| With the success of British athletes at the 2008 | | | | The type of terrain you will be cycling on can vary |
| Olympics in track and BMX biking, the sport has | | | | widely as any form of unpaved surface is ideal for |
| become one of the most popular activities for young | | | | biking. After a few weeks of practise you might find |
| and old alike. Requiring stamina, strength and agility, | | | | yourself peddling hard up and down steep hills, |
| cyclists find mountain biking a particularly challenging | | | | bouncing off rocks and tree stumps, skimming |
| and enjoyable area of the sport combining many of | | | | through water and landing some impressive jumps. |
| the skills needed in BMX, road and track cycling plus | | | | To do these kind of actions will require much more |
| more. Expert mountain bike riders can compete at | | | | than your average bicycle. You will need to buy a |
| the numerous annual competitions held around the | | | | bike with wide tyres and a deep grip to cling onto |
| world, including the Mountain Bike World Cup | | | | the loose surfaces you will encounter. Handle bars |
| organised by the International Cycling Union (UCI). | | | | with up turned ends have recently become popular |
| The competition takes the form of several individual | | | | for the leverage they offer when scaling hills. Perhaps |
| competitions held across different countries, much | | | | the most important feature you need to think about |
| like the surfing world cup, and the winner is the biker | | | | when buying a mountain bike is the suspension. |
| with the best average. | | | | In the 1990s the first mountain bikes with front |
| All of these high profile competitions have had the | | | | suspension were sold, greatly increasing the comfort |
| effect of making mountain biking a sport people | | | | of riding over rough terrain. In the past two decades |
| want to get involved in. But if you are going to take | | | | however suspension has developed extremely quickly |
| up mountain biking, you need to buy a mountain bike | | | | and duel suspension bikes are becoming the norm. |
| that's right for you. Choosing the right mountain bike | | | | Whilst there are downsides to riding a bike with duel |
| can take weeks of comparing frames, size, seats, | | | | suspension, like them costing more, requiring more |
| colour, suspension and price among many other | | | | maintenance and peddle interference with some |
| important factors that play a role in mountain biking. | | | | models, the benefits far outweigh these factors. Duel |
| It also depends on what type of mountain biking you | | | | suspension bikes offer a much more comfortable ride |
| intend to get involved with. All this information might | | | | and are much quicker at traversing a trail. The |
| seem a bit daunting, but it really isn't as complicated | | | | suspension allows the wheels to bounce off any |
| as you might expect. This article is intended as a | | | | objects they hit making for a quicker manoeuvre |
| basic guide to buying a mountain bike, with a couple | | | | onto the flat. Proficient mountain bikers recommend |
| of extra bits of information on the sport thrown in | | | | these qualities over a bike with just front suspension. |
| for good measure. | | | | So whether you choose to buy a mountain bike for |
| The UCI has a good website with handy tips for | | | | cross country biking, all day endurance, free ride or |
| getting the right style and size of mountain bike to | | | | downhill biking, make sure you choose one that will |
| suit you, as well as help with finding a local biking club. | | | | be comfortable, suit your frame and will be durable. |
| When you begin to get into biking, clubs are a great | | | | You do not need to spend thousands of pounds on |
| way to meet like minded people who can help you | | | | your first bike, if you come to love the sport, then |
| with your skills and take you to their favourite | | | | you can buy more and more advanced mountain |
| mountain bike locations. | | | | bikes. |