Mountain Bike Frames

When it comes to choosing the perfect mountain bike frame, there are several elements that need to be considered. Different frames excel at different activities so knowing exactly how you plan to use your mountain bike the majority of the time will have a huge influence on your final decision.

Full suspension frames tend to be significantly more expensive than hardtails but offer a far more comfortable ride in rough terrain and a smoother landing when executing jumps. Hardtail mountain bike frames are lighter and therefore easier to ride uphill.

With full suspension mountain bike frames, some of the energy used to push down on the pedals is absorbed by the suspension springs. This means you may need to pedal harder and faster than you would on a hardtail model to achieve a similar speed or rate of climb.

Another decision that needs to be made is whether to opt for a frame made out of titanium or carbon fibre. The titanium mountain bike frame has been around for some time but carbon frames, composed of carbon fibres bonded with an epoxy resin, are relatively new. A carbon mountain bike frame has less natural flexibility than a titanium one which means that in order to help withstand the multiple stresses of off-road riding, carbon fibre frames tend to be paired with full suspension.

Of the two, carbon fibre is by far the most expensive and, if money is not object, is the best for a custom built machine. If that option is out of your price range, titanium is light, incredibly durable and more than adequate for all your mountain biking needs.