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A Mountain bike should always have a proper full suspension system. It is important because it helps absorb the shock when going over rugged terrain and helps to provide a smoother ride. A mountain bike with a full suspension will have a rear suspension along with a front suspension. A mountain bike with a shock system at the front and a rear solid fork is often called a hard tail bike. If the bike is a lower end bike and relatively inexpensive it probably will not have a suspension at all.

If you are a cross country rider you will need to make sure that your bike has both descending and climbing ability. The most movement that you would usually get on this type of bike is about 4 inches in the rear suspension. Cross country bikes have 28 gears as standard which provide a wide greater options for travelling over different terrain.

If you are a more technical mountain bike rider you will probably need a trial bike as they are a little more robust. On a trial bike the suspension can move between 4 and 7 inches. Uphill pedalling will be more difficult but you will in general get a much smoother ride. You will need to decide whether it is worth having a smoother ride against the struggle of pedalling uphill. All terrain cycles is a great place on the web to look for Trek Track Bikes.

If you will mainly be using your bike for going downhill you can expect up to 8 inches in suspension movement. These type of bikes are generally design for downhill racing. With more travel in the suspension they are easier to control over harsh terrain at high speeds but are more difficult for pedalling uphill.

Mountain bikes come in different shapes, sizes and types and another popular version is the dirt jump bike. A dirt jump bike are used for jumping and only have a front suspension. These type of bikes are built for speed and usually come with 16 gears.

Filed under: Recreation and Sports on March 7th, 2009