Cycling the busy streets in a city is quite a different experience from taking a bike through the mountains. That’s the reason why design certain bikes specifically to ride them across or around the mountains. Bikes made by Bianchi South Africa and other brands have become more and more popular over the years.
Selecting the right mountain bike is a very different process from zeroing in on a good bicycle that you can use daily. While you cannot take your regular bike for a ride through the mountains, choosing the wrong mountain bike can also make riding through the terrain a difficult experience for you.
Here are a few things you must remember while purchasing a mountain bike:
Type
Mountain bikes come in different types or forms. Apart from taking into consideration the type of mountain trail you will be moving through, you should also be mindful of several other factors including your riding style while choosing a particular type of mountain bike. Whether you visit an online or offline store, you will have multiple options to choose from.
While trail mountain bikes are known for their versatility, all-mountain mountain bikes are designed for steep descents and are characterized by their lightweight. Cross-country mountain bikes cater to those individuals who want to participate in races held on difficult terrains. If you plan to cover very short distances, you should opt for a downhill mountain bike.
Strength
While buying a bike, most riders check its weight. While a lot of people associate weight with sturdiness, many want to know whether they would be able to handle the weight of the bike. When you are about to buy a regular road bike, you might want to give a lot of importance to its weight. However, while purchasing a mountain bike, you should emphasize its strength.
While riding a mountain bike or riding any bike off-road, strength plays an important part. When you stumble upon rocks, ruts, and several other things while moving across the mountains, a flimsy bike would make things more difficult for you. When your steering accuracy takes a hit, many things including the speed of the bike get affected. Therefore, it is important to invest in a mountain bike that exudes a good amount of strength.
Frame Size
Choosing the right frame size is extremely crucial when buying a mountain bike. It is important to remember that a frame size that is considered to be large by a particular brand could be medium for another company. As frames get larger, the size of seat tubes is getting smaller. The one thing you need to ensure that the bike you choose proves to be the right fit for you and serves you well.
While buying a mountain bike, you must make it a point to measure the reach and stack. While reach refers to the distance between the bars and the saddle, stack implies the distance between the mid-head tube and crank. A short seat tube helps the rider get a good stand-over and enough space to move around.
Wheel Size
Apart from checking the frame size, it is very important to be considerate of the wheel size while buying a mountain bike. When you visit a store offering a Bianchi bicycle for sale, you should tell them the reason behind you buying a mountain bike. Once they know the reason, they will be able to provide you with the right bike.
If you are planning to go on aggressive mountain trails, you could opt for 27.5in or 650b as the diameters for the wheel. Wide-rimmed wheels prove to be adequate for terrains that are filled with water. For covering long miles, big-sized hoops are the best. If you expect the trails to be difficult, you should look for very strong wheels.
Accessories
Every time somebody purchases a bike, they invest in some accessories as well. Before you head to a store to buy a mountain bike, you should make a list of the accessories you would want to acquire. Compared to a regular road bike, the list of accessories for a mountain bike would be much more elaborate.
A trail helmet is one of the most important accessories a mountain bike rider needs. While buying a trail helmet, you should check the material it has been made with, its construction quality and whether you feel comfortable while wearing it or not. Good-quality glasses are important to protect your eyes from dust and dirt.
Design
While every rider wants their bike to look attractive, what is even more important is that the design should be sturdy and lend a certain sense of robustness to the bike. If you take the bike on a test ride, you will get a fair idea of how well its design supports itself. Investing in a carbon fibre bicycle proves to be a good decision for mountain trails as their design is appropriate for off-road biking.
Having a look at the structure of the bike would also enable you to find out whether it can stand the test of time or not. Apart from checking the axle diameters and spacing, you must also have a close look at the diameters of the headsets, seat posts, and bottom brackets of the bike. You should check the quality of the internal gears used in the bike.
Suspension
Suspension plays a very important role in mountain bikes. If you are operating on a slightly higher budget, you should consider buying a full-suspension bike. When you invest in a full-suspension bike, you can be sure that it supports both rear and front suspension. A bike of this nature will make riding through mountainous regions a very smooth and comfortable experience.
When you opt for a full-suspension bike, you get the option to choose from different travel lengths. Based on your discipline or style of riding, you should choose the appropriate travel length for yourself. As stated earlier, full-suspension bikes are priced higher than most other types of mountain bikes.
