Mountain bikes are designed to be ridden over rough terrain and over dirt trails. They differ from the average bike in the fact that they tend to have more knobby tires which are used for better traction and for shock absorption. Mountain bikes also have bar ends situated on the handlebars though these days not many riders actually use them.



Generally there are four main types of mountain bikes to choose from which include fully rigid bikes, hard tail, soft tail and full or duel suspension bikes. Hard tail bikes have a frame but no rear suspension, whereas soft tail bikes have a frame with a little rear suspension. Fully rigid bikes have a rigid fork on the frame and no suspension on a fixed rear. Finally full or duel suspension has a front and rear suspension as well as rear linkage and shock which moves the rear wheel on pivots.

Understanding Mountain Bike Disk Brakes

Various components make up the mountain bike and one of the most vital of all are the mountain bike disk brakes. They are mainly found on the newer mountain bikes and they are designed to have much better stopping power than other rim brakes.

You should find that mountain bike disk brakes work really well under adverse conditions. To know more about mountain bikes or bicycle brakes you can go through this website. This is due to the fact that they are found in the middle of the wheel. This helps to keep them dry and unexposed to the environmental features. Now whilst there are a number of benefits to mountain bike disk brakes, there are also a few disadvantages too which you should be aware of.

The disadvantages include that they weigh more than ordinary rim brakes and they are also generally more expensive too. They are harder to maintain too, especially the hydraulic disk brakes. Hydraulic disk brakes basically work by pushing the brake fluid through a line or a hose in order to squeeze the pads together.

Generally the brakes are one of the most important parts of the bike and they do need to be kept in full working order at all times. Ideally you should check your bike once a week but you can get away with doing it once a month too. By keeping it regularly maintained you will be able to ensure that you are riding safely and that your brakes will last you for a long time to come. This can prove invaluable when you are travelling over rough terrain and when you are trying to go down steep hills on the bike too.