Mountain Bicycle Frames Buying Guide
When buying a
bicycle, the bicycle frame is one of the most important things to consider. It provides the basic structure of which the rest of the parts get attached to. Usually a bike frame consists of two triangles; one acts the main frame and the other as the rear frame. But because there are so many different types of bikes, this basic structure becomes open to modification.
Mountain bicycle frames are one of the many types of framesets out in the market.
What To Consider
* Because mountain bikes handle rough surfaces, the bike frames are built low. This is to prevent you from landing on the cross bar.
* On average, they are 3 inches smaller than road bike frames.
* To ensure comfort, when holding the bike between your legs with the top tube against your crotch, the front wheel should be 7 to 13 cm above the ground.
Frame Tubing
* '''Head tube '''contains the bearing for the fork which holds the bicycle wheel. It is also where the handlebar attaches to.
* '''Down tube''' connects the head tube to the bottom bracket shell.
* '''Top tube''' connects the head tube to the seat tube. Control cables run along the outside or inside of the top tube; it also determines how big the bicycle will be.
* '''Seat tube''' is where the seating post and bike saddle connects. The seat tube determines how tall the bike will be.
* '''Chain stay '''runs parallel to the chain and connects to the bottom bracket.
* '''Seat stay''' connects the top of the seat tube to the rear dropouts.
* '''Bottom bracket shell''' is a short wide tube that holds the bracket and which other tubes connect to.
Frame Materials
* '''Steel '''is a very sturdy material but can weigh down the bicycle making it difficult to go at top speed or climb uphill.
* '''Aluminum alloys '''is lighter than steel frames but also can be less strong. However, they have a better weight to strength ratio overall.
* '''Titanium '''is the most expensive and rare type of material for bike frames. They not only have a great weight to strength ratio but also corrosion resistant.
* '''Carbon fiber '''is non-metallic, light weight, and corrosion resistant. It can also be molded into any shape which is useful for specific bike frame demands.
* '''Thermoplastic''' is a material still in development. It is carbon fiber materials embedded in a thermoplastic frame.
Major Manufacturers
*
Azonic
*
BMC
*
Eastern
*
Intense
*
Jamis
*
KHE
*
KHS
*
Rocky Mountain
*
Surly
*
Titus
*
Voodoo
*
Yeti
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