Where do i find a link that could help me choosing the right bike? I need to know from basic, including off-road MTB and on-road MTB. Ex: what happen if i buy a dual suspension MTB, but most of the time i ride it on the road?

-- lan (lant31@hotmail.com), April 02, 2003

Answers

Lan,

It's probably not a good idea to buy a full-sus bike for road riding: it'll be heavier, more expensive and less efficient than a "hardtail" (which is a mtb with front suspension only). If you plan to ride exclusively on the road, consider getting a rigid mtb (no suspension at all) with slick tyres (ie no knobbly bits on it). Slick tyres will make you go faster. If you plan on getting serious with road-riding, why not get a road bike? They have gears that spaced closer together, so you'll pedal more efficiently. They're lighter. They force you to adopt a more aerodynamic position, so you'll go faster for the same amount of exertion. They're also more comfortable for long road rides because they afford a variety of hand positions.

On the other hand, mtbs are more comfortable for just pootling around in the neighbourhood, because you'll sit more upright, and will place less strain on your lower back.

Joe

-- Joe (joeadnan@yahoo.com), April 08, 2003.

i'll go with joe when he says that you need to first figure out what kind of riding you'd want to get into.

a road bike can get you from here to there in half the time and effort compared to a mtb, but then your riding will be limited to surface (paved) roads for safety's sake.

cyclo-cross bikes are "mutated" road bikes. fitted with semi-fat tires and a slightly more robust set of cogs, they can make like a mtb and run on trails... but alas, frame life comes terminally early.

mtb's are by far the most flexible of the lot. riding it efficiently on or off the road is simply a matter of putting on slick or knobbed tires. full suspension (fs) or hardtail (ht)?

when pedaling, fs bikes will tend to bob up and down... despite the lock out feature on the rear suspension... adding more to the fatigue you have to put up with from carrying on the extra pounds of the swing arms, spring, linkages, and whatever hardware that makes that thing look so good. an ht is pure simplicity. not as nifty looking as a fs but, hey, form follows function, dude.

i've got a 10 year old trek 930 hardtail fitted with a set of quadra forks and a seatpost suspension. i've ridden it on every conceivable surface... sand, hardpack, rock, asphalt... and it's always been a joy to handle.

hope this helps...

-- eric reyes (eareyes2001@yahoo.com), April 12, 2003.