Posted on August 31, 2010 by Dave W

Buying A Mountain Bike

It can be a bit frustrating as well as time consuming when you buy a mountain bike. Below, you’ll find some tips and things to be aware of before you lay down the cash and buy a mountain bike.

Determining your price

There is really no limit as to how much money you can spend on a new mountain bike. To help you keep your spending under control, you should figure out what your price range is and how much you’re willing to pay for a new bike. When you buy, you shouldn’t buy from mass merchant stores such as Wal-Mart. You should instead support your local bike shop and get a much better bike and much better service.

Finding your style

All mountain bikes are designed with several different riding styles and terrain types in mind. You’ll need to figure out what type of riding you will be doing the most. Smooth riding, cross country racing, mountain cruising, or lift accessed downhill is something you need to figure out. Make sure that the bike you select fits your personal style and not that of the sale’s staff.

Full suspension or hard tail

If you can afford it, a full suspension mountain bike is always worth the purchase. A hard tail, without rear suspension, is much lighter in weight and pedals more efficiently, although full suspensions offer more comfort and overall better control. You’ll want to make that decision based on your price range, riding style, and the type of terrain you’ll be riding on the most.

Finding your favourites

Comparing mountain bikes component to component is nearly impossible, as there are far too many combinations available. The best way to go about doing this is finding a few components that are the most important to you and making sure the rest or the minimums fall within your price range. You can start with the forks then look at the wheels and rear derailleur.

Sales and seasons

During the year, the prices of mountain bikes can fluctuate quite a bit. Spring through summer is the main buying season. If you can wait until the right price pops up, normally in the fall and winter, you can save a couple hundred dollars. Many bike shops will also offer discounts or other accessories if you buy from them.

Finding a good dealer

Finding a good bike dealer is more important than finding the best price. You should always find a dealer that cares more about selling you a great bike than selling you a high priced one. A great dealer will have a clean repair shop and give you the impression that you can really trust them.

Test ride

You should test ride as many bikes as you can within your price range and riding style. You’ll find that some bikes will feel right, while others won’t. The more bikes you can test drive, you better you’ll understand what works and what doesn’t.

Doing the research

Product reviews and bike reviews are some of the best ways to find out about a mountain bikes reliability and overall performance. You should always look at what other owners and reviews think about a bike before you make that final purchase.

Mountain Biking Accessories

When you first start out with mountain biking, it can be a bit overwhelming when you walk into a bike store to buy your first mountain bike and see all of the available accessories you’ll need when you first start riding.

There are several mountain biking accessories and related products that you can purchase. Although the sales staff will try to sell you anything they can, the real question for those on a budget isn’t what’s cool, but what accessories you need to make your rides more safe and enjoyable. By starting with these accessories, you’ll be just fine when youhit the trails.

Bike helmet

The bike helmet is the most important mountain biking accessory that you can buy. No one should ever be on a bike without a helmet. There have been many people who have experienced serious head injury, when it could have prevented by wearing a helmet. All mountain bike helmets are comfortable and stylish and everyone who rides on the trails wears one.

Mountain bike gloves

No matter what season you ride in, your hands can take a beating. Beginners will normally keep a death grip on the handle bars, which can be very brutal for their hands. When you crash, your hands will be the first thing to hit the ground – and everyone crashes at some point. Mountain bike gloves are a must have accessory, as they will take the beating for you.

Mountain bike shorts

After the first few mountain bike rides you take, you’ll notice that your rear end will be quite uncomfortable. Even though your body will adjust, bike shorts are great to have as they will help keep it at a bare minimum. You can get shorts that are very comfortable, making them a great addition to your mountain bike ride.

Mountain bike shoes

Depending on the type of pedals you have and the type of riding you do, you’ll want to pick your mountain bike shoes accordingly. If your bike has clipless type pedals, you’ll want to get shoes to accept the special cleat for your pedals. Good mountain bike shoes are durable, comfortable, and also a stiff sole for better efficiency when pedalling. Also, you should make sure to get the right shoe for the terrain you’ll be riding in as well.

Eye protection

If you get something in your eye, you can run off the trail in a matter of seconds. Sunglasses or clear lenses can help keep your eyes safe from debris, as well as protect them from the wind. When you buy your glasses, make sure they are non-breakable.

Hydration system

Bringing a water bottle or hydration backpack with you is always a great idea. It’s very easy to get dehydrated so you should always bring water with you and drink it on the trail to ensure that your body stays properly hydrated at all times.

Trail repair kit

It’s easy to get stuck in the woods or on the trail if you don’t bring the proper repair kit for your bike. To be on the safe side, bring a multi-tool designed for bike repair, tire levers, and a patch kit for fixing flat tires.

Keep Moving

Dave W

Related Posts

• Cannondale f300 8 Useful Tips On Cannondale and Cannondale F300 The following article contains, what I think at least, useful tips about cannondale and cannondale f300. Let's face it, reading 8 tips isn't going to change your life, but at least it will give you an idea about what you can find......
• ten Guidelines For a Much better Cycling Knowledge Cycling is an activity that has wonderful wellbeing added benefits. Not only does if tone your muscle tissues, it also helps to retain your heart and cardiovascular method healthy.GMC BikeRight here are 10 suggestions that that can make your cycling practical experience far more enjoyable:*Discovering a bicycle that is a......
• Cycling Is a Great Exercise For Sport or Leisure Learn How To Fit a Ride In Everyday With These Eas You need to create a simple schedule on your calendar, date book, or planner and keep it. Make sure you do this when others know you can't be reached, this will prevent you from being interrupted or bothered when trying to accomplish this. When you decide to go riding, keep......
• Beach Cruisers Defining Adventure Bicycles are with human beings since more than 100 years. It has seen several reforms in terms of speed, design, utility and usability. People use bicycles for short distance commuting, children use bicycles to go to school, fitness enthusiasts use cycle for exercising, and one most important use of cycling......
• Mountain Biking Down Hills Extreme sports are getting more and more popular these days. Mountain biking attracts daredevils from all over the world who like to have an "adventure sport experience". The term mountain biking includes many different styles. The range is from gentle types such as cross country where you ride up and......

Related Websites

• 3 Things to Remember When Selling Coin Proofs Coin collectors are always on the lookout for a great deal that they can get on the coins that they want to buy. If you are in the market to sell your coins, you have an advantage. One of the advantages that you have is that you have something that......
• Where Do You Throw Away Your Money? I know what you are thinking, who in their right mind throws money away? Well the truth is most of us waste money each and every day in places we don't even realize. While it may not seem like a lot of money at the time, we have had many......
• Lazy Man Holiday Gift Guide 2011 It's that time of year again. The time where I'm out shopping and running around with my head cut off. (Who came up with that expression by the way? Running around is just one of the many things you CAN'T do when your head is cut off. Should be "running......
• What to Think About When Buying a Bicycle [/caption] I know what you’re thinking, a bike is a bike right? Wrong. There are many different kinds of bikes and they’re all used for unique purposes whether that is racing, mountain biking, or doing tricks like the pros of the X games. So how can you tell the difference......
• Works for Me Wednesday: Christmas Shopping BEFORE Thanksgiving I know that it's hard, when it's not even Halloween, to think about the upcoming holiday season. And you are probably thinking, what is this girl talking about? I just finished picking pumpkins and the leaves are still on the trees...why would I start planning for the holidays? Well I'll tell......