If you are in the market for a new bike because you have an old one or you just want to get into the sport then you probably have a lot of questions. One of those questions is probably about frame design and which frame is right for you. The first major choice you need to make is whether you want a hardtail or a full-suspension mountain bike. There are positives and negatives of each design. Hardtail bikes are bikes that have no suspension in the rear of the bike. The benefit of such a design is reduced cost, reduced weight, and increased strength. Some reasons you might want one are, if you are on a budget, if you are a weight freak, or lastly if you are crazy enough to be looking at a freeride bike because you want to jump mountain bikes.

Full-suspension designs are heavier, costlier and sometimes less durable but they have many benefits. First of all, the suspension in the rear is not just to make your butt happy. It actually keeps your rear wheel in contact with the ground more often. It can become a safety issue for some kinds of riding. Specifically downhill riding necessitates a full-suspension bike. Having rear suspension can actually help you keep control of your bike.

I want a hardtail so what do I need to know next?

Well you don’t need too much advice. This is the simpler option. Hardtail bikes are made of mostly aluminum alloy or carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is stronger and lighter if implemented correctly. Not all carbon fiber is created equally. If you opt for carbon fiber then look for a manufacturer who has experience working with it. If you go with aluminum then there is a trick to getting a nice frame on the cheap. Look for a top end model bike from your favorite manufacturer. Now chances are they offer a less expensive bike in the same line but with the same exact frame. These tend to be great, well tested frames since they are used on their whole lineup.

I want a full-suspension bike so what do I need to know next?

This is the more complicated option. The reason is that no two manufacturers implements the rear suspension design and links the same. There are actually too many designs of the rear suspension link to go into here and more are being added all the time. Let me save you some time though. Only a few things matter and you can only find out these things by riding the bike. What you want to know is how the suspension link and shock combination performs in both out of saddle climbing and under heavy impacts. The downside of a full suspension design is that you get peddle bob if the suspension doesn’t do something to get rid of it. What this does is rob your legs of power on the climbs. Instead of moving you forward some of the energy you expend goes to bouncing your bike up and down. This is a bad thing. It can be fixed either with a really good design for the suspension link or through a lockout feature on the shock or both. The point is, you will not know if it works for you until you try it out on the trail. Most good bikes shops let you try before you buy. Put down a deposit and take that bike out on a trail you have ridden before and see how it performs.

The last thing to take notice of is that suspension links provide another point of failure in a mountain bike. Be aware that they may need to be serviced. Look for mention of the durability of the pivots in reviews of specific bikes that interest you. Some really ambitious bike manufactures actually incorporate carbon fiber in the seat stays or suspension links so that is something to be aware of too.

With full-suspension you get to decide on a material for the frame as well. The reason you might want a carbon fiber full-suspension bike is because the suspension adds weight. With carbon fiber there are some bikes out there that weigh less than hardtail bikes. Still a correctly designed aluminum alloy bike can be light as well. It would be a good idea to have the bike shop weigh the bike as configured. Trust me when I say you don’t want to be pedaling a 35 lbs bike up a long and steep hill.

Anything else I need to know?

Yes, bikes are categorized by how they are intended to be ridden. A bike may fit into two or three of these categories but will perform best in one of them. Cross-country or race bikes are built to be light but are not very strong. All-Mountain bikes as the name implies are supposed to be good for most conditions when riding. Then you have your freeride bikes designed for strength but not for downhill riding. Last you have downhill bikes which are the strongest and heaviest of them all. Cross-country bikes have the least suspension travel and downhill bikes can have as much as 6 inches of travel or sometimes even more. There is a trend for all-mountain bikes to be getting more travel while still remaining pretty light and maneuverable. You need to look at where you intend to ride and decide what you want. Most people don’t start on downhill bikes but a few ambitious do. I’d recommend an all-mountain bike for most.

Written by Bryan Sheasby