For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. It’s been touch and go for a while, but finally my teenage son has started beating me to the top of the uphill sections. My personal preference is lockout, meaning that you can turn the suspension on and off. In many cases, a dual suspension mountain bike works best. But hold on, don’t write it off thinking it’s for doddery older riders on dull, wide fireroads. They’re great if your riding position tends to be standing up, gripping on to the handlebars for dear life (like mine!) There's a lot of great bikes in this category. There has to be some benefit to being nearly twice his weight…..right? You're fine. Rambo R1000XPB: My Life Plan involves moving to Thailand, growing my hair long, buying a hollow-handled survival knife with a compass set into the handle, and wearing a red bandana. Now, on the downhills, I’m still way out in the lead. Thats down country. Delivering the power through the front wheel isn’t a great idea on rough tracks as the wheel can end up having poor grip on a loose surface and spinning. We can buy ourselves an electric mountain bike. Short travel for efficiency going up and some cush going down. Well, there’s a couple of options available to us all here: We can accept defeat, admit that we’re becoming old and feeble, rejoice in the strength, stamina and power of the next generation, put our fluffy slippers on and wait for death, knowing that we’re leaving the world to our next of kin, who are in every way, superior to their aged parents. This places the rider more forward over the pedals for better control on steep, tricky descents. It has front suspension, a 1000W battery and very quiet mid-drive motor for stealth operations. Optimising fitness for older riders. Itching for a new bike. Its 24-inch wheels are perfect for older children, and its front suspension fork keeps riders comfortable even over bumpy terrain. I own both of these bikes, you're quite off on your estimation of what each one is. Aren’t we cheating ourselves? Developed in the Ukraine, this is an impressive machine. Cannondale Trail 7 ( 2021 ) is probably one of the best mountain bikes suitable for heavy riders ( up to 330 lbs. ) I'm out of the loop... WTF is a 'downcountry bike"? I have to say, the Delfast is a total beast. Note that some mid-drive motors come with protection so that they can stand up to the odd scrape and ding. It features Schwinn’s specially designed frame for offroad riding with a top-notch suspension fork … Would really like to stay with something from my favorite shop. Grace MX II Trail: This is an excellent starter electric mountain bike, if you’re new to mountain biking and/or electric bikes. https://www.pinkbike.com/news/what-the-heck-is-a-down-country-bike-opinion.html, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Thanks. To be honest, we all know that the uphills are something to endure and it’s really the downhills that we live for. The hardtail is fun and I like to take it on quasi-gravel rides, where I'm on roads but also hit trail sections. My wife has a Salsa Timberjack 29 and she can pull away from me on a long easy climb. But, who the hell cares, when it looks this good? Mix in about 1,000 miles per year of riding to work and around town and that's what I have done for the last 10 years or so. I agree "Downcountry" is a stupid name - but whatever. Best Mountain Bike for Heavy Riders (FAQs) Q: Is a mountain bike ideal for heavy riders? I would think that it would lean towards the more race like feeling you don’t want. Then we can get out on the trails with our nearest-and-dearest and kick their butts all the way up the hills and then all the way down the other side. That should then give you a good idea of what you need to think about when choosing your new ebike. Probably TMI but there you have it. There are three positions on an electric bike where the motor can be fitted: Front hub: It is rare to find an electric mountain bike with a front hub motor. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Other options are fat bikes and electric mountain bikes. Sorry about that. It might be the most economic choice as well. On the downside, rear hub driven bikes, especially with this kind of power, can be harder to control and more prone to wheelies. I try not to do that, but sometimes trying to helpful, you over reach. Mountain Bike. SRAM’s groupsets have all been 12-speed for a while, but the new SX group drops their Eagle 10-50 tooth cassette tech to the lowest price ever. The three bikes in the oldies’ ‘Icons’ range are called Janis, Jimi and Joni. Last 2.5 years on the Fuel Ex7, 4 years before that on a Rumblefish, 3 years before that on a Trek 6700 hardtail, 15 years before that on a Klein Pinnacle. So that has me looking at short travel bikes with trail geometry. Hard tail (which is jargon for front suspension only, as opposed to “full suspension” or “full sus”, meaning suspension on both front and rear wheel, or rigid frame, meaning no suspension at all) with lockout on the front suspension fork. BTW, what does “for Older Riders” mean? If your recipient loves mountain biking, we've assembled this guide of the best gifts for mountain bikers to make it hassle-free for everyone. Grace MX II Trail: This is an excellent starter electric mountain bike, if you’re new to mountain biking and/or electric bikes. It has a 3000W motor that can take this bike along for 174 miles / 280 Km on a single charge and at a maximum speed of a mind-boggling 50mph / 80Km/hr. Okay, hopefully you’ve now got a clear idea of what to look for in your new e mountain bike. Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. Thanks to its knobbly tire tread, the bike also offers plenty of grip wherever you roam. This 130mm 29er makes a lot of sense for a huge percentage of riders in a considerable number of regions. I'm getting older and don't like my butt above my hands anymore (race bike geometry) - much prefer a more comfortable (trail bike geometry) upright position. Choosing the best mountain bike for: Cross-country riding This is less about jumps and slamming berms and more about pedalling miles and crossing fells. Affiliate Disclaimer - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy, QuietKat RidgeRunner Electric Bike Full Suspension. There are a number of key areas to consider when you’re looking at electric mountain bikes for older riders. Full suspension bikes have cushioning on both the front forks and rear. The only downside being that the motor is close to the ground and so you need to take care if you’re going over boulders, or other similar obstructions, to make sure that you don’t bash the motor. 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