventures all over the U.S., from Shongaloo, Louisiana, to Roswell, New Mexico (post complete with alien snapshot, of course).

For those looking to take an actual road-trip - “by bike, car, motorcycle, or even on foot” - Ellie suggests Road Trip U.S.A., a website that outlines “driving tours across more than 35,000 miles of classic blacktop.” Based on the guidebook of the same name by Jamie Jensen, the site offers free podcasts with trip tips, route highlights, and road trip ideas.

Mike at Blue Collar Mountain Biking reviews the new VeloGear DVD Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance. Featuring bike maintenance instructor Leonard Zinn, the DVD shows viewers how to adjust your brakes, patch a tire, and install a number of components. Says Mike:

“Leonard Zinn covers every area of mountain bike maintenance in this DVD. His instructions are easy to follow and are accompanied with some helpful graphics. The DVD format works well because you can just pop it in and click on the area of the mountain bike that you want to learn about and you’re ready to go. I would definitely recommend this video to anyone who is interested in some do-it-yourself mountain bike maintenance and repair.”

WomenSpecific.com, an online community for ladies looking for reliable info on outdoor adventure, seeks to help cyclists, skiers, snowboarders, and other outdoor women find the best programs, happenings, and gear around. Among their recently reviewed products: Rudy Project’s Women’s Kontact Helmet. Despite some trouble with the helmet’s lateral fit and twist loop disks, reviewer Heather Marks digs the Kontact’s 24-vent system:

“I hardly knew I had this helmet on during my ride. The vents really did their job; no overheating with this design! The adjustable disk made fine-tuning the fit easy and fast. I loved the twist loop straps near the ears. You really can make adjustments when you are riding!”

Every time we visit Hitting My Stride, we keep getting stuck at Siren’s post about Ben & Jerry’s Black & Tan ice cream at the top of the page (beer-flavored ice cream? It’s so crazy it just might work…). But then we manage to keep scrolling and land on an entry titled “Geekin’ Out,” in which the Chicago triathlete shows off her new, “too-cool-for-school” Giro Atmos bike helmet (“The thing looks fast just sittin’ there on my counter”). Even better, Siren found the helmet at eBay’s Bike Helmets Direct store, shelling out 50 bucks less than what she would have paid in a bike shop.

ThisNext so loves smart shoppers who share their secrets with us and the rest of the biking blogosphere.

There sure are a lotta bike-porn addicts around the blogosphere. One of the latest peddlers: Tales of Slow, Brave Athena, who teases her readers with a money shot of the Trek T80 Navigator, leading one commenter to sigh:

“oooooh. Pretty. It’s like soft-core, Playboy Channel bike porn”

How to keep your wrists and hands from suffering fatigue and numbness while riding? Don at Go Fast Pops just added some Extreme Steering Chunky Grips to his bike, to help deal with the nerve damage in his left wrist. Made from 100 percent silicone, the grips are UV-resistant, slip-proof, and super-shock-absorbent.

His blog title may be Slow and Tired, but bike lover Jon Sharp sure knows what kind of energy boosters it takes to sustain a serious workout. For a recent five-hour trek, Jon brought along one package of Clif Shot Bloks, two GU Energy Gels, one Carb Boom, one Balance Bar, one bottle of Cytomax, and four bottles of Elete water. With no sugars, artificial colors, or preservatives, Elete contains electrolytes like sodium, chloride, and sulfate. It’s also got magnesium, a mineral that helps promote energy production and muscle contraction to keep your workout long-lasting and cramp-free.

Training for a triathlon? Peep Tri-Geek Kahuna’s list of race-day essentials at TriGeek Dreams, posted for last weekend’s Camp Pendleton Olympic Triathlon in Camp Pendleton, California. A few must-haves:

-Body Glide

-Cytomax

-PowerBar

After running last Sunday’s Clark Lake Triathlon (in Clark Lake, Michigan), Elizabeth at Run With Me shares some lessons learned. A few of her top tips for budding triathletes:

-Avoid running directly into someone’s feet going around buoy’s. Slow down around the curves if someone is in your way. You won’t gain any speed, especially if you get kicked in the face and have to put your goggles back on.

-Don’t run through sprinklers as tempting as it may be. 4 pound sopping wet shoes are not conducive to running 13 miles.

-Get tinted goggles. (Clear goggles didn’t cut it when the sun was in direct line of sight, good luck finding buoy’s or anything else when you are blinded by the sun!)

Flatman indulges in a little bike porn, showing off his latest craigslist find: the 2006 Giant TCR2, a road bike inspiring much drooling among his commenters - and us. A sneak peek: