Mountain Bikes (MTB)
Mountain bikes are durable and versatile machines designed to conquer various terrains with ease. While you can certainly ride them on city streets and sealed roads, their true potential shines when you venture off the beaten path.
A quality MTB opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to enjoy thrilling rides on bush singletracks, purpose-built off-road trails, winding paths, and gravel roads. However, as you push the boundaries and explore more challenging environments, it's important to consider your equipment choices, as specialized bikes tailored to specific terrains can enhance your riding experience.
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Mountain bikes typically share several defining characteristics, including:
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Wide Knobby Tires: Designed to provide traction and grip on various terrain types, such as dirt, gravel, mud, and rocks.
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Sturdy Rims: Wide and durable rims that can accommodate the robust tires commonly found on MTBs, ensuring reliable performance and durability.
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Strong Frame: Constructed from robust materials such as aluminum, carbon fiber, or steel to withstand the rigors of off-road riding and provide stability and control.
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Durable Gears: Equipped with a reliable gear system, typically with multiple gears, to accommodate different riding conditions and terrains.
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Riser Handlebars: Positioned higher than traditional handlebars, providing a more upright riding position for improved comfort, control, and maneuverability on challenging trails.
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Powerful Brakes: Utilizing disc brakes for reliable stopping power and control in various weather conditions and terrain types.
Additionally, most mountain bikes feature:
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Front Suspension Fork: Designed to absorb shocks and vibrations from uneven terrain, enhancing comfort and control while riding over rough surfaces. Mountain bikes with front suspension forks are often referred to as hardtails due to their rigid rear frames.
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Dual Suspension (Optional): Some mountain bikes come with both front suspension forks and rear shocks, providing enhanced performance and comfort, particularly for technical downhill riding or aggressive trail riding.
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When considering a mountain bike, key factors to evaluate include the frame size, wheels and tires, gear system, brakes, suspension fork, and essential accessories.
And if you're considering tackling steep hills or challenging terrain, you may want to explore electric mountain bikes, which feature an electric motor to assist with uphill climbs, making your off-road adventures more accessible and enjoyable.
MTB vs EMTB
Electric mountain bikes (eMTBs) have surged in popularity, offering a fresh take on traditional mountain biking. Let's weigh the pros and cons of eMTBs compared to regular mountain bikes:
Pros of Electric Mountain Bikes:
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Pedal Easier: eMTBs feature an electric motor that aids riders in pedaling, making uphill climbs and long distances more manageable and less strenuous.
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Extended Range: With motor assistance, e-bikes offer an extended range, allowing riders to explore more trails in a given time without worrying about exhaustion.
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Accessibility: eMTBs cater to riders of varying fitness levels, enabling individuals with less physical strength or endurance to tackle challenging trails with confidence.
Cons of Electric Mountain Bikes:
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Weight and Handling: E-bikes tend to be heavier due to the additional motor and battery, impacting the bike's maneuverability and handling. Advances in technology are gradually mitigating this issue.
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Cost: Electric mountain bikes are generally more expensive than regular mountain bikes due to the added technology and components, making them less accessible to budget-conscious riders.
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Reduced Physical Workout: While the motor assistance is appreciated by many riders, some prefer the physical challenge of conquering a trail under their own power. However, this concern often diminishes when riding with friends on eMTBs.
Ultimately, the decision between an electric mountain bike and a regular mountain bike hinges on personal preferences, fitness levels, terrain preferences, and budget constraints. Each option offers its own unique benefits and considerations, catering to a diverse range of riders and riding styles.
Wheels
In the past, mountain bikes commonly featured 26" wheels, providing excellent maneuverability and acceleration. However, this standard is now less prevalent in the market, with larger wheel sizes becoming more popular.
27.5" wheels, also known as 650B, gained popularity for a while and can still be found on certain mountain bikes, particularly those designed for shorter riders or on Plus or Fat bikes. These wheels aimed to combine the rollover capability of a 29er with the agility of a 26er.
However, the industry has largely shifted towards the 29" standard, which is now the predominant wheel size for most new MTBs. Despite initial concerns about maneuverability, riders have embraced 29ers for their ability to roll over obstacles more easily, resulting in better control and increased speed on singletrack trails.
The 29" wheel size, also referred to as 29er, shares the same diameter as the 700c wheels commonly used on road bikes. However, the rims are wider to accommodate larger tires. As a result, all our higher-end mountain bikes are equipped with 29er wheels (excluding Fat and Plus bikes).
When it comes to tire choice, it can significantly impact ride quality depending on the terrain and conditions. Our mountain bikes feature an intermediate tread pattern suitable for diverse terrain. Larger, widely spaced knobs are ideal for wet and muddy conditions, while smaller, closely spaced knobs are better suited for hard-packed dirt, shale, and gravel surfaces.
FAT Tyres
Fat bikes are equipped with oversized tires, typically 4" wide, mounted on large rims. This abundance of rubber provides an extraordinary amount of traction, enabling riders to tackle new terrain such as snow, sand, and muddy conditions with ease. While fat bikes offer loads of fun, they may sacrifice some rolling speed and overall feel due to the substantial tire size. However, most fat bike enthusiasts are too busy enjoying the thrill of exploring new landscapes to be concerned about minor drawbacks.
For riders seeking the best of both worlds—impressive speed, climbing ability, ample traction, and nimble handling on the trails—the Plus, or "mid-fat," bike is the answer. Plus bikes feature wider tires than traditional mountain bikes but are narrower than fat bikes, striking a balance that appeals to beginner to intermediate riders looking to push their limits on technical trails and singletrack. This format remains popular among riders seeking versatility and performance across a variety of terrain types.
Gearing
Mountain bikes typically come equipped with a wide range of gears tailored to accommodate the diverse terrain they encounter. Entry-level all-rounder bikes often feature cranksets with triple chainrings, offering an ultra-low range for uphill climbs, a medium range for flat terrain, and a high range for speedy descents.
For more specialized mountain bikes designed for singletrack and trail riding, a single or double chainring setup is common, known as 1x gearing. This configuration provides several benefits, including obstacle clearance without risking damage to chainrings and simplified operation with one fewer lever to manage, enhancing focus on the trail. Additionally, 1x setups are lighter and have fewer moving parts, reducing the risk of mechanical issues during rides.
On the rear wheel, mountain bikes typically have 7 to 10 gears arranged in a cluster of sprockets. Combining a 7-speed cluster with triple chainrings results in 21 gears, while an 8-speed cluster yields 24 gears, and so forth.
Shimano gearing is prevalent on mountain bikes, known for offering exceptional value for money and reliable performance. Entry-level MTBs commonly feature Shimano Tourney gears, renowned for their durability and reliability. As you move up the hierarchy, you'll encounter Shimano Altus and Shimano Acera gears. Higher-end bikes may come equipped with Deore LX, Shimano SLX, or Deore XT groupsets, boasting lighter weight, expanded gear ranges, and enhanced performance
Brakes
Choosing the right brakes for your mountain bike is crucial, as they directly impact your ability to control your bike, especially as you progress in your riding skills. Here's what to consider:
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V-Brakes: Ideal for beginners, V-brakes offer good stopping power and reliable performance for casual riding. They are a cost-effective option that provides adequate braking capability for general use.
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Disc Brakes: As you advance to more challenging terrain and higher speeds, you'll appreciate the benefits of disc brakes. While they are pricier, disc brakes offer exceptional stopping power, even in wet and muddy conditions, thanks to their design that keeps the braking surface clean and effective. They also provide finer modulation and control, particularly hydraulic disc brakes, which offer consistent braking performance with minimal effort. Additionally, disc brakes require less frequent maintenance compared to V-brakes, making them a convenient choice for riders who demand high performance and reliability from their brakes.
Ultimately, investing in quality brakes that match your riding style and skill level will enhance your riding experience and safety on the trails.
Suspension
Suspension forks are a valuable addition to any off-road bike, enhancing comfort, control, and traction by absorbing bumps and maintaining contact between the front wheel and the ground.
The "travel" measurement indicates how much the fork can compress. Longer-travel forks are suitable for downhill bikes, as they effectively absorb larger bumps but may sacrifice efficiency and add weight, making them less ideal for cross-country racing bikes.
For serious downhill racing, a fork with 140 millimeters of travel or more is common, prioritizing the ability to handle big hits and jumps over pedaling efficiency. For blasting through singletrack and trails, forks with 120-130mm of travel are recommended, balancing suspension performance with efficiency. For general and cross-country riding, forks with around 100-110 millimeters of travel are suitable.
Another desirable feature is a lockout mechanism, which immobilizes the fork and prevents compression entirely. Many of our MTB models come equipped with lockout forks, which are beneficial for climbing, flat tracks, or situations where speed and efficiency are paramount. When descending, simply unlocking the fork allows the bike to handle rough terrain with ease.