Mens mountain bikes are manufactured using high-tech lightweight materials. They have advanced gear systems, suspension and brakes. There is a vast range of bikes out there and at times the different options available are overwhelming. However once you start your search it is easy to understand which the best bike is for you.
Mountain bikes can be divided into four main types based on suspension, listed below:
- Fully rigid - A frame with a rigid fork and either fixed rear suspension, or no suspension.
- Hard tail - A frame with front suspension but no rear suspension.
- Soft tail - A frame with a small amount of rear suspension, activated by the flex of the frame instead of pivots.
- Dual or full suspension - A front suspension fork and rear suspension with a rear shock.
There are many different styles of mountain bikes available - of these the most popular include Cross Country (XC), All Mountain (AM), Trail Bikes and Freeride bikes. Key features of these are listed below:
- Cross country (XC) mountain bikes are usually lightweight and only have a small amount of front and/or rear suspension. They are intended to use on climbs and have quick turning abilities.
- Trail Bikes are a mixture of Cross country and All Mountain bikes. They are good all round bikes for all elements of mountain biking.
- All Mountain Bikes offer fantastic suspension travel. They are designed to be able to ascend mild to moderate inclines and descend steep declines. These bikes are perfect for all levels of rider, adults or children.
- Freeride Bikes are similar to downhill bikes. They are built to focus on strength rather than weight. They have good suspension and are built from strong, heavy material. They are extremely good for riding technically downhill.
The choice of which mountain bike to invest in firstly comes down to personal preference of riding style. You must decide how you want to spend time on your bike. Do you want to ride smooth flowing trails, climb big mountains, ride stunts, descend technical downhill courses, or just have all around fun? There are plenty of mens mountain bikes covering all of these options so you just need to find one that feels right for you, that is within your budget.
