Mountainbiking
Mountainbiking is a great way to stay fit and nearly anyone can ride a bike. There are a few different types of mountainbiking such as cross country, downhill, free ride and trials.
Before you jump on your bike and head for the biggest hill ,make sure that you have the correct bike, that the bike is safe and you have the right safety equipment.
There are a few things to consider before buying any old thing with wheels, like what are you going to be using the bike for? i.e Cross Country, Downhill, Free Ride/Free Style, Jump or for just commuting to work.
Where to go, Cost and Equipment
Where
The beauty with mountainbiking is that you can do it anywhere and it can fit in with your normal life easily.
To find your local mountain biking club check out the link and then go to 'cycle clubs'.
Cost and Equipment
You could sell a kidney to afford the top of the range bikes around these days. But if you want to keep all of your body parts we suggest that you go for a middle of the road bike. Spending around £500 will get you a good quality bike without having to have surgery.
The most important thing is that you decide the type of bike you want. Here is a break down on the different mountainbikes available.
- Cross Country Bikes - This is the most popular type of mountain bike. These are designed for no-road and off-road trails with minimal to moderate obstacles. They can also be used for climbs and desents. Suspension often comes in the form of air shocks. These bikes are normally more rigid and the weight can vary a lot. Basically the more you spend, the lighter the bike. There are two types of cross country bike. 'Hardtail' and 'Full Suspension'. Hardtail have no rear suspension and are used for road riding mainly. Full suspension gives you the option to go on more rugged tarrain aswell as the road, but the hardtails are normally lighter and would be the perfect commuting bike.
- Downhill Bikes - Designed for downhill trails and steep races courses. They have more suspension travel than any other mountain bike. Because of this they can be a lot heavier, they can be over 40lb, but are made as light os possible for racing. Due to the suspension and the amount of travel on the suspension these bike are no good for climbs. They also have hydraulic braking systems.
- Free Ride Bikes - These look like downhill bikes and can weigh almost as much, but are designed to be easier to pedal. These bikes are used for stunt riding and can be used for cross country and some downhill riding.
- Jump Bikes - These are used for hitting jumps as well as for street riding and slalom races. Some people refer to jump bikes as oversized BMX mountain bikes. They are very strong to be able to take impacts from jumping and have a slightly softer suspension system then that for cross country bikes.
Find the best range of mountain bikes at www.evanscycles.com