Buying your first mountain bike.

Buying your first mountain bike can be overwhelming as there are a lot of things to consider. You may also have friends recommending certain bikes or makes but they might not be to your taste or budget. You may also find the same issue when looking at guides for great first starter bikes as most of these usually recommend bikes that are around the £1000 mark which is a lot of money to spend on a bike to get into the sport. The first step before buying a bike and committing to the sport would be to go to your nearest trail canter and hire a bike for a day and see if the sport/hobby is for you. In the UK the forestry England center's

have bike hire. Dalby Forest offers bike hire for a range of prices depending on what bike you go for and how long you want to hire the bike (a few hours or all day). 

Buying a bike comes down to the budget you set for yourself to spend. However, if you have a budget consider if you have enough to buy any extras that you may need like a helmet. Once you have your budget set you can start to look for a bike within your budget range. The general rule of thumb is to start on a hard-tail mountain bike as it allows you to learn more about where you need to put your body weight and how to move around on the bike to keep it stable, they are also cheaper to maintain as fewer things can go wrong on them. Find a few bikes that you like the look of and the style of. If you find some bikes that you like that are slightly out of your price range you can always look for a second-hand one however this can come with issues (guide on buying second-hand bikes coming soon). 

Once you have your selection of bikes, the next thing to look at is if they have the parts that you would like on a bike (this doesn’t have to be exact models of these parts). The parts on a bike can make a big difference in how the bike feels and performs. High-end bikes generally don’t come with pedals so if your budget is allowing for a high-end hard-tail or full suspension then make sure that you take this into account. Brakes are a very important part of the mountain bike they are what are going to slow you down. Disc brakes are more efficient and provide better braking force however there are 2 types of disc brakes that you can buy one is a cable-actuated disc brake and the other is a hydraulic disc brake. Hydraulic disc brakes are widely used on bikes now however some bikes down the lower end of the budget (such as some Carrera bikes) have cable-actuated disc brakes. Hydraulic disc brakes provide better braking efficiency and more stopping power this can also be further improved by improving the brakes down the line. 

Forks are the only suspension on a hard-tail bike depending on the bike that you’re looking at and the discipline of the bike depends on how much travel the forks will have. There are two main types of forks some are coil forks and some are air forks. Air forks are more tune-able than coil forks and also lighter however they do require a special pump for them. How much PSI you put into the fork depends on your weight, however, it is best to weigh yourself with your bike gear on as you will weigh more than normal. If you find that the fork is too hard or too soft this can be tuned to your preference by putting more or less pressure into the fork. 

Drive train is arguably the most important part of the bike. The drive train you choose can make riding easier or harder. Three-by-drive trains which have three sprockets at the cranks provide more gear ratios than a one-by-drive train however it can also make riding on the trails more complicated as there is more to think about with a three by drive train. That being said leaving the front derailleur set so that the chain is on the center sprocket can give you the same feeling as riding a one-by-drive train but this also limits the gear ratios down to the number of sprockets that you have on the rear cassette ( 8,9 or 10). However, leaving it there but still having the front gear leaver connected to the derailleur still leaves you with the option for the other gear ratios if needed. From my experience of doing this, I found that I didn’t need to use the front derailleur and I was fine just using the gears on the rear cassette. A one-by-drive train provides a simpler riding experience these usually come in 1 x 11 or 1 x 12 configurations. Having a one-by-drive train makes the bike lighter as there are fewer parts on the bike and also means that the cockpit (handlebars) is less cluttered with cables and controls. There is also less servicing required for a one-by-drive train as there isn't the need for a front derailleur to be adjusted or replaced if it is broken. One-by-drive trains, however, are on the higher end bracket of the hard-tails usually coming in around the £800 - £900 mark but there are some out there that are cheaper. 

Buying a bike that is within your budget is the main thing to do. if you would like a one-by-drive train bike but you are unable to afford it at the time that you are looking at buying a bike it doesn’t mean that the bike you buy cannot be converted. Most manufacturers use the same frame across all of their models but just change the parts to higher-end parts. You can upgrade your bike yourself or get a shop to do it for you as long as you purchase the parts they will fit them and set them up for you but there are loads of videos online and guides that will show you everything you need to know. 

After you have settled on a bike that you like the most important thing is to get sized for the bike as all manufacturers use different frame sizing it is important to sit on the bike that you are looking to buy and get the correct size frame for you as a frame that is too large or too small can cause issues when out on the trails. A bike that fits you properly will also be more comfortable to ride and you will be able to move the bike around much easier and have more control over the bike as well.

Once you have your bike get out there on the trails and enjoy the ride. Don’t push yourself too far out of your comfort zone just take it easy for the first few rides until you’re comfortable on your new bike. After each ride make sure to clean it and do all the general maintenance to keep the bike running as smoothly as possible and to make your components last longer.