Mountain bikes are hard to buy

You love the idea of ​​buying your own mountain bike, but it can become overwhelming when you start researching which bike is best for you. Some of the things you consider are price (of course), size of bike, color, and maybe even ease of use. He has been to a sporting goods store before and noticed that some mountain bikes seem more difficult to ride than others. But when it comes to shopping for the perfect mountain bike for you, this article has all the details you’ll need.

Things to consider to help you decide

1) Determine how much you are willing to spend. As with any major new purchase, you must first establish a price range for your new mountain bike. These bikes can cost anywhere from over $100 to over $1,000.

2) Never buy from a major retailer. As good as these mountain bikes look at Wal-Mart, Sears, or Target, you should buy your bike from a smaller bike shop because they will be more knowledgeable and have better service for when something goes wrong.

3) What will you use the bike for? There are several ways to use a bicycle. You may only want one to ride on the beach. You may want one to ride with your dog running alongside. You might want one for riding dirt roads in the middle of the country. Here are some simple tips to help:

* If you just want one for an easy ride in the park, then you don’t need to spend a lot of money.

* If you plan to drive off-road, tires become an issue. You should consider buying a bike with large treads.

* If you plan to ride in rough conditions, you’ll need a bike with suspension. By visiting a local bike shop, they will be able to help you find the perfect bike based on how you answer the questions above. Otherwise, you may choose the wrong bike from a major retailer.

comfort vs. Efficiency

The question of comfort vs. efficiency really leads to the question of suspension vs. hardtail.

You should consider choosing a suspension bike if your wallet can afford it. Suspension bikes are much more comfortable and enjoyable to ride. They are also more controllable. The downside of suspension bikes is that they weigh more and are less efficient.

Hardtails, on the other hand, pedal more efficiently (especially on smooth terrain). These bikes weigh less and are easier to maintain. Hardtail bikes are popular with the dirt jump stunt crowd and a fair number of cross country racers.

The decision between comfort and efficiency is difficult. Full suspension mountain bikes are more expensive than their hardtail counterparts. In the end, this may be all the clout you need when choosing a hardtail. But as mentioned above, because of the overall comfort and control of the bike, a full suspension bike is the way to go.

When to find a good deal

As with many consumer products, bikes change in price depending on the time of year. Clearly, the main shopping season lasts from the beginning of spring and throughout the summer. If you’re patient and wait until the fall or winter, the price can drop a few hundred dollars on the bike you’re interested in. And another tip: never be afraid to buy last year’s model. There is nothing wrong with that at all.

Find a good local dealer

Finding a local dealer will be very beneficial. By shopping at a local bike shop, they will be able to find the perfect bike for their needs. Sure, you might run into that commission-hungry salesman who will try to talk you out of your price range, but will stand in the way of getting you the bike you want.

The great thing about local dealers is that they’ll send you maintenance reminders, they’ll send you information about new deals and discounts, and they’ll always know how to fix your bike when something goes wrong. Let’s face it, bikes are just like everything else we buy. After a bit of use, things will start to break down. It will be very important to have repairs handled by an experienced local bike shop. You’re also more likely to find discount mountain bikes at a local bike shop than at a major retailer.

Try, try, try and try again

It’s human nature to find the perfect item and immediately want to buy it without trying it out. Maybe it’s the perfect color or it’s not too big or the price is right. Regardless of these factors, you should always test drive all bikes in your price range.

While trying out these discount mountain bikes, you’ll easily notice that some bikes “feel” better than others. Whether it’s the amount of force it takes to pedal or the amount of force it takes to stop, bikes will differ from model to model. The more bikes you try, the more you start narrowing down the right bike for you.

do your research

Having narrowed your decision down to a few bikes, now is the time to do some consumer research. The internet is full of customer reviews, especially on Amazon.com. Find the bikes you’re interested in buying and see what other shoppers have to say.

The great thing about Amazon.com is that both positive and negative buyers will post reviews. When you visit another site and all the reviews are negative, you don’t really learn anything. So do your research and chances are you’ll find the same bike you’re interested in at a lower price.

But what about all that talk about buying from a local dealer? Well, she actually visited the dealer and took the opportunity to test drive his bikes. So you already know which bike you’d like to buy, so you’re not risking anything by ordering online. But what I would recommend is that you let your local bike shop handle warranty and future maintenance work.