Oct 16, 2008 08:12 AM
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If you don’t have a bike and thinking about getting one but couldn’t decide which is the proper one, now it is time to decide what kind of biking you plan to do. Would you like to take a relaxing ride or go on riding through the red rocks of southern Utah? By deciding now how the bike will be used, you’ll be able to buy the bike best suited to your purpose.
There are two types of bikes. One is 28-inch-tire mountain-touring bike and the other is 26-inch traditional mountain bike.
28-inch touring bike is low-impact mountain bike, designed for riding on paved or smooth dirt roads or camp-ground trails. You can ride on roads in national forests and parks, gentle trails and dirt roads. If you’d like to bike and camp but you’re not up to hard and bumpy terrain, touring is the way go and you might consider a mountain-touring bike.
Another feature of the 28-inch touring bike is the larger seat, with a lot of padding. If you want ultra comfort, order your bike with a bigger seat with springs.
26-inch mountain bikes are smaller than touring bikes and more suited to harsh surfaces. The wheels are smaller and the fork is straighter to provide a better steering response. They are often sold with suspension which is great for ironing out all the bumps. So if you prefer riding through forests on isolated deer trails or riding on bumpy surfaces, you may consider 26-inch mountain bikes.
Once you’ve decided the type of mountain bike, go to local bike shop and take a test ride. After you narrowed your choices, ask the clerk if you can take the bike out and ride it. Is the seat too hard, too narrow or just right? How does the bike steer? Does it seem to turn too fast, too slow? Do you feel well balanced? After you’ve spent some time riding several different bikes, buy the bike that feels the most natural to you.
