So someone here at work asked for my help getting into Mountain biking. He is a very high level executive that is already into Kayaking. So while we were out eating the conversation came up and I told him I would put something together, that will get him started.
I know it reads a little formal like, but he is acustomed to reading my financial and industry analysis.
Comments/suggestions?
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Mountain Bike Purchasing 101
There are 3 major areas of contention when purchasing a mountain bike
Genre
Manufacturers
Component Level
Genre - There are a number of different Genres in mountain biking. In addition there is a lot of grey area and cross over between them. Just as your riding style covers more then 1 style of riding so do the bikes that are now offered. Starting from a road bike and moving to say a motorized dirt bike the Genres could be .
 Cross Country (XC) specifically designed to be ridden or raced cross country. Typically very light, not a whole lot of front or rear travel (some do not have rear travel referred to as hard tails), with a riding position very forward and over the bars (much like a road bike). They are designed to be very efficient at pedaling, easy to climb, but not meant to take a lot of abuse and are less stable going downhill, over very rough/technical terrain or airborne.
Travel
o Front fork 80-100mm (3-4)
o Rear travel 0-80mm
 Trail Bike - Much like a XC bike with slightly more travel, more durable vs. light weight parts. They will also usually have a slightly more upright riding position. The Upward riding position is typically more comfortable and stable for riding over rough/technical trail and obstacles.
Travel
o Front fork 100-125/130mm (4-5)
o Rear travel 100-125/130mm (4-5)
 All Mountain - Moving further away from the XC genre, the All Mountain bikes still concentrate on having an effective pedaling platform. However they are typically slightly heavier due to heavier duty parts and tubing. They also typically have more travel, and a more upright riding position (more closely resembling the riding position on a dirt bike. While this is not as efficient for pedaling when compared to a XC bike it gives the rider more control while heading down hill, in the air or in rough/technical conditions.
Travel
o Front fork 130-150/160(5-6)
o Rear travel 130-150/160(5-6)
 Freeride - Designed to be truly DURABLE and withstand the rigors of dropping off of large drops, doing jumps and riding the most rough/technical trails.
Travel
o Front fork 150-160/170+(6-8+)
o Rear travel 150-160/170+(6-8+)
 Downhill - Similar to the FreeRide genre in regards to being durable. However the riding position is even further back and lower to aid in going downhill as fast as possible.
Travel
o Front fork 170mm+
o Rear travel 170mm+
Manufacturer
Much like the auto industry there are a number of manufacturers. We can break them down into categories.
Mainstream
Boutique/High End
Value Based
Mainstream - Just as Ford, Chevy and Toyota pretty much cover the entire spectrum of vehicles; the mainstream manufacturers in the Mountain bike industry do as well. There might not be a lot of bling in their line up, but they do offer very high functioning quality product at a fair price.
Trek, Specialized &Giant are the Big 3 of the Bike world.
Boutique/High End They usually offer the same function as the mainstream but offer the bling and custom factor that the mainstream does not. It could be perception, materials or customization that adds to the cost. Some examples are Turner, Titus, Santa Cruz, Intense.
Value Based The Hyundai/Kias of the Mountain biking world. They typically offer the same function as the mainstream manufacturers but may use a slightly lower grade of components, materials or possibly just perception to compete on price point. Some examples are Raleigh, Jamis, Haro, & Mongoose.
Component Level
Just as you can outfit a vehicle in the auto industry with different levels of equipment, in the biking world it is the component selection. Some of the major components are
Fork (holds the front wheel to the bike and handles front bump absorption) These can range anywhere from a simple spring to multi adjustable air/oil/coil adjustments that will affect the speed and smoothness that the fork compresses and rebounds.
Rear Shock serves the same purpose as the fork, but controls the rear bump absorption. A lot of the technology in shock and Fork are similar.
Brakes Most bikes today come with disk brakes. They can either be cable or hydraulic actuated. Some of them have multiple pistons (2 vs. 4).
Wheelset Just like rims and tires on a car, the wheelset on a bike can vary greatly. Strength, rotational weight, and mechanical engagement are the major factors.
Drive train (cranks, chain, chain, cassette, derailleur and shifters) the forward motion controls of a mountain bike. Most mountain bikes are 27 speed. 9 cogs in the back (referred to as the cassette) and 3 upfront (referred to as the chain ring) controlled by the derailleur (shifting mechanism, controlled by the shifters.
I know it reads a little formal like, but he is acustomed to reading my financial and industry analysis.
Comments/suggestions?
-----------------------------------
Mountain Bike Purchasing 101
There are 3 major areas of contention when purchasing a mountain bike
Genre
Manufacturers
Component Level
Genre - There are a number of different Genres in mountain biking. In addition there is a lot of grey area and cross over between them. Just as your riding style covers more then 1 style of riding so do the bikes that are now offered. Starting from a road bike and moving to say a motorized dirt bike the Genres could be .
 Cross Country (XC) specifically designed to be ridden or raced cross country. Typically very light, not a whole lot of front or rear travel (some do not have rear travel referred to as hard tails), with a riding position very forward and over the bars (much like a road bike). They are designed to be very efficient at pedaling, easy to climb, but not meant to take a lot of abuse and are less stable going downhill, over very rough/technical terrain or airborne.
Travel
o Front fork 80-100mm (3-4)
o Rear travel 0-80mm
 Trail Bike - Much like a XC bike with slightly more travel, more durable vs. light weight parts. They will also usually have a slightly more upright riding position. The Upward riding position is typically more comfortable and stable for riding over rough/technical trail and obstacles.
Travel
o Front fork 100-125/130mm (4-5)
o Rear travel 100-125/130mm (4-5)
 All Mountain - Moving further away from the XC genre, the All Mountain bikes still concentrate on having an effective pedaling platform. However they are typically slightly heavier due to heavier duty parts and tubing. They also typically have more travel, and a more upright riding position (more closely resembling the riding position on a dirt bike. While this is not as efficient for pedaling when compared to a XC bike it gives the rider more control while heading down hill, in the air or in rough/technical conditions.
Travel
o Front fork 130-150/160(5-6)
o Rear travel 130-150/160(5-6)
 Freeride - Designed to be truly DURABLE and withstand the rigors of dropping off of large drops, doing jumps and riding the most rough/technical trails.
Travel
o Front fork 150-160/170+(6-8+)
o Rear travel 150-160/170+(6-8+)
 Downhill - Similar to the FreeRide genre in regards to being durable. However the riding position is even further back and lower to aid in going downhill as fast as possible.
Travel
o Front fork 170mm+
o Rear travel 170mm+
Manufacturer
Much like the auto industry there are a number of manufacturers. We can break them down into categories.
Mainstream
Boutique/High End
Value Based
Mainstream - Just as Ford, Chevy and Toyota pretty much cover the entire spectrum of vehicles; the mainstream manufacturers in the Mountain bike industry do as well. There might not be a lot of bling in their line up, but they do offer very high functioning quality product at a fair price.
Trek, Specialized &Giant are the Big 3 of the Bike world.
Boutique/High End They usually offer the same function as the mainstream but offer the bling and custom factor that the mainstream does not. It could be perception, materials or customization that adds to the cost. Some examples are Turner, Titus, Santa Cruz, Intense.
Value Based The Hyundai/Kias of the Mountain biking world. They typically offer the same function as the mainstream manufacturers but may use a slightly lower grade of components, materials or possibly just perception to compete on price point. Some examples are Raleigh, Jamis, Haro, & Mongoose.
Component Level
Just as you can outfit a vehicle in the auto industry with different levels of equipment, in the biking world it is the component selection. Some of the major components are
Fork (holds the front wheel to the bike and handles front bump absorption) These can range anywhere from a simple spring to multi adjustable air/oil/coil adjustments that will affect the speed and smoothness that the fork compresses and rebounds.
Rear Shock serves the same purpose as the fork, but controls the rear bump absorption. A lot of the technology in shock and Fork are similar.
Brakes Most bikes today come with disk brakes. They can either be cable or hydraulic actuated. Some of them have multiple pistons (2 vs. 4).
Wheelset Just like rims and tires on a car, the wheelset on a bike can vary greatly. Strength, rotational weight, and mechanical engagement are the major factors.
Drive train (cranks, chain, chain, cassette, derailleur and shifters) the forward motion controls of a mountain bike. Most mountain bikes are 27 speed. 9 cogs in the back (referred to as the cassette) and 3 upfront (referred to as the chain ring) controlled by the derailleur (shifting mechanism, controlled by the shifters.
