Mountain bike indeed allows you to cover pretty tricky trails. They can allow you to enjoy the wilderness in its entirety. However, you can only do so when you genuinely get a mountain bike.
A hybrid bike or a casual bike will not do. The problem with mountain bikes is that the cost is much higher than the ordinary ones.
Have you ever wondered why do mountain bikes cost so much?
I will today share with you the reasons for the same. Once you go through those reasons, it is easy to understand why mountain bikes are so expensive.
Why do mountain bikes cost so much?
The cost of mountain bikes is on the higher side because of their sturdy frame, durable tires, high tolerance levels, lightweight design, excellent brakes, and efficient suspension system.
I will go into the details of all these reasons below. Once you go through them, it is easy to understand why the cost of mountain bikes is on the higher side.
- Sturdy Frame:
Usually, mountain bikes consist of carbon fibre frame. The carbon fibre frame is not only lightweight but also quite sturdy. Carbon fibre, in fact, is also used in the aerospace industry. That speaks volumes regarding the sturdiness of the material.
Carbon fibre on its own cannot provide high sturdiness. That is why additional materials like epoxy resin are also used to increase the sturdiness of the bike.
Carbon fibre, as well as other material, certainly increase the cost of the bike. However, they increase the sturdiness of the frame as well.
- Durable tires:
The tires of the bike suffer from maximum wear and tear while conversing across the mountain. That is why the tires need to be sturdy and also the component system associated with them.
Every mountain bike consists of components that can handle impacts, jerks as well as wear and tear. The same is valid for tires as well.
Moreover, the tires need to have proper treads as well. Only with appropriate treads can you get a grip on any surface.
The tread design adds not just to the traction but also the cost. Additionally, the entire tire assembly is designed in such a way that it provides the required traction and durability but also increases the cost.
It is another factor due to which mountain bikes are so costly.
- Higher tolerance:
Whether you look at the incline that mountain bikes can handle or weather elements, they are much better than ordinary bikes.
Mountain bikes have a much higher tolerance level.
The advantage of a higher tolerance level is that the bike can last for an extended period. The extent of wear and tear which it suffers from is also on the lower side.
The high tolerance level means that the quality of components should also be higher. Quality components always come at a premium.
It is another reason why mountain bikes are so costly. In a regular bike, if you opt for a lightweight design, the cost will reduce. The same is not true for mountain bikes.
That is because the mountain bike requirement is to have a lightweight design but is still provides high sturdiness compared to an ordinary bike.
It means that the components in use need to be lightweight, but they need to be more sturdy.
That is why materials like carbon fibre are used in mountain bikes. As we have highlighted above, carbon fibre and other such materials are more expensive.
- Lightweight design:
It is a general perception that when you go for sturdy materials and durable materials, those materials’ weight can increase. That is the only way in which they can handle more impact.
The problem with a mountain bike is that you will have to design a bike that can handle all of that and still weighs less than a regular bike. To do so, you need to use premium quality materials.
Premium quality materials, of course, are more expensive as compared to the ordinary ones. It means that once again, because you need to keep the weight of the bike on the lighter side, the cost of the bike increases even more.
- Excellent brakes:
Control is pretty essential when you’re covering any mountain trail. You need to stop the bike soon in case of a wrong turn or when you start to lose control of the bike. Brakes play a vital role in this.
The higher the stoppage power of the brakes, the more will be their cost as well. For example, as compared to the pull brakes, disc brakes are more expensive. Most mountain bikes consist of these disc brakes.
Brakes are another component of the mountain bike, which increases its cost.
- Efficient suspension system:
While riding on the smooth road or the pavement, the suspension system’s quality does not matter much. It is because the terrain underneath is entirely smooth.
The same is not true when you’re up there in the mountains. In fact, in that case, the terrain can be pretty rough. When that is the case, you need an excellent suspension system. Otherwise, you cannot complete the trail. You can lose control as well.
The suspension system needs to handle more wear and tear. Once again, to do so requires premium quality materials, construction, and design. That will once again increase the cost of the mountain bike
All these parameters combined can increase the cost of the mountain bike. There is no single reason why a mountain bike is much more expensive than the ordinary one. Due to the performance needed from the mountain bike, the cost of the mountain bike increases significantly. The next time around you’re buying a mountain bike, instead of fretting over the cost, consider the quality of the mountain bike. Once you take that into account, it is easy to understand the reasons behind the high cost.
I have covered 21-speed mountain bikes, outdoor bike rack, and women’s mountain bike helmets in my post 1, post 2, post 3. You can go through these posts to choose the best among these categories.