Buyer's Guide: Men's Mountain Bikes for 2009

Warm weather, sunny days, bicycling season is just around the corner. Men's mountain bikes are available with a wide range of features, benefits, and prices. This buying guide can give you some ideas of features to look for, how much the bikes cost, and what the hottest brands will be.

Department store mountain bikes generally offer a fairly reasonable price but they do not always stand up to a lot of abuse. They can be an excellent choice; however, if you are just getting started or just are not ready to invest a lot they can be a good place to start.

The Pacific Evolution, available at Dick's Sporting Goods for $119, is a versatile lower-priced men's mountain bike. The steel frame is built with durability in mind. The 18-gear Evolution has twist shifters, and fork suspension designed for a smooth ride. What this means to the rider is ease of use. A simple twist of the shifter gives the rider the desired gear.

The Mongoose Montana Men's mountain bike can be purchased through Amazon.com for around $170. (There is a matching women's Mongoose Montana too.) The 21-speed Montana is made with an aluminum MTB frame, suspension forks, and linear-pull brakes. What this means to the rider is very similar to the benefits of the Pacific Evolution, but the aluminum frame offers a slightly lighter frame.

The Men's Forge Sawback 7xx mountain bike is available at Target for around $400. The 21-speed Forge Sawback lays claim to a rugged pre-load adjustable suspension frame plus a Manitou Axel front fork suspension. The dual braking system is also a plus. The Sawbuck 7xx has a lightweight all aluminum frame.

The Jamis Dakar line of full suspension bikes are designed for anything from cross country riding to "aggressive all mountain" fun. The bikes have specially designed multi-link suspensions that give the rider a smooth ride and improved shock longevity. The Dakar XCT 3 is a "crossover" bike that is sure to impress the cross-country rider as well as the trail riding thrill seeker. The XCT 3 is designed for added high speed stability. The manufacturer's retail price on the Dakar XCT 3 - not including shipping - is $3050.

Fezzari mountain bikes range in price from around $650 for the cross country King's Peak up to $4,450 for the downhill mountain bike Widow's Peak. The Fezzari Nebo Peak, at $2099, is thought to be the best all around mountain bike in the Fezzari line. The bend in the top bar of the Nebo gives the rider better clearance. What that means to you, as a rider, is that if you need to put your foot down on uneven ground you will have a better chance of getting solid footing. The frame weighs in at just six pounds and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Sources

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/fullsuspension/index.html

www.fezzari.com/mountainbikes

http://www.target.com/Forge-Sawback-Mountain-Bike-19-5/dp/B000LWFEI0

http://www.amazon.com/Mongoose-Montana-Mens-Mountain-Bike/dp/B000J5EBUQ

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3333175#1