Hardtail mountain bikes have a front suspension fork and rigid rear end and have been the standard for some years. This is an excellent bike for someone on a budget or someone looking for a bike that is versatile enough for street use. In fact this is probably the most versatile bike that you could buy. Street tires can be mounted on the wheels for a low cost if pavement riding turns out to be the norm. If you are new to mountain biking and not yet convinced that you will ride off-road regularly, a hardtail may be the best choice. The TREK 4500 is a quality, entry-level mountain bike that can get you out on the trail without breaking the bank. The Gary Fisher PIRANHA features a lightweight, hydroformed aluminum frame, RockShox Tora fork and disc brakes.  We also carry higher-end hardtails for the aspiring racer. The Fisher TASSAJARA is a great value with a RockShox Tora SL fork and Avid hydraulic disc brakes.

Dual Suspension Mountain Bikes are the ultimate in comfort and control when the trail gets technical. However, the choices available can be overwhelming. Bikes are available with 3", 4", 5" and 7" of suspension travel. And like so many things in life, more is not always better for you. In general, as suspension travel increases pedaling efficiency decreases. Most riders in our area benefit from  3" to 5" travel bikes which possess a combination of plushness and efficiency. We have a wide variety of dual suspension bikes to fit your needs wherever your journey takes you!

If a bike with a race winning pedigree is on your list, we highly recommend the Trek Top Fuel. The Top Fuel offers 100mm of front and rear wheel travel in a light weight, efficient design that has proven itself in World Cup and 24 hour racing. Chris Eatough has won SIX  24 Hour Solo World Titles on the Top Fuel, all without a single mechanical failure. In  2009, Trek completely upgraded the frame and components. The Active Braking Pivot design keeps the suspension working even under heavy braking loads. Full Floater shock mounts allow trek engineers to fine tune the suspension system for the job at hand, in this case going as fast as humanly possible.   A welded Hi-Lo asymmetrical swingarm is lighter and stiffer than last year’s model. Lighter, Stiffer, Faster! If being on the podium is important to you then you will want the Trek Top Fuel in your arsenal.

The Fuel EX boasts 120mm of front and rear travel in the new R1i Fuel platform. It was created for the adventure rider who is always looking for new trails and new challenges. This bike under went another major revision that has resulted in an award winning mountain bike. For the first time in history, the rear pivot is located concentric to the rear axle, preventing disc brake forces from affecting suspension movement. A new magnesium EVO shock linkage keeps the rear wheel where you put it, and the Full Floater shock mount design allows the leverage ratio to be tuned for maximum plushness and efficiency. The Fuel EX is an excellent choice for the rugged trails of our region and if your travels take you on the trails less traveled, this bike will make an excellent companion.  Check out this Fuel EX Video.

Another great 5" bike that we really like is the Gary Fisher Hi-Fi. The Hi-Fi is particularly unique due to its custom designed fork offset which the Fisher Enginerds are calling G2 geometry . The Brains at Fisher Bikes recognized that the generic fork offsets found on" off the rack" suspension forks were actually creating handling issues in tight singletrack. With standard offsets, most mountain bikes have too much fork trail. This leads to oversteer at slow speeds and understeer at high speeds. By ignoring convention and partnering with Rock Shox and Fox Racing, Fisher was able to dial in the fork offset and create a great handling bike. On tight twisty singletrack, this bike is so well mannered that it will make you a better rider . This may be one case where your old equipment really is slowing you down.

Some time during the recent progression of our sport, an under-served group of riders emerged. As MountainBikers ventured onto  more technical trails the limitations of the recent crop of MTB's became noticeable. Short travel  XC bikes were being pushed to their limit, yet all-mountain bikes were too heavy and sluggish for extended climbs and epic rides

For full-on bombing McKay Hollow trail on Monte Sano, or perhaps the Black Mountain Trail in the Pisgah National Forest , the All-New Trek Remedy  is an incredible package that won't let you down. This is plush riding 150 mm travel bike eats terrain and stays lightweight due to a steady diet of ZR9000 aluminum frame tubes, magnesium EVO Links and Fox Racing's DRCV air shocks. But the real story here is Trek's Advanced braking Pivot.  ABP puts the rear most suspension pivot directly in line with the rear axle. This results in the most active suspension system available. No suspension design is more active under braking and pedaling forces,  Super stiff asymmetrical chainstays and a tapered E2 steerer keep the Remedy headed where you point it. Get the Remedy if you want to go big but do not want to compromise all day riding performance. Here's a little video showing how to set-up the new Fox DRVC. Shock Set-Up

We are also big fans of the 29er mountain bike. Bigger wheels lessen the angle of attack when rolling over obstacles so less speed is lost when rolling over roots and rocks. A Pepperdine University study found that using 29" wheels resulted in a 6% increase in speed on uphill sections and 3% increase on cross-country courses. Also, the larger contact patch of the tire improves traction in turns and helps the tires float through mud and sand. These bikes definitely work best for taller riders, so if you are 6 feet or taller, do yourself a favor and test ride a 29er before your next bike purchase.

When it comes to big wheel bikes, we are really impressed by the bikes from Niner. Their 29 specific geometry has revolutionized the way designers approach the ride characteristics of big wheel bikes. Early on 29ers suffered from slow steering most notably in tight singletrack. Niner tweaked the head angle and fork rake to produce a bike that handles like a 26 inch bike with all the benefits of a larger wheel. We have the One 9 singlespeed and RIP9 long-travel bike in stock.