Before driving to the local mountain bike shop with your wallet in hand, it may be a good idea to ask yourself what your goals are for mountain biking. Are you interested in riding the local fire roads near your house, or jumping off the steepest mountains at the state championship? Are you a seasoned rider looking to upgrade, or a new mountain bike rider purchasing his first MTB.

A new MTB is an investment so determining your riding goals is the first step to choosing the right wheels for you. With many riding styles out there, there are a multitude of bikes to match your MTB goals.

Buy the best MTB bike you can afford. If you see yourself as a long-term mountain biker, spending as much as you can is usually best. For example, buying a bike with a mid-level component group like Shimano’s XT will outperform its lower LX class.

If you buy a MTB with a lower level component group now and decide to upgrade later, it will cost you more in the future. MTB manufactures receive volume discounts on components and pass those savings onto consumers. Plus, the components are already installed so there is no installation cost or you having to do it yourself.

Go online or buy from your local MTB shop? The primary advantages of purchasing online are a lower price tag and greater selection. However, bike fit is one of the most important things to consider when purchasing an MTB. With different size torsos and legs, buying a mountain bike that is fitted to your body will improved your comfort level and power distribution to the pedals.

Purchasing from your local mountain bike shop may cost you a bit more, but they are usually the local experts when fitting a bike to your physical frame. Trying to fit yourself with a bike fit expert over the phone or with online guides can only take you so far. A disadvantage with purchasing at your local MTB shop is selection. Bike stores typically are dealers that sale certain MTB brands so visiting a few bike shops in your area may be best to find that mountain bike that is right for you.

Paying your local mountain bike shop for a good bike fit then ordering the MTB you want online with your physical measurements is another idea. Once you receive your MTB, you can have you local mountain bike shop perfect your bike fit. However, most MTB shops will include a bike fit if you purchase from them. Weigh the best option based on total price, the MTB you want, bike fit and your time constraints.

Check out the forums and ask your fellow MTB riders. There is nothing like getting real world reviews of the MTB you’re thinking about from mountain bikers who are riding the MTB model you’re considering. With knowledge on the strengths and weakness of the MTB model, they are a great source of help.

Below are five universal MTB styles to consider:

1. All-Mountain Bikes – If trails and climbing mountains is your thing, but also steep declines, you may want to consider an all-mountain bike. The geometry provides excellent stability in rough, steep situations as compared with the typical trail bike.

With four to six inches of suspension, the all-mountain MTB provides good trail riding, plus allows you to take-on light stunt work too. If the trails, freeriding and downhill riding interest you, an all-mountain bike may be the best MTB for you.

2. Cross-Country Race Bikes – If off-road speed is in your dreams, then a XC MTB may be for you. With a steep angle geometry, and a suspension that ranges between three to four inches of travel, a XC MTB handles well, and are fast on moderate trails.

3. Cross-Country Trail Bikes – these MTB bikes are it if you are looking for an all around mountain bike. With three to five inches of suspension travel, these MTB bikes provide good comfort, and climb with maximum efficiency. If you’re a mountain bike rider who likes challenging terrain, this MTB may be for you.

4. Downhill Race Bikes – if you’re a downhiller looking for speed, this may be the mountain bike for you. With six inches plus suspension travel and a strong, well built frame, these MTB bikes can take it down the mountain. However, if you love to climb trails, the added weight may make your climb a bit tougher.

5. Hardtail Bikes – If you like light trails or a fast MTB, a hardtail may be a good choice for you if maximum comfort is not at the top of your list. As hardtails have front-only suspension, they have less pedal bob and increased pedal stroke efficiency when compared to dual suspension MTB bikes.

When choosing a MTB, consider that each type has its strengths and weaknesses on the trail. Remember, when you have more suspension and a sturdier frame, you have more weight and tougher hill climbs ahead of you, but easier downhill’s.

Figuring out which MTB riding style is your favorite then working back from there to other styles may be a good approach to take when choosing your new mountain bike.

Keith Rejino is a sports photographer for Dreamscape Images, a personal trainer, and mountain biker. His MTB Bike website provides MTB race coverage, and training and nutrition tips for the mountain biker. For more information on how to Buy Mountain Bike, check out Dreamscape Images MTB site.

Knowing what to look for in your new bicycle is of paramount importance. Choosing their next bicycle is difficult, even for professional riders. Considering the various factors makes purchasing a bike tough. If you know how and when you want to ride, where you are going to ride, how comfortable and safe you must be, and what you’d like to look like as you ride, you’ll have an easier time choosing your bike. Keeping on top of all the new ideas coming out with bicycling, as well as choosing between the old options, makes choosing a bike hard. It’s easy to just use our criteria to pick the best bike for you.

We’d be misleading you if we didn’t admit that fashion does impact your decision. The color we like best, or the style we like least, all influence our choices. These preferences must be listened to when getting your next bike. If your bike is only for looks, put style elements and fashion choices as your ultimate decision-makers. Excellent safety and comfort should be the first criteria met by your new bike. When you’ve assembled some bikes that are both comfortable and safe, then look to see which you like the looks of better.

Do you need extra gadgets for your bike? If you have to move things using your bike, you’ll certainly want to add a basket. Will you ever carry a child on your bike? If this is the case, you must choose a bike that can support a child’s seat. How about towing something behind the bike? Your new bike needs to support the weight of the trailer if this is your plan.

Just exactly how many gears do you think you’ll use? Traveling through flat areas requires far less gears than riding in a mountainous area. A bike isn’t better just because it has more gears than another. You may never even get around to using all the available gears. It’s a waste of money to pay for all those unused gears. Ensure you have enough gears to handle the situations in which you will be riding, especially if you bike will be your main mode of transport.

So many options are available to you as you shop for a new bike. You have innumerable decisions to make as you choose how safe a bike to buy, as well as one that is pleasing to the eye. It’s perfectly normal for you to feel a little overwhelmed and perhaps a little perplexed when starting out. A little time spent looking into the choices will allow you to relax and buy the best bike for you. Look up some of your choices before you hit the store. It will pay off in the end.

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There are several different reasons people choose to cycle as a mode of transportation. There are many different reasons to cycle, and some have nothing to do with being a preferred method of getting to point A to point B. Some people have decided to take up cycling as a way to exercise. Others go cycling because they compete in it as a sport. And some people decide that they want to take up cycling as a hobby with their family and friends. Regardless of your reason for needing to find a bicycle, you need to take some things into consideration when the time comes to choose the perfect bicycle for you. These tips are intended to help you along your way.

You want to first and foremost, ensure that you are able to come to a stop on your bicycle, and the key to that is selecting a bicycle that allows you to rest your feet flat on the ground, when you are sitting on the seat. There are experts who state that this isn’t a good way to choose a bike, however. They say that it is better to give yourself a few inches between your feet and the ground to create a more comfortable cycling experience. You will likely find that the seat will rest too near the crossbar, if, when you sit on the seat, your knees are bent with your feet flat on the ground, which is an indication that the seat needs to be raised. Also, if you find that your knees are bent when sitting on the bike, your knees are going to come up too high when you are pedaling your bike.

Your bicycle seat should not be at the lowest setting, which is sitting atop the crossbar. You always want to change the position of the seat so that it is a few inches higher than normal, so keep this in mind when picking your bike. You want to have the comfort of the seat being higher up than the crossbar on the bike, because if the seat is sitting on the crossbar, you will not be comfortable. The goal here is to create a height with your seat so that when your pedal is at its lowest position your leg should be almost (but not quite) fully extended.

Another essential element in a comfortable cycling experience is the angle of the seat(also known as the saddle). There are several angles you can tilt your seat at. Most find that a flat seat can prove to be extremely uncomfortable, so they adjust it to their preference. Always choose the most comfortable position for your seat. You may find that if you leave the seat in the flat position, the narrow part of the seat will not allow you to comfortably bend forward.

There are many different factors to take into account when finding the right bicycle. Will this be an activity that you enjoy daily, or will you only be taking your bicycle out on special occasions? Which height is most comfortable for you? Do you prefer your feet to rest flat on the ground or do you like to have some room between them and the ground when you are sitting on the bicycle’s seat? You will need to consider each of these things when choosing your bicycle.

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There are lots of reasons to take up cycling. There are those who decide to take up cycling because the price of gas is too high and the cost of maintenance on a vehicle is too high. Others choose it because riding a bike is better for the environment than traveling in a car or using public transportation. Still others simply ride bicycles for fun. No matter what the reason is for choosing a bicycle, there are some things you should keep in mind before you decide. If you really want to choose the perfect cycling bicycle, you need to think about more than just what it looks like. Here are some helpful tips that you can use to help you decide which bicycle you should buy.

The first thing you should think about, which is pretty obvious, needs to be the cost. Sure you should also consider things like where you will be riding and how often you will be riding, but your other major criteria will almost always be the price of the bicycle. Some of the best bicycles you can find will cost thousands of dollars. The beauty of all this is you can save a ton of money when purchasing your bicycle, if you just know where to look for it. You could check out bicycles that are being auctioned off and could save tons of money while getting the best bike for you.

Don’t ever make the purchase until you have tried the bicycle out. It is important that you not buy anything before you’ve had the opportunity to ride it at least for a few minutes. This makes perfect sense because you know you’d never buy a car without test driving it first. So why wouldn’t this apply to buying a bicycle? You really need to do this if you are going to spend a lot of money on the bicycle, and if you are going to ride the bicycle a lot. You want to find a bike that fits you. Not only should it be the correct size for you, but it should be easily adaptable to your lifestyle, meaning your riding style. You don’t want make an investment on a bike that isn’t going to feel good to ride.

You should already have your safety gear bought and ready to go. Bicycle helmets have come a long way since they were first introduced. Not only do they look a lot better than they used to, they are also built better to provide greater protection. You should never go for a ride without putting on your helmet first. You’d be surprised at how many lives have been saved from that one simple thing. You might also consider investing in elbow, knee, wrist and ankle guards-especially if you are going to be going “off road” on your bicycle. Another good idea is to buy some pants clips if you are going to be riding your bike as your primary form of transportation. These are clips that keep your pants legs up and out of the way of your gears and chain.

There are lots of things to think about when you are trying to find the right cycling bicycle to fit your needs. It can become a bit overwhelming when going shopping for a bike and accessories because there is just so much to choose from. As long as you go about the process slowly and research a little before you go, you should have no problem finding the perfect bike.

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The choice to utilize a bicycle as your main mode of transportation, is beneficial for a number of reasons. There are a lot of reasons to ride a bicycle that have nothing to do with your preferred method of getting places. Some people choose to cycle because they need the exercise. Some choose to cycle because they are in competitions with cycling. Still others ride bicycles as a hobby because they enjoy the feeling of riding a bicycle around their neighborhood. Whatever the reason you have for wanting a cycling bicycle, there are a lot of different things to consider when you are trying to decide which cycling bicycle is right for you. Here are some hints to help you make your choice.

The basic key to choosing a bicycle is to buy a bicycle that you can sit on and rest your feet flat on the floor so that you can stop yourself. There are certain professionals, though, who disagree with this concept. These experts say in order to have the best cycling experience you can, you should allow for a few inches between the ground and your feet. You will likely find that the seat will rest too near the crossbar, if, when you sit on the seat, your knees are bent with your feet flat on the ground, which is an indication that the seat needs to be raised. If this is happening, when you start to pedal the bike then your knees are going to come up too high.

Believe it or not, your bicycle seat should not sit at its lowest setting, resting against the crossbar. You want to adjust it up a few inches and take those inches into account when you are choosing your bike. When you bring the seat up a few inches, you are going to have more room between the crossbar and you, and this will make for a much more comfortable ride. The ideal seat height can be achieved, by ensuring that your leg is very close to completely extended, when your foot is at it’s lowest position while on the pedal.

The angle of your seat (also called the saddle) is also important. You can tilt the seat any way you want it. What angle you tilt your seat at is solely going to depend on what position you find most comfortable. Continue to adjust your seat until it feels the best for you. You could leave it as it is, but the narrow part of the seat might not allow you to rest comfortably in a forward leaning position.

There are a lot of criteria to use when deciding which cycling bicycle is right for you. Are you going to be using your bike every day or will you only be riding every so often? What seat height gives you the most comfortable ride? Do you feel more at ease with your feet just above the ground as you sit on the seat, or would you rather that your feet sit flat when you are at rest? These are some of the things you need to consider when choosing your bike.

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