Websites With Good Mountain Bike Reviews
If you're just getting into biking as a sport, the first thing you should read up on is how to select a good mountain bike. Once you've learned everything you need to know, the next step is to look through the Internet and other media for advice on what kind of mountain bike would suit you best. Bikes, like all quality sports gear, are not created equal, and if you need help with the selection process, you should take the time to visit mountain bike reviews and ratings sites before doing your shopping.
Mountain bikes are a genuinely worthwhile investment for a person who's attuned to the great outdoors. But if you're just starting off, it would be great to get advice from the experts. And outdoorsy or not, even if you're a non-techie, you'll find a lot of help from the Internet. Sites with good mountain bike reviews are just the place to gather expert opinion!
Sites like Mtbr.com and Dirtworld.com provide professional reviews, from people who really know their bikes! This would be an excellent place to start, although if you're looking for reviews on budget bikes, you may do well to seek elsewhere. ConsumerSearch.com is another place to look for good reviews on anything, from office supplies to the kitchen sink, literally! The site offers extensively researched material compiled by professional information specialists.
Shopping sites like Amazon.com are also a good place to look. That way, you can preview the feedback of other consumers before buying the product. Sometimes, consumer sites have rating systems like stars and half-stars to make browsing through buyer-endorsed products easier for you.
Of course, if we're talking authority, nothing beats print! If you're a true biking enthusiast, subscribing to biking magazines is a must. You don't scrimp on the need to stay up to date on the latest information on this popular activity! And of course, specialized print publications are an excellent source of reviews. Mountain Bike Magazine (Mountainbike.com) and Mountain Biking UK (Mbuk.com) are among the most popular and authoritative magazines out there. Consider subscribing to such publications, or signing up at their websites.
Most websites, including sites with mountain bike reviews and online versions of print publications, allow free registration, but access to better features only comes with a paid subscription. Applying for one would be worth your while if you're a collector. Besides gathering useful knowledge about good bikes, participating in discussions would allow you to impart knowledge too!
Nine Types Of Mountain Biking
Did you know that there are nine categories that mountain biking can be split into? Each category offers the rider a different experience either as a hobby or as a sport. The different mountain bike reviews are broken down into these categories:
1. Dirt Jumping
This style of mountain biking is known for the high jumps over manmade dirt hills. While in the air, tricks are done on the bike. Six or more jumps are usually done in one run and the jumps are close together so that the biker can get a flow going with their trick riding.
2. Cross country
In this style of mountain biking, you ride your bike up and down hills. It is not the most extreme form in the mountain biking world, but most of this type of ride is in great shape due to the long rides.
3. Cyclo cross
This biking category is a cross between mountain and road biking. The riders learn how to race on and off the course, ride obstacles, and go through rivers.
4. Downhill Biking
Racing downhill the fastest is the goal of downhill mountain bikers. The name of the game is extreme and intense riding, to help give the riders maximum excitement and thrills.
5. BMX
This style of mountain biking uses 20-inch wheels. You can very commonly see this kind of bikes at skate parks or areas with dirt jumps. These BMX bikes are made for performing tricks and doing stunts because they have a shorter wheel base and smaller wheels.
6. Trials
The bicycles used in trials do not look anything like mountain bikes. They have 20 or 26-inch wheels and they have smaller, lower frames than mountain bikes. In trials, riders jump their bikes over different obstacles. This kind of biking takes a great deal of practice, focus, and balance.
7. Freeride Biking
This type of mountain biking involves finding a path down the side of the mountain where you can use all of the terrain to do tricks, stunts, etc. This is a very popular competition, because the riders can express themselves.
8. Street and Urban Biking
Manmade obstacles, ledges, and other urban areas are what this type of biking revolves around. They will do great stunts and tricks on these manmade items, too, including grinds and stalls.
9. Single Speed
This kind of biking is done on a bicycle with only one gear and few other components. This is not to be confused with a fixed gear bicycle. The basis behind this kind of biking is simplicity. This helps the pedaling to be more efficient and the bicycle is lighter and has fewer problems mechanically.
Mountain Bike Reviews – Finding a Trustworthy Source
When you are ready to purchase a mountain bike, if you are like most mountain bikers, you start reading mountain bike reviews. You may have found, however, that not all mountain bike reviews are accurate - or even honest! The fact of the matter is that some dealers and even manufacturers actually pay people to write good reviews - of bikes that the reviewer has never even had the opportunity to ride!
There are countless sites that carry reviews of various mountain bikes. Some of the sites are very dependable and others simply cannot be counted on. It's hard for the average mountain biker to know who to believe - beginner bikers who have yet to make their first mountain bike purchase don't stand a chance!
If you are looking for reviews, stick to the sites and publications that can be counted on for accurate and valuable information. Most print publications have accurate reviews. When reading one of these reviews, it is important to look on the edges of the page for very tiny print that says ‘advertisement.' If you see that, you can be sure that this is not a real review you are reading. It is an advertisement disguised as a review. Its purpose is to get you to buy the bike - not to point out both the pros and the cons! Move on!
When looking for reviews online, stick to the better known online magazines such as Singletrack, GearHead, Mountain Bike Review, and Mountain Bike. These are the online magazines that will give you the most accurate information in terms of reviews. You will also find the latest mountain biking news, as well as quite a bit of information on races and trails. These four websites are vitally important to serious bikers.
Of course the best reviews are the ones that you get from other bikers, in person. When you see a mountain biker on the trail riding a bike that you are interested in, take the time to talk to them. Tell them that you are planning to purchase that particular bike, and ask them what they like about it, and what they don't like. Find groups of mountain bikers in the parks, and try to talk to them when they are taking a break. This way, you won't be interfering with their ride, and you can get several different ‘in person' reviews.
Ask as many questions as you possibly can - but try not to keep irritate them by keeping them from enjoying their ride. After speaking with them - or before - sit back and watch them ride. You aren't watching their technique - although that may be interesting - what you want to watch for is how well the bike handles. Seeing the bike in action is the second best review that you can possibly have - the first best review you can get is your very own review!
As your interest in a particular bike grows, you will want to try one out for yourself. You can test ride bikes that are for sale in bike shops, but you can't really put them through the motions well enough in a ‘test ride' situation to learn what you need to know. Your best option is to test ride a friend's bike. Take it out for a day, and see what it can do in relation to what you can do with it. Give it a great workout, and by the end of the day, you will know enough about the bike to write your very own review.
Do your part in the mountain biking community by contributing your own reviews to the websites that allow consumers to submit mountain bike reviews. Be clear in your writing, and honest in your opinions. Make sure that you have your facts straight, and be sure that you distinguish between opinion and fact! You will be doing many other mountain bikers a huge favor by submitting your honest - and accurate - mountain bike review!