WHICH BIKE SHOULD I BUY? – How to choose your mountain bike

Of course, which bike should I buy? is a good question, but we think there are two others we should answer before listening to hundreds of opinions from friends, forums, etc.

What do I want it for? or rather, What am I going to do with it? and perhaps the most important, what is my budget?

In recent years and after the boom of this sport after or from the pandemic, this is the question that many of us have asked ourselves when buying a mountain bike. The options and combinations are unlimited and if we are not very clear it can be an arduous task to find the right one. Pulmonary or electric? carbon or aluminum? rigid or full suspension? 27’5 or 29 inches wheels? (26 inches are already obsolete), type of frame geometry, and so we could go on for a long time.

In this post we will talk about “lung” or “muscle” bikes (i.e., what we understand by a normal bicycle of all life, without motor). Even so, everything we will discuss below can be extrapolated to this type of electric bicycles or eBikes. But if you opt for this option you will have to put together a few more “bills” for its acquisition.

From now on everything we say is about our humble opinion as mountain biking enthusiasts. So it is not the absolute truth and is simply based on our humble experience.

We assume that we want to buy a decent bike with hydraulic disc brakes and an acceptable derailleur. Less than that is what we could consider “an iron”, that is, the typical bike displayed in large supermarkets.

Having clarified the above, let’s get started:

If we are looking for a bike to go for a ride from time to time on asphalt or at most on a small trail or forest track, do not complicate your life too much and look for something simple. In this case I would choose a rigid aluminum bike. The problem is that if you get the hang of it you will soon want to change your bike for a higher range.

If you want it for quiet rides (without competing), not too beastly with your little group, it is worth looking for comfort. In this case I would look for something with double suspension, in principle aluminum (carbon increases the price a lot). The weight will penalize you a bit but as you are not going to compete you will gain in comfort and your back and buttocks will thank you. However, if you are a born climber you might prefer a carbon rigid bike for the same price, much lighter for climbing but more “coarse” and difficult to control when it comes to throwing yourself down the trails.

If your intention is to compete in MTB rides or races, you should look for lightness and speed. In fact, almost all pros opt for carbon rigids. Another very good option are high-end bikes with “intelligent” suspension, of course also made of carbon. The problem here is the budget, as these bikes can be quite expensive. So if you are going to compete, you are not rich and you want to go fast, I advise you a carbon rigid. Of course, the distance of your races is important. If they are going to be long distance races, then it is worth choosing a full suspension bike (even if it is aluminum). Otherwise you will end up destroyed.

As for the wheels, if you ride a lot on your routes (asphalt or track) I would not hesitate and choose 29 inches. They are bigger so logically they roll more, also thanks to that size they swallow everything, so they make it easier for those of us who are not very technical. However, the more purists defend the 27’5s because they avoid obstacles better and the start is faster.

Another time we will talk about the wheel width or tire thickness and the type of lug. But you can take as a basic idea that the thinner and smoother the tire, the faster. While the thicker and the more relief of the lug, the more “grip” and therefore the more safety it will give you on descents.

Everything mentioned above refers to trail, cross country or rally bikes, which is what a normal person understands by a mountain bike. If you are going to buy an enduro or downhill bike (different geometry, suspensions with more travel) there is no need for us to explain anything to you because you are already an expert on the subject and you probably know more than we do.