Off The Road – A New Bike Will Change Your Style

Tired of riding a normal bike on normal streets? Get rid of your old bike. Stand up and go to the next shop and buy a new bicycle to ride off the road. But … which one should you buy? Why is this bike more expensive then this one although they look exactly the same?! The guy in the shop himself won't tell you the difference but he recommends you the more expensive bike. So sit down and think of what type of riding you will choose. There are some different types how to ride off road.

First one is Downhill(DH). As the name clearly says, you will ride down the hill. The bike will be a full suspension bike. You need a very long travel and a very good MTB Fork. Travel will go up to 300 mm. It is usual that these suspension forks will have double crown. This will give the fork more stability but even more weight but weight is not a big problem here. Also the rear shock has to be very good. The bike you need will be heavy but you need that weight. The weight is a result of the high stability needed otherwise the frame could brake. The wheels should be 25'-26''' x 2,4-2,5 to avoid damage of small stones and get the stability. The shifting system is very different because there is only one ring in the middle of the bike and normally a nine ring cassette at the back. Disk brakes are the only option here. They should be minimum 180mm to avoid thermal problems.

The second type is the Cross Country(XC). A MTB Cross Country is an off road competition where the participants have to drive through the same circuit multiple times. The fork will be one of the most expensive ones. They have to be very very low in weight. The travel can be around 40mm to 100mm. The XC suspension forks will utilize air springs and air pressure, rather than the more common coil system. The frame could be a fully or even a hardtail. This depends on your preferences. Also V-brakes or even disk brakes are in use. The full bike will weigh around 13kg but if you'd like to spend more money you can even get a 8-9kg bike.
There are some other types but the bike wouldn't change that much.

By: Reptor Shade

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