I get asked time to time about what kind of mountain bike to buy or what type. It happened again recently by a fine young man looking to get his first bike. After composing a long email to him about it, I thought it would be a good idea to share what I told him. Now I'm not an expert on the subject, especially when it comes to the engineering and specifications side (know several great guys who are), but I do like to ride and I ride a lot. Based on that here are my thoughts on what to look for or think about before buying:
General – buy the best bike you can afford, don’t say I’ll scrimp and then
upgrade the components later. First you never do that because it costs more and you don't have the time. Second
if you are riding hard or a lot, you’ll be replacing other parts that break and won't have the funds to upgrade. So buy the best and
here are some decision points:
Complete Bike or Build My Own – A complete bike lets you start riding now,
build your own takes time and will likely cost you more. But you will know all
about bikes if you build your own. For me I like a complete bike and I then buy a good bike repair
book, like Park Tools.
New or Used – New lets you break it in and you get any warranty associated
with it. Used lets you get more bike than you could afford new, but like buying
a used car, you may have some components to replace sooner. It can also be
tough to know the true condition if you buying online like eBay. At least on
Craig’s List you might be able to test ride it. I do the best of both worlds by
purchasing a demo bike from a local bike shop like Peak Sports in Corvallis. You get a
discounted price because it is used, but it has also been well maintained by the
shop. You can also purchase last year’s new model after the current year’s
bikes are out and save money there too.
Online or Local – You can get a bike with better components sometimes
online, but you don’t get to test ride it and see if you like the feel. There
are some great online bikes, like the Airborne Griffin (
http://www.airbornebicycles.com/16-griffin-3),
but you will have some assembly and you’ll need to figure out your bike size
from their online resources. Buying local gives you that, a local shop who
knows the bike and you’ll have a place to take it for warranty work vs. having
to send parts in to the online shop. With that said, the local bike shop will
work on your online purchased bike. The other benefit of buying local is that
you can go in and ride the bike and see if you like it before purchasing it.
Sizing – This is one good reason to buy local in that you can get the bike
that fits you and your riding style. For example, I’m about 5’7” so everyone
would say I’m supposed to ride a medium size frame, but I have never felt
comfortable because of my position on the bike with a medium so I have always
purchased larges. That only happens when you buy local and can ride different
frame sizes and see what fits.
Wheel Size – There is a lot of selection and discussion around this topic.
For me my recommendation is don’t purchase a 26” they are really dead for mountain biking (in my opinion). The 27.5
gives you the best of both world – good cornering but increased size for
clearing obstacles and more travel. For me I’m a 29 fan. I’ve been riding them
for 5 years now and I get all the clearance and I don’t notice that much
cornering sacrifice. You’ll be happy with either. Also, if you can get through axle wheels, meaning they have an axle bolt that holds the wheel on vs.
drop outs, that will be the best. They are more stable and safer.
Weight – I’m not a weight weenie, meaning I’m not spending thousands to
save ounces. You’ll want a bike around 30 lbs. or under for riding around the Corvallis area and really anywhere in the Northwest, unless you want to do pure downhill. The Mac Dun forest and most Oregon riding (besides Bend) is a lot of
going up to go down, so you want a good climbing bike.
Must Have – A locking fork, locking rear shock (if a full-suspension) and disk brakes. The locking fork (and shock) will making
climbing easier and really every new bike or 5 year old one will have disk
brakes. I’m okay with hydraulic or cable disc brakes, especially for your first
bike. Most are coming with hydraulic now, but the cable breaks are easier to adjust on the trail.
Dropper Post – I would almost put this in the “Must Have” category, because
of the climbing and descending we do around Corvallis. Having it makes it easier than always having to
adjust it before going down. So if you don’t have one on your bike, make sure you
have a quick release seat post.
Hard Tail vs. Full Suspension – If you are young and this is your first bike, most
will say that for the riding around here you can get by with a hard tail which
will save you money and let you get a better component spec’d hard tail. But I
am older and I like the plushness of a full suspension bike. If you ride lots
of roots or rocks or bumps a hard tail can be rougher on your body. With a hard
tail tire pressure is more important. If you do go full suspension then you
want to make sure your rear shock has a lock out on it which is a must for
climbing. The other thing to think about is make sure you can put a water bottle
cage on the frame. Some full-suspension frames don’t allow that and also make
sure if you get a full suspension that it will fit the type of bike rack you’ll
have. Some full suspension bikes don’t fit the hanging bike racks (I’m a fan of
the ones that hold the wheels, and don’t require you to take the front wheel
off).
Riding Type – I like an all mountain bike which lets me climb, descend and
ride for a long time in the saddle. It will have more clearance in the fork but
it is not a heavy downhill bike. If all you want to do is do shuttle rides and
fly through the air then you want a downhill bike with a dual crown fork, but it
will be a bear to pedal up hill. If you are racing cross country or you are
going to do a lot of gravel road riding then a cross country bike will work. It
will be lighter and have less travel in the shock and fork. For me an all mountain bike
gives me the best of both and lets me ride any terrain – from Black Rock to
Alsea to the Mac and any where else. Of course I’m older and overtime I’ve been
able to have two bikes, which I like because if one is in the shop, I have my
back-up and if someone comes into town and wants to ride I have a second. So I
have a trail/cross country bike for long rides like to the coast or in the winter when we
spend more time on the gravel and my all mountain for all the other times.
Gears - I
tend to be a “boy scout” kind of rider, I want a bike that doesn’t hold me back
from riding anything. So that’s another reason I like a full suspension and I
like having gears. But gears can be goofy, for example my 3x9 has 27 options,
but really there is overlap. Some say you only have 21. Here are some thoughts on it from a biking forum:
"A 3 x 9 setup does not have 27 gears, don't let anyone tell you
differently because the 3 front rings are not meant to be used with all 9 cogs
out back. If you use the ring/cog combo properly and don;t cross chain there are
effectively 21 useable gear combos - granny ring +1,2,3,4,5 ; middle
ring+1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 ; big ring+3,4,5,6,7,8,9.
Use the small chain ring for gears 1-5 on the cassette,
middle chain ring for 3-7 on the cassette, and
the large chain ring for 6-9 on the cassette. You
are overlapping and nearly duplicating some ratios here but you are creating the
least stressful chainline which is important to the lifespan of your drivetrain.
I use to think it was cool to steep climb in the middle chain ring and the
lowest (1st) gear on the cassette (11-34). But it was wearing on my gears and
chain because of the angled chainline. I now only steep climb in the small chain ring.”
So this is one reason why I have two bikes. A Specialized Stumpjumper for technical stuff and a Specialized Epic for the cross country long days in the saddle stuff (and winter gravel road riding). In comparison, I will take my Epic on long cross country rides vs. my
2x10 StumpJumper. The Epic has a 3x9 and low granny gear for climbing (or when
my legs are tired). So with my 2x10, I probably have closer to 20 gear ratios
(probably more like 17). But still a good granny gear to climb in.
So looking at a 1x10, you have 10 gears, and what I have seen is guys
replacing their granny gear (the easiest) with a really easy after market one,
so they have a steep climb gear to use. If you get a 1x10 or even a single speed for a while you’ll probably be walking
parts of climbs you used to make. But overtime if you keep at it, you’ll be stronger
(and you can play with that replacing of the granny gear to something even easier to pedal). So it comes back to the type of ride
you want to experience.
Brands – I’m a Specialized guy (Stumpjumper, Enduro, Camber and Epic). They are
tough, well built and Peak Sports (a local Corvallis bike shop) is a great bike shop. For a full suspension bike I
would look at the Camber. I also like the Trek Fuel’s. But most of the big
brand bikes are all good. In my riding group we have everything from Niners, Giant,
Scott, etc. We have single speeds, hard tails, full suspension and 26, 27.5 and 29.
The best part is getting out and riding. I think you can't pick a bike without riding it. It gives you a chance to get the feel of it and decide if it will work for you.
Riding Gear – Now we haven’t talked gear, so for helmets get one that protects the
back of your head, and I’d get at least some knee pads. For shoes, that is your
choice and depends if you are clips or flats. I purchase inexpensive shoes ones
online that are clipless, meaning you clip in (I know it is weird, but it means you don't have the old "Toe Clips". I am an SPD fan. I would wear gloves (full finger) and get at least one bike jersey because the three rear pockets are great to have. I also like a visor on my helmet.
Bike Racks - I like a rack that doesn't make you remove the front wheel. I don't like the ones that let you hang the bike off your rear hitch. The hanging ones let the bike move around to much, don't work with some of the frame designs. I like the roof top ones and the rear hitch ones that let you set up to 4 bikes on it. Yakima and Thule are the big players, but I like a company called Hollywood Racks, they are heavier but cost less. You can also get used ones from a place in Portland Oregon called "Re-Rack." If you don't want to mount them on top of you car, then first make sure you have a hitch on your car. If yes, check to see if it has a 1" or 2" "female" receiver. If you don't have one, then when you go to a local hitch installer (like U-Haul), make sure they put a 2" receiver on it. You can also get racks that mount to your truck (if you have one) using straps. They work, but they are the hanging kind. Just make sure your exhaust pipe doesn't going directly at a wheel as it can heat up the rubber and blow your tire (yes I it happened to me). Also, they can scratch your car and make sure your bike doesn't rub against the car anywhere. They also make "suction" racks. I've never tried them but I hear they work great. You would need them for a car that didn't have a rack or hitch. Play it Again sports is another place to get starter racks.
Tires - Tubeless vs. Tubes - When it comes to inflating your chosen tire size you have two options. 1) The traditional way by putting a tube in it, or 2) going tubeless with a sealant. Tubes are a little heavier (but I'm not a weight weenie remember) but can flat easily. Tubeless makes the tire assembly a little lighter, but requires extra time, prevents most flats, but if you "burp" out and flat a tubeless tire on the trail, it is very hard to inflate it. So you'll want to carry a tube and small pump. Tubeless is just that, there is no tube in the tire. The tire inflates against the sidewall of the rim and a liquid sealant seals most potential flats.
Other Items - You'll probably want to get a backpack with a water bladder in it like a Camelback, so you can carry a spare tube, bike specific multi-tool, a pump, some food, some zip-ties and toilet paper (you never know). You don't want to carry around the kitchen sink, but it is nice to have things to get you back to the car if something goes wrong.
Bike Geometry - We could talk all day about that, so here is a good picture from an article in the March 2016 Mountain Bike Action that does a great job pointing out the different areas on a bike.
That is a lot and I hope it helps anyone out there looking for a bike. Good luck, now go ride!
