Cycling At It's Best

by TRAILSOURCE.COM

Used Mountain Bikes – My Essential Buying Tips

Buying a second hand mountain bike is a great way for curious learners to enter the sport and for experienced professionals to upgrade and carry on participating in the sport they love. There are literally numerous suitable mountain bike styles in existence so how can you go about buying the appropriate mountain bike to suit your needs?

Initially you may need to know what type of mountain bike cyclist you intend to be. Arguably mountain bikes fit into the following categories: All Terrain (Trail Bikes), Freeride, Downhill (DH), and finally Cross Country (XC).

If you intend to cycle on hard land and tricks are your thing then consider a Free-ride bike. Being the heaviest of all mountain bikes you will see that Free-ride bikes are not suitable for lengthy rides on flat land where comfort will probably be more of a priority. Lightweight construction bikes like the Cross Country (XC) are amazingly proficient but not recommended for rough terrain. If exciting Downhill racing appeals to you then a specialized Downhill (DH) bikes is going to be for you.

If you are beginning in mountain biking then initially I recommend an All Terrain mountain bike. Remember when you finally become a capable cyclist you may upgrade and buy a more dedicated bike. A well made All Terrain bike will enable you to try out nearly all of your local trails.

Arguably certainly one of the most common questions asked when beginning in mountain biking is Full Suspension or Hard-tail? Hard-tail bikes have just back suspension while Full Suspension has front and back suspension as the name implies. You will see that that Hard-tail bikes are often lighter and need a reduced amount of maintenance. Full Suspension bikes will often be more expensive than Hard Tail bike but if you’re starting out I totally recommend Full Suspension bikes as they will be much more comfortable and your derrière will thank you for it in the long term.

Before you buy a used mountain bike check out your local area for appropriate trails as this tends to have a big impact on your choice. For instance in case your idea of mountain biking includes thrilling downhill trails but you reside in a generally even area then DH bikes will not for you. If unsure check out the local dealer, ask around and take part on internet forums. The greater informed you become the better decision you will likely end up making. Lastly be sensible about the type of mountain bike cyclist you wish to be and I guarantee you will buy the perfect bike to suit your needs and be cycling for many fun years to come.