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