by Mike Finlay

Created on: May 28, 2008

If you are looking for a mountain bike, it goes without saying that you are probably both excited (as you should be) and daunted by the sheer range of bikes on offer. Relax! There has never been a better time to buy an MTB with the vast array of new technologies and materials on offer. This is particularly true when looking at all-mountain bikes (or trailbikes) which have pooled knowledge into their builds from every corner of the MTB world.

Designed with the majority of us in mind, producing an all-mountain bike has been a real head-scratch for manufacturers. The specialised frames, forks and rims of other disciplines have had strict guidelines to follow and the top end have, arguably, done an extremely good job. Whether riding cross-country or downhill, the requirements stand out like a sore thumb. When combining the needs of the two events into one bike, however, things get rather tricky.

So you want to ride downhill trails with rugged, demanding terrain AND climb long challenging ascents efficiently? The first place to start focusing on would be the frame...

FRAME: This needs to show 2 major qualities; Strong and lightweight.
Luckily, with today's materials, this is possible. Unlike the weighty iron horses of the original downhillers, trailbikes have opted for the happy medium in terms of frame make-up. Thinner aluminium tubing is designed in a series of triangles that reduce the volume of frame required whilst offering a strength that will far exceed the cross-country breed. If you have the money and are after a top of the range bike, look towards carbon fibre options for the tougest and lightest bikes. Stay away from 'Y-frames' (usually chunkier frames that look like a 'Y' turned on its side) as they are usually heavy and are a gimick as far as all-mountain bikes are concerned. The exceptions to this rule come when spending money on a top of the range bike such as a Specialised Enduro. In general, frames should look like a slightly thicker version of a standard cross-country or hard tail bike. The rear suspension, which we'll look at below, should be simple and not take up much space. If it looks heavy, it probably is!

SUSPENSION: The full suspension bikes are designed to provide enough bounce to cope with rugged downhill trails whilst being stiff enough on the ascent to prevent to much 'bobbing' (ie. Bouncing up and down on the saddle - not very cool!). The travel, or movement up and down, should be between about 4 and 6 inches and often you will find a neat

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