Thursday, December 31, 2009

Choosing A Full Suspension Mountain Bike

By Hazel Wig

Year after year mountain bike manufacturers come up with better, lighter and cheaper products to make them more attractive to consumers. You may be considering a full suspension mountain bike for your next purchase. In this case you will find the following sections of this article very helpful.

One of the most important questions to ask yourself is what type of terrain will you be riding on? If you are going to be riding cross country maybe a full suspension mountain bike is not warranted and a hardtail will better suit your needs. However if you are going to be riding downhill or on rough terrain a full suspension bike might be right up your alley.

Determine your budget and stick to it. Consider buying the best bike you can afford within your budget. Many riders suggest that if you have less then $700 to spend on a bike you might want to consider a hardtail because full suspension bikes are more costly. However you could consider buying a used full suspension bike at a good price on a mountain bike classifieds site.

If a full suspension mountain bike is the right choice, you will then need to consider the alternative frame designs. Single-pivot, multi link and cantilever are a few of the options but there is a vast selection of different designs and each has their pros and cons. The best way to really understand the difference is to visit a few large bike stores and test ride the different options. The bike store will have qualified staff that can provide full details of the choices available.

Don't forget that full suspension bikes can be significantly heavier than hardtail bikes. Full suspension frames are also a little heavier and they carry more parts than hardtails.

Take a look at some online mountain bike forums, where you can learn a lot from what other riders are saying about their own bikes. You can find out many useful things from the experiences of other people.

Do not forget to factor in your maintenance costs into the equation. Full suspension bikes require a little more maintenance and for the do it yourself type you will need a few extra tools.

Finally, test ride as many different mountain bikes as you can before buying. And remember you can also test ride a full suspension mountain bike with the front and or rear shock locked out, to simulate the effect of a hard tail.

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