how can i choose a good mountain bike?
i’m new to mountain biking, i used last week my cousins bike but i want to buy one? what’s the good brands, what’s the criteria to select a good one? i know now that i has to have a suspention, what else?
thanks
I want to buy one, what’s the questions i should ask to the seller?
Contrary to what you stated, a mountain bike doesn’t necessarily NEED suspension (not suspention). They just make them that way now. The more suspension parts a bike has, the heavier it will be and more energy will be needed from the rider. As the rider pedals, energy is soaked up throughout the bike. Hopefully, most of this energy will be displaced to the rear wheel. But on bikes with suspension parts, a lot of that energy will be absorbed & not transmitted to the rear wheel. That’s why I’m not a big fan of full or dual suspension bikes.
The #1 question to ask the seller is, “Does this bike have a freewheel hub or a cassette hub?” Most 21 speed bikes use the cheaper freewheel hub. If the bike has an 8 speed rear hub (gears) it’s most likely the better cassette hub. A cassette hub is thicker & stronger. The cassette (gears) slide onto splines on the hub & held in place with a locking ring. A freewheel simply screws onto a thinner hub. See link below. Go with the cheaper freewheel hub & sooner or later that bike will start popping spokes on the rear wheel.
Also ask about double walled rims. The combination of a cassette hub & double walled rims is much stronger & longer lasting. You’re most likely looking at $450 and above for a good hardtail mountain bike. In a quality full suspension bike – much higher – about $1,500 and above.
Brand name is not the key issue. All major brands use basically the same components. It all comes down to a matter of “fit & feel”. Which bike feels better to you? Road test as many as you can from area bike shops – not discount stores.
I had my mountain bike for about 18 years and just now I am having the first problem with it. It is a DIAMOND BACK SORRENTO. This was my third one as the two before were stolen.
Personally I prefer no suspension and I think it gives me more control on the steering.
I don’t care about good pedals on a mountain bike as I have broken close to a dozen hitting rocks, so why spend money on that?
What is important is that you get the right size for you. Try a few so as to get a feeling for which one fits you better.
If you are not going to compete no need to spend the extra bucks on all the fancy stuff. Just make sure the shifting and derailleurs reliable.
Unless you know how to do repairs, you will be better off buying from a real bike shop with mechanics you can count on.
I hope this gives you some ideas.