How To Choose A Mountain Bike
There are so many mountain bikes available on the market, and one of the trickiest things about choosing the right mountain bike for your requirements - is just how different mountain bikes are. Even the term ‘mountain biking’ covers so many different disciplines. It’s therefore important and difficult to find the exact right mountain bike for your exact requirements - or is it?!
If you are not entirely sure what mountain bike you need, you are pretty close to finding the bike you should buy! If you are not specialising in anything specific, any good hardtail mountain bike or mid-travel full suspension mountain bike should fit your requirements. If you do have an idea of what you need, then one of the best ways of researching and choosing a mountain bike is to look at suspension travel.
Choosing Via Suspension Travel
The amount of suspension travel a mountain bike has gives a great insight into what the bike is designed to do. Short travel bikes perform less well on steeper, harsher terrain - they may bottom out, and handling will be poor; longer travel suspension bikes soak up and travel over obstacles and rough terrain much better. Ride on flat terrain and a shorter travel suspension bike will be the most efficient choice for covering the ground, whilst a long travel suspension mountain bike will perform poorly on the smooth stuff (typically!)
A happy medium for many mountain bikers is between 130-150mm of travel - this travel can cope with most terrain without serious areas to underperform.
Hardtail MTB Vs Full Suspension MTB
It’s an age-old question we have answered on our blog more than once. Hardtails are often overlooked in favour of their more exciting cousins - full-suspension mountain bikes. Without getting too much into the debate here, hardtails are lightweight, cheaper and easier to maintain than full suspension mountain bikes - they are also incredibly capable. They can tackle all terrain, including singletrack.
Although there’s a great argument for hardtail mountain bikes, full suspension mountain bikes are more comfortable and allow for extra control on the rough stuff - which many riders prefer.
MTB Essentials
Mountain Bike essentials vary, but those looking for a decent level of performance from their mountain bike should look for:
- Air Suspension
- Single Ring Drivetrains
- Disc Brakes
Non-essentials, but good to haves are:
- Dropper Seatposts
- Carbon Frame
- Suspension Design
Mountain Bikes Online
At Westbrook Cycles, we have bikes for all abilities, all budgets and all mountain bike terrain - browse the site, or get in touch to discuss the right bike for your requirements