Mountain bikes or off-road bikes are bicycles which are specially designed to run on rough and uneven terrains. Their build, look, and feel is quite different. It is the best choice for people who enjoy cycling on mountain trails or jungles.
Wheel Size
The bigger the wheel is, the faster the bike will be. The most common wheel size is 26″, it is a decent wheel size and makes bikes easier to manoeuvre through tricky terrains but does create some issues while riding over rough terrains.
For people looking for speed and long-distance biking, the 29”-wheel bikes are ideal. They are mostly favoured by cyclists who use mountain bikes for racing purposes. They are compatible with all the three kinds of suspension bikes.
The 24 inch is the smallest and often used in kid’s MTB bikes.
Suspension
Mountain bikes feature three main kinds of suspension styles; Rigid, hard trail and full suspension.
Rigid, which means that the bike does not feature any suspension in the front or rear tyres. Bikes with rigid suspension are usually less expensive but are not suitable for mountain riding.
Hardtail bike suspension are the bikes where the back or tail of the bike does not feature any suspension and it is provided only in the front wheels. These bikes are easy to maintain due to fewer moving parts and are cheaper than the full suspension bikes.
Full suspension bikes which feature suspension on the front and the rear wheels. Bikes with full suspension are easier to ride and absorb all kinds of shocks. They also improve traction and make mountain biking enjoyable.
For mountainous trails, a hardtail or rigid suspension bike are a better fit and for, rocky terrains with steep climbs and descents, full suspension bikes work better.
Full suspension is the better and costlier option but for the middle ground and budget saving you can get the hardtail suspensions. It is better than the rigid but not than the full suspension.
Frame Material
Frame material of a MTB decides the weight, strength, overall quality and price of the bike. Usually, you will get aluminum alloy build mountain bikes and this is enough. But there are carbon fibre and titanium made MTB bike frames as well.
The most inexpensive material of all is steel which provides the bike with strength and durability but adds on to its weight.
Titanium, which keeps the bike’s frame light along with giving it the strength to endure rough terrains.
Carbon fibre frames are common for mountain bikes, but due to their labour-intensive manufacturing process. Carbon fibre frame material is the most common and second low-cost frame item. Steel is the cheapest but heavy. And carbon fibre, titanium is lightweight but very costly.
The aluminium alloy frame which ticks all the boxes when it comes to strength, weight, and affordability. Most of the popular mountain bikes are built with alloy frame and deliver good performance.
For strong and durable mountain bikes, titanium and carbon fibre frames are the best suited but they might cost you a little more than the other options available.
Gears and Brakes
Gears are essential if you are going uphill and you will save a lot of energy. And riding at high speed and saving energy is a good combo.
Mountain bikes come with a variety of gear options ranging from zero to as many as twenty.
For sleep terrains opt for cycles with a greater number of gears and for flat terrains opt for a mountain bike with less or no gears.
Mountain bikes usually feature hydraulic disc brakes or cable-activated disc brakes.
Hydraulic disc brakes provide a stronger breaking action with minimum effort and also self-adjust themselves in case of brake pad wear. Whereas, cable-activated disc brakes are not as strong as the hydraulic brakes and require manual intervention to adjust the pad’s wear and tear.
Disc brakes are the best option and another higher version is the hydraulic variations. And the most low-cost option is the cable brakes but requires more maintenance as it is more prone to wear and tear.
Ascertaining how comfortable the bike is to you is also an essential factor of consideration which is often overlooked by many.
These are some of the most important features that you should look for while selecting a mountain bike.
And here at Spoke herd, we are determined to help you make the right choice.
