The Simplest Possible Way of Choosing a Mens Mountain Bike
Sunday, August 16th, 2009Picking a mens mountain bike does not have to be difficult. There are some basic pieces of information that you should review in order to pick a mountain bike that is right for you.
The first thing is to make sure that you are selecting a bike that is a true mountain bike. There are many bikes out there that look like a mountain bike, but it is important to do this as the first step. Now some people may be going “duh” but you would not believe how many people buy a bike only to realize later that it is really a road bike that has been made to look like a mountain bike. This is especially true in your big box stores that sell bikes. Choosing a true mountain bike is important because mountain bikes are designed to ride over difficult terrain and if the bike is not a true mountain bike you or your bike might not end up well at the end of the ride.
Next you want to check the bike frame. Mountain bikes are usually heavier and have more suspension than other bikes to deal with the more difficult terrain that riders tend to ride on. The different types of suspension are rigid, hard-tail, soft-tail or dual suspension. This is a very critical part of the bike choice and most mountain bikers normally choose a hard-tail suspension. You also want to check the angles on the frame. The angles to look at are the head tube and the angle at the seat tube. Normally a wider angle is used for better handling when pedaling uphill. Shorter angles are better for higher speed and more stability on downhill courses.
The final thing to check on a mens mountain bike is its brakes. There are basically two different types of brakes, the standard v-brakes and the newer disc brakes. Most people prefer disc brakes to the v-brakes because they tend to provide better braking in a variety of terrains, disc brakes are also much easier to maintain and tend to last longer than the standard v-brakes.
So check to make sure that the bike is a real mountain bike, that it has the suspension that you desire, that it have the correct angles on the frame for the type of riding that you are planning on doing and lastly has the preferred braking mechanisms that will match your riding techniques. After reviewing these items, you should have no problem picking the correct mens mountain bike.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_bike
Learn how to use Mountain Bike Racing experience to your benefit when cyclocross racing in this free cyclocross racing tutorial and video lesson.
DO NOT ASK WHAT SONG THIS IS BECAUSE IT READS AT END SO DONT ASK IT !!!
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This used to be a 1991 Kawasaki KX125H until I took out the engine and sold it to someone who had just rebuilt a much newer engine and blew it up on its first race. I shortened the frame, reducing the wheelbase by 9 inches, by cutting through the welds around the headstock and cutting out about 4 inches from the frame’s side spar tubes. The top tube was dispensed with and the shortened side spars were re-attached to the top of the headstock, instead of their previous position at the bottom. I maintained the original head angle.