| In a perfect world you could buy any bike you wanted | | | | Where Will You Buy |
| at a price you could afford, but in the real world | | | | Any book or article you read will advise you not to buy |
| mountain biking prices vary wildly. We provide some | | | | a bike from a mass merchant store such as Wal-mart |
| tips on what to look for. | | | | or Target. Why? Because they buy bottom of the |
| Buying a house is just about the most important | | | | range bikes which they can sell cheaply, and the bikes |
| investment you can make in your life. Various means | | | | are not necessarily put together well. Whereas if you |
| of transportation come second - from yachts or boats | | | | buy even the most inexpensive child's bike from a bike |
| and cars to motorcycles. Acquiring a bicycle is not | | | | store, it'll be lighter than the mass market version, and |
| quite as expensive as that - but there are so many | | | | the store people will ensure that it fits your child. |
| brands available, at so many different price ranges, | | | | So, you can either support your local bike store or buy |
| that it behooves you to do a bit of research before | | | | online. It's usually best to buy from your bike store to |
| you go out and spend any money. | | | | begin with, as they can help you fit the bike and give |
| Bikes can vary from used beaters to the top-of-the | | | | you advice. If you've ridden for years and years and |
| line road or mountain bikes. This article discusses how | | | | know what you need, buying online does make sense. |
| to go about buying a mountain bike. | | | | What Will You Buy? |
| How Much Will You Pay? | | | | You'll ask yourself this question in conjunction with |
| Are you already a biker, or are you just taking up the | | | | "how much will you pay." Again, it all comes down to |
| sport? Do you intend to ride daily, or only on | | | | how often you expect to use the bike. If you're |
| weekends? Do you have a safe place to store your | | | | planning on doing mostly road biking with the occasional |
| bike when you're not using it? | | | | cross country trip, and only once in a while going down |
| All of these are questions you musts ask yourself | | | | an actual mountain... then you won't need the same |
| before you purchase your first bike. If you've only just | | | | kind of bike as someone who is strictly a downhiller. |
| become interested in the hobby of mountain biking, you | | | | Mountain bikes come in two different kinds - hard tail |
| don't want to buy a top-of-the-line thousand dollar bike | | | | and full suspension. The hard tail has suspension in the |
| until you're sure you'll get the use out of it. Of course | | | | front but not in the back - hence the term "hard tail." |
| there's a catch-22 there. Top-of-the-line bikes are so | | | | Full suspension bikes are more comfortable... but |
| light and soooo nice that you'll probably fall in one, | | | | correspondingly more expensive. |
| whereas if you get a poor bike to begin with it might | | | | When Will You Buy? |
| sour you on the sport forever. | | | | Just as car dealers sell models off at a discount at the |
| The best thing to do is test-ride as many bikes as you | | | | end of their selling season, so will bike stores. If you live |
| can in the various price ranges. Your local bike store | | | | in an area with a "winter season," you're bound to see |
| won't let you test ride their bikes down a mountain - | | | | some winter season sales. |
| but you can rent bikes at the trailheads and give them | | | | So don't be impatient... but don't deprive yourself of a |
| a try. | | | | summer of fun, either! |