by John Gray

Created on: August 10, 2009   Last Updated: December 12, 2010

It is perhaps a startling fact that 90% of people who buy a mountain bike never go remotely near a mountain. A great majority don't even stray off the roads. With this in then, perhaps the first question the a person should be asking themselves when looking for a mountain bike is, if the mountain bike is the right choice to start with. 

As a keen amateur road cyclist with an interest in mountain biking, I have seen far too many people purchase a mountain bike and then find that it is not what they are looking for. Many people purchasing a mountain bike for daily commuting soon find out that the heavy frame, suspension and thick-set wheels are not really suitable for the task they intended. Many at this stage abandon bikes altogether, which is a great shame because bikes can save a great deal of money in transport costs and provide massive boosts to health and fitness levels, even by infrequent rides.

Instead mountain bikes should only be purchased if the rider is sure that they are going to go off-road, over rough terrain. Hybrid bikes are perfect for road and light off-roading such as bridle paths and loose gravel walkways, and if the intention is ride over such terrain then these would make a perfect buy. Hybrid bikes come with the advantage of working well on the road, with thinner tires, lighter frames and less heavy suspension systems which would allow for a quicker ride on the road. Naturally, the road bike is the perfect vehicle for travelling longer distances at speed on the road, but they can't tolerate off-road terrain at all. So the first must is that the purchase of a mountain bike must be used for the intention of predominantly going over rough terrain, otherwise the purchase is completely counter-productive.

If the intention is clearly to go on rough terrain, then definitely the mountain bike is the king in that department. Perhaps the main choice if this is definitely the right type of bike, is whether to go with duel or simply a front suspension bike. For most riders front suspension alone is quite adequate. Duel suspension is mainly for those riders who are interested in jumps or extreme downhill riding, over very challenging terrain. Front suspension should suit the vast majority of people who are looking an off-road experience. Buying a bike with just front suspension ensures that there is a little give in the bike, but not too much that it will slow down the ride too much as duel suspension can.

One thing to remember

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