subject: Make a Good Investment - Get a Good Mountain Bike [print this page] Author: Karl Duncan Author: Karl Duncan
Should you be thinking about taking up the sport of mountain biking then one of the most important things which you need to keep in mind is the quality of the bike that you purchase. Now there are a number of different types of mountain bikes available and it is vital that you purchase one which is right for your needs. Selecting a good quality mountain bike is definitely a good investment as it will last you a lot longer than an average bike and that is essential if you plan to go on rough mountain trails. Things You Should Look For Nowadays, the one thing which most people opt for with their mountain bikes is front wheel suspension. Now the suspension on a bike is important as it helps to absorb any shocks which the bike may receive. Many people choose front wheel suspension only rather than front and rear suspension, because it helps those who plan to travel mainly on flat surfaces. Having a front and a rear suspension can really hold you back when travelling on flat surfaces because of the weight of the suspension. In general, when you go out searching and comparing mountain bikes you will notice that there are four main types to choose from. You have hard tail, fully rigid, dual suspension and soft tail bikes. If you look at the fully rigid bikes you will see that they have a frame with a fixed rear and a rigid fork and they do not have any suspension. Hard tail bikes tend not to have any rear suspension but they do benefit from front suspension which is good. Soft tail bikes have a limited rear suspension and they benefit from a flex frame instead of pivots. Dual suspension or full suspension bikes have rear suspension and a front suspension fork and they also use pivots to control the rear wheels. However, it all comes down to what you are going to use the bike for. Each different type of bike is designed to handle a different type of activity or terrain. So you can purchase bikes which are specially designed for activities such as cross country, downhill riding, free riding or dirt jumping. Or you can purchase ordinary bikes which are designed mainly for flat trail riding. Nowadays, mountain biking has become an extreme sport to take part in. As it becomes more popular, bikers are constantly inventing new tricks and the competitiveness of the sport is always growing. So it is not quite as leisurely as it once was. However it can be fun just providing you have the right equipment and choosing the right bike is the first step that you will need to take.About the Author:
