Guide to the Types of Mountain Bikes Available

If you’re interested in learning about mountain bikes and biking, this guide will help you find the type of bike that you’ll be more satisfied.  There are several styles of mountain bikes, each with slightly different features to perform better under specific biking circumstances.  In this guide to mountain bikes, we’ll detail each type and give you the top rated bikes in the category.  

Cross Country Mountain Bikes

Often called XC bikes, these are the most versatile on the market. If your biking takes you of the trails where it doesn’t get too crazy, these are a good choice.  They also climb and descend reasonably well and most weigh from 20-35 pounds.  The less they weigh, the more they are likely to cost due to the price of lighter metals that can take the punishment. As for suspension, you’ve got your choice of front and rear shocks or just front shocks.

Hardtail mountain bikes: You get the idea – there’s no rear shock.  These weigh less than full suspension bikes and they accelerate and climb better because there’s no rear shock bouncing and absorbing some of the energy you exert while biking. Hardtail mountain bikes are ideal for racing, for saving on weight and for saving a few bucks on the bike.  The top hardtails to look at are: Access Prowler, Access XCL 29er, Bianchi Sok 29er, Black Sheep High Roller, Cannondale Flash Carbon, Felt Nine Sport, Giant XTC Composite, GT Karakoram, Gary Fisher Mamba, Haro Mary XC, Jamis Dragon 29, Kona Kahuna, Moots Mooto X Slider, Marine Palisades Trail, Motobecane Fly Team 29 Ti, Salsa Cycles El Mariachi, Redline Monocoq, Specialized Stumpjumper Comp 29er, Trek Paragon.

Full-Suspension: These mountain bikes have front and rear shocks—fork suspension integrated into the frame. If your biking takes you over rough terrain, these bikes will smooth out the ride. They cost a bit more and weigh a touch more, but when the trail is rough, you’ll be glad you’ve got a full-suspension bike underneath you.  Not designed for racing or doing a lot of uphill though, due to the extra weight and slight inefficiency when pedaling.  Here are the top mountain bikes with full suspension: Ellsworth Evolve, Gary Fisher Hi Fi Deluxe 29, Giant Anthem X 29er, Intense Spider 29, Kona Hei Hei, Niner Bikes Jet 9, Pivot Cycles Mach 429, Specialized Epic Expert Carbon, Trek Rumblefish, Turner Sultan.

All Mountain Bikes

These are another versatile type of mountain bike.  They are good for biking on trails with lots  of ups and downs.  Most of these bikes have full suspensions to take the demands of cornering on the downgrade. They go 30-40 pounds and are a bit more rugged than XC bikes. They are also known as Enduro mountain bikes.  The top mountain bikes in the All Mountain category are: Banshee Spitfire, Cannondale Rize, Commencal Meta 5, Ellsworth Epiphany, Giant Reign O, Fezzari Nebo Peak, GT Force, Knolly Endorphin, Kona Dawq, Norco Fluid, Pivot Mach 5.7, Rocky Mountain Slayer, Santa Cruz Blur, Specialized Enduro Expert, Trek Fuel, Yeti 575.

Freeride Mountain Bikes

Sometimes also called Downhill mountain bikes, they are tough enough for descents but also light enough for good maneuverability.  If your biking includes technical stunts and jumps then look at Freeride bikes first.  As you might expect, they’ve got stiff suspensions to help out on landings.  The top models for Freeride biking are: Banshee Bikes Scream, Giant Faith, Diamondback XTS, Haro Extreme, Intense Uzzi, Mongoose Black Diamond, Kona Stinky, Knolly Delirium, Norco Shore, Transition Bikes Preston FR.  

Summary

This overview will help you choose the type of bike you need based on your biking preferences. The list of models includes both used and new mountain bikes that you’ll be able to find for prices as low as $200 and as high as $3,000 and more.