Fitness For Sure

Regardless of size, age and ability, mountain biking can be enjoyed by everyone, young and old. It’s a great way to keep and stay fit, and certainly an excellent way to enjoy the countryside and nature. All that you need is a suitable mountain bike.

In mountain biking, there are four main categories – downhill/freeride, cross country, all-mountain, and trials. You should know what kind of riding you will be doing before buying a mountain bike. I will try to explain what are the main differences between those categories.

So what do you wanna do? Do you want to ride smooth flowing trails, stunts, downhill courses, climb mountains, or just have a bucket of fun. It’s your choice, but you do need to decide how will you spend time on your bike.

Downhill/Freeride bikes are designed to take huge drops and hits while speeding down hills on rough terrain. They are very durable and heavy, they have full suspension and a limited selection of gears, sometimes only 7-9. They don’t perform very well uphill, but have no competition down.

All-mountain bikes are a blend between cross country and freeride/downhill bikes. They have full-suspension with medium travel, a full gear set and somewhat heavier frame than cross country bikes. They’re suitable for climbing and descending on a variety of terrains.

Cross country bikes are not suited to riders who enjoy big drops and other extremes, but for the average mountain biker, they are a great choice. They are all-round good performers, lighter that other bikes. They come with full gear set (generally 27) and usually just front suspension.

Generally light and strong, trial mountain bikes require a great degree of skill. Usually they have no suspension and offer only one gear. Not suitable for weekend riders.

OK, so you know what type of mountain bike you want, but which brand to choose, there are so many? I myself prefer Iron Horse, but brand name is really not very important here. You should look at the quality of the components. How sturdy is the frame, how good is suspension and brakes and so on. That is what is important.

So there you have it. Now jump on your bike and enjoy the ride. Don’t forget a helmet!

Tags: fitness tips, fitness programs, fitness, fitness training, health and fitness