| If you're planning to give your bike a hard | | | | necessarily sticking to heavy-duty mountain |
| time, by riding on dirt tracks, across | | | | trials, then you might find a cross-country |
| hairpin bends and on steep, gravel inclines, | | | | mountain bike is more suitable. These are |
| then you're going to need a mountain bike. | | | | usually made of lightweight, resilient |
| This type of bike is designed for rough | | | | materials, and can weigh as little as 20 |
| riding conditions, and they're very rarely | | | | pounds, although some can weight up to 40 |
| ridden on paved roads. Mountain bike | | | | pounds. This is in comparison to |
| enthusiasts love to cycle along narrow, | | | | all-mountain or enduro bikes, which usually |
| unpaved trails. Their bike however, suffers | | | | range from 30-35 pounds. Cross-country |
| high levels of wear and tear in those | | | | mountain bikes have better suspension, |
| conditions, which is why cycle manufacturers | | | | specifically for uphill climbs or steering |
| developed mountain bikes.For starters, | | | | over hairpin bends.You can also buy free ride |
| mountain bikes have tires that are much | | | | mountain bikes, which are built of stronger, |
| bigger and fatter than standard bicycles, and | | | | heavier materials. These are mainly designed |
| they're made of stronger rubber. This makes | | | | for easier pedaling, but can still be |
| it easier for the bicycle roll smoothly over | | | | maneuvered around dangerous obstacles and |
| obstacles and run freely on pebbled tracks. | | | | steep turns. They're not as efficient as a |
| They also provide better traction.Good | | | | cross-country bike because of their weight, |
| suspension is another critical part of | | | | which is generally between 40-50 pounds.If |
| mountain bike design. Strong suspension is | | | | you expect to be doing lots of riding on |
| essential, and more recent designs can have | | | | downhill tracks and racecourses, then a |
| both front and rear suspension, to help deal | | | | downhill mountain bike might be for you. |
| with heavier thuds. There are a number of | | | | They're not as strong as free ride bikes, but |
| different suspension styles available, and | | | | have better traction than most of the other |
| depending on the type of trails you plan to | | | | types of mountain bike.For short distances, |
| ride along, different ones might be suitable. | | | | you are probably best with a trial bike, |
| They are: Hard tails - front suspension | | | | which doesn't have any suspension. They |
| fork, some have a rigid fork | | | | don't have a proper seat or a vestigial pad, |
| | | | and generally only weight around 15-20 |
| Soft tails - the rear suspension rests on | | | | pounds.There are also dirt jumping, urban and |
| the frame rather than pivots | | | | street mountain bikes, which are all hybrids |
| | | | of trial and mountain bikes. They're very |
| Dual Suspension - front suspension fork, | | | | strong, and usually have a chain guide for |
| rear suspension, rear shock absorbers and | | | | front and rear gears, and have anywhere from |
| linkage | | | | one to nine gears.For more information on |
| | | | mountain bikes to include mountain bike |
| Fully Rigid - rigid front and rear | | | | reviews try visiting loacted at where you |
| suspensionIf you're more interested in | | | | will also find information on pocket bikes, |
| traveling cross-country, rather than | | | | folding bikes, dirt bikes and BMX bikes. |