Selecting a mountain bike isn’t as easy as buying the best beginner road bikes. The wide array of choices and price ranges available can often make it a daunting task if you don’t have proper guidance at hand. Mountain bikes come in several price brackets and depending on what kind of features you are looking at, you will find at least 5-6 options in each price range. With this article, I will try to explain to you which mountain bikes you should purchase depending on your skill level and budget.
If you are a beginner in the mountain biking sport, then you should buy a bike that doesn’t come with soft suspensions. These bikes are known as hardtail. These bikes have less suspension as compared to the more expensive fully suspended bike. If you won’t be using a mountain bike for anything other than mountain biking, you should not purchase a hybrid bike. Hybrid bikes are just not that capable enough of handling technical sections of a trail.
A hardtail is a bike that comes with suspension only in the front tire. Yup, no suspension is present at the rear tire of a hardtail. One of the prime reasons to pick a hardtail is that it offers the best value for money. Even if you buy cheap full suspension mountain bikes, you are looking at shelling a lot more cash comparatively. You will need money for accessories as wellso if you are starting out in mountain biking, go with a hardtail. You won’t regret making this decision.
Another benefit of getting a hardtail is that it is light in weight. While climbing uphill, you have to put in a lot of your power for the climb. A lighter bike will surely make you climb more effectively and efficiently. Most riders find climbing on a hardtail enjoyable. As a starter, you should learn how you bike interacts with the ground and when to shift weight. A hardtail will give you a good feedback of what is happening at the tires, so you will get to improve a lot faster.
The front suspension at the bike will provide some cushioning, and because of that, you won’t experience too much fatigue in your arms. When out in the market, select a hardtail that has about 4 to 5 inches of front suspension. During longer riding sessions, sitting on the saddle will make your legs cramped. To ease the cramps, you will have to stand on the bike and put much of your weight on the handlebars. With good amount of suspension at the front tires, riding on the pedals with become easier, comfortable and much more enjoyable.
If your budget allows, go with disc brakes in your first mountain bike. While it is true that disc brakes are not necessary for a good riding session, if you want to ride in all weathers and have proper control over the brakes, go with disc brakes. Disc brakes will give you much more control over your bikes in all types of terrains. Remember, you may not find disc brakes on a hardtail, so you would have to increase your budget a bit.
