Mountain Bike Guide

Trek Bicycles incorporation was set up back in 1976 by Richard Burke and Bevel Hogg. The duo came together to join Burke's investment expertise and Hogg's bicycle knowledge to produce what is now, a world renowned bicycle company.

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The beginner mountain biker can get a little overwhelmed when they first walk into a bike store to buy their first mountain bike and all of the mountain bike accessories they will need to start riding. [...]

Most people just want to get on their bikes and go, and aren't too concerned with the names of all the bits and pieces that make up the bike. But this is a mistake, and even the least informed biker should know how the bike is put together.

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Long-travel full suspension mountain bikes are very popular among riders who prefer a full-suspension bike.  These long-travel trail bikes were designed for long, technical, "epic" rides.  More and more, they are becoming more popular as everyday, ride-anything bikes. [...]

City/urban mountain bikes are light-duty mountain bikes meant more for pavement use than off-road.  Bikes that can be considered "urban" are multi-use, utilitarian bikes.  Gary Fisher Bikes has a wonderful series of "Dual-Sport" bikes, offering models that are either road-oriented (with a rigid fork) or mountain-oriented (with a suspension fork).  These bikes are not considered dedicated mountain bikes because their components are more lightweight and less durable. [...]

In the USA alone, there are thousands of mountain bike brands.  The four largest are Trek/Gary Fisher, Specialized, Giant and Cannondale.  The "big four" offer the largest selection of entry-level to race-level bikes in cross-country, trail, all-mountain, freeride and downhill; geared and single-speed; 26" and 29" wheels.  That, combined with a great warranty, makes the "big four" bikes a great value. [...]

The choice between a full-suspension or hardtail (front suspension only) cross-country bike can seem very complicated since there are so many choices among both full-suspension and hardtail bikes - many choices among suspension styles, frame styles, component groups, etc. [...]

Freeride mountain biking, as the name implies, means "no rules, no course" (just get from "here" to "there" as fast as possible).  Freeriding is a term first used in snowboarding, but applies perfectly to this relatively new mountain biking discipline.  Of course freeride races have set courses and rules, but the concept applies to a bike that can do it all:  climb, descend, jump and tackle all obstacles. [...]