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Modern mountain bikes have come a long way in the short 30 years or so that they've been around. From the 1970's experiments in Marin County of putting a derraileur on a 1930's ballon tire bike, mountain bikes have quickly evolved into several specialized categories.
- XC Race - These bikes are built for speed. They use a lightweight frame and components, and minimial suspension travel to sap your pedaling energy.
- XC Trail - Built to go long, with a bit plusher suspension to smooth out the bumps than an XC Race bike, but still nearly as light and easy to pedal.
- All Mountain / Freeride - A compromise between XC and Downhill. Built relatively light for pedaling trails, and with enough suspension to take all but the most extreme hits, this is the 'go anywhere' category.
- Downhill - The word here is 'bombproof'. These bikes are built with reinforced frames, beefy components, and huge amounts of suspension travel to help you and your bike survive big hits and giant drops. As the name implies, they are meant for going downhill - all that heavy-duty gear makes them quite heavy, with many riders looking for a chairlift for the up-hill route.
- Progressive Hardtail - Think BMX for big kids. You live for jumps & quarter-pipes. You love to go to the library - because they have a great set of steps to do tricks on.
- Recreational - A basic, affordable bike, in the style of one of the above categories.
The expert staff at Better Bikes can help you select and maintain the perfect bike for they way you ride. We also specialize in women's-specific mountain bikes - check out our dedicated Women's Bikes page. We are authorized dealers for Specialized and Raleigh - check out the manufacturers web sites for information on their full product line.
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Stumpjumper FSR
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Specialized
Specialized has a full line of mountain bikes covering every category. From the full-out race S-Works Epic, to the famous Stumpjumper line, to the recreational Hardrock, and everyting in-between, Specialized will have a bike to fit your style.
To view the full iine of bikes visit the Specialized's Web site.
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Raleigh XXIX+G
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Raleigh
The XXIX+G makes big-wheel (29") technology affordable, while the Mojave line covers the XC needs, and the Phase line provides the go-anywhere all-mountain bikes.
To view the full iine of bikes visit the Raleigh's Web site.
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