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 

Quick Picks

Jamis Parker 1.0  7005-series Aluminum tubes, cartridge bearing pivots, fully-active mp3 platform design, replaceable derailleur hanger. Rock Shox Bar w/ adjustable air preload and rebound. 100mm rear wheel travel. Designed to be used with a 100-130mm fork. Uses 31.6 seatpost includes seatclamp. Includes integrated headset.	BMC Trailfox 1.0  DT Swiss SSD-190L rear shock with lockout. One of the lightest shocks 190 grams. Automatic negative chamber. External rebound adjustment. Lockout lever. Custom-butted. Ultralite aluminum front triangle Carbon/aluminum swingarm. 120mm travel. Includes a Zero-stack headset.	Titus Motolite  6069 series front triangle. Symmetrical hydroformed chain stays. Carbon fiber seat stays. Compression molded carbon fiber link. 127mm or 100mm rear wheel travel. Four oversized sealed main pivot bearings.	Yeti 575  Yeti Pure Tubeset and Aluminum Frame with 5.75" rear travel. Fox RP23 rear shock. Enduro max sealed bearings. 73mm shell bottom bracket with 113mm spindle. Rear Shock 2" stroke, 7.875" eye to eye.	Intense Tracer VP  New lower bearing system includes grease fittings. Integrated adjustable seat post cable routing. Adjustable rear travel, allows for either 5.5" or 6" of rear wheel travel. Hydroformed top tube. Next-generation VPP linkage for pedaling performance. OnePointFive headtube - run today's aggressive 1.5" fork, or use a stepdown headset and traditional 1 1/8" fork and take advantage of a lower ride height. Fox Float RP23 shock.

Popular Models

Kona the King Full Suspension Mountain Bike Frame	Ellsworth Evolve 29ER Full Suspension Mountain Bike Frame	Intense Spider XVP Full Suspension Mountain Bike	Kona Cowan Hardtail Mountain Bike	Delta 7 Arantix Woven Carbon Fiber Kevlar Hardtail Mountain Bike Frame

Related Guides

Mountain Bikes	Road Bicycle Frames	Bike Chains	Bike Cases	Cycling Jerseys