Understanding Your MTB Frame Geometry and Its Application

Understanding Your MTB Frame Geometry and Its Application

While most of the bike reviews you see focus on the mechanical aspects of a bike, there is one aspect that is often overlooked, and that is the "hinge" in the MTB frame.mtb frame The reason this area is overlooked is that many people feel that a slack or non existent chain guide will help with suspension. This is not the case, however, and you should be careful when choosing your suspension system for your new bike. If you have never worked on a MTB before it is best to go to a shop that specializes in them, or an authorized dealer. There are a few key points to keep in mind when looking at the different options available.

The first thing to take a look at is the suspension travel and adjustability.mtb frame mtb frame You should first consider the length of the suspension travel. If you want your MTB to work well when going up steep hills and through tight areas, you need to be looking at a longer range. But even then, you may not want to over extend yourself by going with short travel. In fact, if you ride shorter bikes with high torque you will need more spring, and less travel than those with a longer stroke. If you are unsure about this, you can get a graph from your dealer to help you determine the effect of added travel.

Some of the most popular full-suss MTB frames are the hardtail ones, because they fit closer to the back wheel, which requires a closer fit to the bike. The hard tail has some advantages, including a lighter frame. The major advantage of the hardtail frames is that they are more efficient when it comes to providing smooth handling, which translates into a smoother riding experience.

The next key points are the geometry and design of the head tube. MTB's with short and steep drop outs allow for more agility and performance on trails and downhill. The shallow angle at the end of the trail or the low angle at the top of the head tube to make these bikes easy to get up hilly terrain. The steep angle at the bottom of the head tube improves the stability of a longer travel bike.

The next important point is stiffness. The higher the stiffness, the better the handling and balance. Some of the most stiff MTB's are the ones with the 80-100mm travel. The best ones have around 55-60mm travel. The longer the travel the stiffer the bike is.

Another key point to consider is the degree of stiffness at the angles of the dropouts. Dropouts are either straight or slightly curved. A straight dropout angle makes the bike more stable and easier to handle; while a slightly curved dropout angle makes the bike more maneuverable but it adds a degree of sensitivity to the steering. You can experiment with different dropout angles on your own; however, it is important to know that if you have larger tires, then you will need a steeper angle to prevent your tires from getting lifted off the ground.