Mountain Bikes
Mountain bikes are rugged bikes designed primarily for off road riding. They have strong frames, stout wheels and tough components. Most Mountain Bikes sold today have shock absorbing front forks. The one pictured above is a rare exception. Since they're built to withstand hard riding over broken terrain, these bikes can handle any and all road conditions. Moreover, you can easily hop curbs to get onto the sidewalk when the need arises. However, this ruggedness comes at a price. Mountain bikes are fairly slow and are not ideal for long rides.
All mountain bikes have a set of common characteristics: Flat handlebars, 26 inch diameter wheels and low gears that help move them up steep inclines. Most mountain bikes still use cantilever brakes which provide good stopping power combined with great reliability. For riding in the city, put a pair of smooth skinned tires on the wheels. The picture below shows the traditional cantilever brakes and a smooth skinned city tire. Note the inverted tread that provides traction in dirt and mud while providing a smooth ride on pavement.
Mountain bikes come in a variety of models and price ranges. The most expensive ones are purely off road machines that are almost painfully slow on the road. The entry level mountain bikes in the $500-$600 price range offer the greatest all around utility. The higher price ranges cater to the interests of the devoted hobbyist, amateur racer and low level pro racer. There are a great many brands and most make quite good bikes. I personally like the following:
- Cannondale: Very strong frames, but they run expensive.
- Specialized: Solid, entry level bikes with few compromises.
- Trek: Solid and reliable with a fine grain on price points.