Sunday, August 2, 2009

Mens Mountain Bikes - Which Style Is For You?

By Carson Longiotti

Mountain biking began to get popular in the 1970's and since then many companies have begun manufacturing specific mens mountain bikes. They make several different styles of mountain bikes, aimed at different styles of riding, so before you start to select a bike you should decide which style suits you.

Mens mountain bikes are manufactured using high-tech lightweight materials. They have advanced gear systems, suspension and brakes. Mountain bikes can be divided into four main types based on suspension.

These systems are as follows. Hard Tail, which is a frame with only front suspension. Soft Tail, which is a frame with only rear suspension. Dual or Full Suspension, which is a frame with both front and rear suspension. And Fully Rigid, which is a frame with either fixed rear suspension or no suspension.

There are also many different styles of mountain bikes available. Of these the most popular include Cross Country (XC), All Mountain (AM), Trail Bikes and Freeride bikes.

Cross Country (XC for short) bikes are lightweight and generally only have a small amount of suspension. They are aimed at riding on climbs and have fast turning capability.

Trail bikes are a combination of Cross Country and All Mountain bikes. They are excellent bikes for combining elements from all styles of mountain biking.

All Mountain style bikes offer good suspension and they are aimed at ascending moderate inclines and descending steep downhills. This style of bikes are ideal for any level of rider, whether child or adult.

Freeride Bikes are similar to downhill bikes. They are built to focus on strength rather than weight. They have good suspension and are built from strong, heavy material. They are extremely good for riding technically downhill.

The choice of which mountain bike to invest in firstly comes down to personal preference of riding style. You must decide how you want to spend time on your bike. Do you want to ride smooth flowing trails, climb big mountains, ride stunts, descend technical downhill courses, or just have all around fun? There are plenty of mens mountain bikes covering all of these options so you just need to find one that feels right for you that is within your budget.

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