FIND THE RIGHT MOUNTAIN BIKE
With technology evolving in leaps and bounds, new ‘standards’ emerging and old ones swiftly becoming outdated, and an ever-growing dictionary of jargon to be deciphered, the mountain bike market can be a confusing place, even for seasoned riders. Highly specialised bikes sit side-by-side with machines that are claimed to excel at everything. And they’re all spread over such a vast price range that it can be hard to know where to start. Our objective over the next six pages is to set out all the factors you should consider when looking for a new ride. As well as helping you to work out what sort of bike will work best for your riding, we’ll explain the pros and cons of common choices you’ll face, and what you should expect at each price point.
1 HOW MUCH SUSPENSION DO YOU NEED?
It’s essential to establish early on what sort of trails you intend to ride and on which terrain you want your bike to excel. This will help you decide what category of bike you need. Unless you’re set on a hardtail or fatbike (see right), the easiest way to define the categories is in terms of suspension travel. Roughly speaking…
60-110mm: Cross-country race bike
Trail types: Fast-flowing, smooth.
Excels: Climbing and acceleration.
110-130mm: Downcountry bike
Trail types: Manmade loops and less rocky natural routes.
Excels: Covering distance fast.
130-150mm: Trail bike
Trail types: More technical tracks with some bigger features.
Excels: Equally capable up and downhill.
150-180mm: Enduro bike
Trail types: Steep, gnarly off-piste; rocky tech; bike-park tracks.
Excels: Rapid on the descents, but can still be pedalled back to the top.
180-200mm: Downhill/freeride bike
Trail types: The fastest, roughest descents known to man!
Excels: Descending; there’s no way you’re pedalling one uphill.
Less suspension travel usually means a lighter, faster bike uphill and on the flat. More travel generally equals better downhill capability. If you’re new to the sport and want to try a bit of everything, a mid-travel trail bike is the best all-rounder. Within this broad category, there’s still a lot of variation, though. Want to rack up big miles on all-day epics? Lean towards shorter travel. If
