Mountain Bike Types Explained

 

 

Contents:

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Hard Tails

 

Hard Tail Introduction

A mountain bike which has no suspension at the rear and can have either a solid fork at the front or as most bikes these days have, a suspension fork. This kind of bike is great for riders of any experience and due to the lack of rear suspension pivots and rear shocker they are usually fairly cheap and therefore a Great starter bike, they are also lighter than an equivalent specced full suspension bike and so pedal much easier over smooth terrain and are easier to maintain and clean due to the lack of suspension pivots/ shockers etc.

Frame Material

Hard Tail frames these days are Usually made from Alluminium But a small number of bike builders make frames from steel and are said to give a more comfy ride, this is due to the springy feel of steel compared with Alluminium which Usually only bends once before it is useless, Dont be tempted to buy a bike made of steel if its Cheap as these are Usually very heavy and wont be of any quality. Then there are a small number of bike makers which build bikes using Titanium which again is supposed to give a springy feel to the frame to make it more comfy, But Titanium is very very light And very expensive so this is Usually the frame choice of the more seasoned rider with very expensive tastes ( not to mention a large Wallet/ Purse). Over the past few years more and more bikes are being made from Carbon fibre which in the past would have been a very exotic material to be used in the construction of a bike frame, the benefits are that carbon fibre is extremely light and stiff resulting in very direct power transfer to the pedals and great handling due to the bike not flexing, downsides are that it is not as forgiving in an accident or if you ride very aggressively as the frame can be quite susceptible to damage, plus more and more bigger hitting All Mountain and Freeride inspired bikes are getting the new 1.5 Headtubes instead of the normal 1 1/8" sized headtubes of old and can now handle larger loads due to there larger diameter.

Frame tubes these days are Usually made oversized because larger diameter tubes with thinner walls are much stronger and lighter than smaller diameter tubes with thicker wall thickness, and lots of the bigger manufacturers manipulate there bike tubes by stretching (Butting) them to make them thinner where not as much strength is needed and many also Create there frames using a process called Hydroforming, where very hot fluid is forced into casts to create organic looking frame shapes and the wall thickness can then be set during the make up of frames, this process also creates very strong frames.

Prices

Bikes Range from around £150 upto anything around the £1500 price range(some higher, Cannondale f4000sl retails at £3549) But decent Hard tails start from around the £299 price range with an excellent example being the Specialized HardRock sport and Womens Specific Design (WSD) MYKA sport. Both of which will not break at the first sight of a rock/ drop.

Start paying around the £500 price range and your starting to get mechanical operated disc brakes and some even have Lower range hydraulic disc brakes! Around the £700-£800 price range gets you a bike that will cope with anything you can throw at it and come with lighter/stronger components such as Mid range brakes and Hubs/wheels, gears etc.

Above this price range and you are starting to pay for bikes from manufacturers that are either Boutique hand built or race ready bikes and really rarely seen out on the trail.

XC

As well as frame materials and price range variations in Hard Tails there are also different types of Hard Tail the most common being the cross country (XC) light, these are what the majority of us ride, and XC All Mountain Being a little heavier in build and capable of more, these two types have neutral handling with the geometry being a mixed bag, therefore being able to climb well and descend under control and usually come with a 100mm-130mm height adjustable suspension fork the latter being more in the All Mountain stable, they are also Usually around the mid weight catagory of Hard Tails and come with 24 gears on the lower end price ranges and 27 gears from the lower mid price ranges up to the most expensive.

Freeride

Then there is the Bigger hitting Freeride Hard Tails which are built using heavier gauge frame tubes and stronger wheels/ hubs and have bigger air volume tyres plus other more durable components, these are built for riders who like to hit the terrain hard including big drops, jumping gaps and just basically hard riding, these are at the heavy end of bike weight and are also an option for the bigger rider as they are less likely to break, suspension forks are big single crown or even triple clamp/ Dual crown and travel is anywhere from 130mm-170mm, and the geometry is a lot slacker (in other words the angle that the fork leans backwards from the front wheel to the frame is less steep/ upright) slower rsponce steering but much more stable, especially at speed, these bikes also usually have only one or two chain rings at the front by the pedals with the largest and sometimes smallest being removed as they are not needed and a device which keeps tension on the chain to stop it falling of during jumps and drops.

Jump

Another type of Hard Tail is the Jump Bike which can be of either 24 or 26 inch wheel size and is built to be strong to with stand, well.....Jumps of course, but they also need to be light enough to jump, if the bike is built to heavy you would never get it of the ground. They Usually come with a strong but reletivly short travel suspension fork of around 100mm but can come with a rigid fork, these bikes can be Aluminium or steel with the latter being more durable as it can be repaired if the bike takes a heavy fall, they also have a lower stand over height frame so that the frame can be whipped around during tricks and to make the frame more compact and manouverable. Gearing is very minimal with only 8 gears at the rear and no front mechanism as only one chain ring is fitted Or they are single speed bikes with only a single chain ring at the front and single sprocket at the rear.

Trials

There is also Trials (not Trail) bikes which are built for hopping/ jumping and leaping around between obsticles with great accuracy, they have the lowest of stand over height frames and Usually no seat as they are not needed due to the fact that you simply dont ride them over any distance, they can come with minimal gearing or in single speed form and have a rigid fork for precision front wheel placement and instant reaction when the front is loaded before take off from one obsticle to another.

XC Race

Lastly there are XC race bikes, these are the lightest of all Hard Tails and also the most fragile as everything is built to be very light and minimal, the frames are more stretched out across the top tube to give a slightly forward biased weight distribution and therefore aid climbing and the forks Usually run around 80mm of travel, they come with either a full 27 gears or 18 gears minus the smallest chain ring at the front as lets face it, if your fit enough to race your not going to need a granny ring at the front for climbing hills. skinny tyres with minimal tread and small air volume Usually tubeless to reduce the risk of punctures and reduce weight further creating a fast accelerating and braking bike with quicker steering due to the lesser gyroscopic effect from the lighter/ wheel tyre combination, race bikes also have steeper geometry (in other words the angle that fork leans backwards from the front wheel to the frame is slightly more upright/ steeper than usual) which creates a faster turning bike in twisty terrain. Narrow bars are used and some riders add bar ends to give a different hand position on long climbs and reduce fatigue.

If there is a Hard Tail type I have forgotton to add, please mail me info@27gears.com

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Full Suspension

Full Suspension (Full Susser) Introduction

A Mountain bike which has a suspension fork at the front and a Swinging arm or other linkages and a Coil Spring or Air Canister suspension shocker at the rear, Full Suspension bikes offer a more comfortable and controlled ride over rough terrain and also better traction when climbing on rough terrain as the rear wheel no longer sends the whole frame up into the air when going over an object. Only the rear section of frame reacts to trail undulations and the main frame is relatively unaffected, therefore the rear wheel is in contact with the terrain more of the time offering better traction.

Full Suspension bikes are heavier than an equivelent specced Hard Tail but the benefits of the Suspension action over a rigid frame far outways the difference in weight, and if your budget can stretch a little further ( £300 or so) you can get a bike capable of riding all day with less fatigue on the rider than riding a Hard Tail.

Frame/ Material

As with the Hard Tail, Full Sussers come in different materials But the majority of quality Full Sussers are made from Alluminium or Carbon Fibre, Steel frames with there 'Springy feel' are not needed due to the fact that the suspension creates the comfort and therefore stronger/ lighter Alluminium can be used to create stiffer sections of frame, however there are a few high end bikes with Titanium frames from companies such as Titus , As mentioned above another material used in Full Susser frame building is Carbon Fibre. Some Manufacturers use Carbon fibre for the front section (Main Frame) and Alluminium for the rear section and some Manufacturers use Alluminium for the front section and Carbon Fibre for the rear section, there are also Manufacturers who use Cabron Fibre in both the front and the rear sections of frame to build a very light and strong frame. When it comes to Alluminium there are lots of different Types/ Grades, some Alluminium is a lot stronger and lighter than another types of Alluminium and therefore used in very high end priced bike frame construction. Another facter to be considered with Full Susser frames is the high loads that the rear suspension places on the frame when under compression, Many bikes these days have multiple links with very high leverage ratios which puts even more stress on the frames so frames need to be built stronger in these places without adding extra weight to the overall package. Full Susser frames also need to be built with the rest of the components in mind, such as where the cables and brake pipes will route along the frames tubes and to the rear end, its no good if every time the suspension compresses the pipes or cables bulge out or pull tight. Also shock accessibility is a major facter as set shock set up needs to be done while it is fitted to the frame and if the shock has a (Non remote) lock out you need to be able to reach it easily. Both Hard Tail and Full Susser frames will benifit from a forward facing slot where the seat post slots into the seat tube of the frame as this stops dirt and water flicked up from the rear wheel getting down there and causing siezing problems (something you may want to look out for when choosing a bike), if your the sort of rider who is a little adventurous you may want to drop your seat right down for long/ steep descents so its worth checking the frame/ bike your thinking of purchasing to see if the seat tube is an Uninterupted tube (where the tube is hollow from the top to the bottom bracket/down tube junction) as some manufacturers build there frames with only half the seat tube being usable so as to make room for rear shockers and swingarms.

Suspension Designs

There are several rear suspension designs currently in use with new variations of previous designs being born every year, One of the simplest is the Single Pivot but even this can have different variations, some single pivots drive the shocker directly while others drive a linkage which inturn activates the shocker. The single pivot is a simple design and therefore has its limitations in its effectiveness, that does not mean to say it isn't any good, I myself have a single pivot designed suspension system on my bike and I cannot feel any disadvantage and I doubt you would either (some manufacturers still design new bikes with this simple design)! Its easy to maintain and cheap to service due to the lack of bearing/ bushes. But it can lack the ride quality of some of the other designs, i.e because the rear wheel has a fixed path when the suspension is compressed the wheel travels upwards and forward in an arc and therefore hitting a square edged bump with the rear wheel will cause you to slow down very very marginally more than with a suspension design such as a four bar design (Horst link) used by many manufacturers including Specialized. Also some feedback through the pedals can be felt over large bumps as the chain is slackened when the suspension is compressed (again something you and I will hardly ever notice) Depending on where the single pivot is placed can directly change the way the suspension acts during riding, manufacturers can therefore make the swingarms extend the travel of the shock when the pedals are turned causing the rear tyre to bite down into the ground instead of causing the rear to squat down in a bobbing action. The torque on the chains top section pulls the swing arm downwards (Upwards would be compressing the suspension!). This design also allows for raised chain stays and therefore less/ zero chain rattle and no chain suck while changing the front chainring gears during gear changes.

Then there is (as mentioned above), the four bar or to give it its correct name the Horst link named after its Inventer 'Horst Leitner' this is commonly referred to as a True Four Bar, the chain stays are fixed via a pivot behind the bottom bkt, then another pivot is at the other end of the chain stay bars which is in front of the rear wheel drop out, the drop outs are part of the seat stay bars which extend up to the third pivot which is connected to one side of the rocker type linkage which is the fourth pivot, the shocker is then connected to the opposite side of the rocker link. This type of design actually moves the rear wheel path ever so slightly back wards during the mid part of the stroke and pretty much straight up in its path therefore better handling square edged bumps and maintaining speed. Specialized currently own the Licence for this design and let it out to other manufacturers.

There is a another Four Bar suspension design that is very similar to the Horst Link Four Bar and it is called the 'Faux Bar', they both share the same amount of linkages and look very much alike. The only difference between these two designs is the position of the second pivot by the rear wheel, as described above the Horst link has a pivot on the chain stay in front of the drop out BUT on a Faux Bar the pivot is on the seat stay above the drop out. Some would argue that this is a variation of the Single Pivot as the path of the rear wheel moves in an arc the same as a Single Pivot design, and the seat stays and rocker link are merely links to actuate the rear shocker.

Along the same train of thought of the Horst Link are a few other designs where as the rear wheel takes a straight upwards or slightly backwards path under compression, one such design is the DW-link named after its designer Dave Weagle. This design is said to be even better at eliminating the forces of pedal feedback. brake jack and squat/ bob when pedalling and therefore allegedly creates a better ride with better small bump sensitivity due to shockers with less pedal platform firmness being needed to be fitted. From the rear of the bottom bkt is a small link around two to three inches long which then connects to the chain stays (thats two pivots already, one at the frame and one to the chain stay) the swing arm is then a solid one piece design (chain stay and seat stay as one, like a Hard Tail) and has no drop out pivot, then the top end of the seat stays connect to the rocker link much like the Horst and Faux Bar designs to activate the shocker. the way the wheel takes a rearward/ upwards path is achieved by the small link behind the bottom bkt which due to its position moves the whole swing arm rearwards in its mid stroke and only moves forwards in the last part of its travel, Click this link DW-Link for an animation and sketches.

Felt have a very similar looking design to the DW-Link which they call the Equilink click this link Equilink for images, the main difference apart from linkage lengths and placement is that between the small link behind the bottom bkt and the rocker link which actuates the rear shocker, there is a link bar that connects them both together so as the lower link moves upwards or downwards the rocker link moves the same time, this design still shares the same kind of axle path as the DW-Link whereas the rear wheel moves slightly rearwards in the mid stroke, but Felt claims to eliminate weight transfer by using the Equilink to pull down on the upper rocker link when the pedals are turned, and the harder you pedal me more the Equilink reacts pulling down harder and equilizing weight transfer.

To finish of this section on Suspension Designs I will include links to various manufacturers with different takes on what they consider to be the ideal suspension design, bear in mind that they all do the same job of isolating the rider from the trail, just some do a better job than others (That goes for ALL the above designs).

GT has there own version of rear suspension which they call the I-Drive. Here is a brief summary, The top section or seat stays as they effectively are are connected to the downtube of the main frame via a main pivot and moves very much like a Single pivot such as fitted to a Cannondale Prophet or Orange 5 but here is where the similarity ends,this is because the bottom bkt is not housed in the main frame, instead the bottom bkt sits in a link which extends down from the main frame and is a sort of leaf spring which when the suspension compresses flexes rearwards slightly which in turn sends the chain stays rearwards and therefore the wheel has a rearward/ upwards path (this is really hard to explain but much easier to see, please see the GT link above to view an image of the rear suspension design)

Similar to GT's I-Drive and designed by the same company is Mongoose's Freedrive system which works along the same idea of the Bottom bkt being in the rear suspension rather than the main frame only this design uses one pivot for the upper seat stays and a pivot for the vertical rocker link which both activates the shocker and houses the bottom bkt/ chain stay interface. But there is no pivot at the rear by the wheel so in effect this is a variation of the single pivot design with a linkage activated shocker (albeit, with a higher pivot and therefore more vertical wheel path).

Marin also have a different take on the whole suspension design theory, there design is called the Quad Link and is very simple in design, it minimises the need for linkages and bolts thus creating a stiffer build to weight ratio. Two of the pivots of the two links use the same bolts for both the pivot itself and the mounting for the rear shocker and the other two pivots are solely for the links. click this> Marin link for a short video explaining there design and how it works.

Types of Frame

As well as suspension designs, just like the Hard Tails there are different types of Full suspension bike with varying degrees of travel. Travel is pretty much like the Hard Tails whereas shorter travel forked Full Sussers have rear suspension travel to match as this keeps the bike balanced for better handling, Longer travel forked bikes such as Freeride and Downhill bikes have much longer travel suspension with anything between 8" to 10" of travel at the rear ( some bikes more )

 

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Soft tails

 

The Soft Tail falls somewhere in between the Hard Tail and the Full Susser in the fact that the frames are usually similar to a Hard Tail with a one piece frame ( Front triangle and Rear traingle welded together, without a bottom bkt pivot or other pivot ) and usually has a shocker between the seat stays and the seat tube as on the Global Ti frame set in the above picture or the Cannondale scalpel which uses a shocker between the seat stays and the top tube. The way these Soft Tails get around having to have any pivots is by having flexible Seat stays and /or Chain stays. the lack of pivots and a one piece frame means a very light bike indeed can be built up yet still offer some more comfort for the rider in the form of rear shocker. Frames are usually made of Ti ( Titanium ) or a Carbon Fibre and Alluminium mixture as in the Cannondale Scalpels frame.

 

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Rear Shockers

Coil Shocks

Air or Coil? Coil shockers are definitely heavier than an Air shocker, But it is much plusher in its operation and is also capable of bigger hits which is probably the reason why Coil is used for Downhill and Extreme Free Riding, coil springs are also more sensitive to small bump damping whereas small bump sensitivity can be hard to reproduce with an Air shocker. Coil shocks can be made lighter by the use of Titanium springs but these are obviously much more expensive, also springs have to be the correct rate for the weight of the rider and the intended use of the bike (i.e when setting the Sag). Your bike will probably come with a standard spring for the average weight rider (around 12 stone) so if you fall Way above or below this weight you would be advised to specify a different spring at the time of purchase. By using the incorrect spring rate you would risk ruining the handling of the bike.

Too soft a spring and the bike would have too much Sag and be very slack in the head angle therefore making the bike difficult/ slow to turn plus the travel would run out earlier and the shocker would bottom out, Too hard a spring and there would not be enough Sag and therefore the the steering would be very quick and create a nervous handling bike, and the lack of Sag would cause a knocking noise and uncomfy ride due to the shocker topping out every time the rear wheel dropped away off a lip or rock etc. Your bike should come with a Set up guide manual with ideal Sag settings to create the correct geometry for the frame if not most Manufacturers have set up guides on there websites and can advise of the correct spring for rider weight.

Air Canister Shocks

With an Air Canister shock, adjustments for rider weight or Sag can be made easily by simply adding to or reducing the amount of air in the main chamber of the shocker with a Shock Pump Air shocks are obviously lighter due to the fact that the main spring is, well 'AIR'. Air shocks don't offer as good a ride when compared to a coil spring and this is due to a degree of stiction created by the seals and other moving parts which are in contact with each other and have to overcome the friction created by each others surface. Another reason for stiction is that Air shockers are used a lot on XC bikes which are ridden as much uphill as they are downhill and therefore require some form of device to stop them from compressing everytime the power is sent through the pedals ( Rider induced bobbing ) this device is called a platform ( Often called Platform shocks ) and works by having a form of valve inside the shock which is normally in the closed position and therefore keeps the shock firm like a solid link ( even when the rider is pedalling hard ) That is untill a sudden sharp shock from the rear wheel over comes the pressure holding the valve closed and the valve can then open fully and let the air pass through its ports and allow the shocker to operate as normal, then when the shocker returns to a rest position on smooth ground the valve closes and the shocker becomes firm again to offer a platform for pedalling efficiency. Expect to have to top up the air occassionally in an air shock as they can loose it over a period of time.

Rebound Adjustment

Any good shocker Coil or Air will come with a Minimum of Rebound adjustment, Rebound is the shocker returning to its original length after being compressed and made shorter by a bump or rider induced bob, Rebound adjustment is the means to adjust the speed at which it returns to its original length after compression. Too faster rebound will make the rear end chatter across the bumps and tend to buck the rider up the back side and make the ride unpredictable, too slow and the rear end will not be ready for the next bump and will be already reduced in travel possibly causing it to bottom out and be harsh under the pedals.

Compression Damping

Top end Rear shockers come with Compression damping adjusting devices as well as rebound damping, Compression is the shocker being made shorter than its original length by a bump on the trail or rider induced, these adjustment devices can be for High speed compression damping and Low speed compression damping ( High and Low speed compression does not mean the speed at which the rider/ bike is travelling, but rather the speed at which the shock is being compressed, i.e low speed would be the rider pedalling and high speed a bump or square edge jolt from a rock etc ) the device adjusts the sesitivity of or degree of damping to create less or more resistance to compression that is created by either high or low speed influences and can be via a lever on the shocker to create a series of pre-determined settings of control that be changed on the fly while riding.

Lock Out

As well as Rebound and Compression Damping some shocks also have a lock out where the Rear shock can be locked solid so no movement is possible and is therefore great for road section, lock outs are usually fitted to shockers with no Platform valves inside, in addition to lock outs, Specialized Bikes have a design called the brain shock fitted to the Epic which is an inertia device that works by locking the shock solid until a bump from the rear wheel causes the shock inertia device to release and allow the shock to work normally.

Final Words

One thing to mention is that with modern Rear shockers the need for better suspension designs as mentioned above, Horst link, single pivot etc has become less significant now that rear shockers have Platform damping and Rebound/Compression damping devices fitted in them and therefore carry out most of the work a good design used to have to try to do, which was to create a firm pedalling bike which also isolated the rider from the trail. In summary The design of rear suspension is no longer as important as it used to be so any of the major Manufacturers designs will offer a great ride.

On the flip side to what I have just mentioned, dont be put off by a shocker that has only rebound adjustment or no adjustment at all, as some come pre-set or can be fettled by a suspension tuner and usually are fitted to bikes with Horst link and other multi link suspension designs that dont rely on platform shocks to create the firm pedal platform. If unsure get a test ride on your chosen bike and ask the bike shop for there advice before purchasing, also try a few different shops with different brands of bikes, as they may well be biased in there opinion towards the brand they sell and that brands suspension design.

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Forks

Introduction

Ok forks, what kind of forks do you need? Well it depends on what kind of riding you like to do! in an ideal world we would all choose a suspension fork with the plushest travel, lightest weight, great manouverability, excellent tracking and want it to be the stiffest and strongest available and be the most reliable adjustment freindly fork with low cost or zero servicing to boot.

Unfortunitily this fork does not exist yet, at least not the fork your thinking of ! Though a version of this fork is produced in every catagory of mountain biking if you are realistic enough to accept the limits of engineering.

XC Forks

Most of todays cross country forks are of a single crown design ( meaning that the handlebar stem is clamped to the top of steerer tube, which is the bit that runs in bearings inside the frames head tube, and at the bottom of the steerer tube there is a single cast or machined crown which the forks legs are inserted into ) these forks are usually light weight with around 80mm to 120mm of travel and can be of Coil sprung design, or on more expensive bikes Air sprung! Coil forks, as with coil rear shockers are heavier but again offer better perfomance and a plusher feel in there travel. The forks usually have only one spring which is in one of the legs with the other leg housing all the rebound/ compression components. Most forks on ready built bikes come with Disc brake mounts and no Cantilever mounts for V-brakes although you can still get forks from your local bike shop with V-Brake mounts, as well as disc mounts. A lot of XC forks come with a quick release type wheel mounting for ease of wheel removal on the trail, but more and more Manufacturers are using the new style quick release Bolt Through design, they offer greater stiffness and better tracking but still require no tools to remove the front wheel while out on the trail.

XC forks can benefit from a lockout being fitted which can aid climbing, this is something to look out for when looking for a new XC fork or a new bike, a few Manufacturers such as Rock Shox offer handle bar mounted levers for ease, so you dont have to reach down or stop the bike to lock out the fork, Rock Shox calls theirs the POPLOC and it can also be retro fitted to some of the Rock Shox range with a Lockout. Ideally forks fitted with a lockout require some form of safety feature in case you forget to switch off the Lockout for the descents, Rock Shoxs forks come with such a safety feature which blows off the lockout and returns to full travel, large enough bumps will activate the blow off to protect the fork and save it from damage whereas small bumps will not cause it to blow off when not required.

Pace are one of the only Manufacturers to make forks completely out of Carbon Fibre and a good job of it they do to! They have a huge range of forks with great features and they look great to with their Carbon Fibre finish. Their lightweight and stiffness make them perfect for XC use, XC Upper fork legs are usually around the 28-32mm diameter size and some use lowers made from magnesium for light weight while still remaining stiff, brake cables guides are handy to and another thing to look out for. Disc brake rotor Max diameters are usually 160mm but some will take a 180mm disc.

All Mountain/ FreeRide Light

As above with regards to features but much more burlier in build with most now jumping on the Quick release Bolt Through design Band Wagon for greater strength and steering accuracy, And many Manufacturers have now started using the new 1.5" standard headtube sized steerer tube which again adds more strength and enables the use of single crown forks where Dual Crown would have been used in the past. Upper fork legs are now any where from 32mm-36mm in diameter. All forks in all disciplines have a brace or arch joining the lowers together to stop them flexing, Magura's range have a double arch design which they claim makes there forks stiffer. Expect travel to be anywhere from 120mm-160mm and most have adjustable travel between either of the two extremes, the former being useful when climbing. Max brake disc rotor sizes are anything from 160mm-203mm

FreeRide/DownHill

Double Crown, Triple Clamp forks ( Meaning that, at the top of the steerer tube, The bit that runs through the frames headtube, there is a crown which joins the steerer tube and both upper fork legs together then at the bottom of the steerer tube there is another crown which also joins the steerer tube and both of the upper forks legs together ) are the strongest forks available but due to there design, where the upper fork legs extend up past the frames headtube, they lack the manouverability as the legs hit the frame when locked side to side. Forks in this catagory are serious stuff with anything upto 200mm of travel and sporting 40mm diameter upper legs with 200mm disc brake rotors being the norm, these forks are Very strong are highly tunable and offer maximum stiffness and precision, they are the most expensive too with some of the top models topping the £1000 mark. although they offer reduced manouverability the forks are ideal for the job which they are intended to do, which is downhill riding. All forks in this catagory use bolt through designs and never quick release.

Jump/ Trials

Jump forks have very lmited features as they are not needed, Rebound is probably the only function fitted and used. usually around 32mm Upper legs diameter with bolt through type drop outs. Their main design is to be a very strong and have short travel usually around the 100mm travel mark, with disc brake mounts. Trials bike forks are rigid as no suspension is used on trials bikes, their design is to be very strong yet extremely light weight, no dics brakes are used as again light weight is important so cantilever mounts are used instead.

Final

There are a few mad people out there who still like rigid forks and Pace make excellent models of these out of carbon fibre, as bikes these days have different geometry to bikes designed years ago, way before suspension forks were the norm, so rigid forks have been redesigned to match current day frame geometry.

A word of Warning, if you have an old bike and you are thinking of replacing the fork with either a new rigid or suspension fork check if they are the same length from axle to crown ( the bit beneath the frame which holds the upper fork legs ) as too longer fork will really mess up your bikes handling and leave you with a set of forks/ bike thats no use to anybody.

 

Buying Advise

General

Whichever bike you decide to purchase be it a Hard Tail or a Full Susser (or something in between) the main thing is to get the correct size and feeling bike for YOU, proper mountain bikes do come in different sizes, unlike supermarket bikes which come in silver/blue for men or pink/white for women. Always get a test ride on the bike if possible and at the very least get the 'Good' bike shop sales person to advise on the correct size bike and fit for you. there are lots of trail centres around the country and most have lower priced Hire bikes and some have higher spec/ priced Demo bikes for you to try out (usually at a higher price than the hire bikes, but worth it if they have the bike your thinking of buying). Avoid buying the next years model bike if you're new to the sport of mountain biking, stick with the current model of the present year (even if you really like the colour etc) Or if you're lucky enough to find one get last years model, these can be much cheaper than next years bikes which are usually launched in September/ October. A lot of bike shops don't have the discounted prices on the bikes they are selling in a bid to get the best prices from unsuspecting buyers, just ask if they have any deals on last/ current years bikes that they are selling off cheaper or Log on to any of the Larger mountain bike store online giants such as ChainReactionCycles, EvansCycles or LeisureLakesBikes and see what offers they have in there Bargains and Last Chance sections.

Women

Womens bikes are different to mens bikes not just in colour but in their frame design, women tend to have longer legs and shorter torso's than men therefore mens bikes can feel stretched out and feel uncomfortable on the arms. For this reason womens bikes are made with shorter top tube lengths and shoter or more upright stems/ narrower handle bars and thinner grips for smaller hands, Also womens specific brake levers are closer to the grips making them easier to grab. Another thing to look out for is weight, some bikes are burlier than others so check out the weight of the bike your thinking of buying, a good point to start is with a bike with a good frame and cheaper components as these can be easier to replace at a later date and the good frame will be lightweight to start with. Forks often have lighter poundage springs for lighter women riders. Saddles are another women only thing, they are specially designed for the female behind (usually slightly wider at the rear edge and shorter/softer front section) look out for saddles with a groove or section missing (Hollow) along the centre from front to back as these are the most comfy and have the best cooling effect. Such saddles as the WTB Speed She and the Terry Falcon X are an idea of what to expect from a good saddle with the right features.

 

 

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