What To Look For When Buying A Mountain Bike? 

Image Credit :- Pixino

Would you like to ride a mountain bike? That’s fantastic! It doesn't matter if you want to play in the dirt or just upgrade your daily commuter, buying a mountain bike could be the best decision you've ever made.

What You'll Need to Know Before Buying

Getting your first modern mountain bike can be a little complex, as there are a range of bikes with different features and prices.

We will guide you through the important questions when making this buying decision.

How Much Should I Spend on My First Mountain Bike? 

Well, that depends on your financial circumstances and how important riding is to you. Yes, you can spend a lot but it doesn't mean you have to. You can get various bike options at any price point. 

However, you should look for a hardtail mountain bike that costs no less than $1,500 and full suspension mountain bikes in the price range of $2,000 to $2,500. If you are willing to take the inferior parts or get away from the established bike brands, you might be able to purchase a bike for less.

How much is too much? 

As previously said, the answer is based on your financial situation and the quantity of travel you do.  If you ride a bike on a regular basis, this may not matter to you, but if you don't require the very best, you may discover the greatest budget bicycles for between $450 and $600 that are only minimally heavier or better than the top-of-the-line bikes.

How to pick the right bike frame ?

Frame design and seat tube length details are given by most manufacturers. Mountain bike rider prefers a large frame that will allow them to quickly dismount the bike. 

However, large bike frames can lead to an strained riding form and position,  whereas a small frame will be compact and make you feel cramped while riding and not allow to maintain an efficient pedaling position.

My best advice is to ensure the bike seat can be positioned at your belt level when standing on the ground.  And then put your elbow at the end of the seat and your fingers should brush gently agains the handlebars.

That will give you an efficient pedaling position with power and still maintain good posture (for endurance).

If it's possible, we recommend you to take a test ride of the bicycle that you are going to purchase. It will give you an idea of which frame is suitable for you.

Frame Materials 

When buying a best mountain bike, you must select between expensive and standard materials. The inexpensive materials include aluminum or alloy frames, whereas the more lavish materials are hybrid-steel, titanium, and carbon fiber. If you can afford the upgrade, this is where to spend the money.

The frame is the largest determinant of overall bike weight. Bike weight dictates speed, fun, and distance.

If your budget cannot bear high-end, then aluminum and alloy are the best options for inexpensive materials.

Which mountain bike Suspension to choose? 

Several bike brands build their suspension systems; these advancements in suspension design and configurations varies for each brand. And, as you may be aware, everyone claims that their version is the greatest, but you should check at your local bike store or the professionals to see which one works the best.

Image Credit :-Wikipedia

So if you ask us, we would recommend that the  beginners not worry about the full suspension or dual-suspension mountain bikes, instead, they should focus on the category of mountain bike that is best for them.

If you are looking for quality mountain bikes and then you can check out our article: Best Mountain Bike Brand

What size wheels are best?

Previously, all mountain bikes featured 26-inch wheels with tire widths ranging from 2 to 2.50 inches in diameter. 29-inch wheels are supposed to smooth out rear shocks better since they are less prone to fall into pits in the rough track, thus they may theoretically be maintained over rough ground.

The 29 inch bikes, on the other hand, have the disadvantage of being heavier due to their larger wheels and tires.

Due to this drawback, 27.5-inch wheels were developed, which are based on 650-pound touring bike specifications and are common.

However, the performance got better using a 26-inch wheel, thus it becomes the most common wheel size of the new mountain bike models for approximately each price range.

How many gears should it have?

A drivetrain that accommodates a wide range can be of potential usage for off-road enforcement. Small, single chain chainrings and cassettes with bigger gear at the back means lots of balance between speed range to get up to sheer hills. 

However, if you ride your mountain bike on a regular basis, you may run out of gears sooner than you expect.

Thus it is suggested to have some advancements such as smaller steps between gears and a smooth shift. A lot of entry-level mountain bikes will only have a 7-speed cassette but 8,9 or even 10-speed cassettes on mountain bikes are preferable.

What else do you need to look out for?

It could be really helpful for a regular mountain bike rider that the set of brakes still work when they are wet. And hydraulic disc brakes can be helpful for them in such conditions.

Hydraulic disc brakes require less maintenance and offer great power and feel. Also, those who use common brakes are still very usable and have a great advantage over conventional rim brakes i.e cantilever brakes.

A padded and comfortable bike seat is also essential because you will be sitting on it for an extended period of time and it will also absorb shock and trembling from the trail bikes.

If you are looking for Top-rated bike for mountain Riding then checkout Best BMX Brand Bike for mountain Ride

Conclusion

We hope this article serves as a simple guide on how to choose a mountain bike and what to look for. We attempted to cover all of the essential components that are important in this assessment phase. To conclude, check our latest bikes review at BikesReviewed.com for valuable insights into the world of cycling, and make informed decisions about your next bike purchase.