Mountain Bikes are unrecognisable from their early ancestors of the 1970s thanks to the advancement of new technologies. Mountain bike frames were originally based on road bikes, but the technology soon had to evolve to meet the unique demands of rough terrain and difficult conditions.

Major changes in bikes component production make riding more pleasurable than ever. So you can take on more demanding terrain, harder rides and thanks to the advancement in safety equipment take on much more dangerous descents.

Gears
With up to 27 gears available even the steepest of hills can be taken on.

Suspension
A good quality suspension system is invaluable when off road biking at speed. Most mountain bikes have at least front suspension – great for uneven descents. A full suspension bike provides greater control, comfort and agility when the ground is bumpy and rocky – but probably isn’t needed if you only plan to cycle on light tracks.

Frames
Your bike is literally built around the frame and as your bikes gets put through its paces, so does your frame. This is why super-strong materials and specialised shapes are de rigueur. But it’s no good having an indestructible frame if it’s too heavy to use; it needs to be light enough for you to be able to respond quickly to those last minute detours.

Brakes
All good mountain bikes are fitted with disc brakes to the front and rear wheels. Fitted to the centre of the wheel they stay well away from all that mud and dirt, making them more durable, efficient and reliable.

Tyres
Road bike tyres are very smooth and slim when compared to big, thick mountain bike tyres. These bigger tyres provide better grip and greater stability particularly when travelling at high speed. Many serious mountain bikers will use different tyres for different conditions.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 at 5:44 am and is filed under Bike Wheels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.