It doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or expert racer. Every rider struggles with the same question. No matter how many bikes you own, the problem always seems to be which bike you are going to buy next. It is always about the details, how much weight you can save and some will say the most important factor is the cost.
Mountain bikers, and entry level racers especially, have the toughest time when it comes to choosing a mountain bike. The difference in performance between a 27.5 and a 29er mountain bike are huge. Your bike choice could turn your racing season into a disaster if you pick the wrong bike. Your bike choice could turn your wallet into a disaster if you pick the wrong bike.
There isn’t a rider out there who wants to heck around a monster all season, but entry level riders often find the cost of preventing this is out of their price range. The goal as an entry level racer should be to save your wallet, but make the right choice to make your first season a positive one.
Full suspension bikes may look cooler, but a hard tail mountain bikes teach you to ride smoother and think about your next move on the trail. This is an aspect of mountain biking everyone needs to learn early on. It isn’t about crushing your pedals all the way through the trail. It is about how smooth the rider is. The smoothest riders often post the best times with little effort.
The most technical trails require the best handling skills. Often a 29er mountain bike is too large for the rider, too bulky and hinders maneuverability out on the trail. For the entry level racer, a 27.5 is going to do you a world of favors. A 27.5 will be responsive and save you significant amounts of weight. You can save up to two pounds on a bike build by just switching from a 29er to a 27.5. Two pounds is a lot in the cycling world. Every gram of the 2 pounds of weight savings will seem like a miracle when you are at the end of a mountain bike race, totally worn out and covered in mud from the trails.
The wheel set alone can save weight as much as 7 percent going with a 27.5 instead of a 29er. The fact is a light wheel set will provide you with better acceleration, which can save you precious time in your first mountain bike race.
Mountain biking is tough and making the right bike choices early on is very important. For the entry level racer, the 27.5 hard tail mountain bike is the way to go. The Stradalli Blue Yellow 27.5 mountain bike for $1499 is the best bang for your buck you will find in the market. This bike is durable, lightweight and saves your wallet from the blown up price tags you will find on carbon fiber 27.5 mountain bikes with full Shimano components. Even if you are a road cyclist just looking for cross training, this is the perfect bike. Great performance. Low cost.
Get your season off to the right start. The money you save on this bike is money that can be put towards your race entry fees, your post race trip to Starbucks or a nice vacation for you and your friends or family. The ride quality from this bike is the best you will find for the money and will have you owning the trails on the way to your next win in no time.
