Full Suspension Mountain Bikes

Making rough off-road trails easier to ride full suspension mountain bikes help you to push your limits when things get tough. A full suspension MTB is what you need for riding challenging mountain bike trails.

What is suspension travel? The travel of a full suspension mountain bike is the amount that the suspension travel moves when it is compressed. More suspension travel will allow you to ride more challenging trails, but it will also make your full suspension bike heavier and harder to ride up hill.

How much travel do I need? Most riders will benefit from a full sus MTB with 120 – 150mm of travel. This is the trail centre sweet spot. Less travel is great for lightweight cross-country riding while more travel is best for hard-hitting downhill trails. A men’s full suspension mountain bike will have the same amount of travel as a similar women’s full sus MTB, but components and frame shape may be different.

Are carbon full sus MTB frames better than alloy? The best full suspension mountain bike is built around a carbon fibre frame, but aluminium alloy frames are also very good. Both are strong and durable, but carbon is a little bit lighter weight. Ride quality is very similar for both types as it’s the fork and shock of a full suspension bike that absorbs the bumps on the trail.

Are cheap full suspension bikes any good? As a wise cyclist once said “lightweight, strong or inexpensive, choose two”. Fortunately, we don’t sell “cheap”. All our Specialized full suspension bikes offer a high-quality ride as do Giant full suspension MTBs and suspension bikes from our other leading brands.