How to Choose your Mountain Bike

Downhill (DH): Downhill mountain bikes are built strong and light, usually below 40 pounds. Generally, downhill bikes are ideal only for riding down downhill trails and race courses. They are especially used in downhill racing. Downhill races are timed trial races where riders ride on downhill courses separately while racing against the clock. To get more traction to move faster over bumpy trails, Downhill bikes have the most sage of all mountain bikes.

Mountain Bikes Trials: Trial mountain bikes are specifically designed for the purpose of bicycle trial competitions. Trial mountain bikes typically have no suspension at all. They are a lot lighter than almost all other mountain bikes. They range from 15 to 25 pounds. Their light weight makes them easily maneuverable. Trial mountain bikes are used in racing competitions and usually have no seat at all because the rider usually spends most of their time out of the saddle.

Urban/Dirt Jumping/Street: The urban mountain bike is a cross between the trial, BMX and Freeride mountain bikes. Urban mountain bikes are generally very strong, with good front suspension and rarely any rear suspension.

Urban mountain bikes can have as many as nine gears or as few as only one gear. These types of bikes usually have 24 to 26 inch tires, with low seat posts and oversized handlebars. Some urban mountain bikes also have special gyros that allow the rider to spin the handle bars without tangling the brake cables.

Pocket Bikes Single-speed: the single speed mountain bike has one set gear ratio. The gear ratio usually depends on the type of terrain in which the bike is being ridden as well as the strength and skill of the rider. Single-speed mountain bikes are typically fully-rigid, steel framed bikes and are ridden on mild to moderate cross country terrain.

Mountain Cross/4-Cross Racing (4X): The Mountain Cross style mountain bike is specifically designed for racing downhill on a prepared, BMX like track. The aim of this type of riding is to get down hill first. Mountain Cross mountain bikes are also used in the sport of Dual Slalom (DS) racing.