MountainBikesHome.com

How to Choose the Right Mountain Bike

Free Online Articles Directory

Why Submit Articles?
Top Authors
Top Articles
FAQ
ABAnswers

Publish Article

0 && $.browser.msie ) {
var ie_version = parseInt($.browser.version);
if(ie_version Login

Login via

Register
Hello
My Home
Sign Out

Email

Password


Remember me?
Lost Password?

Home Page > Sports and Fitness > Outdoor Sports > How to Choose the Right Mountain Bike

How to Choose the Right Mountain Bike

Posted: Jul 21, 2011 |Comments: 0
|

]]>

Discount Mountain Bikes are Tough to Shop For

Discount mountain bikes are easier to find than you think. You love the idea of purchasing your very own mountain bike but it can become overwhelming when you begin to research which bike is best for you. Some of things you consider are price (of course), size of the bike, color and maybe even ease of use. You have been in a sporting goods store before and noticed that some discount mountain bikes seem harder to operate than others. But when it comes to purchasing the perfect mountain bike for you, this article has all the details you will ever need.

Things to Consider to Help You Decide

1)      Determine how much you are willing to spend. As with any major new purchase, you must first come up with a price range on your new mountain bike. Discount mountain bikes can cost from over $100 to as much as over $1000.

2)      Never purchase from a major retailer. As good as these discount mountain bikes look at Wal-Mart, Sears or Target, you should purchase your bike from a smaller bike shop because they will be more knowledgeable and have better service for when something goes wrong.

3)      What will you be using the bike for? There are several ways to use a bike. You may just want one to ride on the beach. You may want one to ride with your dog running alongside. You may want one to ride on dirt roads in the middle of the country. Here are some simple tips to help:

If you just want one for an easy ride in the park, then you don’t need to spend a lot of money.
If you plan on riding off-road, then tires become an issue. You should look into buying a bike with big treads.
If you plan on riding in rough conditions, you will need a bike with suspension. By visiting a local bike shop, they will be able to help you find the perfect bike based on how you answer the questions above. Otherwise, you may choose the wrong bike from a major retailer.
Comfort vs. Efficiency

The question of comfort versus efficiency really leads to the question of suspension versus hardtail.

You should think about choosing a bike with suspension if your wallet can afford it. Bikes with suspension are much more comfortable and enjoyable to ride. They are also more controllable. The negative to bikes with suspension is that they weigh more and they are less efficient.

]]>

Hardtail bikes on the other hand pedal more efficiently (especially on smooth terrain). These bikes are weigh less and are easier to maintain. Hardtail bikes are popular for the dirt jumping stunt crowd and a good number of cross-country racers.

The decision between comfort and efficiency is a tough one. Full suspension mountain bikes are more expensive than their hardtail counterparts. In the end, this may be all the influence you need when choosing a hardtail. But as mentioned earlier, because of the comfort and overall control of the bike, a bike with full suspension is the way to go.

When to Find a Good Deal

As with many consumer products, bikes shift in price depending on the time of the year. Clearly, the main buying season lasts from the beginning of spring and throughout the summer. If you are patient and wait until the fall or winter, the price may drop a few hundred dollars on the bike you are interested in. And one other word of advice: Never ever be afraid of purchasing last year’s model. There is nothing wrong with that at all.

Find a Good Local Dealer

Finding a local dealer will be very beneficial. When purchasing from a local bike shop, they will be able to match you to the perfect bike based on your needs. Sure, you may run across that commission hungry salesperson who will try to talk you out of your price range but just stay on course to get the bike you want.

The good things about local dealers is that they will send you reminders for maintenance, send you information on new deals and discounts and will always know how to service your bike when something goes wrong. Let’s face it, bikes are like everything else we purchase. After a little while of use, things will start to break down. Having an experienced local bike shop take care of the repairs will be very important.

Test, Test, Test and Test Again

It is human nature to find the perfect item and want to buy it right away without testing. Maybe it’s the perfect color or it’s not too big or the price is just right. Regardless of these factors, you should always test ride all bikes in your price range.

As you are testing these discount mountain bikes, you will easily notice that some bikes “feel” better than others. Whether it be the amount of strength it takes to pedal or the amount of force it takes to stop, bikes will differ from model to model. The more bikes you test drive, the more you will start to narrow down on which bike is right for you.

Do Your Research

After you have narrowed your decision to a few bikes, now it is time to do some consumer research. The Internet is full of customer reviews, especially at Amazon.com. Find the bikes you are interested in purchasing and see what other buyers have to say.

The good thing about Amazon.com is that both positive and negative buyers will post reviews.  When you visit another site and every review is negative, you really don’t learn anything. So do your research and chances are, you will find the same bike you are interested in at a lower price.

But what about all that talk about buying from a local dealer? Well, you have actually visited the dealer and you took the opportunity to test drive their bikes. So you already know which bike you would like to purchase so you are not risking anything by ordering online. But what I would recommend is that you let the local bike shop take care of the warranty and maintenance work in the future.

Discount Mountain Bikes – The Conclusion

When choosing a mountain bike you should purchase a bike with full suspension that you have road-tested and is in your price range. In order to do road testing, you will probably have to go to a local dealer rather a huge department store. Always read consumer reviews and look for a better price online. And if you are looking for the absolute best price, purchase your bike in the fall or winter. But first and foremost, when analyzing discount mountain bikes, choose a bike that feels right for YOU, not the salesperson.

Start increasing your traffic today just by submitting articles with us, click here to get started.
Liked this article? Click here to publish it on your website or blog, it’s free and easy!

Dirk Aikman -
About the Author:

For current reviews, descriptions and photos of today’s latest mountain bikes, please visit my website at Discount Mountain Bikes

]]>
Questions and Answers

Ask our experts your Outdoor Sports related questions here…

Ask

200 Characters left

What are the best mountain bikes?
What are the best mountain bike gloves?
How much does a good mountain bike cost?

Rate this Article

1
2
3
4
5

vote(s)
0 vote(s)

Feedback

Print

Re-Publish

0) {
ch_selected = Math.floor(Math.random()*ch_queries.length);
if(ch_selected == ch_queries.length) ch_selected–;
ch_query = ch_queries[ch_selected];
}
}catch(e){
ch_query = document.title;
}
]]>

Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/outdoor-sports-articles/how-to-choose-the-right-mountain-bike-5051893.html

Article Tags:
discount mountain bikes, cheap mountain bikes, specialized mountain bikes, wholesale mountain bikes, discount giant mountain bikes, high end discount mountain bikes, mountain bike reviews, mountain bike sale, good cheap mountain bike

Related Videos

Latest Outdoor Sports Articles
More from Dirk Aikman

Why We Love Mountain Biking

Folks shed light on why they love mountain biking, and the best parts of this exciting and fun sport. (01:17)

How to Install Tubeless Tires on Your Mountain Bike

Bike Guru Lennard Zinn shows you how to install tubeless tires on your mountain bike. (03:08)

Mountain Bike Cycling Techniques

There’s more to mountain biking than just pedaling – find out more about techniques for mountain bike cycling. (01:39)

How to Adjust a Flipable Stem on Your Mountain Bike

Bike Guru Lennard Zinn shows you how to Adjust a flip-able stem on Your mountain bike. (02:00)

Upper Body Strength for Mountain Biking

Chiropractor Dr. Mike Takes shares some tips for building upper body strength to improve your mountain biking skills. (02:48)

How to ‘gear up’ for a day hike

If you’re going on your very first hiking trip, preparing can be very stressful. “What do I need? What if I forget something?” you ask yourself. To help you out, I’ve created a list of the top essentials to take on a hiking trip.

By:
Heather A. Woodl

Sports and Fitness>
Outdoor Sportsl
Sep 24, 2011

Pinarello Prince – The Choice For Racing Teams

You’ve ridden bikes since you were a child – you recall your first two-wheeler and your Dad (who loved to ride his Pinarello Prince in amateur road racing) used to take you around the neighborhood so that you learned the rules of the road…read on to learn more.

By:
Mark Belmontl

Sports and Fitness>
Outdoor Sportsl
Sep 23, 2011

WPCC 2011: The Italian Challenge for Journalists

Gabicce has been the scenario this month of September of the twelfth edition of the World Press Cycling Championship, a competition that has brought together more than a hundred journalists from all over the world.

By:
Albappl

Sports and Fitness>
Outdoor Sportsl
Sep 23, 2011

Foods recommended to take hiking for the day

Hiking uses a lot of energy. Walking in mountains, over long distances or on uneven terrain can be demanding on the body. And lots of fresh air or walking in more adverse weather conditions can be demanding on the energy reserves. Therefore it is important to consider what food will be healthy and nutritious when putting together your hiking gear. And which foods you include also needs consideration.

By:
leesmithl

Sports and Fitness>
Outdoor Sportsl
Sep 23, 2011

How to Airsoft

Are you new to airsoft? If you are wondering what is airsoft and why do people like to play this game, then read this article because we are going to talk about the basics and introduction of this game.

By:
HowExpert Pressl

Sports and Fitness>
Outdoor Sportsl
Sep 22, 2011

Which Type of Snow Blower Should You Buy?

Snow blowers vary in price range. You can fnd the cheapest versions for just under $100 and the most expensive versions at over $1000. The cheaper blowers are good for handling moderate snow conditions. The more expensive versions are heavy-duty models that are used in areas where there is heavy snowfall. When deciding on what type of snow blower to buy, there are two big considerations: the storage space you have available and the amount of snow you expect to receive.

By:
Dirk Aikmanl

Home Improvement>
Tools and Equipmentl
Sep 04, 2011

Cheap Cowgirl Boots: Choosing the Best Pair for You

Is it possible that your wife or girlfriend has a pair of cheap cowgirl boots? If you were to open any woman’s closet right now to look at her shoe collection you could probably expect to find sandals, slippers, pumps, sneakers, clogs and loafers. For most of us, we would be quite surprised we saw an actual pair of cowgirl boots. As it turns out, cowgirl boots are quite versatile when it comes to wearing them with any type of clothing style.

By:
Dirk Aikmanl

Shopping>
Fashionl
Sep 02, 2011

Turntables Are Back in Style

I also love the weekends where I would go to my favorite clubs and dance to music played on classic vinyl records. If and when I heard a song I liked, I would find out the name of it and then head out to the record store the very next afternoon and purchase it. I purchased record after record and eventually my collection grew to fill up two entire milk crates. As I was producing these records, I always assumed that vinyl would be around forever.

By:
Dirk Aikmanl

Arts & Entertainment>
Musicl
Sep 02, 2011

Important Safety Tips on Using Your Brand New Turkey Fryer

Before doing anything else, the very first thing you should do is find the instruction manual and read it carefully before getting started. There will undoubtedly be safety tips and precautions to help prevent burns and fires. For those of you who already have a smaller deep fryer this does mean that you will be an expert at using a turkey fryer so you need to be especially careful.

By:
Dirk Aikmanl
Home and Familyl
Sep 02, 2011

Looking Forward to Christmas? Start With the Best Toy Companies

Are you searching for the best toys of 2011? The time is almost here to deck the halls and to be jolly which means that parents around the world will be trying to figure out the answer to that exact question. It goes without saying that companies like VTech, Mattel and Fisher-Price will have an extraordinary list of toys for children of all ages. But the problem most of us adults have is identifying which toys are the most fashionable. But even though we won’t necessarily know which toys to buy,

By:
Dirk Aikmanl

Shopping>
Giftsl
Aug 30, 2011

Add new Comment

Your Name: *

Your Email:

Comment Body: *

 

Verification code:*

* Required fields

Submit

Your Articles Here
It’s Free and easy

Sign Up Today

Author Navigation

My Home
Publish Article
View/Edit Articles
View/Edit Q&A
Edit your Account
Manage Authors
Statistics Page
Personal RSS Builder
My Home
Edit your Account
Update Profile
View/Edit Q&A
Publish Article
Author Box

Dirk Aikman has 16 articles online

Contact Author

Subscribe to RSS

Print article

Send to friend

Re-Publish article

Articles Categories
All Categories

Advertising
Arts & Entertainment
Automotive
Beauty
Business
Careers
Computers
Education
Finance
Food and Beverage
Health
Hobbies
Home and Family
Home Improvement
Internet
Law
Marketing
News and Society
Relationships
Self Improvement
Shopping
Spirituality
Sports and Fitness
Technology
Travel
Writing

Sports and Fitness

Aerobics
Archery
Baseball
Basketball
Bodybuilding
Cricket
Equestrian
Equipment
Extreme Sports
Fishing
Fitness
Football
Golf
Hockey
Horse Racing
Martial Arts
Muscle Building
Outdoor Sports
Pilates
Rugby
Scuba Diving
Self Defense
Soccer
Tennis
Track and Field
Water Sports
Weight Loss
Yoga

]]>

Need Help?
Contact Us
FAQ
Submit Articles
Editorial Guidelines
Blog

Site Links
Recent Articles
Top Authors
Top Articles
Find Articles
Site Map
Mobile Version

Webmasters
RSS Builder
RSS
Link to Us

Business Info
Advertising

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2011 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved.

Learn about what tools to bring on your ride when you go mountain biking in this free video series that covers the basics of how to become a knowledgeable mountain biker. Expert: Rick Van Hoorn Bio: Rick Van Hoorn has been riding mountain bikes since 1987. He has professionally taught mountain biking and has created and led bike camping trips and wine tours. Filmmaker: Diana Bacon

Learn how to choose a mountain bike helmet for riding downhill trails in this free online video on mountain biking basics. Expert: Debbie Main Bio: Debbie Main teaches classes in mountain biking at a state university and is an avid mountain biking enthusiast.

Buying a mountain bike can seem like a big decision but you can help yourself by getting educated about the important aspects of the bike. The following six areas should be thought about before you make your next mountain bike purchase.

Six Points:
1.  Price
2.  Frame
3.  Brakes
4.  Shifters
5.  Tires
6.  Fit

Price:
The best mountain bikes can cost thousands of dollars and can cost as little as several hundred dollars. The first place to start your search is to determine the price you are willing to pay. A good beginner mountain bike will cost between 400 and 800 dollars depending on where you buy it. To insure that you won’t be replacing your mountain bike in the near future don’t go the route of buying the Walmart specials. Many people make this very mistake when start out to buy a mountain bike. Rather than getting the inexpensive mountain bike in the beginning and replacing it within a year, you would have been better off with the higher priced mountain from the start. The Iron Horse Mountain Bike is a good example of a popular mountain bike at an affordable price.

Brakes:
Obviously the best mountain bikes have the best brakes. The decision you have to make is whether to use disk brakes or rim brakes. The cost of disk brakes are higher but the braking power is superior. Rim brakes offer a lighter, lower cost alternative but you will sacrifice some performance particularly in wet conditions. The Diamondback Recoil Full Suspension Mountain Bike is a fine example of a high quality mountain bike that incorporates dual disk brakes.

Shifters:
Mountain bikes use two different types of shifters, the Gripfit and the Rapidfire shifters. The Rapidfire shifters are located under the brake lever and Gripfit shifters are incorporated into the handlebars that work similar to a motorcycle. It does come down to a matter of preference but the better riders seem to refer the Rapidfire shifters over the Gripfit shifters.

Tires:
It is important to have the larger knobby tires if you are going to be spending most of your time off road. You will get better traction and more control on the uneven terrain. If you are using the mountain bike for mainly street use then you can get away with the smaller knobs for less resistance on the flatter paved surfaces. If you are going to use the mountain bike for off road and on road then look for a tire with a ridge in the middle and medium sized knobs on the side of the tire.

Fit
To get the best mountain bike that suits you well it is important to get the right size bike. A good starting point would be to have a three inch clearance above the top frame tube while you are straddling the bike. It does matter what terrain you will be ridding on. If you are going to be riding a bit more aggressively you can increase this to four to six inches of clearance to allow for ease of operation over very uneven surfaces. As you are sitting on the bike and your feet on the pedals try and maintain a 30 degree angle with the leg at the bottom of the apex. Generally speaking 30 degrees of knee bend is a good place to start.

That’s the basics you need to know before buying the best mountain bike for yourself. Choose wisely when starting out and you can expect to get many miles out of your mountain bike. If you are looking to buy a durable mountain bike that meets the strictest standards of many advanced riders than you have to checkout the Iron Horse Warrior Mountain Bike

Learn about shifters for road and mountain bikes and how you can use them on your bike in this free video series that should help you pick the proper bike for yourself.Expert: Eric Kieke Contact: www.spincitycycling.com Bio: Eric Kieke co-founded the Spin City Cycling bicycle shop in Austin, Texas. He is a member of the National Bicycle Dealers Association. Filmmaker: Sally Martin … bicycle bike shopping cycle cycling bicycling mountain-bike ten-speed unicycle shiftersbicycle …

Learn how to choose tires and what tires are good for downhill mountain bikes in this free instructional video on downhill mountain racing.

Learn how to choose gears and gearing on a mountain bike in this free online video on cycling maintenance and repair.

Expert: Mickey Denoncourt
Contact: www.fast-times-training.com
Bio: Mickey De…

Learn how to choose pedals and important tips for pedals for a downhill mountain bike in this free instructional video on downhill mountain racing.

Choose the right bike for you. Learn how to choose a mountain bike for riding downhill trails in this free video on mountain biking basics.

Expert: Debbie Main
Bio: Debbie Main teaches classes in …

Learn about what tools to bring on your ride when you go mountain biking in this free video series that covers the basics of how to become a knowledgeable mountain biker.

Expert: Rick Van Hoorn
Bi…