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Adult NEW Bicycle Purchase Guide (for the layperson)

This guide is limited to entry-level mountain bikes from bicycle shops. This guide might be a complete bore for the bike mechanic or hobbyist. Nothing here about 12-speed cassettes, tubeless tires, through-axles or carbon frames.


This guide is aimed mostly at adults who are beginners at mountain biking. I say adult here because this bike will be a bit of an investment; usually purchased from your local bike shop, and NOT from a department store. Something nice that will be treated by an adult with respect.


Please have a read (before heading to your local bike shop) if you are new to the sport. A Local bike shop should allow you to feel the bike, see if fits you and test-ride it in the lot.




Here are some of the terminology you should be familiar with before heading over to your local bike shop:

  • MTB: Acronym for Mountain bike and/or mountain biking.
  • Hardtail: Mountain bicycle with only the front fork offering suspension (shock absorbers). Lighter, simpler and less expensive, than full-suspension. Good for beginners. Good for uphills.
  • Full suspension / Dual suspension: Mountain bicycle with both front and back suspension. Good for rolling over obstacles downhill faster, a little heavier on the uphill, and a little more complex to maintain (you have two suspension components to worry about instead of one). People with back issues may also want to consider a full suspension bike.
  • 29er: Mountain bicycle with 29 inch wheels. Common adult bicycle wheel (and tire) sizes in North America are 26in, 27.5in, 29in. More on those differences later on this page.
  • Alloy, Chromoly, Stainless: In bike marketing, those words are used instead of "steel", but it's still steel. Steel is heavier than aluminum.
  • Wheel: This seems a bit obvious, but needs to be mentioned sometimes: WHEEL (the metal/carbon part with the rim, hub and spokes) and TIRE (the rubber part) are two different parts that come together. They are not interchangeable terms.
  • One-by: The bicycle chain goes around front cogs and rear cogs. a "one-by" (1x) is a single front chainring/cog on the front (as opposed to 2 or 3 chainrings on the front of lower-end bikes). Reduces complexity by having only one derailleur to worry about, but the chain needs to be replaced sooner than with 3x drivetrains. Definitely need to purchase a good chain checker for such drivetrains.
  • Travel: The amount of distance the suspension will move/compress before it is fully compressed.
  • Lockout: The ability to disable the shock absorbency of suspension (for example if you will be using your mountain bike on smooth/paved road for longer distances; the shock absorbency does take away a little bit of the energy that you spend pedalling).
  • Derailleur: The part of the bike that makes the chain switch through the different cogs/chainrings.
  • Derailleur hanger: This is a part (highlighted HERE in yellow, and with Allen keys to show how it can be disassembled) between the derailleur and the frame. It is attached through a recess in the frame. If the derailleur has any hard impact, the hanger is designed to take the damage, as opposed to your derailleur or your expensive frame. The hanger is a part that can be purchased separately if you need a new one (or a spare just in case), but the shape is very bike-specific. Usually you have to bring the broken hanger to your local bike shop and they can help you out, or if you are pretty sure you found an EXACT match online for your bike, you can take a chance at ordering it there.
    HERE is an example of an old derailleur that is attached directly to the frame with no separate hanger to disassemble.
  • Geometry: Measurements between bicycle models of similar types that alter a bicycle's shape, size/fit, handling, rider posture, etc. just enough to end up in different subcategories. Read this guide for an in-depth explanation.
  • Singletrack: (MORE INFO) A trail that is the width of a single bike/pedestrian. Mountain bike singletrack will have some obstacles like tree roots, logs, and/or rocks along the way.
  • Doubletrack: (EXAMPLE) Road with greenery/growth in the middle but two dirt/gravel ruts for four-wheeled vehicles like trucks or All-terrain vehicles. Two bike riders can ride side-by-side. In bicycle races, these are used to give racers the opportunity to pass slower riders.
  • Rail trail: (EXAMPLE) Formerly a railway, but now converted into a narrow dirt (or very fine stone) road for recreational use. Two bicycles can ride side by side.
  • Fire road: This varies. Essentially a dirt or gravel road with no growth in the middle. Can fit one or two cars/trucks side by side, or only an ATV.



Before continuing, you should confirm that a mountain bike is really for you. I say this because there were eras where everyone wanted a BMX, then everyone wanted a mountain bike (for its versatility even though all those casual riders would do is ride pavement, rail trails, fire roads or doubletrack), but now there are even more types of bikes at your disposal, and many of them can go on trails (as long as it's not singletrack), so it essentially boils down to "are you going to do any real mountain biking on singletrack?" or "do you need a versatile bike that can go on almost any terrain (at the possible cost of weight and comfort)?" or "are you only going to ride the bike in the city?" or other questions you should ask yourself.

Some people like how mountain bikes LOOK as opposed to other types of bikes, so perhaps looks are also a factor for you. I just want you to make an informed decision.

Here is a quick breakdown of the different categories of bikes:

  • BMX/Trials/DirtJumper: Mostly for doing tricks/stunts. More for a city or bike park/skate park setting and not good for long distances.
  • Cruiser: I am lumping Cruiser/Dutch/Amsterdam bikes here. They have a comfortable seat, wide tires, and offer a comfortable upright posture thanks to handlebars that curve toward you. Might also have mudguards and/or rear rack. Usually for city/pavement, but you could use those for fire trails, rail trails, and doubletrack too if they are NOT singlespeed.
  • Road: Only for pavement. Aggressive aerodynamic posture. Lightest bike but very narrow tires with little to no tread. No shock absorbers. Many subcategories of this but this is outside of the scope of this page.
  • Gravel: Like a road bike (no suspension, drop bars), but slightly wider tires with treads. Heavier too because the frame needs to endure the terrain. Will ride on doubletrack, rail trail, fire roads, gravel.
  • Cyclocross (CX): Like a gravel bike but with internal cable routing (making the bike easier to carry on your shoulder through unrideable obstacles or the hurdles of an actual cyclocross course), more aggressive tires (for cornering on mud/soil and wet grass), and usually disc brakes.
  • Hybrid/City: Very vague category. It can be look like either a cruiser or a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike, with horizontal mountain-bike-like handlebars, narrower tires and (depending on brand) offer front suspension with a tiny amount of travel (with a disclaimer on the shock absorber explicitly discouraging the use for mountain biking with it; also no lockout function). Seat comfort and rider posture will vary. Just like a cruiser, it will go on fire roads, rail trail, and doubletrack, but it's designed for city/commuter use.
  • Mountain: Versatile. Will go on almost any terrain (for snow/ice you might need studded tires) but without the weight of a fat bike. Mountain bikes are designed to be fun on singletrack. They will have either front-only suspension or front/rear suspension.
  • Fat bike: Will go on any terrain (ex: beach sand, even mud/snow), but you will have to carry the extra weight of those fat tires. The low-pressure, wide tire is by itself a shock absorber, so often you will find these without suspension components. The higher the price, the lighter the tire compound, frame, components will be, along with the latest updates in geometry for that subcategory and/or weight-saving frame innovations.

There are more categories such as folding bikes (and others) but it's out of the scope of this guide at this time.




If you are reading this, I assume you still have an interest on purchasing a mountain bike. Here are the sub-categories of mountain bikes you may see at your local bike shop (from (usually) lightest to heaviest):

  • Cross-Country (XC) bike: Lightest bike type; usually hardtail, with little suspension travel, but still designed for racing. Tires with low-rolling resistance (but not as grippy). People with back issues who are not going into really rough trails may consider a full-suspension cross-country bike.
    Do not confuse XC (cross-country) with CX (cyclocross), which is another cycling discipline outside of the mountain biking realm.
  • Trail bike: Good all-rounder bike. **THIS IS THE USUAL BIKE TYPE FOR BEGINNERS**
  • All mountain (also known as Enduro): Heavier; heavy-duty race components.
  • Downhill: Super tough (and heaviest); only for downhill courses (to go down with) and the chairlifts (to go up with) of those downhill courses (usually the summer operation of a ski hill).



The following are must-haves for your first "real" mountain bike:
(Check each checkbox as you complete each task)

  • Type / Subcategory:

  • Frame:

  • Suspension:


  • Size: Size is a combination of wheel size, bicycle size, and geometry



  • Drivetrain:





  • Wheel-related:


  • Handlebar-related:

  • Bonus points (optional):












There is noone stopping you, but there are many reasons those bikes are cheap.

  • The bike and its componentry will be heavier, not as reliable, and at least 10 years behind the times. One example will be the seatpost adjustment done with two nuts (not multitool-friendly, and difficult to make the seat level laterally (both glutes getting equal pressure) during adjustment) instead of the easier-to-adjust two-bolt design found on modern bikes.
  • Getting a freewheel (instead of a cassette) for the rear cogs on a department store bike could lead to a rear wobble at the cogs because a freewheel is treaded directly to the hub, and manufacturers of department store bikes may not have well-centered treading on their wheel hubs. This may lead to poor gear shifting.
  • The assembly at the store is usually horrible (sometimes accident-inducing because it's done by not-appropriately-trained personnel), and corners are cut.
  • You may get non-sealed bearing bottom brackets (which require periodic repacking of bearings due to exposure to the elements).
  • Department store bikes' resale value is low compared to most brands found at your local bike shop.
  • Budget bikes may be listed as "Aluminium", but in reality, the frame is aluminum and others (ex: fork, handlebar, stem, saddle post/rails, pedal cranks, spokes, even rims) would be heavy, prone-to-rust steel (as much as 1/3 or 1/2 of the bike). Do the magnet test. Aluminum will not attract the magnet, but do not use too strong a magnet otherwise a steel part underneath the aluminum part may skew your results (ex: steel tire bead under aluminun rim; steel bolts fastering aluminum parts; steel brake cable and housing under aluminum shifter)

Example 1: HERE is a recently-restored department store bike (branding removed) purchased back around 2006 (its price was reduced to clear the old inventory) sold as a "mountain bike" that has technology from the 1990s. Only suitable for pavement, doubletrack, and fire trails.. I recall seeing one person ride such a bike in a real MTB trail (roots, rocks and all), but it was at that person's own risk. Put some skinnier tires on that and you could have a heavy (steel frame) hybrid/city bike instead (one that would not be a huge deal if it were stolen).


By going to a local bicycle shop, you will also be supporting a small business instead of a big box store, and leverage their experience and expertise.

But for children who are going to throw the bike around (especially dropping the bike on the side that has the derailleur) and not do real mountain biking anyway, I understand and will not judge you for going the department store route. :-)




While you purchase your bike, here are some things not to forget if you don't have those already:

  • Bicycle helmet (especially if you are doing real mountain biking)
  • Floor pump with gauge
  • Saddle bag and spare tube, multitool, etc. More info HERE
  • Cycling shorts with chamois padding. Use those instead of padded seat covers.
  • Hydration device: both common hydration devices listed below have their pros and cons
    • A water bottle holder is light on a bike, but a bottle will hold a limited amount of water, and a bottle can often drop off of your bike on rough terrain (it is not uncommon during races to see lost water bottles all over the racetrack on a particularly rough section).
    • A hydration pack holds more liquid than a water bottle, is easier to drink when you ride, and can often carry other things, but is bulkier, can be warmer on your back, and requires more effort to clean and dry.
    • For those who do not like the feel of a hydration backpack on their back on a warm day, there are also hip/waist/bum hydration packs from EVOC, CamelBak, Osprey, and many other brands.
  • Bell: This may be considered a strike against your ego or street cred, but a bell comes in handy to signal your presence on two-way trails where you cannot see who may be coming fast in the other direction around the corner. A bell may also be required by law in urban areas. There are small (but still loud enough) bells that blend in on your bikes's handlebars if it's the same color.
  • Gloves: These will help prevent blisters on fingers when mountain biking. You can also use fingerless gloves if you do not like the feel of gloves. Some cycling gloves also have touchscreen-friendly fingertips.

On the other hand, here are things you DO NOT NEED:

  • Kickstand (Click HERE for a skills guide with more information)
  • Padded seat covers. In fact, those will interfere with your ability to move your weight around which is essential when you do mountain biking. Use cycling shorts (with chamois padding) instead.



Click HERE for a list of skills you would need to learn as the owner of a new entry-level mountain bike.