If you know what you’re doing, there’s no reason you can’t buy a good mountain bike online. However, it’s important not to buy the first thing you see that looks appealing. Appearances from a picture can be deceiving, and what you really need to know is whether the bike is a good fit for you. Learning about bikes before you start shopping, and knowing just what you want are the keys to successfully buying a mountain bike online.

First, get a good professional fitting, to tell you what type and size of bike is best for you. It might cost a bit, but in the end, you’ll know what kind of frame size and geometry you need. Any good bike shop that you get a fitting from won’t pressure you to buy there.

When you’ve finished with determining the sort of frame and size you need, you’ll want to begin looking at mountain bike brands and the variety of features offered. Browse a lot, and learn as much about every kind of bike as you can. You’ll want to settle on the type of material you want in the fame, (aluminum, steel, carbon fiber or titanium being the most common, although steel and aluminum are less costly).

With mountain bikes, suspension is something you should ask about - is there no suspension, front suspension or a combination of front and rear? A gentler ride comes with more suspension. Next turn your consideration to brands that appeal to you.

Think about brands that appeal to you. While the ultimate decision may not be based on brand name, it’s a good idea to begin evaluation with proved names such as Specialized, Cannondale and Trek. One thing you can be sure of is that a proven brand like Cannondale Mountain Bikes will provide you years of good service.

There are two basic places you might buy your mountain bike on the Internet. The first is a bike retailer. The second is from a bike store or private individual on a site like Ebay. Pay close attention to the condition of the bike, the feedback about the seller, and the shipping and handling costs.

Return policies can be tricky, and individual sellers can misrepresent their bikes, intentionally or not. Pay close attention to the condition of the bike, the feedback about the seller, and the shipping and handling costs and you can really save money shopping for a mountain bike on eBay.

On the other hand, buying from an online bike retailer may prove to be a little safer. It’s a good idea to check up on an online bike store, as well. Know your bike retailer’s return policies, too, and see if there’s a warranty. Doing the sort of homework suggested here can take a lot of the hesitation out of buying a mountain bike online.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 5:43 am and is filed under Biking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.