Mountain bike buying guide
With big knobby tires and air-filled shock absorbers, mountain bikes make easy work of even the toughest terrain. They help you head deeper and faster into the wilderness, sometimes accessing places easier than on foot. Here are a few things you should know before buying a mountain bike.
THE LOWDOWN
There are two main types of mountain bikes: full suspension and hardtail. Bikes with full suspension have shock absorbers on both the front and rear for a softer, easier ride on really rough trails. They’re also the most expensive. Hardtails have suspension only on the front fork. This type is generally more durable, requires less maintenance and is a great choice for most riders.
Mountain bikes also come with either rim or disc brakes. Unless you’re an advanced rider, choose a bike with rim-style brakes, the most common and easiest to service.
No matter what sort of bike you’re looking for, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
WHERE TO SHOP
“Look beyond department store bikes and go to your local bike shop,” says pro rider Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, the reigning mountain bike national champion. “The salespeople there will be so much more knowledgeable and there’s a huge step up in quality of bikes.”
When talking to salespeople, be honest about your biking skills and where you plan to ride. That way, they can point you toward the best bike for your skill level.
PRICE
Sure, you may see a really cool-looking, full-suspension bicycle for $150 at a department store, but odds are it’ll be really heavy and not very durable. Expect to spend at least $300 to get a good quality, entry-level mountain bike, Kobelski says. For more experienced riders, check out bikes in the $500 to $700 range. Those models will likely be lighter, more durable and outfitted with higher quality gears and components.
QUALITY
As you push the pedals, it’s the bike’s components (gears and other moving parts) that move you down the trail. But if you buy a bike with poor-quality components, you probably won’t get very far. Look for quality component brand names like Shimano, Sun Tour, SRAM and Bontrager.
Someone at the shop should help you find the correct bike for your size.
“The most important measurement is the stand-over height,” Kobelski says. “Stand over the top tube and pick the bike up. See how much clearance you have — how high you can pick it up.”
You should have at least a couple of inches of room, so you can hop on and off easily. It’ll also make the bike more maneuverable. Make sure the salesman gets you fitted perfectly. And look for a bike with an adjustable-height seat so the bike can grow with you.
TEST DRIVE
Before you buy a bike, ride as many different models as you can. Kobelski recommends doing tight turns and sprinting on the bike. Try to ride up a couple of curbs, too. Pay special attention to how the bike turns and shifts.
THE BIKER’S ESSENTIALS
Don’t leave home for a ride without these important pieces of biking gear:
- Helmet
- Water Bottle
- Tire pump
- Extra inner tube and/or patch kit
- Tire and chain tools
- Bike shorts (optional)
- Gloves
- Glasses/goggles (optional)
biking down a 100 foot hill is AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My bro has a Kona bike. IT…IS…AMAZING!!!!
i got a next power climber 24 inch from walmart and it works great
gear guy i ride my bike alot off road as well as on road would you recemend a speacialized hardrock
You’ve chosen an excellent bike….known for durability…
I got an used, but almost new Diamondback for $80. It works really well, especially for that price.
bikes are awesome
i have a custom made bike that cost $8000
My Raleigh is an awesome bike. I took it on the C&O Canal and it is a really durable bike. I flipped over the side of the tow path and the bike hit a log then landed on top of me, which hurt alot and the bike was fine.
i swear Jackson Hole has the best bike trails in the world!!! skinny-bridges, jumps, quarter pipes, they got ’em all!
Used bikes are another good option. Some people outgrow their expensive bikes, upgrade or lose interest in cycling. If you can save hundreds of dollars on a top name/quality bike by buying one used…You can use the money you saved to buy accessories. If you’re still growing and on the verge of needing a bigger bike in the not too distant future…Don’t waste your money on something you’ll soon be replacing.
Trek bikes are really good quality and good for off road. Just make sure you buy it for around $330 because they also put their name on cheaper bikes that arent very good.
I do BMX Freestyle, which is kind of like mountain biking except you do it on street, somtimes dirt, and vert (skate parks).
I am about to get the schwinn aluiminum comp
i have a Trek Mountain Track
i have a 07 dimondback respinse. its a hard tale but the only problem is the bottom bracket that i dont know how to fix. just keep in mind that you dont know every thing. if you dont know how to fix it take it to the bike shop. they know what there doing.
I won a Pathfinder Mtn. Bike for selling 1’500 dollars worth of pop-
corn. No idea what it costs, but it’s probably worth it.
It has 18 gears, alloy body, all terrain wheels, it’s SUPER light!,
and fast!, and Ive gone as par as to nail it head long into a tree,
witch, if I’m honest, hurt me quite allot…BUT NOT THE BIKE! EVEN
IF IT WAS 18 FEET AWAY FROM WHERE THE TREE WAS!
I know absolutely nothing about what kind of bike to buy, and in the neighboorhood that I live in, it’s really good to have a bike that lasts.
I just got a schwinn and It Awesome, Its gears Stick Every Long Once in a while but it is GREAT!!!
I got a blue and silver sturdy NEXT bike with dual suspension for $70 at walmart and it’s amazing. I could ride it easily even before I was tall enough to get on and off. It is a little heavy and the gears can mess up once in a while, but for where I live it’s perfect.
I dont think that was a good choice because next bike are cheap and break
I deffinetly agree
Don’t be completaly satisfied. I got a bike like that along time ago ang I thought it would last but after a year it fell over and the gears snaped right off. What I would recomend (what I personaly did) is if you don’t have a bike shop you should go to a place like Dick’s and look for a $300-$600 bike(probably a dimond back) and spen your mony on that!
Dimodback full suspention bikes are great.
Get a GT or a Foes and even if it is expensive it is way worth the money
Oh ya Kona and Tonka are good too.
OK yall dont know any thing about Mountain bikes. First off $259 is a OK price spark, second Schwinn is OK….but Treks, Giants, Cannondales, and Specializeds are MUCH better. 5 times the price but soooo worth it. Wal mart bikes are VERY HEAVY and dont last u. (if u actually ride it 2 times a week) Last, stay away from wall mart or target, Try Dick’s, acadmey or a local bike shop….most of their bikes ARNT made in china.
Hook em horns
Most of their bikes are made in China they are just better quality.
Take a close look. They are probably made in China. My father has 2 old Treks and a Schwinn made in the USA:-)
kona rocks i love it i do not have one but i know how much it rocks!!!!!
Is a mongoose subject good
MONGOOSE bikes are absoulutley terrible never buy they may look cool but fall apart
I got a schwinn for 150$ from Target.
I got a schwinn from target too, but It’s front brakes stick, and the back tire rims are a little bent now after using it, but it’s still pretty good averall
get a tonka full suspension from walmart in 20in. I love mine and didnt have to spend alot of cash only 59.99!
For bicycle essentials for bikers who ride on roads with regular vehicle traffic, I’d include a flourescent orange zippered sweat shirt or a flourescent orange traffic triangle flag along with other bicycle reflectors that vehicle drivers can spot in low visibility situations from greater than fifty yards from a bicyclist–for the essence of bicycle safety.
my dad has a shwin sidewinder that is more than 10 years old but it is a great bike.
i think konas the best
I got a Schwinn spitfire from a department store and it works just fine, thabk you.
Got a Schwinn S-60–It’s awesome! I do all sorts of wheelies and bunnyhops on it!
I got a Trek 820… It’s nice. Konas are really amazing, too.
mountain bikes have great traction
Konas are the best types of bikes. If you get a kona, you’re reallly getting into the area of high performance and durable bikes, with great components.
I have a mongoose. I was on of those $100 Wal-Mart ones, but it’s good enough for me!
That’s weird. I cant find any boys’ bikes at walmart. I’m assuming you ride my size because if you were any bigger it would probably cost around $200.00, right?
One tip. unless you do SERIOUS riding, never spend too much on a cannondale.
You should never even consider getting a bike from a department. all it will do is break into pieces within a couple of days. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra $. I’m 17 and have purchased all of my bike from bike shops. They have better products and better customer service. I’ve been mountain biking for 6 years. I started out on a Trek 3700 for about $350. Now I have a Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo that cost me about $1500. Money well spent!!!
GARY FISHER is the way to go i have a green wahoo i plan to get disc brakes for it works great for beginners looking into mountain biking
$100.00 bikes from wal-mart are not a very good choice because they are very heavy, fragile, and the suspension is extremely stiff. If you want a good bike you will have to go above $250.00.
You cannot forget the mongoose mountain bikes. They are awesome! I went on a trail with my mongoose spark ( dual suspension, Dual disc brakes, Front and rear fenders, 21 speed and side handle bars and $259.00.) and it didn’t even creak.
By the way is $259.00 a good price?
Don’t have one yet but I want one.
I got a great schwiin mountain bike at target for $130
trek is without a doubt the probly the best moutain bike and road bike around. i have a trek and its a great bike to ride on trails and theings like that and it is a pretty good on the road to…..
No bob, a $104 wal-mart bike is not good. if you do anything more that ride around very easy trails or the streets it will break. Do yourself a favor and buy a nice bike from a shop. I have a Trek 4200…i think. Its very nice
Day before yesterday was my 11 bday so i got a trek 820 [16″] for $300 this guide is okay, but they should suggest some models.
Last year I bought my first mountain bike for $350.00 at Trails End. I now race with WVMBASS (west virginia mountain bike assoc) I also ride on the W AND O(WASHINGTNTON and Ohio rail road) i ride on my rode bike 21 mi in 1 hour to Purcellville to Washingston
21 mph that’s nothing.
slow poke
i have a specialized rochhopper. it cost 770.00. its a great bike, and comes in many sizes (im 6′ 4″)
I almost bought a schwinn but then went to a bike shop and for 150 more and got the more exspensive and is cooler looking lighter
and better
i found a dual suspension at wal-mart for 104.00 and its really good.
nice info, keep it up BL
that is some pretty good edvise.