How To Buy A Mountain Bike

Mountain biking is becoming more and more popular with young people, especially since mountain biking debuted in the Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta. Today, mountain biking is a true professional sport and many young people look forward to the day when they can be paid for participating in something they love. If you want to get involved in this amazing sport we will help you to figure out some of the factors you need to know to buy a mountain bike.

It's good to keep in mind that you're going to need a very sturdy bike. In cross-country competitions the riders travel over what is usually a very hilly, sometimes mountainous course. The terrain will consist of a lot of challenges including having to manoeuvre over trees, branches, rocks and even streams. Some mountain biking competitions we will require less strenuous terrain while others will become even more extreme, but you should at least be prepared for the standard cross country competitions.

With that thought in mind, it is usually recommended that you buy a full suspension mountain bike if you can afford it. Hardtails, without rear suspension, are lighter in weight and will pedal more efficiently but full suspension designs offer a lot more comfort and far better control.

There is a wide range of choice when it comes to the frame but the price will rise as we go through the choices. Steel frames are the standard but you may find them heavy and they can rust easily. Aluminum is lighter than steel but can eventually fall apart under the constant pounding of strenuous racing. Next up are carbon fiber frames, they are even lighter and won't rust but they can break up like aluminum and it will usually happen very suddenly. You don't want that in the middle of a race so there is a definite trade-off. Top-of-the-line mountain bikes use titanium frames that are light and strong but are the most expensive.

Your bikes wheels are another very important detail because the better quality wheels (this includes hubs, rims, spokes and tires)will give you a much better ride. It is true that the more you spend the better your wheels will be, but you also have to consider size and weight. A larger wheel will give you a better ride but the smaller wheel will make the bike lighter and easier to handle. A more powerful rider may be able to handle more weight on a better riding wheel but it could also make you get tired faster during the race having to handle that extra weight.

And just about every mountain bike these days comes with front suspension forks and they are the most important mountain bike components you should look at. If the bike you are looking at does not have front suspension forks you are probably looking at a hybrid, a touring bike or a road bike. A coil fork is the best choice on a tight budget but it will add that extra dreaded weight again. Air sprung forks are more expensive but lighter so you obviously have that same type of trade-off we talked about before.

Test ride as many bikes as you can in your price range and riding style category. You will find that some bikes will just feel right while others don’t. The more bikes you ride the better feel you will have for what you like and what you don’t. Happy riding!

We will help you to buy mountain bike or buy road bike depending on your preference.