Mountain Bikes

These bikes are specifically developed for challenging, off-road terrain. They are designed to be rugged and durable to handle the stresses of off-road adventures and the impact such terrain transmits through the bike. The types of terrain that such a bike was designed to conquer are fire roads, forest trails, single track, downhills and other unpaved surfaces. They will traditionally have knobbly tyres which aids the mud shedding ability to provide grip and traction when conditions are especially muddy. The types of tyre that are fitted can be altered to suit the surface; for instance, a knobbly tyre is not suited to hardpacked earth and likewise a tyre with a less knobbly tread is not well suited to quagmire conditions. Wheel size has continued to evolve so that todays MTB's now have 650b plus or 29er wheels. The 650b are more agile and better suited to forest trails and a 29er is well- suited to downhills and enduro riding.

There are many different varieties of mountain bikes and they cover a wide range of disciplines. The most popular are; • Enduro / All mountain bikes – A hybrid of a cross-country and freeride bike, they will have suspension in the region of 150-180mm and are designed to climb as well as they descend. • Downhill – Downhill bikes are built for one thing only, plummeting downhill as fast as possible and as such have a monstrous suspension of 200mm. • Trail – A trail bike is somewhat of a cross between an all-out XC bike and an All Mountain bike. Featuring a travel normally in the region of 120-140mm they are designed to conquer forest trails and singletrack. • Cross Country – In todays world the 29er is king in terms of cross-country rides due to their ability to roll over most obstacles. • Hardtail - A hardtail will only have front suspension hence it’s name and will normally fall into the XC and trail category.

Mountain bikes cover a whole range of disciplines and as such suit a very varied range of rider. For example, a downhill bike suits the adrenaline junkies who will sit and plod up a mountain side only to come hurtling back down at breakneck speed. Yet a hardtail MTB can as well be used by someone just meandering along forest trails, canal towpaths etc as they can be for shredding singletracks or across country. The type of bike that you purchase should best suit the terrain that you can expect to ride over during your frequent rides. By this we mean that a downhill bike that is quick / heavy due to the frame being reinforced to take the stresses of speedy descents and the massive fork shocks, is not best suited to riding along a forest trail or singletrack. So, choosing the right bike for you is critical to getting the most out of your rides.

Like most types of bikes, the price can be as much or as little as you wish to spend. Sub £500 you can expect to receive a chromoly frame with parts that are of usable quality but will wear out more quickly. The higher the budget the better the quality of kit that will be fitted to the bike and this better, quality kit will perform better and last longer. Realistically a decent beginner/ middle of the road MTB will cost in the region of £1000-£2000, this would ensure a decent, robust frame, good quality forks and a decent set of wheels. For a really good quality MTB you can expect to spend in the region of £2000-£5000 and this would ensure that the bike is supplied with the best quality kit. Bikes in this price bracket will also be packed full of technology and will also be as light as possible.