by Lynette Alice

Created on: May 28, 2008

Freeride mountain bikes are like the Visa card of mountain bikes, it's everywhere you want to be. Whether you are a trail rider, down hiller, dirt jumper, cross country rider, or like to do a little bit of everything a freeride mountain bike is the choice for you. Now knowing a freeride is what you want doesn't mean your decision making process is over as there are many options when it comes to considering what kind of freeride mountain bike is right for you.

The term freeride was initially coined to describe what mountain bikers were doing before it became commercial which is basically messing around. As such freeride mountain bikes carry some rather specific design specifications to handle a wide range of activities. Primarily the first two features you are going to look for are good disc brakes and a powerful suspension. These components are the difference between an okay and great freeride bike. Ideally when you consider the suspension you want 120mm to 200mm of suspension travel that will channel energy through the rear wheel rather than the shocks which allows the bike to tackle any obstacle.

The importance of good disc breaks is self explanatory as when you need to stop you want not just full confidence you can, but can do so quickly if needed. Disc brakes also offer the advantage of less brake fade, increased stopping power, and greater control and modulation. The downside of disc brakes is primarily the weight, but as you are already on a behemoth of a bike, the little extra weight goes basically unnoticed.

The importance of the right tires cannot be understated. On a freeride you will generally want to go with one of two choices, front and rear 26" knobby tires, or a front knobby and rear semislick tire of the same size. A taller tire is good if you will do a lot of jumping or smooth surface riding, while a shorter tire is better suited to everything else. A tubeless tire system is also suggested as it will allow for greater diversity in varying you contact surface area which is inflexible with a tube tire. While you won't be doing much uphill riding with a freeride bike as it is just too heavy, you will want to check the gears to make sure it comes equipped with a "granny gear" which allows for a bit more ease in climbing when you do have to.

You will also want to consider the weight of the bike which is primarily carried in the frame. Freeride mountain bikes generally range from thirty to forty five pounds, with those on the low end generally considered

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