When it comes to mountain bikes, you get what you pay for much of the time. While looking for the best bike you can afford is a good idea, figuring out which top of the line downhill mountain bike really is a good buy can be harder. Generally, it is best to look at the quality of the components, and the way in which the bike fits you and the way you ride to decide on the right model.
At base, a mountain bike is a bicycle with a rugged frame, wide tires with large treads, horizontal handlebars, and gearing. Off road, they offer greater traction and stability than a street bike's narrow tires and lightweight frame can. But that's not all they are for, even though these bikes are called mountain bikes. They can also be ridden on trails with gravel or no surfacing, and cross country. City streets that have uneven or broken paving are also suitable for these bikes. Just look out for large rocks and roots. For any application where you'll need toughness and stability, decide on a mountain bike. If you do most of your cycling on flat areas with smooth pavement, these bikes are probably heavier than you're looking for.
Look for Good Quality Build
Top of the line mountain bikes will offer quality construction, as well as using good materials. While many manufacturers will try to sell you components and frames based only on the materials that make them up, don't be fooled. It is possible to make a bad bike frame from titanium, just as it is possible to make a good one from steel or aluminum. Whether you're buying a frame, some gears, or new wheels, quality of manufacture is more important, even though prestigious materials certainly cost a lot more. Look for bikes with good suspension and higher quality disc brakes, in place of of rim brakes like the ones on road bikes.
Light-weight Frames are In
Lighter frames mean there's less for you to pull up steep slopes. However, lightweight frames and wheels also mean that you sacrifice toughness, in some materials. They also require a certain loss of stability. Mountain bikes are often more heavily built than road bikes, for these reasons. Composite materials like Kevlar (the same material used for bullet proof vests) and carbon fiber are the newest and hottest composites used to make trail bicycle frames. These materials are also made use of for other parts of the bike, as they are intensely light-weight and very powerful. However bike frames made with Kevlar and carbon fiber are extremely difficult to fix when damaged.
Titanium, the best and most costly material for bike frames, offers the light weight of carbon fiber with strength that may outdo that of the toughest steel alloy frames. It is also the most corrosion-resistant material for bicycle frames. All these benefits come with an extremely high price tag, as you would expect.
Good Suspension is a Must
With lighter materials like titanium and aluminum, good suspension can reduce the "whippiness" you sometimes encounter. Top quality mountain bikes are available with front only or both front and rear suspension. When you decide on your bike, be sure to try it out to make sure that you have the right fit, and that the weight feels good to you. If you decide you want to have a bike put together elsewhere, such as an online order, make certain you know exactly what you're getting, in terms of frame size, weight, and materials.
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