As the manager of a World Cup MTB team, I am often amazed at the huge number of bike brands and designs that exist all over the world. This makes it hard to sometimes establish which brand or bike is best for you, and can be even harder when you are trying to do it online.
The first step to deciding what Mountain Bike (MTB) is best for you is to work out what kind of riding you are likely to be doing. Just because it is an offroad bike, doesn't mean that every rider necessarily intends conquering their local mountains - so be honest and realistic with yourself about what you are likely to do on the bike - the rule of thumb is that more harsh the riding conditions the more costly the bike will need to be. MTB fit into a number of rough categories, each with their own traits:
1. Road/Path Commuting - Limited off-road, used for commuting to and from the shops. These bikes will be slightly heavier, possibly steel framed and will generally have low-spec brand, or even generic parts. May have front suspension forks, but these are more for show than actually serving a pupose (Buying Guide - $50 - $250)
2. Social Off-road - These bikes share some similarity with the Road/Path rides, but we start to see front suspension forks that ACTUALLY work (although not well) and greater use of name brands in the parts mix, such as Shimano. A bike in this category is probably used on- and off-road in a 60-40 ratio. (Buying Guide - $150 - $450)
3. Light XC - This is a bike that is designed for the off-road user and will have a parts mix that reflects this. You will find a low-end name brand front suspension fork and aluminium frame and wheel set and possible even disc brakes. Some bikes may even have rear suspension at this level, but be aware that a bad rear suspension bike is worse than a good hardtail bike in most cases. (Buying Guide - $150 - $650)
4. Heavy XC/Elite XC - Expect to see perhaps a zero added to the price tag on this category, and so it should be. These are serious bikes intended for a serious rider who considers them to be a piece of sporting equipment, rather than a means of transportation. SRAM, Shimano, Rock Shox, Manitou, Race Face... these are the brand names you would expect to see providing the parts mix and the frames should come from one of the name brands too (Haro, Trek, Giant, Avanti, Gary Fisher, Specialized, Bianchi, GT, Scott or perhaps one of the smaller European brands). These are the bikes where you should also start asking relevent questions about the type of riding the owner has done, the parts that have been replaced and when, how it has been serviced and where and whether it has been raced (not that this is a bad thing). (Buying Guide - $750 - $3000)
5. All Mountain - Like the higher priced XC bikes, All Mountain bikes are precision pieces of engineering - but the flip side to this is that these bikes tend to have been punished more by the rider, as this is there purpose. They come with 4" to 6" of suspension front and rear for a reason - they are jumped, crashed, pushed and strained. If you are buying a bike in this category it pays to ask for so photos of the frame in detail, if available, and you should focus on areas of known wear-and-tear - such as pivot points, frame welds, chain stays, etc. This is a category where information helps, so search out reviews and advice from the plethora of MTB chat sites and review boards. Look to see whether other riders have had issues and whether this might present a problem to you. (Buying Guide - $800 - $2500)
Orignal From: Buying A Mountain Bike on eBay
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