How to Pick the Right Mountain Bike for You (Part 1)
Because it takes two newsletters to drop all the knowledge I'm going to share.
Robbe Smith
July 24, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes
In today’s send I’m going to start sharing how to pick the right bike for you. This might sound simple, but it’s actually really involved. I will talk about frame and travel options to help you zero in on the right bike.
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Wheel size, which is right for me?
When trying to decide which wheel size is right for you, there are a lot of factors at play here. First off, let me explain the different options on wheel size. You have 26”, 27.5”, 29”, and MX. Each have pros, and cons, and you may need to spend some time on different setups to see what’s right for you. The larger the wheel, the easier it can roll over obsticles and hold speed. The larger wheels, tires etc. are heavier. You feel a lot of the bikes weight in the rotational weight. You will be trying to find the right mix of weight and rollover that makes the most sense for you.
26” used to be king, and now it’s dead. Some people claim 26 isn’t dead, but it really is. There are no manufacturers making a bike with 26” wheels that you would actually want to ride. With no one really making 26” bikes anymore, the replacement parts are going to be more difficult to source quality replacement parts. Here I am mostly thinking about a fork, tires and wheels. Fat bikes are about the only things still using 26” wheels.
The next wheel size option is 27.5”. While 27.5 isn’t dying, it’s not thriving either. There are some manufacturers making 27.5” bikes, there are not a ton, especially in the full suspension category. There does appear to be quite a few options for 27.5+ hardtails out there. Most of these are going to come speced with 27.5 × 2.8-3.0” tires. These are popular for a few reasons. The 27.5+ setup has a similar wheel diameter to 29”, but they are just a little shorter. If you are used to 29” wheels, you can feel the difference in certain scenarios. I don’t see replacement parts being an issue here at least for the immediate future.
The next wheel size option, and in my opinion the best one, is 29” wheels. I got my first 29er in 2005, and I haven’t looked back since. I have explored different options, and I always come back to 29. I have tried 26” fat bikes, 27.5 fat bikes, 29+, and 27.5+, and I always find I come back to 29”. Compared to the smaller wheel options they have better roll over, and they carry and hold speed better. There is a reason the majority of people at everything from a local XC race, to World Cup downhill ride 29” wheels. You don’t need to be a racer to appreciate them. There will never be any issues with replacement parts.
The last option I will get into is MX, mixed or mullet. MX, mixed, or mullet all equal one thing. A MX bike will use 29” front wheel, and a 27.5” rear wheel. The MX category is exploding right now. 90% of the bikes that used to be 27.5 full are now MX. There are also tons of full 29” bikes that can now be run with a 27.5” rear wheel as an option. These are popular because they have the rollover ability of a 29”, and they have the light weight flickability of smaller rear wheel. Although I don’t think I would ever own one, I can understand the appeal to some riders.
Bike I’m Eyeing: Stumpjumper 15
Here’s why…..this bike claims to be a do everything bike from local XC miles to laps at the bike park. It does sit pretty much in the middle of where my two current full suspension bikes sit. Can it really be two bikes in one? The Genie shock looks awesome too. As of now it’s only available on this bike. It looks like the Fox answer to the RockShox Vivid shock. It’s a dual air can shock that will have the small bump compliance of a coil. As the shock moves through it’s travel it covers the valves to the larger air cavity offering great bottom out support. Some of them are coming speced with the new SRAM Maven brake. Honestly it seems like an odd choice for this bike, It’s more brake than the bike needs. Another interesting thing about this bike is not a feature, but rather something it’s missing. There is no cable port for a wired rear derailleur. Currently you can only us a SRAM T-type drivetrain. I thing this means a Shimano wireless system is coming out soonish.
How to choose the right frame material.
Choosing frame material can be a bit overwhelming at first. There are lots of options that all have their pros and cons. I will go over each one below. The ride characteristics are based on personal experiences.
I want to talk a little about metal tubes used to make metal frames. You will hear about frames being double butted, triple butted etc. Double butted means that the tube wall is half as thick in the center of tube. Conversely, it can be said that the tubes are double the thickness at the ends of the tubes. Double butting allows the tubes to be lighter without sacrificing strength. In some frame materials double butting equals a more compliant frame. Generally speaking a double butted frame will cost more because of more involved manufacturing.
First I will talk about steel since it’s been around the longest. Since it’s been around the longest, there are some misconceptions about it. Some people mistakenly believe that steel equals heavy and indestructible. Steel is heavier than most other frame materials. While that is true, it’s only a little heavier than the other options, and it has a ride quality that’s hard to beat. I have a 35 year old Trek road bike that was handmade in Waterloo Wisconsin that is still being ridden today. It’s been my commuter for the last few years, and it has the magic carpet feel of steel. Steel is a fairly compliant material. That means that it moves and flexes under you without bending which in turn can smooth out some of the trail chatter you can feel while riding. Most of the larger manufacturers no longer make a steel frame. It’s being kept alive by some of the smaller and mid-sized bike companies out there. Here is a list of some of the manufactures still making steel frames. Surly, Transition, Canfield, Marin, RSD, Stanton, Chumba, Vassago, Kona, Chromag, and Niner. I am sure there are others I am missing,
The next option is aluminum. It’s the most common one out there next to carbon. Aluminum is reasonably light, but it’s also really stiff. Even double butted or hydroformed tubes are stiff. Once they are welded together they are stiff. I didn’t mention hydroforming above when talking about tubes since it is specific to aluminum on the world of bikes. Hydroforming allows manufacturers to make carbon like shapes out of round aluminum tubes without loosing any strength. Almost all the aluminum frames out there today are hydroformed. All of these factors together make a lighter stiffer frame. While this is good for power transfer, it can lead to a jarring ride from a hardtail frame. In the world of full suspension frames the stiffness of aluminum is a welcomed attribute.
The last metal frame option is titanium. Titanium(or ti as it’s commonly called) is frequently referred to magic metal because it’s as light or lighter than aluminum and as compliant if not more than steel. These claims are true in my experience. A ti RSD Middle Child was the best riding hardtail I have ever ridden. It was smooth, comfortable, and it still felt stiff when up out of the saddle climbing. The only real con of ti is the price. A ti hardtail frame will start around $1700 and can go up to $4000+
The final option is carbon. Carbon is similar to ti in that it’s magic, but even more so than ti. When carbon is made correctly it can be better then almost any other frame material. Carbon can be manipulated in ways that metal simply can’t be. The end result is a frame that is stiff where it needs to be stiff, and compliant where it needs to be compliant. It will always be lighter than the same frame made out of any metal option. All of this magic comes with a hefty price tag similar to ti.
Where are you on your mountain biking journey |
What I’m reading this week
My favorite trail tools
The recommendations below include affiliate links, if you make a purchase I’ll receive a very small commission.
Great tool for breaking a powerlink. You can also store 2 pwoerlinks held in place with magnets. They also have a tire lever built in.  | Great compact trail pump.  | Prestacycle Bike Pocket Ratchet w/8 Bit Sizes inside handle. This is a great tool for a quick trailside trail.  |
Video of the week
Eastern States Cup Showdown #3 - Thunder Mountain, MA
ESC puts on a great race. I have done a number of their downhill and enduro races, and they are always well run and fun. It’s nice to see they finally are having some mud free racing
Check out the Pinkbike recap.
