What Type Of Mountain Bike Is Best For Me?
Mountain biking is without a doubt one of the most exciting forms of recreation suitable for all ages, sizes and abilities. It’s a wonderful way to exercise, explore outdoors, and have loads of fun. All that is needed is a fitting mountain bike, a bit of enthusiasm and, of course, the helmet.
In mountain biking, there are four main categories - downhill/freeride, cross country, all-mountain, and trials. You should know what kind of riding you will be doing before buying a mountain bike. I will try to explain what are the main differences between those categories.
There are actually more categories than four, but those are the main ones. Each offers a different experience. The style you choose will determine the type of your bike. So you should know where you’re going to ride it and what kind of obstacles are you going to face.
Freeride/Downhill bikes are, of course, bikes that you ride mainly down hill. They are equipped with front and rear suspension, large disc brakes, and use heavier frame than other mountain bikes. They also have a limited selection of gears. They don’t do very well uphill, but smoke everything down.
If you’re looking for a bike to be fun in the largest number of situations, consider all-mountain bike. They come with front and rear suspension, full gear set and will take you almost anywhere.
Cross country bikes are not suited to riders who enjoy big drops and other extremes, but for the average mountain biker, they are a great choice. They are all-round good performers, lighter that other bikes. They come with full gear set (generally 27) and usually just front suspension.
Generally light and strong, trial mountain bikes require a great degree of skill. Usually they have no suspension and offer only one gear. Not suitable for weekend riders.
After you decide what you wanna do with your bike, it’s time to go buy it. But how to choose, there are so many brands? Well, brands are not that important. I myself am a fan of Iron Horse bicycles, but that’s just me. When buying a mountain bike you should concentrate on the quality of the components.
That’s it. Now put on your helmet and enjoy the ride.