Extreme Sports

About a year ago I purchased an entry level hardtail mountain bike. At the time I did not want to spend a lot of money and I did not want poor quality. So I purchase a bike that had a good frame and basic components.

After riding for a year I have decided that I want to improve the comfort and control of my bike on the trail. Therefore I made the decision to upgrade my front suspension fork on my hardtail mountain bike.

My initial research concluded that there are a lot of different brands, types and sizes forks on the market so I conceded knew I needed help. After all, suspension forks are expensive and I didn’t want to waste my money.

After talking to different rides, employees at a few bike shops, reading article and posting questions online I put together a couple of bullet points to consider when buying a front suspension fork.

Determine if your bike has the geometry to support a suspension fork. If it does have the correct geometry try to determine the maximum height fork it can accommodate. I almost bought a fork with 160mm of travel but the seller convinced me not to buy it because he believed my bike did not have the correct geometry. After checking with the factory I determined that he was correct.

Consider your riding style. Are you a cross country, down hill or a dirt jump rider. Make sure you buy a fork that suites your style of ride. This will help prevent you from buying more fork then you need.

Determine your budget and stick to it. Suspension forks can vary in price and can be very expensive. However if you ride often spending a little more on a fork might be warranted.

Every year bicycle manufacturers make better, lighter and cheaper mountain bikes which make them more attractive to consumers. Do you want to buy a full suspension mountain bike? If you do below is a list of items that you might want to considered before buying a new mountain bike.

One of the most important questions to ask yourself is what type of terrain will you be riding on? If you are going to be riding cross country maybe a full suspension mountain bike is not warranted and a hardtail will better suit your needs. However if you are going to be riding downhill or on rough terrain a full suspension bike might be right up your alley.

Determine your budget and stick to it. Consider buying the best bike you can afford within your budget. Many riders suggest that if you have less then 0 to spend on a bike you might want to consider a hardtail because full suspension bikes are more costly. However you could consider buying a used full suspension bike at a good price on a mountain bike classifieds site.

If you determine that a full suspension mountain bike is what you need and want then consider the different frame designs. Single-pivot, sweet-spot and horst-link are a few popular designs and each has their advantages and disadvantages. The best way to truly understand the difference is to go to a few bike stores and test ride the different designs. The bike store guy will be more then happy to explain and point out the pros and cons of each design.

Remember that full suspension bikes are heavier then hardtail bikes. Full suspension frames are a little heavier and they carry more parts then hardtails so be prepared to pedal around a little more weight on the trail.  Read more...

About a year ago I purchased an entry level hardtail mountain bike. At the time I did not want to spend a lot of money and I did not want poor quality. So I purchase a bike that had a good frame and basic components.

After riding for a year I have decided that I want to improve the comfort and control of my bike on the trail. Therefore I made the decision to upgrade my front suspension fork on my hardtail mountain bike.

My initial research concluded that there are a lot of different brands, types and sizes forks on the market so I conceded knew I needed help. After all, suspension forks are expensive and I didn’t want to waste my money.

After talking to different rides, employees at a few bike shops, reading article and posting questions online I put together a couple of bullet points to consider when buying a front suspension fork.

Determine if your bike has the geometry to support a suspension fork. If it does have the correct geometry try to determine the maximum height fork it can accommodate. I almost bought a fork with 160mm of travel but the seller convinced me not to buy it because he believed my bike did not have the correct geometry. After checking with the factory I determined that he was correct.

Consider your riding style. Are you a cross country, down hill or a dirt jump rider. Make sure you buy a fork that suites your style of ride. This will help prevent you from buying more fork then you need.

Determine your budget and stick to it. Suspension forks can vary in price and can be very expensive. However if you ride often spending a little more on a fork might be warranted.

Every year bicycle manufacturers make better, lighter and cheaper mountain bikes which make them more attractive to consumers. Do you want to buy a full suspension mountain bike? If you do below is a list of items that you might want to considered before buying a new mountain bike.

One of the most important questions to ask yourself is what type of terrain will you be riding on? If you are going to be riding cross country maybe a full suspension mountain bike is not warranted and a hardtail will better suit your needs. However if you are going to be riding downhill or on rough terrain a full suspension bike might be right up your alley.

Determine your budget and stick to it. Consider buying the best bike you can afford within your budget. Many riders suggest that if you have less then $700 to spend on a bike you might want to consider a hardtail because full suspension bikes are more costly. However you could consider buying a used full suspension bike at a good price on a mountain bike classifieds site.

If you determine that a full suspension mountain bike is what you need and want then consider the different frame designs. Single-pivot, sweet-spot and horst-link are a few popular designs and each has their advantages and disadvantages. The best way to truly understand the difference is to go to a few bike stores and test ride the different designs. The bike store guy will be more then happy to explain and point out the pros and cons of each design.

Remember that full suspension bikes are heavier then hardtail bikes. Full suspension frames are a little heavier and they carry more parts then hardtails so be prepared to pedal around a little more weight on the trail.  Read more...