7 Reasons Why Mountain Bikes Are So Popular

In the last few years, there was an explosion in the popularity of mountain bikes and you may be wondering why? Don’t worry you aren’t the only one!

For this reason, I decided to write this article, so I can tell you what are the reasons why mountain bikes have become so popular. So keep reading!

1. Mountain Bikes Are Eye Candy

Let’s face it, mountain bikes are very eye-pleasing bikes that will draw attention everywhere you go.

They have a certain look that inspires confidence, even if this is the first time you see a mountain bike you will know that this is a bike that can handle almost anything and this is very appealing.

Most people that are at the starting point of their cycling journey don’t know what to expect and what type of bike is going to be suited for them. A mountain bike will inspire confidence and this is why many people start cycling with a mountain bike.

2. Bragging Rights

Yes, boys will be boys!

For the same reasons they want to have the most expensive cars, they will desire the shiniest and the more expensive mountain bike.

Other bikes look alike, you can’t really tell what is the difference between a 1000$ road bike and a 5000$ one ( if you aren’t familiar with them) but a more expensive mountain bike will look meaner, tougher, and maybe will have a fancier frame.

If you ride the shiniest and meanest dirt shredding machine then: YOU ARE THE MAN!

Wich road biker will brag about his bike, none of them, they will tell you about the maximum/average speed they have achieved and the distance covered. Now, talk with a mountain biker about his bike, he will not stop talking, and you will learn everything about every component.

3. Mountain Bikes Last For A Long Time

Mountain bikes are tough and reliable bikes that don’t break very easily and many people love them for this. They are made to withstand harsh weather conditions and are equipped with durable components.

A mountain bike can easily last you 15-20 years if you don’t do some extreme things with it.

For these reasons they are good bikes for commuting and for accomplishing day-to-day chores without the fear that they will break.

Really they are great all-around bikes that can be used for almost any kind of riding.

Because they last so long many people still have them, this makes the demand for spare parts to be high, so the manufacturers of MTB components are incentivized to produce more and for this reason, spare components are easy to find (and you can find cheaper alternatives if you are on a budget).

4. Mountain Bikes Can Take A Beating

Mountain bikes are designed to handle even the roughest of off-road conditions and for this reason, they are built to be able to take a beating. This makes them good bikes to try new things, so they are perfect for people that what to try everything (off-road riding, jumps, tricks, etc.).

Of course that you can find better bikes for jumps, tricks, and so on but those bikes are highly optimized for that task and aren’t good for anything else, but if you don’t really know if you are into dirt jumping or what exactly will give you the passion to sink all your free time than a mountain bike will be a good starting point.

With a mountain bike, you can experience a little bit of all that cycling disciplines have to offer and really find your passion (you can’t really try dirt jumping with a road bike, it will be unsafe).

5. Versatility, You Can Ride Them On Any Terrain

Mountain bikes are designed to be ridden on mountain trails and if they can overcome the challenges that come with that kind of riding then they can handle almost any type of terrain.

So it really doesn’t matter if you live in an area with unpaved roads or with beat-up old roads if you want to get into cycling you can, just get a mountain bike and you can overcome any challenge.

If you need a bike for commuting and have unpaved portions in your route, a mountain bike can easily handle that (a gravel bike is also a great option for this situation).

Maybe you want to do a little bit of everything, commuting, riding on the road, trail riding, and downhill riding then a mountain bike will be the perfect option for you.

6. Mountain Bikes Allow You To Explore Nature

Mountain bikes have become so popular because they allow you to enjoy nature, explore your surroundings, and traveling to new places will have a therapeutic effect. Yes, you can hike but you won’t be able to travel the same distances as with a mountain bike, so you will miss out on some fantastic views.

If you enjoy nature and you need a bicycle then a mountain bike is the best choice for you.

Cycling has incredible health benefits but if you add the mental benefits (relaxing, stress release, joy, etc.) that riding trow nature brings then you have the complete picture of why the popularity of mountain bikes is continuing its growth trajectory.

7. Great for beginners

Mountain bikes are great for beginners that don’t have a lot of experience riding bikes because they have wider tires that will give you great stability and because they are meant to be ridden on technical mountain singletracks they are designed to offer great maneuverability (frame geometry, wide handlebars, etc.).

The big and knobby tires combined with a lower tire pressure will make a mountain bike more forgiving when the rider doesn’t reduce the speed enough on rough roads and off-road.

A mountain bike will be more forgiving of the rider’s mistakes because it can handle rough terrain, and the suspension will absorb bumps that will throw you off the bike on other types of bicycles.

Let us not forget that if you fall it is a smaller chance you break your new bike.

8. Great Community

There is a great community formed around mountain biking and most surely you will find friends that will share the same passion with you.

Maintaining your bike will not be an easy task so you will always have topics for conversations and you will be forced to ask for help.

In the mountain biking community, you will find a great camaraderie that will make you feel like you are where you belong and this will keep the passion for the sport going because the retention of new people is so high the popularity is only growing.

There are many YouTubers that regularly produce content in the field and this helps a lot with the popularity of mountain bikes and mountain biking as a whole.

Mountain biking is so fun, but when you are doing it with friends it becomes awesome!

9. You can find cheap options

The best way to make something popular is to make it cheap so everyone can buy it.

Let me be honest with you, a capable mountain bike is expensive but if you are new to cycling and just need a bike to ride, you don’t have any mountain biking skills so you won’t ride it on technical trails then you can find very cheap bikes that are branded as mountain bikes at the big stores.

Having these options means that a lot of people can have a so-called mountain bike and start riding and if they like the feeling they will have to reach deep into their pockets to buy a mountain bike that will be safe to ride on trails.

So the bait is there, they get a little taste and there is no turning back!

Maybe you will like to read the following articles:

• Mountain bikes: pros and cons
• Are cheap full suspension bikes worth it?
• Should I buy a cheap mountain bike?
• Start mountain biking with a hardtail or a full suspension?