Buying a New Mountain Bike - By: Mark Woodcock

Off-road cycling is as old as cycling itself, but it's not until the 1970s that specialist mountain bike manufacture really took off. Originally based on road bikes, the technology has changed enormously to cater for the rigours and strains of cycling on difficult off road conditions.

Bikes these days come with so many gadgets to help riding a lot easier and more user friendly. So now you can push yourself and your bike to the absolute limits by taking on tougher rides and experiencing the thrill of real extreme sports.

Gears - With up to 27 gears available even the steepest of hills can be taken on. More gears usually are available on more expensive mountain bikes and are not necessarily a requirement.

Suspension - Your bikes suspension lets you tackle those tricky obstacles with less effort and more control. Mountain bikes come fully fitted with at least a front suspension to help with downhill bumpy tracks. A full suspension bike provides greater control, comfort and agility when the ground is bumpy and rocky but probably is not needed if you only plan to cycle on light tracks.

Frames - The bike is all about the frame and it is this that really takes the brunt of what you put your bike through. New styles and designs create more demand on the bikes frames and therefore stronger materials are being used. But it is no good having an indestructible frame if it is too heavy to use; if you are making any last minute detours you mountain bike will need to be light enough to cope.

Brakes - Today, disc brakes are commonplace on nearly all mountain bikes. By having the brakes in the center of the wheel it makes them a lot easier to keep clean as they are kept well away from any wet muddy ground.

Tyres - Mountain bike tyres are thicker and more knobbly than on road bikes. This gives extra grip on muddy ground, better shock absorption and makes it easier to get over rough terrain at speed. You can change your tyres to deal with different conditions.

Women Specific - Womens requirements are catered for by specialist ladies bikes. That means smaller reach from seat to handlebars, smaller reach on brake handles and seats shaped for greater comfort. We recommend testing a number of ladies bikes from different manufacturers before making the decision to buy as many will have subtle differences.

Although cycling dates back centuries, specialist mountain bike production has moved forwards considerably over the past 35 years.

Mark is a webmaster of over 100 different websites and has been a published author online for over 10+ years with site such as All Terrain Mountain Bikes.