Why a Mountain Bike?
When you set out to buy your first mountain bike you have to be honest with what you’ll do with your bike. Are you going to spin around the neighborhood or will you be out on trails built for mountain biking? Envision yourself 6 months or a year after your purchase, are you really going to be making time to ride or is your mountain bike going to be in the storage shed leaning up against the weight bench, the rakes and the fishing gear you use every 5 years? You need to be honest because what your intentions are for your new bike will go a long way in determining what type of bike you’ll buy and how much you’ll spend.
The next question to ask yourself is why do I want a mountain bike? Again, honesty is key in answering this question. Maybe you want to get away from the road and explore the quiet of the woods, or your friends ride mountain bikes, or it just looks like fun. I’ve talked to many folks who bought a nice mountain bike and wished they had bought some other kind of bike instead. A little foresight can be useful, but if you really don’t know, or your riding habits change that’s okay, and maybe even expected, either way, a mountain bike is a good place to start.
If you’ve looked into the crystal ball and answered the above questions with as much honesty as you can, the next step is to determine what type of mountain bike you need? If your riding will be mostly around the ‘hood with the occasional foray into some easy trails, then going with a simpler model will suffice. If you are the adventurous, athletic type, then you’ll be hunting for a bike that will do more because more than likely you’ll push yourself and your equipment harder as you progress.
Budget. Because you were honest with yourself, this part will be easier. If your first MTB is going to snuggle up next to the garden tools, you won’t need to spend much. Department store bikes are the cheapest option, but I caution against those for so many reasons I’ll get into another time. Suffice to say that if you go that route you’ll waste a couple hundred bucks you’ll never get back. Buying used is a viable avenue, and if you get lucky you might find a gem. A good starting point for a good solid new bike is around $1000. That will get you a bike that will last a good long time, be repairable and upgradeable, and have a reasonable resale value.
Where to find your bike will be the next step…
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