Starting the conversation on which mountain bike is right for you can lead to serious indecision and confusion. XC, Enduro, Downhill, 29er, 27.5, Plus wheel sizing, Boost, carbon, aluminum arggghhhh! Not only are you dealing with the variety of brands, models and wheel sizes in each sub-discipline of off road cycling, you’ve got to figure out how much money to spend!

A frequent question people ask when considering a new bike purchase is how much they should spend. That’s a significant consideration since there is such a broad spectrum in pricing. Really the first place to start is by understanding which bike is going to best meet the demands of your preferred style of riding as well as properly sizing the bike.

What is your favorite terrain when you’re on the bike? Do you spend more time shuttling to the top of your favorite technical descent? Or do you enjoy the hour long winding singletrack climb? These are some of the first questions to answer. Within each MTB type there is a broad range of pricing, from entry level ~$1K on up towards the $10K+ range.

Once you’ve decided your favored discipline it’s time to start thinking about the looming price tag decision and where to focus your budget. Regardless of price, however, is making sure you take time to understand which size is right for you. A bike that is too big will leave you searching for the right balance front to back while descending. On the other end, a bike with too little reach to the bars or that won’t accommodate your leg extension.

Keep an eye out for future installments regarding bike selection. We’ll talk to a variety of riders to find out why they made their particular bike selection.

Get out and ride!

Dave