Buying a mountain bike can be majorly frustrating, not to mention time consuming. Below is a guide to help you in your decision before you purchase your mountain bike.

Decide your budget There is no limit as to how much you can spend on a new bike so to help you keep your budget under control, you need to work out what your price range is and what will be the most you are willing to pay. Try and support your local bike store rather than from mass merchants like Wal-Mart. You'll get great advice and a better bike too.

Riding style - discovers yours Almost every mountain bike is designed to suit many kinds of terrains and riding styles so you must first decide on the particular kind of riding you will mainly be doing. Smooth riding, cross country racing, mountain cruising, this is something you need to figure out.

Go for full suspension if you can If your budget will allow it, a full suspension mountain bike is definitely worth buying. A hard tail, without rear suspension, weighs less and pedals more efficiently but full suspensions offer greater comfort and better control.

Finding your favorites Tryig to compare a mountain bike from component to component is almost impossible, as there are way too many combinations available. The best thng to do is to find the components that are essential to you and then make sure the everything else falls within your budget.

Wait for the sales Throughout the year, the cost of buying a mountain bike flunctuates regularly. Between spring and summer is the main buying season when prices are at their highest so if you can wait until the fall you should save a couple hundred dollars. Most bike stores will also offer good discounts or free accessories if you buy from them.

Find a good dealer Finding a good bike dealer is more important than getting the cheapest price. You will always find that dealers care more about selling you your perfect bike than selling you the most expensive one.

Test ride If possible test ride as many bikes as you can within your budget and riding style. You'll discover that while some bikes will feel right, others won't. By test riding the bikes first, you'll be able to understand what works for you and what doesn't.

Do your research on . Bike reviews offer one of the best ways to find out about a mountain bike's reliability and performance. Always look at what other owners and reviewers think about a bike before you part with your cash.