A thrill-lover person would also love mountain riding, and mountain bikes have added more fun and adventure to it. A hardtail mountain bike, specifically, lives up to its name. It is different from big rig downhill bikes with their super slack geometries and has full front and rear suspension like a hardtail. There are fixed rear end and impact resistant suspension fork at the front. The whole structure ensures safety and comfort while you get up and down the rough trails of a mountain. These are affordable compared to most of the mountain bikes and requires less maintenance unlike other mountain or hybrid bike. Because of its lightweight and limited suspension, it offers plenty of comfort from steep downhill sections.
We have used so many hardtail mountain bikes that we can clearly tell the best hardtail mountain bikes amongst them. So, we have come up with the best hardtail mountain bikes review which is different from other mountain bike reviews. Do you want to know how? Continue reading to learn more!
What to Know Before Buying the Product?
Brands, models and their features are not the only factors you should consider buying, but you should explore more. Other features that might affect your decision and vary based on the brands are:
Size
Choose the correct size and capacity of the bike. An over or undersized mountain bike may never seem comfortable or flexible when riding rather it increases your chances of the risk of riding on a mountain.
Materials
The most durable and high-quality frame material should always be picked if you want a robust feel and a long-lasting service. High-quality steel or aluminum are the best options. Price can also vary according to the material. But, you should never compromise this major factor with a price.
Gender
Hardtail mountain bikes can be for both men and women. This is the reason why you should check the color, design and frame structure of the hardtail mountain bikes. Black, white and other classic colors are usually made for men. On the other hand, women use purple, red and other funky colors.
Wheel and tyre
The wheel and tyre size should be properly checked. A thin tyre can be risky on extremely rough terrains, and so you need to check the wheel based on your needs. Also, you should check the quality of the wheel.
Brakes
Out of rim brakes and disc brakes, disc brakes are being more popular for its effectiveness. Disc Brakes are a tad bit pricey. So, if the price is not a matter of concern for you, you can pick the disc brakes. Otherwise, rims are fine too.
Gears and shifts
Paddle, thumb and twist, there are many shifts in the market right now. Shimano is one of the most renowned brands for gears and shifters, Examine the bike’s shift properly because your movement depends to a large extent on the gears.
Saddle or seat post
No matter, how comfortable the wheel is, how controllable the gear or brake is, if your saddle is hard you will not have good riding experience. So, avoid hard and improperly padded seats. Plus, the easy adjustment and assembly of the seat post should also be verified. These are the few factors that you should never avoid considering before getting yourself the final product.
How to Use and Maintain the Product?
How to use?
If you are wondering how to use a mountain bike, we can help you with this matter. When riding the thin obstacles, you will not need more skills; it is actually in your head. When riding, tyres cover a very little amount of ground at any one time, generally about 2.5 inches width and you can ride it in a virtually straight line for ages. As you do this, your rear wheel will follow, and you can ride it easily.
When riding through rocks, if you slow down the risks get higher, and you will get caught out in the rocks. For this, you should practice pulling up your front end landing on both wheels. You can also slightly rear wheel first to be safer. Make sure to start your ride with somewhere less challenging and fewer obstacles.
Take turns very wisely by maintaining your speed. Make the turn faster, or you will lose your speed and momentum. Our other recommendation to ride through rough sections would be to try to skip across the top of them. Choose your ways carefully because nobody wants to come across big gaps and rocks or else you will bash your pedals. These are a few tips you can consider for using the bike.
How to maintain?
Maintaining a hardtail mountain bike might seem a difficult task if you are unaware of the correct process. Follow the steps given below to take good care of your bike. The whole process will take about 30-40 minutes, and then you will get a well-conditioned bike that looks as polished as new:
Step 1
Disassemble accessories on the top of the handlebar which are lights, bell and many more. If there are V brakes, you should also remove the cables. Start removing from the front brake by pushing the two brake calipers into the rim of the wheel so that the tension from the cable releases quickly. Lift the brake cable out of the retaining cable now. Do the same thing with the rear brake cable.
Step 2
Turn your bike upside after you lay out an old towel or cloth on the floor. Stand beside your bike, lean over it and hold the frame with your hands. One hand should remain on the down tube at the front while the other will be on the seat post at the rear of the frame. Lastly, lift it up and turn it over.
Step 3
It is time for removing the wheels by quickly releasing lever on the front wheel axle and lifting the wheel out. Take out the rear wheel and relax the rear cassette which is housing out of the derailleur mechanism.
Step 4
Take a brush and some soapy water to clean the rear derailleur. Turn pedals, move chain around and hold the wet soapy rag around the chain on the derailleur. Make sure the brush have plenty of water for clean up. After cleaning, wipe with dry cloth. Again, take a wet rag, wash pedals and then again wash the cranks. Also, clean the front gear mechanism with the rag as you move all the parts.
Step 5
Now, it is time for washing the front forks and center and rear of the frame with a rag and soapy water. Wipe them with a dry cloth afterward. Wash the handlebars carefully considering the brake lever and gear assembly. Clean the top tube or crossbar and also clean under the brake and gear cables that run down its length. Finish cleaning with the underside of the seat.
Step 6
Again, take the wet rag to clean the rims of the front wheel. Spoke and axle should be washed too. For a disc brake system, you can use a degreaser. Fix the front wheel back in the forks and tighten the quick release. For adjusting the tension of the quick release, turn the nut clockwise for tightening and anti clockwise for losing the tension. The rims, spokes, axle, and rear disk rotor, should be cleaned. Make sure to clean the gear cassette on the rear wheel very carefully. By using the lever end of the bike brush away stones between the teeth, work the brush into the cogs and this will remove lubricant or dirt residue. Take the rear wheel back into its place and ease the gear cassette back in the derailleur assembly. Finally, tighten the quick release.
Step 7
Check the wheel’s movement by spinning. Hold your fingers against the rims while it the wheel rotates so that you can identify dents or knocks on either side. Also, check the disc brakes on both sides of the rotors. For V brakes, observe the wheel when it is spinning to make sure the brake blocks do not interrupt with the rims. Now, check the spokes as you turn the front wheel slowly and let your hand fall over each spoke when the wheel rotates. The spokes should feel spoke not sloppy. Fix and tighten it if spoke feels sloppy. Do not forget to check the tire pressure and both tires in good condition. The tire should be replaced if faulty to avoid future risk and accidents.
Step 8
Pedals should also be looked over. Check them by spinning and if they do not move freely or create noise or grind from worn bearings, replace the bottom bracket. Turn the pedal for rotating the crank, and if you observe any noise or sign of wear from the bottom bracket, it needs more maintenance. Check the front gear mechanism by turning the pedal and moving the chain up and down the gears with the help of gear lever. Check the rear derailleur and gear cogs too.
Step 9
Again, stand by your bike, hold the frame and turn it back in the right position. Lean it against the wall. Use a clean rag and soapy water to wash the handlebars and headset, especially around the brake and gear levers. Wash and clean the tops of the forks on the front wheel and wipe them front shocks. Clean down the tube and the top tube or crossbar. Remove the quick release of the saddle, wash the tube and seat post on the frame, remount it, tighten the quick release and wipe it over. Furthermore, clean the seat stays and wash around the bottom bracket.
Step 10
It is time to have a look at your brakes. Apply the front brake and pull the bike towards you and while doing so, the front wheel should be in its place. While doing this, the rear wheel should lift up off the ground and if it does not happen adjustment is needed. Conduct the same checking with the back brake. Even the brake levers should be checked. The brakes should start gripping at about 1/3 pull, and the lever should not touch the handlebars, and if this happens, brakes need adjustment too.
For disc brakes, look inside the disc brake caliper and see both the brake pads move across equally to clamp the rotor. If it does not happen, it needs adjustment. For V brakes, check the brake blocks for signs of wear and there should be no graphite residue. It needs replacing if there are and the grooves in the pad are not deep. Check both brake cable for signs of wear or fraying in V brakes. Start at the brake levers, follow cable along the top tube and check the other end of both cables where calipers are met. It will also need replacing if some signs are found.
Step 11
Hold the headset, apply front brake and rock the bike back and forth to check if you feel any slack or hear any knocking in the headset. The headset should be adjusted if slack or noise is found.
Step 12
Lubricate the drive system as you place some rags over the rear wheel rims underneath the derailleur. It will catch any oil drips. Turn and rotate the pedal in an anticlockwise way to remove the chain around. Hold the spray lubricant vertically and spray while it passes over the rear gear cogs. When moving the chain with the pedal, you should also spray the teeth. Again, rotate the pedal and lubricate the outside of the chainring.
Step 13
Fix and reattach the lights and other stuffs, Turn the front and backlight on to check its brightness and look all over the bike to make sure nothing is missing.
Final Verdict
This was all about the best hardtail mountain bikes review from us. We hope we have enlightened you with every possible fact about the bike that you should know. But, we are not taking your leave so soon rather we want to draw a conclusion guiding you with more other factors like price and quality. Now, you will have no confusion with your decision, if you still have any. If you want a top-class bike with advanced feature and money is not an issue for you, you can certainly pick Merax Finiss Mountain Bike or a little pricey than that, Columbia Mountain Bike.
There is the best cheap mountain bike too. Despite having reasonable pricing, it does not lack in performance. Some of them are Dynacraft Speed Bike and Schwinn Men's High Timber Bicycle. They are one of the most affordable bikes in the market and quite efficient too. Quality is another vital factor which is considered as the top priority for many. In regards to quality, Generic Mountain Bike has the most liked bike out of all. People have always admired this bike over anything. These are the few most important guidelines you would need to take a final decision. If these are not your favored factors, you should definitely go for the factors you put the most importance. The decision is yours to take now. Have a good day!
