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Mountain Bike Buying Guide For Beginners – Step By Step Guide

It's 2019 and you tell yourself that it's time for a new mountain bike. There are plenty of things to consider which selling on the market. Everything from wide wheels, perfect titanium bike frames, quality pedals,...etc. In fact, you've decided there's more to riding than simply riding; it takes smart and realistic budgets, plus a little knowledge on what to look for in an MTB.

Additionally, knowing what a mountain bike consists of is important. The quality components and various other elements a mountain bike comes with are being aware of when shopping for a new one are inevitable. Therefore, here's the ultimate mountain bike buying guide for beginners.

Mountain Bike Buying Guide For Beginners – Step By Step Guide From Experts

Beginner Mountain Bike Buying Guide

The Best Mountain Bike Frame:

One of the elements of a bike and the person riding that bike is size. Size matters because of the weight and height of the person riding on it. The frame size really is important. Those bikers whom are bigger and are on a small frame bike will not last long on them. Don't be one of those bikers. 

Pick one that is your size and is gender-correct. It should withstand your weight as well. In this case, there are men and women styled frame bikes that protect certain parts of the body. This is the main reason it's important for a woman to pick a woman's bike and vice versa.

Frame Size:

You'll feel fit when you ride a bike that has the right frame size. Bikes measured by bottom bracket shell at the center to the top of the saddle seat is commonly done at the manufacturers, therefore know your size. There are various sizes which are chosen according to your body size (i.e. 15, 20, 29 inches etc.). The top tube measurement is the measuring of the head tube centered with that of the nominal line of the seat tube's center area.

This is supposed evenly measured all the way to the top tube part. For the larger rider, the same measuring goes, although it's simply a larger frame. There are charts online which has the various measurement frame sizes according to the man or woman's body size and height. The more advanced rider will buy one that has more of an upright frame.

MTB size chart

Best Frame Material:

When you're looking for the ideal MTB for beginners, material matters. Most of the entry-level bikes are made of aluminum or alloy elements. The aluminum is voted as the best of the two. This is for entry and mid-level bike frames that are the least expensive.

Mountain bike -Carbon Frame
Mountain bike - steel frame
Mountain Bike- Aluminum Frame

But, they are great for mountain biking. There are some frames made of steel and titanium, but these are pricier. They'll last long. Plus, the benefit will either be what you spend and what you want to last, which is really the deciding factor. If you pick one that has a cheaper made material like the alloy, make sure you get a warranty.

They're lightweight as well, and as far as the most fragile frame material, the carbon bikes are the popular lightweight bikes to get. But if you need to go with your budget, make sure you pick the aluminum or alloy made mountain bike.

The Best Mountain Bike Suspension:

If you think about the suspension of a mountain bike, it's the most important component of a bike. A full suspension bike is the best to invest in. With the hardtail bikes and those that have single suspensions, you'll pay for those two components. In other words, if you want the front and rear suspension, then get a full suspension bike.

Beginners will begin their mountain bike riding career with hardtails. Hardtails are relatively cheaper than the full suspension bikes. However, a low price with full suspension bikes today may come hard to come by. Prepare for many upgrades and maintenance call when suspensions are left out.

The Best Mountain Bike Wheels:

Mountain bike wheels come in diameter sizes specifically for your choosing, but mainly for your comfort. If you have the following size wheels (ie.. 26x, 27.5x or 29x) then these are the replaceable sizes. Wheels that have a 26-inch diameter size will be replaced by the 27.5-inch wheel in today's market. The terrain you ride on regularly is another reason to buy good wheels. Buy the wider wheels if you ride regularly.

Mountain Bike Wheels

Those fast flowing trails which are popular today may need to have wider tires. The 29-inch wheels are appropriate for beginners. For riders that are rougher on the terrain, the best mountain bike wheels are 27.5-inch wheels. Then there's another consideration to think about and that is your weight. Tall people get the 29-inch wheels, but if you're a short biker, then the size that is smaller is ideal. Upgrading your wheels should be according to size, your terrain, your level, and what you want to do (ie. cruising or racing).

Perfect Drivetrain:

When looking for a mountain bike, you need to consider the perfect drivetrain on it. Drivetrains are considered the "motor" of the bike. It's as important as the wheels are to a mountain biker. Consider how the design is and who designed the drivetrain. The main element is knowing terms like "3 x 9," "2 x 10," and "1x 9." These are the basic mountain bike gearing components. For the "3 x 9," for example, it means it has 3 chain rings. The 9 means it has nine "cogs" on the cassette, so on and so forth.

The fact that they both come in different sizes is also something to consider when buying the best mountain bike. In fact, they are both measured by their teeth. Use this information with a wheel diameter. The crank arms can be calculated by the effective gear ratios if you really want to get technical. Otherwise, as a beginner, it's good to simply ask your bike shops sales person more about drivetrains. Many pros end up "rigging" them with guards to prevent them from basically coming off.

Saddle Post And Saddle:

To talk about the MTB saddle post and saddle is to speak of what comfort is going to feel like when you are bike trailing through various off-terrain or flat ground routes. You want the saddle seat to be comfortable. The saddle post can come in various lengths. The saddle post can be made of aluminum or steel. The latter is best. The benefits of a bike saddle vary. The saddle basics are divided into 4 parts. These are the four parts of a saddle seat.

  • The Shell is the hard plastic of the saddle seat. The carbon fiber ones are more popular today.
  • The Padding is soft, squish like feeling that covers the shell/cover plus there are many thicknesses.
  • The Cover developed with leather, but also it can be made of synthetic material or a combo of the two.
  • The Rails is normally an alloy such as titanium. It's more expensive and has a higher performance rate. It can also be made of aluminum.

All in all, when you decide you want to buy a new saddle seat because you don't like the one that comes with the bike you buy, you will be able to. The broad, chair-like saddles are comfy.

The long thin saddles have a huge impact on biker that race. But, it's really about the comfort and how much the weight it can take. Another thing is the ability to slide behind it quickly So as to not get hung up when turning corners.

Biking Accessories:

  • The helmet
  • Bike air pump
  • Bike gloves
  • Bike shorts/tee
  • Bike shoes specially made for the pedals
  • A bike chain to lock up and prevent thieves from taking it
  • A stopwatch helps when biking
  • A bike trainer for indoors
  • GPS bike computer
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