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.

Determine the size of the bikes head tube. The size of the tube could limit your selections. Is your head tube 1 inch or 1 1/8 inches, etc?

Consider buying a suspension fork that is adjustable. Some forks are adjustable at the head and some have a pop lock adjuster that mounts on the handlebars. The adjustable function will accommodate different riding terrains.

Determine if you need to buy new parts to install your new fork. Do you need a new headset, stem or brakes?

Consider the installation charges of a new fork. If you plan on installing the fork yourself you will need to press on a bearing and potentially cut the fork tub. This could result in additional tools and time so you want to weigh your options.

Find out what your friends are riding and ask them their opinion on brand and options. Ask them if you can ride their bike to test out their fork.

Do you want to buy new or used? Some riders buy great bikes, immediately upgrade them and never use the original parts. You can find new or near new parts on Bike Servant which lists mountain bike classifieds containing bikes for sale, bike parts and race events.

Keep in mind list above will help you get started in your decision making process and there are more items to consider as you explore your options.

The tips listed above will hopefully help you narrow down your choices before you purchase a new fork. Good luck and see you on the trail.

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 some of the online forums to determine what other riders like and don’t like about their bikes. You can learn a lot from other rider’s opinions.

Do not forget to factor in your maintenance costs into the equation. Full suspension bikes require a little more maintenance and for the do it yourself type you will need a few extra tools.

Finally, test ride as many bikes as you can before buying. Also do not forget to test ride a full suspension mountain bike with the front and or rear shock locked out.

See you on the trail