Beginning Mountain Biking

This article describes the basics of mountain biking. Learning more about the sport will help you to enjoy it even more.

Mountain bikes are among the strongest and most rugged bicycles that you can find. The reason that these bikes are so strong is that they are ridden on some very tough terrain, including steep inclines, dirt tracks, and pebbles. In most cases, mountain bikers do not ride on smoothly paved roads, rather they ride on hilly and uneven terrain that can be quite rough on a bicycle. Mountain bikers get a big thrill in riding on unpaved, rough terrain, even though this is hard on a bicycle. That is why many manufacturers have made sturdier bikes for this purpose.

The tires on a mountain bike are thicker and fatter than normal bike tires. They are also made of more durable rubber that gives the rider added traction and control on uneven surfaces.

Suspension is another very essential feature of a mountain bike. A strong suspension system is essential for a mountain bike so that the rider can better handle the ups and downs that occur when riding on uneven terrain.

Mountain bikes can be separated into several different categories that are founded upon the type of suspension that they have. The classifications are dual suspension, hard tails, soft tails, and fully rigid bikes. Rigid bikes feature a rigid fork. Soft-tailed bikes have a rear suspension that pivots on the frame. Hard-tailed bikes feature a front suspension fork. Suspension bikes have either front, rear, or dual suspension systems. These bikes also feature a shock absorber in the rear, in addition to a linkage.

Lighter weight material and materials that are more resilient are the norm for a cross-country mountain bike. You can find a cross-country bike that can weight anywhere from 20-40 pounds, depending upon your needs. An all-mountain or Enduro bike will usually be heavier than a cross-country bike. These bikes range in weight from 30-35 pounds. These bikes feature a suspension that will enable you to maneuver around hairpin turns and climb up hills much easier.

Heavier and stronger materials are used to build a free ride mountain bike. They are made to help make pedaling easier, so that you can easily move around anything that is in your way and you can make sharp turns. They weigh in at around 45 pounds, which decreases their efficiency over other cross-country bikes.

For downhill tracks or race courses, you will want to choose a downhill mountain bike. They offer you better traction than the other varieties of mountain bikes for maximum control and speed.

If short distance riding is your game, then a trial bike is probably the one for you. They lack suspension and do not have a seat or vestigial pad. They are also much lighter than other bikes for maximum speed. They weigh in at about 20 pounds.

Between mountain and trial bikes, you will find Street Mountain, Dirt Jumping, and Urban Bikes. These bikes are extremely touch and feature anywhere from one to nine gears with a chain guide for the front and rear gears.