How to buy a trail bike!

Buying a trail bike can be a daunting task. There are just so many options from wheel size, suspension travel, frame material and don't even get us started on spec! 

So heres a little insight into how we go about finding the right trail bike for you.

What is a trail bike?

Lets start by figuring out what a trail bike actually is.

For us trail bikes are the purest form of mountain biking. Pedal it up that tech trail, find some loamy corners, hit some jumps, grind out the miles. All out in nature, enjoying the ride. You know, mountain biking!

However these bikes are more capable than you think and heres where the lines blur a little.

With super high tech carbon frames, advanced suspension systems, adjustable geometry and grippy tyres all of sudden your weekend pedaler is able to hold its own at the bike park, enduro race or even a gnarly DH track (maybe).

Granted you will be less competitive at the DH race but that depends on the track and you'll be surprised how fast you can go on a 150mm trail bike down the Gnar! 

So how do you choose the right bike?

The very first thing is being honest with where you ride the most i.e what you want the bike for and then unfortunately, we need to talk money.

These two factors will determine what bikes we will discuss with you in store. If you're not sure then I guess we will grab a coffee and show you everything! 

For instance if you want a bike to ride around your local woods but also race the Welsh enduro race series but you also have a decent budget it might be worth looking at two separate bikes. A trail bike and an enduro race bike?! 

If your budget is more modest then we need to find a bike that best suits most of your needs but there will be some compromise.

Luckily for you the compromises we are talking about here are negligible with pretty much all modern trail bikes being absolutely incredible bikes capable of so much more than bikes of yesteryear!

But they are not DH bikes or XC bikes or enduro bikes or dirt jump bikes but they get close! 

Why are they so good?

There are a few factors that contribute to the performance of the modern trail bike, mostly centered around general component performance just getting better over the years and its become quite hard to buy a bad bike but there are some more subtle changes that are making trail bikes better than ever! 

Geometry is probably the most important factor when looking at a bikes intended use, especially when we have bikes now that have short travel but frame geometry found on some enduro race bikes or downhill bikes, like the Santa Cruz Tallboy.

Make a change!

With most trail bikes now having adjustable geometry including head angle, bottom bracket height and chain stay length we now have the ability to change our bikes handling characteristics to suit our needs meaning you get 2 or even 3 bikes in one!

The ability to change your bikes head angle gives you control over how the steering feels, with slacker head angles giving you a slower feel to your steering aswell as giving you slightly longer wheel base and more stability at speed or when the terrain is steep.

A steeper head angle will give you more accurate or faster steering for tight twisty trails and will handle much better climbing with less side to side "flop" but will be harder to handle downhill.

On some bikes like the Specialized Stumpjumper you have a middle setting giving you the best of those two extreme options. 

A lower BB height gives you a better centre of gravity which is great for cornering and descending but isnt ideal for climbing and can lead to your hitting your pedals on the ground on technical climbs especially. 

Longer chain stays give you more stability at speed and more control over the rear wheel but can make the bike less maneuverable.

So which setting?

All of this means your trail bike can cope with the very roughest, fastest alpine trails you can throw at it but will also perform well on a 60k XC loop.

For anyone prioritising downhill performance we would set the BB height in low and set the head angle in slack.

For those looking for trail speed and pedal efficiency a high BB and steep head angle will be better suited.

And of course you can always experiment with a combination of settings and find what works for you but do consider a bike with angle adjustment if you want to get the maximum bang for your buck.

Lets talk wheel size!

Simple one this one! If you want to go as fast as possible the 29" wheel is the one. However if you start jumping doing drops or you are below 5'10 then 29ers might not be the ideal choice.

Mixed wheel size bikes turn better, are lighter and more agile and feel way better to jump and if you're feeling "shready" you wont hit your bum on the rear wheel when you racer squash off that 8ft step down. Which is quite a real issue out on the trail.

A fair amount of the trail bikes we sell can be used with either 29 or 27.5 wheels so if you are unsure its yet another thing to consider experimenting with! 

Does bike spec matter?

The real answer is yes but also no. If you want the ultimate performance gains from your new bike then, yes, absolutely spec matters and you will feel the difference between a entry level spec and a 10k hyper bike.

However, there are some key components to concentrate on when looking at a new bike to get the most performance for you cash.

Tyres - Tyres dictate almost everything about how the bike feels and performs. Consider changing the stock tyres on your new bike to something that better suits your needs. More grip? lighter? faster rolling?!

Suspension - Suspension is the next best thing to focus on. Try to get the best suspension system you can afford as it pays dividends on the trail with more comfort, Control and grip. And dont worry if it all seems very complicated, we will help you fully understand your suspension during your new bike suspension setup handover.

Brakes - Being able to control your bike well on descents is all about braking and the better your brakes are the less effort it takes for you to stop and control the bike. So no matter what brakes your new bike may have ask us about brake pad upgrade options, bigger rotors or upgraded levers and calipers.

Like we say it can be a minefield but we are here to guide you through so do get in touch if you need any help choosing your new trail bike! 

Check out our range of off the shelf trail bikes here

Cheers!