Mountain biking has changed drastically since its origin, so have the bikes. New feature have been added to meet the growing challenges of the sport. Ultra-light bikes, hi-tech gears and suspension have become the need of the day to increase efficiency of the bike and the rider.
Investing in a good mountain bike
Selecting a good
quality mountain bike is the most important step in mountain biking. Although
it is comparatively more expensive than ordinary bikes, buying a good bike is a
must considering the hardships it will be subjected to while venturing out on
the hill slopes. These bikes are specially designed to endure a lot of pounding
in the process. They are fitted with special tires and suspensions to reduce
the stress on the rider and the bike and make the ride comparatively smoother.
Today’s Standard Equipment
includes front wheel suspension by default.
Now a days more and
more bikers are opting for dual suspension bikes, as they are definitely more
comfortable than single suspension bike. Similarly bikes with large wheels are
also gaining popularity compared to bikes with smaller tires and riser
handlebars. Some bikes also have handle bars that have bar ends for better
support.
Basically, four
categories of Mountain bikes are available in the market. The four categories
are
A) The fully rigid
bike: - these bikes have a fixed rare, no suspensions and have a frame with a
fixed fork. B) the Hard tail bike: - it is similar to the fully rigid bike; the
only difference is the suspension in the front wheel.
C) the Soft tail bike:
- it has a frame that offers rear suspension to a certain extent, which is
activated by flexing the frame. Pivots are not used here and
D) The full or dual
suspension bike: - they have suspension fitted on both the front and the rear
wheel and pivots are used to move the rear wheel.
Mountain bikes are
available in many designs for e.g., cross country (XC), endure/all mountains
(AM), free ride (FR), dirt jumping - urban and street, trial, downhill (DH)
single speed, and 4-cross racing. The design basically depends on the type of
route it’s going to be used on.
Mountain biking is
reaching new heights today with competitions becoming more and more aggressive.
The modern-day bikes have been specially modified to suit the rider’s
requirements. Now a days Mountain Bikes have aerodynamic frames - these are
lighter but yet very strong. They are fitted with three gears on the front
wheel while the next few would be on the back wheel and have speeds varying
from 21, 24 even up to 27.
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