How to Buy a Full-Suspension Mountain Bike

Full-suspension mountain bikes seem to get better, lighter and cheaper every year. Does that mean you should buy one? Depends on what you plan to do with your new bike.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things to Consider Before Buying a Full-Suspension Mountain Bike

1. Think about weight. Full-suspension bikes are still heavier than hardtails.
2. Consider maintenance. Most full-suspension bikes require periodic maintenance. Some of it can be quite involved or require specialized tools.
3. Ponder performance. There's a reason that most racers still ride hardtails. On most courses, a hardtail is still the most efficient choice.
4. Consider comfort. Full-suspension bikes can be much more comfortable than hardtails over rough terrain.
5. Think about price. Many people would argue that if you have less than $1,000 to spend on a bike, you'd be better off with a hardtail.
6. Ask yourself what you want to do with the bike. If bombing down hills is your passion, you don't mind a bit of added maintenance and you love new technology, a full-suspension bike could be the right bike for you.

Which Full-Suspension Bike Is Best?

7. Consider a single-pivot design, which is simpler than other designs and requires little maintenance. The downside? Pedal-activated bobbing in the granny gear. Pivot location is very important.
8. Consider a sweet-spot design. These good all-purpose cross-country bikes attempt to isolate the suspension from pedaling forces. The downside: They're only really active when the rider is seated.
9. Consider a Horst-link or another strut design. Still considered by many to be the ultimate, these are very active. However, they're often more expensive and heavier, and they may require more maintenance.
10. Consider a rocker or linkage design. Again very active, these tend to be more single-purpose designs, better suited for downhill riders (not so good going up).
11. Test-ride some bikes. This is the best way to sort out all the theory.
12. Ask around. Every six months there seems to be a new, hot full-suspension design. However, there are quite a few proven performers out there, too.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider a softtail design, which has a single shock mounted up near the seat stay and depends on the flexing of the chain stays to provide the suspension. This design offers much of the comfort of a full-suspension bike, along with maintenance and weight closer to a hardtail, but these bikes are primarily made by small builders out of titanium, so they can be quite expensive. Note: Some manufactures are introducing lower-priced steel and carbon-fiber models.