How To Pick The Right Bike

Hey there rippers!

Ever feel like your bike is slowing you down? Not enough carbon possibly? Maybe your DH bike is making it just a little harder to climb that XC hill you so enthusiastically keep attacking. Whatever and wherever you find yourself riding, picking a bike out that fits your riding style will make a world of difference. This can be a daunting task as there is an entire fleet of bikes out there, all with their own unique suspension designs and frame geometry. This is where the sport gets exciting though, because this is your steed, your jet, your racecar, your... alright I think you get the point. Sometimes you pick the bike, and sometimes the bike picks you.

This day and age is the perfect time for you to have the most fun on the trails you ride, we're in the golden age of mountain bike technology and it just keeps getting better. It's almost impossible to pick the wrong tool for the job, and if you do then you may even look that much cooler doing it. Though let's be realistic and take a look at what's out there.

Looking for a bike that can handle fast, technical lines with long climbs inevitably staring you down? Then maybe consider something like this. Cross Country bikes will help you reserve energy for all those seemingly endless climbs and still give you the satisfaction of shredding a downhill (responsibly). While XC bikes aren't the talk of the town on the downhill trails, they still offer a lot of fun on descents and can handle a lot more than what they are intended for. Keyword being intended. These bikes do a really good job of handling big days on the trails where you may find yourself doing 30 or more miles. They are usually light and nimble and provide excellent frame design to focus on getting you up climbs quickly and efficiently. While the headtube angles aren't the slackest (provides more stability on steep descents), many aggressive XC bikes exist that almost bridge the gap to trail bikes.

Photo Credit: Bikerumor

Maybe all you care about is getting up that hill anyway possible even if it means pushing 50 pounds of extra weight, all to have the greatest thrill of your life and gap that gnarly rock section your friend says is totally possible. If this is the case then maybe try out one of these. You'll feel the hyper-speed on your next downhill rip on a Downhill bike, all while feeling as comfy as on a cloud (well maybe not that comfy). DH bikes are notorious for being the "Big Sends" bikes. They usually come with large amounts of travel in the fork and shock as well as have that slack headtube angle to ensure maximum descent capabilities. While they aren't the easiest to pedal around - yeah I know your one friend can do a whole 20 miles without stopping on one -  they shine their best when you can go to a Bike Park for endless downhill laps and chill lift rides back to the top. What's better than having a machine do all the work while you sit back and talk about how sick chair lifts are to the biker who brought their e-bike?

Photo Credit: off-road.cc

Do both of these options get you riled up to climb 6,000 feet and try your might against gravity while flying at mach-chicken? Well then I have something you won't be disappointed by. This bike will get the job done and leave you grinning ear to ear no matter what trails you take it on, all while looking stylish in the process. A trail bike this day could arguably be all you need with how far they have come in terms of design and performance. Trail bikes have come a long way and offer almost a little bit of everything in their design. Providing a stellar ride anywhere you go.

Photo Credit: CANYON US

These are just a small portion of the types of bikes available these days. We also have gravel bikes for those fast descents on mountain fire-roads, enduro bikes for big adventures with plenty of adrenaline fueled steeps and rock gardens, hardtails to be the most hardcore on the trails, and e-bike variants of most of these to keep the party going when the legs don't feel like dancing. No matter what you choose you're bound to have plenty of fun with the wind at your back and the trails beckoning your attention.

Get out there and ride! And if you aren't enjoying it... then ride even more 🤘