It is very important for a mountain bike to have a proper shock system including a full suspension. It provides a smoother ride when going over difficult or rocky terrain. You will find that full suspension bikes have both a front and back suspension. If a mountain bike has a solid rear fork and a suspension at the front they are often called hard tailed. Lower end models of mountain bikes do not have a shock system either in the front or rear of the bike.

If you are a cross country rider you will need to make sure that your bike has both descending and climbing ability. The movement in the rear suspension system is only about 4 inches so that it does not cause a problem when trying to climb hills. Cross country bikes have 28 gears as standard which provide a wide greater options for travelling over different terrain.

Trial bikes are a little more robust from your standard mountain bike and they are intended for use by more technical mountain bike riders. On a trial bike the suspension can move between 4 and 7 inches. Uphill pedalling will be more difficult but you will in general get a much smoother ride. A decision will need to be made as to which way you want to go, a smoother ride with an uphill struggle or not. Trek Track Bikes is a great place to look on the internet for all terrain bikes.

Mountain bikes which are specifically designed for going downhill can have up to 8 inches of movement in the suspension. It is these type of mountain bikes which are specifically designed for racing downhill. They are difficuly for pedalling uphill but have a lot greater handling when going over difficult terrain downhill.

Mountain bikes come in different shapes, sizes and types and another popular version is the dirt jump bike. A dirt jump bike are used for jumping and only have a front suspension. As they come with 16 gears it helps the rider to build up speed quickly.