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Nothing beats the thrill of tackling adrenaline pumping trails. And no type of bike serves you best than a mountain bike. Do you know that there are different types of mountain bikes on the market? There are at least 4 common ones:
Type of Mountain Bikes
Trail Bikes
The most common mountain bike. This category isn’t grounded in any type of racing. Trail bikes are great for climbs and descents. Thanks to its equal emphasis on weight, efficiency, and of course, fun.
Cross Country Bikes
From the name itself, this mountain bike category puts its emphasis on speed. It’s also lightweight. This bike is great for those who want to become a competitive racer or would like a faster, lighter ride when tackling local biking trails.
All-Mountain-Bikes
This type of mountain bike designed for steep descents while being light and powerful enough for uphill rides.
The Best Mountain Bikes You Should Get for 2021
Mongoose Dolomite Fat Tire
With over 300 raving reviews in Amazon, the Mongoose Dolomite Fat Tire Bike is a thing of beauty and quality. Tackle any trail with its steel bike frame and rugged 26″ all-terrain fat tire. Going too fast? Don’t worry because the Mongoose Dolomite has front and rear disc brakes to keep you safe.
Featuring a Shimano rear derailleur with seven variable speeds, this mountain bike makes climb easy and smooth. Shift gears conveniently using its Twist Shifters. This bike is great for all seasons and suits adult riders between 5’6 to 6’ tall.
The Mongoose brand is proudly American. Founded in 1974 by Skip Hess in his garage in Southern California. Since then, Mongoose has been manufacturing high-quality mountain bikes for professionals and hobbyists alike.
Northwoods Mountain Bike
The Northwoods Mountain Bike comes with a full suspension design with 50mm steel crown fork. This bike is lightweight and easy to control, thanks to its aluminum construction. Speed is provided by Shimano Rear Derailleur with 21-speed twist shifters.
The Northwoods Mountain Bike comes with 24” alloy rims and is made from high-quality materials.
Schwinn Bonafide Mountain Bike
The Schwinn Bonafide Mountain Bike is made from high-quality, lightweight aluminum. It also comes with Schwinn’s power suspension fork for awesome control and a fun riding experience. Powering the bike are Shimano front and rear derailleurs with 24 speed Shimano EZ Fire trigger shifters. Braking power is supplied by front and rear mechanical disc brakes.
The Schwinn Bonafide Mountain Bike also features durable alloy cranks that require less maintenance than traditional bike cranks. This mountain bike also rolls on high profile double-wall alloy rims.
Max4Out Mountain Bike
The Max4Out Mountain Bike is a solid frame mountain bike that rolls on 3-spoke 26” fashion rims. This mountain bike comes with a 21-speed drivetrain that can handle any type of terrain you throw at it.
Durable and light, the Max4Out Mountain Bike comes with disc brakes and a grip shifter for easy shifting while on the road. This mountain bike is perfect for road biking and off-road riding. It suits riders up to 6” in height.
Mongoose Impasse Mountain Bike
The Mongoose Impasse Mountain Bike is an all-aluminum mountain bike that boasts internal cable routing for that clean minimalistic look. It’s powered by a 21-speed drivetrain while its front and read disc brakes supply unparalleled stopping power when you need it.
This mountain bike sports a threadless headset that delivers precise and crisp steering and an aluminum 3-piece crankset that requires little maintenance. The Mongoose Impasse Mountain Bike rolls on 29” wheels and is best for riders between 5’4” to 6’2” tall.
Schwinn Traxion Mountain Bike
The Schwinn Traxion Mountain Bike is an aluminum mountain bike that features a dual-suspension frame for a fun ride. Thanks to its powerful Schwinn fork! Powered by Shimano front and rear derailleurs with a 24 speed Shimano EX Fire trigger shifter, this mountain bike can tackle any challenging terrain with ease.
The Schwinn Traxion Mountain Bike is equipped with front and rear mechanical disc brakes that provide crips braking power when needed. These brakes work on any terrain and weather without problems. This mountain bike sports extra wide double wally alloy rims with 2.25” wide knobby mountain bike tires for that extra traction and grip.
Schwinn Protocol 1.0 Mountain Bike
The Schwinn Protocol 1.0 Mountain Bike is an all-aluminum bike with a full suspension fork that’s more reliable than the competition. This mountain bike is powered by a rear Shimano derailleur coupled with a 24 speed Shimano EZ Fire trigger shifter that can handle any type of terrain and climbs with ease.
The Schwinn Protocol 1.0 Mountain Bike comes with reliable front and rear disc brakes along with light and strong alloy rims that support wide and knobby mountain bike tires.
Royce Union RMA Mountain Bike
The Royce Union RMA Mountain Bike is perfect for any type of terrain — dirt, gravel, sand, mud, rock, etc. With its hardtail aluminum frame, this mountain bike will never rust. Because of its lightweight and durable construction, you can also enjoy faster acceleration and better control.
This mountain bike is powered by a 21 speed Shimano Altus derailleur coupled with the Shimano EZ Fire Plus trigger for an ultra-smooth shifting experience. The Royce Union RMA Mountain Bike rolls on large 27.5” wheels. It also sports adjustable padded saddle and a slightly raised handlebar that enables a more upright riding position.
Braking power is supplied by alloy linear-pull brakes.
Hiland Mountain Bike
The Hiland Mountain Bike is built for offroad biking. The frame is made from lightweight and durable aluminum with a good suspension fork that offers 100mm of travel. This mountain bike is driven by front and rear Shimano Tourney derailleurs coupled with a 24 speed Shimano EF500 shifter.
Braking power is provided by front and rear disc brakes.
Royce Union RTT Mountain Bike
The Royce Union RTT Mountain Bike features a lightweight and durable aluminum frame for easier handling and faster acceleration. Powered by a Shimano drivetrain, this mountain bike sports the Shimano EZ Fire Plus trigger shifter that offers 21 speeds of smooth shifting. Braking is supplied by alloy linear-pull brakes in the front and rear.
The Royce Union RTT Mountain Bike comes with machined alloy rims, an adjustable saddle, a bold and superior suspension fork, and a slightly raise handlebar that reduces strain on the back and shoulders when riding.
Merax Mountain Bike
The Merax Mountain Bike is fitted with a 24 speed Shimano derailleur and shifter for reliable shifting offroad. It also sports a front suspension fork design that increases control and reduces bumps while its dual disc brakes provide enhanced stopping power.
Built to economical and fully featured, the Merax Mountain Bike is perfect for someone who has basic mountain biking needs. It can carry a maximum of 330 lbs and rolls on 26” tires.
Royce Union Gravel Bike
The Royce Union Gravel Bike is built for any type of terrain and weather condition. Thanks to its aluminum hardtail construction, this mountain bike offers a lighter, faster ride without much maintenance. The suspension is provided by its rigid steel fork while its alloy 3-piece crank provides more efficient pedaling performance.
This mountain bike rolls on 27.5 tires powered by a full Shimano 16 speed drivetrain. Shifting is done effortlessly through the Shimano EX Fire trigger shifters. Braking power is supplied by front and rear disc brakes as needed.
Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike
The Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike features aluminium construction that’s lightweight yet durable. This mountain bike is powered by a Shimano rear derailleur with 21 speed Shimano Revo shifters. Braking power is supplied by alloy mechanical disc brakes in the front and rear.
This mountain bike comes with Schwinn’s alloy triple crank that provides optimal gearing and power transfer. The Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike rolls on 24” all-terrain tires. It also comes with a quick-release seat post for fast, on the road adjustments.
Common Questions
How do I get the right fit when buying a mountain bike?
Choosing the right mountain bike fit is crucial to your riding experience. Once you’ve decided the type of mountain bike you need, as discussed above, your next step would be to choose the right fit.
Bike sizes correspond to height. There are a lot of charts online that lists bikes according to height. While this is helpful, nothing beats visiting your local bike shop and testing the bike yourself.
What are the different types of braking systems?
There are two types of braking systems:
Rim brakes are the traditional type. They feature pads that grip the rim to facilitate braking. Compare to disk brakes, these brakes are more economical and easy to replace. On the downside, rim brakes gradually wear out the rims of your bike. They’re also less effective when wet.
Disc brakes are the standard nowadays — especially for mid-range to high-end models. These brakes feature brake pads that grip a rotor attached to the wheel hub. This type of braking system comes either in hydraulics or cable-activated.
Compared to rim brakes, disc brakes are more consistent. Also, replacing a worn-out rotor is a lot cheaper than replacing a worn-out rim. They’re also easier to operate and outs lesser stress to the finger.
On the downside, disc brakes are more difficult to replace. Since it’s hidden from view, inspecting whether the brake has worn out or not proves to be more difficult than traditional rim brakes.
What’s the best material for a mountain bike frame?
The bike frame is crucial. It influences the bike’s price, quality, ride, and strength. The most commonly used material for bike frames is the aluminum alloy. Other frames are made from steel, carbon fiber, and titanium. Steel frames are heavy but cheap. Titanium frames are strong and light but are quite expensive.
Happy biking!
