I want a mountain bike!!!!!!
I have to admit it. I've got the bug in a BAD way. I have wanted a bike for several years, but with the weather getting really nice and my desire to get outside increasing, this particular craving has been compounded. "Why mountain biking?," you might ask. You know I have no idea. It's not like I've had a lot of experience with mountain biking. In fact, I haven't ridden a bike in years, but the sport compliments my love of camping very well. Regardless of the reasons, I've got the bug. Being who I am, I've started doing some research into bikes so that I can get the best bike for my money. Since I've got this site, I thought I would share my findings.
Types of Mountain Bikes:
- Hardtail Has a shock absorber on the front fork, but not on the rear. Makes for a rougher ride, but lighter
- Full Suspension Has shock absorbers on front and rear of bike. The smoother ride handles obstacles better.
Mountain Bike classifications:
- Cross-Country (XC): This is the biggest overall user group and it's made up of just about every type of rider.
- Downhill (DH): It's a race bike that's the precursor to freeride in terms of technology.
- Freeride (FR): Freeride means different things to different people. If you're doing 10-foot drops as warm-ups, you're going to want what's essentially a downhill bike with super-heavy-duty wheels and components.
Moutain Bike Apr. 2002 Pg. 25
I got a couple of magazines and books during lunch today. Mountain Bike and Bicycling had some great articles and information about the sport.
I also swung by a bike shop on the way home. Eric helped me quite a bit. He also suggested I check out www.mtbr.com for reviews by riders.
The two bikes he suggested for my price range (< $600) were the Trech 4900 and the Specialized Hardrock Pro. (Both 2002 models)
