Downhill Bikes

Downhill bikes almost always have full suspension, and for good reason. These bikes are created for off road bicycling and need to withstand all kinds of terrain and traversing such as washouts, steep declines, dirt trails, logs, roads, and unpaved trails. That is why they need to be able to withstand all sorts of stress and force, and that is where the need for full suspension comes into play.

Downhill biking as a sport first came out on the scene back in the 1970`s and since then there have been a number of additions and new technology put into the sport. New subtypes of mountain bikes have been developed and that is where the premise for downhill bikes came along. While each design has different functions and separate ideal features, downhill bikes are known for their full suspension and that is the most important part to look at when choosing a bike to purchase.

Suspension forks are a fabulous addition to downhill bikes that came along in the 1990s. They give riders the ability to exert far less effort and go through far less stress on rough terrain and make the entire sport of downhill biking a whole lot more fun. The first suspension forks that came out usually possessed about 1 to 2 inches of suspension travel, but forks on the market right now often exceed 8 inches of suspension travel. These bikes that featured front riding suspension and rear wheels that are not suspended became incredibly popular faster than people predicted.

While hard-tail bike designs offer the advantages of being more affordable and needing less maintenance, they are losing popularity in terms of downhill bikes thanks to all of the benefits of full suspension designs. In fact, most downhill bikes now feature full suspension design which can also be known as full susser or dual suspension. This means that both the front and rear tires possess shock absorbers for a smoother ride. Full suspension bikes are usually more expensive, for obvious reasons, but the price difference brings a drastic increase in efficiency and performance. These bikes are faster on downhill courses as normal bikes will have the wheels bounce up and thus lose speed, while full suspension bikes absorb the force and take it from the wheels and transfer it into the absorbers.

More speed and a less stressful ride, it doesn’t get much better than that when it comes to downhill biking. You will feel safer, ride harder, and go faster with a full suspension downhill bike.

Full suspension designs offer far more comfort, improved handling when encountering obstacles, and are far lighter than they used to be. If you are serious about downhill biking then full suspension design is definitely what you are going to want to invest in. It may end up costing you more in the short term, but it is going to cost you far less thanks to the quality and lack of strain you are applying onto your entire body.