Comments on: How to Buy a Mountain Bike

on 5/26/2008 Has anyone seen a list of top brands of mountain bikes? I have one local shop that only sells Mongoose & IronHorse and another that sells only Haro & Scott.

on 5/26/2008 Has anyone seen a list of the top brands of mountain bikes? One local bike shop has only IronHorse & Mongoose and another only has Haro & Scott.

on 3/7/2007 You may find this in-depth blogpost on how to buy a mountain bike also useful:
http://www.tredzblog.co.uk/2006/08/buying_a_mounta.html

on 11/22/2005 Mountain bikes are great for anything off the pavement, but other bikes are much more suitable for city pavement and distance rides over 20km.

Even if the bike store sells mostly mountain bikes, they may not be for you. Between road racing bikes and mountain bikes, there is a wide spectrum of good 'touring', 'hybrid', 'comfort', and 'city' bikes that can make a lot of sense.

on 11/22/2005 When buying a bike make sure it's the right size for you. Small frames are easier to handle, larger frames are more stable for long road trips. Also the frame's upper bar should be at least 10 cms (4") lower than your body (For comfortable landings).

on 11/22/2005 Get the lightest bike for the money you're spending. The lighter the bike, the longer your rides and the less energy you expend trying to get over a hill.

on 11/22/2005 Instead of going to a huge bike shop where they will tell you anything to make a sale, go to a small family owned shop and ask the people who work there which bikes they might recommend.