Buying the Right Bike For Your Riding Style

Over the past 10 years, mountain biking has become more popular than ever with many more people partaking in the activity than ever before. It seems that everywhere you go there is someone with a bike rack on their car hauling their bike to the next ride destination. And with the growing popularity of mountain biking came the increased numbers of manufacturers and types of bikes along with the price ranges.

Now you really have to do your homework when it comes to choosing a new mountain bike so you don’t get stuck with something that doesn't suit your riding style or the trails you will be riding on. And you also need to make sure you get one that can take the punishment you plan on dishing out without breaking the bank.

The first thing to consider will be your riding style. There are many types of trails and riding styles including cross country, all mountain, free ride and downhill among others. Cross country is the most basic type of riding where there are easy flowing trails without anything too crazy such as jumps, drops or rock gardens. All mountain riding is more dramatic with steeper downhills and more technical riding such as rocky terrain and maybe some small jumps. Free ride involves more jumps and obstacles as well as bike parks where there are custom made trails to test your skills. Then of course downhill riding is where you most likely get shuttled to the top of a steep mountain and ride down it as fast as you can while taking on whatever gets in your way.

Once you decide what type of riding you plan on doing then you can start figuring out what type of bike you want to get. There are several things to consider when buying a mountain bike to make sure you get the right one. Bikes come in several wheel sizes such as 26, 29 and the newer 27.5 inch wheel size. 26 inch wheel bikes are better for fast cornering and big jumps while 29 inch wheel bikes are good for rolling over rocky trails and climbing. 27.5 inch bikes are supposed to cover both areas but that remains to be seen.

Geometry is another factor when choosing a bike. A cross country bike compared to a downhill bike will have totally different geometry when it comes to things such as the seat post and head tube angle as well as bottom bracket height. When going downhill or jumping you will want to have bike that feels more compact and not stretched out but when climbing on a cross country bike you want to be able to stretch out and not feel cramped.

Then there is suspension. Most people nowadays ride full suspension bikes where the fork is basically a shock and then there is some sort of rear shock for the back of the bike. Hardtail bikes don’t have a rear shock but most of the times have one in the fork. Shocks\forks can be coil sprung or air sprung. Coil sprung shocks are mostly for downhill or free ride situations because they offer better absorption for jumps and drops than air sprung shocks because they rely on a coil within the shock to cushion the landing where air shocks rely on only air. But that means that coil sprung shocks are also heavier and usually make for a more expensive bike. Another thing to look for when it comes to suspension is the amount of travel of the fork\shock. Travel determines how much the shock will compress on a landing or over rough terrain and varies anywhere from around 4 inches up to 8 inches for downhill bikes. Other things to look for are features such as rebound, compression and lockout. These settings let you fine tune the suspension or lock it out for uphill rides where suspension “bob” would make it more difficult to climb.

It’s very important to get the right size bike so you can be in control while riding and be able to get the right pedal stride as well as get your feet on the ground when you need to. Most bikes come in sizes from small to extra-large but not all bike brands are the same size. Your best bet is to go to the bike shop and sit on the bike and even take it for a ride in the parking lot before deciding what size you need. You also want to be able to put your feet on the ground while having clearance between your legs and the frame.

Another thing to look out for is weight. Nobody wants to ride a 40 pound bike up a hill if they don’t have to. A decent bike weight is about 30 pounds for a cross country or all mountain bike and 35-40 pounds for a free ride or downhill bike. If you get a carbon fiber frame you can get some super light bikes at around 25 pounds depending on the size and components.

There are many options when it comes to components such as brakes, drivetrain, wheels and so on. You can have a bike with the same frame cost twice as much based on its components. When it comes to mountain bikes you get what you pay for so keep that in mind when shopping. You want your bike to be able to shift accurately and stop when you want it to stop so be sure to research the component list before buying.

Finally there are all the little things to check out before making your purchase. These include things such as pedals, grips, tires, seat and so on. These things can be easily swapped out so if there is something you don’t like you may be able to get it changed out for something you like better as part of the deal.

So if you do your homework, read the reviews and do some test rides you should be able to find the right bike for your riding style at the right price so now it's only a matter of getting out there and doing it!

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