How to choose a mountain bike according to your needs

Before we even approach the answer to this question, we need to answer another one – do we need a mountain bike, or perhaps one of the other types would be more suitable for us? The bicycle brands we offer stand out with a variety of models, allowing customers to choose between mountain, road, city, touring, children's, and other types of bikes. The Bulgarian manufacturer Drag is a pioneer in many areas and offers the largest assortment, including fatbikes, BMX, electric bikes (e-bikes), and more. If you prefer luxury Western brands, you will find products from KTM, NS Bikes, and Banshee with us – proven market leaders. Alongside these, we also offer more unconventional bikes such as the folding city models from Tern or the stylish bikes from Creme.

As the name mountain bike suggests, it is designed for riding on rough terrain. Therefore, it makes sense to choose one only if you intend to ride for that purpose. No matter how versatile a mountain bike is, it is not the most suitable vehicle for the city, even less so for the road, and it is usually expensive enough that you wouldn’t want to risk it being stolen when left unattended. However, if you want to ride on dirt roads and mountain trails, there is no better vehicle for the purpose than the mountain bikes offered at DragZone.bg.

Okay, but what kind of mountain bike exactly? The variety in this category is huge – both in types/purposes and in price/equipment. This results from the different things people seek and find in mountain biking. Some see it as light nature rides, others climb almost inaccessible peaks and descend the most difficult trails from them, some focus entirely on adrenaline and ride fast and technical downhill tracks, ascending by lift, others choose sports achievements and physical exertion, covering tens of kilometers a day with many climbs and descents, and some have fun within the city using special jumps (dirt jump) or urban elements as obstacles (street trials). For all these people and types of riding, there are specialized mountain bikes characterized by certain features. Therefore, we will try to answer a series of questions to guide you in the right direction.
What are the main types of bicycles?

There are many possible classifications, but here we will divide them based on purpose into the following types:

Cross-Country (XC) Bikes

Light bikes with suspension travel up to 100-120 mm, equipped with a wide range of gears, allowing self-powered movement both uphill and downhill. Their geometry and equipment are optimized for more sporty or recreational riding on light to moderately difficult terrain, with an emphasis on maintaining a high average speed and ease of climbing, without neglecting their downhill capabilities.

All Mountain (AM) / Trail Bikes

Light bikes with a wide range of gears but with greater suspension travel (130-150 mm) and thicker tires. They are optimized for riding on technical and more difficult terrain but aim to maintain as much ease of movement as possible, including uphill. From a geometry perspective, they offer the most balanced approach between climbing and descending parameters. Low weight is extremely important but usually leads to a higher price.

Enduro Bikes

They are close relatives of AM bikes but have even greater suspension travel (150-180 mm) and geometry primarily focused on descending. The same applies to their equipment, although their gear always allows climbing under your own power even to the highest points. Unlike the first two groups, enduro bikes are heavier, with thicker and more aggressive tires, so they are not suited for long rides or high average speeds. However, when the slope is downhill, you can ride almost anywhere with them.

Downhill (DH) / Freeride (FR) Bikes

This type of mountain bike is designed solely for riding downhill on the most difficult, steep, and technical tracks and terrain. Their drivetrain has a limited number of gears, suspension has long travel (180-220 mm), tires are thick with aggressive tread, brakes are powerful, and weight is high compared to all other types. The geometry is also fully optimized for descending and is uncomfortable for any other type of riding. Strength and durability are among their main qualities.

4X, Slopestyle, Dirt Jump, Street, Trials Bikes

These are specific bikes for particular sports disciplines and/or types of riding. We won’t go into detail here, but it’s good to know they exist.

Whenever we talked about suspension so far, we meant both front (suspension fork) and rear (rear shock) suspension. This brings us to the next question:

Should we choose a hardtail bike or a full suspension bike?

First of all, this depends on the price you are willing to pay. If you are looking for a cheaper bike, it is most reasonable to go for a hardtail. It is easiest to achieve a good combination of low weight, decent equipment, and acceptable price with them. Full suspension bikes, at a similar equipment level, are generally heavier and more expensive than hardtails, and if you want a high-end full suspension bike with low weight, you need to set aside a substantial amount.

On the other hand, for some types of riding, such as downhill and enduro, full suspension is a must, although it cannot fully replace the rider’s skills. In general, rear suspension provides more comfort and better control on very rough terrain, which is why it is the preferred choice for most riders once they advance enough to ride at higher speeds on difficult and technical trails. However, there are also staunch supporters of the hardtail who love the direct feel of the terrain under the tires, even when riding downhill only.

What wheel size should we choose?

26, 27.5, 29... these are the current standards for mountain bike wheel sizes, with the first becoming increasingly rare on new bikes. Each has advantages and disadvantages that could fill a separate article, but to summarize:

The taller the rider, the more comfortable larger wheels will be. Therefore, for people over 180 cm tall, 29-inch bikes are the best choice for most types of riding. They are also preferred by cross-country riders regardless of height because they provide light bikes with more stability on descents, better obstacle clearance, and maintain good speed on flat terrain. On the other hand, in some situations, large wheels are less maneuverable, harder to accelerate, and objectively cannot be as strong and stiff as smaller sizes, so for disciplines like enduro, downhill, and freeride, 27.5-inch bikes are more suitable.

What frame size should we choose?

This is a question of primary importance. Each manufacturer offers their models in different sizes, with the specific size chosen mainly based on the rider’s height but also somewhat according to personal preferences. Size is most often determined by the length of the seat tube (from the bottom bracket to its edge), but other parameters like the top tube length are directly related. It is good to check the manufacturer’s data for each size, as they usually indicate the suitable height range, but as general guidelines, frames sized XS and S (14-16 inches / 35-40 cm) are suitable for people 150-170 cm tall, M (17-18 inches / 41-46 cm) for people 170-180 cm tall, and for taller people, the bikes come in sizes L and XL (19-22 inches / 48-55 cm).

What material should the frame be made of?

This is also a broad topic, but let’s try to summarize briefly. Most entry-level and mid-range bikes have frames made of aluminum alloys, as the production technologies are most accessible and provide an acceptable balance between price, weight, and strength. In the high-end segment, carbon is increasingly used, i.e., composite materials made of carbon fibers and high-quality resins, which are very strong and very light but also much more expensive. Titanium alloys and various types of steel are also used but much more limitedly.

What advice can we give as a summary of the topic?

If you prefer recreational bike touring or are taking your first steps in mountain biking, i.e., riding on pleasant dirt roads and easy trails without serious climbs and descents, without chasing sports achievements or high speed, the most suitable bike is usually a hardtail with a suspension fork of 100-120 mm travel. Taller riders should choose a model with 29-inch wheels, shorter riders will feel comfortable with 27.5-inch wheels. Most hardtail bikes from Drag are perfect for this purpose. If you are ready to spend more money, then a relatively light XC or AM full suspension bike would make rides more comfortable. Examples include the KTM Lycan and Banshee Prime.

If you practice sport-oriented XC riding, i.e., riding long distances with solid climbs and aiming for a high average speed, the choice is again between a light hardtail or a full suspension bike. Here the price difference between the two types is usually significant, so you will most often choose according to your budget. In any case, you need a maximally light and pedaling-efficient mountain bike, most often with 29-inch wheels. As an example, we can again mention Drag’s hardtails, especially models with carbon frames and higher-class equipment. Don’t miss KTM bikes from the Scarp and Ultra series.

If you love All Mountain and enduro riding, which means climbing under your own power but without rushing, and descending technical and difficult trails, seeing them as the most important and enjoyable part of riding, and occasionally riding bike park tracks, then in almost all cases you need a full suspension bike with geometry suitable for the purpose. We can recommend models like NS Bikes Snabb, Banshee Rune, Banshee Spitfire, and others. Whether you choose more or less travel, a lighter or heavier bike depends on how much importance you give to descending versus climbing. Of course, in this category, you can also opt for a hardtail with good geometry and a longer travel fork, especially if you have a limited budget – such are the NS Eccentric models.

If the only thing you love to do is ride downhill at high speed on difficult bike park tracks, the right choice is a DH bike with long suspension travel and appropriate equipment. The Drag Kink is an example of a good and affordable bike of this type, and in the high-end segment, it’s hard to resist frames like the Banshee Legend and Banshee.

For more specific types of riding, as mentioned earlier, there are corresponding special bikes, which you can also find at DragZone.bg.

Thanks for the advice to Lyubo Botusharov from mtb.bg