The mountain bike buyer’s guide

Looking to hit the trails, but don’t know where to start? There are a lot of different ways to ride off-road, and we’re here to help you choose the right mountain bike for however and wherever you want to ride. From traditional to electric mountain bikes and cross-country to downhill, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to find your perfect ride.

When you’re trying to choose which mountain bike to saddle up on, start by asking yourself where and how you want to ride. Whether you want to cruise on smooth, easy trails with the family, challenge yourself on rocky, technical terrain, hit jumps in the bike park, or hammer up climbs with maximum efficiency, there’s a style of mountain bike designed for you.  

Your local terrain and riding style will determine what’s juuuuuust right for you.  

If you walk into any bike shop that carries mountain bikes, you’ll hear words like “travel,” “full suspension,” and “hardtail” thrown around left and right. These refer to the bike’s suspension, or shock system, whether it has a suspension fork or shock,and how much suspension there is. 

Mountain bikes are broken down into different categories determined by the style of terrain where they’re designed to excel. Here, we’ll outline the different styles of mountain bikes, and which bikes fall into each category.

Cross-country (XC) mountain bikes deliver efficient pedaling and quick handling. They’re lighter than other types of mountain bikes, with parts chosen for speed, like shorter travel suspension and faster rolling tires. They are easier to pedal up climbs but take more skill to handle on rough descents. XC bikes are a great choice for racing or riding on trails without big rocks, roots, and jumps.

Trail bikes make it easier to stay in control in rough terrain, thanks to more stable handling. They’re heavier than cross-country bikes but give you more traction and comfort, thanks to longer-travel suspension and bigger tires. They’re not quite as snappy on the climbs as XC bikes, but are a whole lot more confident on descents. Trail bikes are a great place to start if you’re looking for an all-around bike that’s great for the widest variety of trails. 

What about enduro? 
Enduro bikes are longer-travel trail bikes, but what’s considered enduro or trail can differ from region to region, depending on the terrain. Because enduro and trail can be subjective, we keep the two categories combined, letting you call the shots on whether a longer- or shorter-travel trail bike is right for you.

Put the power to the pedals with electric-assist mountain bikes. E-MTBs have a small that givesW you a boost as you pedal, so you can ride farther and explore more. Whether you’re an XC or trail rider, e-MTBs give you more of everything you love about mountain biking. Start here if you want extra pep in your pedals.

Fat tire bikes let you ride over looser terrain, like snow and sand. Their extra-wide tires give you tank-like traction and supremely stable handling. They are harder to pedal than bikes with standard tires, but you’re trading efficiency for go-anywhere-anytime versatility. Start here if you want a bike that goes where others can’t.

Built to let gravity take hold. Downhill bikes come as both long-travel rides for taking on the steepest, gnarliest terrain, and short travel whips for dirt jumps and slopestyle. No matter the suspension, one thing all downhill bikes have in common is that they’re made for keeping pedaling at a minimum and letting gravity do its trick. Only start with a downhill bike if you plan to use a chairlift or shuttle truck to get to the top of the trail.

Every Trek mountain bike comes with a carefully selected combination of parts – gears, crankset, chain, and derailleur – known collectively as a drivetrain. Within each bike family, as the model numbers go up, the drivetrains get lighter, smoother, more precise, and come with a greater number of gears. Higher-level drivetrains also offer more ways to adjust shifting ergonomics and often last longer, because they can be serviced, rather than replaced, as parts wear out. Trek mountain bikes come with SRAM or Shimano drivetrains. Each company makes incredible components with their own benefits to suit how you like to ride. 

The best rides start with a dialed setup — and that means you and your bike. Be ready for anything with a pump, tire repair plugs, and multi-tool for trailside fixes, and get styled head-to-toe with a helmet, shoes, gloves, pads, and a hip pack for tools and hydration.