Full suspension mountain biking: Does the thought of getting out of riding on traffic congested roads and getting into the backcountry shout “freedom”?
Get out there and start exploring the off-road trails and distances on a full suspension mountain bike. A full suspension mountain bike can get you through the trees, over roots and down the hill and do most of this for you with a little help on your part.
In the past mountain bikes were rigid in design and harder to handle on trails and downhill. Then the 1990’s introduced full suspension mountain bikes (meaning suspension forks over the front and rear tires) offering a lot less stress on the body and much more absorption on the bike when traveling downhill and over tougher terrain. They are now built with tougher disc brakes to accommodate an immediate stop since nature can surprise you with a fallen tree or a newly sprung river.
Full suspension mountain bikes offer better control and more comfort. The style of full suspension mountain bikes depends on the type of riding you want to do and the type of terrain you want to ride on.
The mountain bikes listed below all include full suspension in varying degrees:
- Cross country mountain bikes are ideal for relatively smooth backcountry trails. They are designed with less than about 4.5 inches of suspension and are built to be low weight, somewhat durable and efficient for performing speed. See the K2 T:Nine Summit Mountain Bike(designed specifically for women) and Marin's East Peak XCountry Bike for men.
- All mountain or all terrain mountain bikes are a great combination bike that offer a bit heavier design for cross country riding and are more tolerant of rougher terrain than the cross country mountain bikes. Their full suspension ranges from about 4 to 6 inches of travel. They are not ideal for racing, but hey isn’t it about the adrenaline rush, anyway?
- Free ride bikes are designed with more suspension in mind and less focus on weight. They are ideal for the local mountain bike park and are specialized for tougher terrain, jumps, stunts and drops. Free ride mountain bikes have about 6 to 8 inches of full suspension travel.
- Downhill bikes are a heavier in design to facilitate fast, downhill. They usually have about 7 to 10 inches of full suspension. These bikes are tough and can handle velocity and the aggressive rider well, yet pedaling uphill will be an effort.
All types of full suspension mountain biking can offer increased risk. Be sure to purchase protective/survival gear, including helmets, full face helmets, and body “armor” especially if you are free riding or down hilling. Full suspension mountain bikes can get you on the trails and into nature thanks to full suspension technology but it’s up to you to be safe.
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