Downhill Mountain Bike Buying Guide

The first mountain bikes in the world were made by a bike enthusiast and racer named Joe Breeze. He made the first one in 1978. Now, the idea of the bike he started with has become much more specialized, with the frame, wheels, and suspension adapted to meet riders’ different goals. Breeze had a background in bike racing, and he came from Marin County, California. His first mountain bike was called the Breezer #1. This bike now lives in the Smithsonian, and the company is still in existence today, though he has since sold it.

Mountain bikes have certainly come a long way since the Breezer #1. They’re getting lighter, faster, and sturdier. People are taking advantage of technology and coming up with apps to help track your mileage, speed, and other riding stats. People are developing frames and suspension systems that Breeze may not even have dreamed of back in the 70’s. Some of the top athletes in the sport are helping companies come up with burlier and better bikes. More and more people are joining the sport, and kids are starting to mountain bike younger and younger. It’s an exciting time for biking. By joining a downhill community, you’ll be taking part in a sport that has evolved so much in a small amount of time. The people drawn to this sport are often adrenaline junkies, the kind of folks who like to go skydiving and bungee jumping. They don’t like to sit still. They’re rabid for the kind of energy that comes with zooming at high speeds down the side of a mountain on a downhill trail, or doing major jumps on a high speed cross country trail, or going off cliffs. They’re the Shane McConkey’s of the world. Downhill biking doesn’t always have to be a massive adrenalin rush, of course. You can just go for a mellow downhill ride without fearing for your life. It’s up to you. That’s what’s great about biking; the freedom you experience while doing it.

There are a few different kinds of mountain biking, and it’s good to have an idea of which ones you’d like to focus on so that you can buy a bike that will fit your specific needs. Dirt jumping, freeriding, enduro, trail riding, downhill biking, all mountain, hardtail…the list goes on. But one of our favorite styles of riding is downhill mountain biking. The adrenaline rush is unbelievable. It’s more addictive than those amazing cappuccinos with cocoa powder that your barista makes. You might have watched videos of World Cup races, or of young kids zooming off of jumps. Downhill biking is no doubt one of the coolest things you could do.

Downhill mountain biking is the sport of kings. And it doesn’t have to be incredibly expensive to get into. We’ve provided a handy guide so that you know what to look out for when you’re buying a downhill mountain bike, as these bikes can be quite different from all mountain or cross-country models. This isn’t a versatile bike. Four out of five mountain bikers would have absolutely no use for it. That’s because it’s made for fast and gnarly trails, the kind you wouldn’t take dad on. They usually have a good amount of suspension, and their breaks are of course super reactive, so you can stop or cut speed on a dime if you need to. Whether you want to use it for racing or you just want to cruise around while avoiding the annoying pedaling uphill, you have a lot of options.

You can ride this type of a bike off the tallest jumps you can find, while other bikes would defi-nitely end up wrecking and leaving you gasping on the ground. But the downside is that you won’t want to pedal them far. These bikes aren’t meant for anything but screaming downhill as fast as possible, so if you’d like to do some pedaling on your mountain bike, you might want to go for an all mountain or another type.

The most important part of any bike is its frame, and downhill bikes are of course no exception. Frames for these are often developed by World Cup racers or other high-profile, hard riding people. For the most part these generally have some carbon in them, to make them a little bit lighter. Others are still mostly aluminum, which can be a bit heavier but is also far sturdier.

One of our all-time favorite downhill bike brands is Nukeproof, and you can bet it’s true to its name. Some of the top World Cup racers, like Sam Hill, a World Series Enduro champion and Elliot Heap, use this brand, which hails from Belfast.

Other downhill bike models we like:

Diamondtrack

A consistently awesome performer, this bike is a favorite of many.

Beiou

We like this one because it’s one of the lightest bikes on the market.

Raleigh

This has an aluminum frame, and has incredible reach.

Merax

Tough, highly recommended by the pros, and with a cool rugged frame that folks love. It’s really, really fast, though some want a sleeker model.

For downhill mountain bikes, you’ll want to think about a few different factors.

The shocks. Coil springs, or the lighter air shocks? Do you know the difference between the two?

The brakes. Always an important part of downhill biking.

The wheels. For downhill tires, the traction is important. You’ll want some weight to them, and you’ll want to look for tires that are in the sweet spot in terms of size: from 2.35 to 2.5 inches. You can also decide what kind of pattern you want on the tread.

The price. Research is key to investing in a bike that fits both your budget and your needs.

The frame. The frame contributes to the overall stability of the bike, and can make a big difference in how much control you have while you’re riding down those steep hills and making those switchback turns.