Mountain bikes for kids are smaller than those for adults and generally contain fewer advanced features. Reviews of kids' mountain bikes are therefore something of a specialized category, since trying to review them the same way as adult mountain bikes would, for the most part, be a little like judging SpongeBob Squarepants by the same critical standards as The Wire. In this article, we will look at some of the best reviewed kids' mountain bikes according to the major cycling websites.

Kids Mountain Bike Reviews from Mtbr.com

The Mountain Bike Review website's "Best of Mbtr.com" awards don't have a category for kids' mountain bikes, but there is an extensive selection of kids' mountain bike reviews nonetheless, browsable by rating, price and number of reviews, as well as product name.

There were no fewer than 17 reviews of kids' mountain bikes with an average rating of a perfect 5 out of 5. The one with the largest number of reviews was the Ibex Bicycles Alpine 320K, with 12 reviews. Reviewers expressed astonishment that it was a "proper mountain bike", but with everything scaled down for kids. It has 21 speeds, proper mountain bike tires, albeit 20 inch ones instead of the normal 26 or 29 inches, and everything else you would expect from an adult mountain bike.

For younger kids, ages 6 to 9, the Glide Bikes Go Glider also gets a 5 out of 5 average rating, from 6 reviews. Reviewers praised it as a great training tool to help kids learn to ride bikes without training wheels, due to the bike's excellent balance and geometry.

Kids Mountain Bike Reviews from Halfords.com

Halfords is a UK-based chain of bike shops. Their website has a useful kids' bike selector that allows the user to input the age range of the child they are buying for as well as if they want a boys', girls' or unisex bike. Sadly, the site does not allow the user to specifically select mountain bikes, but there will usually be at least one kids' mountain bike listed among the search results returned.

Kids Mountain Bike Reviews from Shopping.com

Shopping.com is a comparison shopping site owned by eBay. Whilst it does allow users to submit reviews, actual reviews of kids' mountain bikes on the site itself are somewhat thin on the ground. Its main use is as a clearing house linking to other retail sites which often provide their own product reviews. It allows the user to find the best prices on 40 different kids' mountain bikes and then links to other sites that sell that particular bike. The sites linked to are trusted names such as Amazon Marketplace, Sports Authority and Dick's Sporting Goods, making it an essential first stop for those looking for a kids' mountain bike; or virtually anything else.

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Riding your mountain bike with the appropriate amount of tire pressure can make a huge difference in how much control you have over your bike.

Setting your tire pressure too high will make for poor contact with the ground and also make your bike less controllable. Setting your tire pressure
too low will make your tires unpredictable and also make them susceptible to pinch flats.

The appropriate amount of tire pressure in a mountain bike will vary between rider to rider and tire setup to tire setup. The conditions of your
trail and the type of terrain your riding will also greatly impact what tire pressure you should be using in your tires.

The trick here is to find out exactly what mountain bike tire pressure works for you and your setup during normal conditions. After doing this, you can learn to adjust your pressure for different trails and types of terrain as needed.

You should start by finding a reliable pressure gauge or a pump with a pressure gauge. Then, use this same gauge or pump anytime you are making adjustments. A gauge can be very inaccurate, so if you switch around it you can make things much more difficult.

You should start with a higher pressure of around 40 - 50 psi. If you have a tubeless system, you should start lower, 30 - 40 psi. The more you weigh, the higher pressure you should start with. Try this pressure for a while and get a feel for how the tires take corners and loose dirt.

Drop the pressure by 5 psi in each tire and get a feel for how this new setup rides and how it compares to your previous setting. You should notice some improvement in stability, and if you don't, drop the pressure by another 5 psi.

You want to find the lowest pressure you can ride with without sacrificing pinch flat resistance. A pinch flat occurs when your tire rolls over an object then compresses to the point where the tire and the tube get pinched between the object and the rim on the wheel.

With tubeless tire systems, you can run much lower air pressure, as you don't have to worry about getting pinch flats. If you start to dent your rims, burp air out along the bead, or feel the tire roll under the rim during hard cornering, you've taken the pressure much too low.

Once you've found a comfortable setting for your tire pressure, learn what your tire feels like when you squeeze it with your hands. Once you know what your tires feel like you can always get the right air pressure - with any pump.

There are a huge amount of product reviews of mountain bikes and mountain bike gear reviews available on the web, in this article, we will filter through some of the top mountain bike product review sites to find what mountain bikes they recommend for adult buyers (kids' bikes are the subject for another article). If you are considering buying a mountain bike, look no further.

Mountain Bike Product Reviews from Mbtr.com

MBTR is short for Mountain Bike Review. Its website carries extensive product reviews of mountain bikes, including a section where its online community can vote on and discuss their favorite mountain bikes. To qualify as a winner, a product must have the highest average rating in its category with more than a minimum number of reviews.

The overall winner of the best mountain bike of 2008 was the Ibis Mojo, with an average rating of 4.76 out of 5 from 51 reviews. Reviewers praised its appearance and rigidity. The consensus seemed to be that it was a great-looking bike where "everything just WORKS", to quote one reviewer.

There were several winners in the "29er" category; that is, mountain bikes with 29 inch wheels instead of the usual 26 inches. The only full bike to score a perfect 5 out of 5 in this category, albeit with only 11 reviews, was the Moots Mooto-X, which "rides like a dream" and is a "sheer, beautiful piece of art" according to forum users.

Mountain Bike Product Reviews from Dirt World

Dirt World describes itself as containing "No marketing hype, no B.S., just real reviews by real riders with real opinions". It does not issue awards, but gives ratings from one to five stars based on reviews submitted by users. The five star product with the largest number of reviews was the Gary Fisher Tassajara, with 21 reviews. However, the reviews seemed to be somewhat inconsistent, with one reviewer giving it five stars, yet saying that he would not recommend it to a friend and criticizing some of the bike's components.

Mountain Bike Product Reviews from Consumer Guide

Consumer Guide, in contrast to the sites previously mentioned, does not feature any user reviews, just staff reviews. The product reviews read more like publicity blurbs from the manufacturers, but on the plus side, it does offer comparison shopping, enabling the user to find the best deals on the products reviewed. There are only a couple of mountain bike product reviews, however, mixed in with reviews of dirt bikes, BMX bikes and even an electric scooter.

The designs for mountain bikes can be classified in three categories based on suspension:

1. Hardtail - A frame with no rear suspension, often containing a front suspension fork.
2. Fully rigid - This is a sub type of hardtail, with a rigid fork.
3. Dual or full suspension - These bikes offer a front suspension fork and a rear suspension that are integrated into the frame.
4. Soft tail - Offers a frame with a small amount of rear suspension, normally less than a full suspension frame.

The different designs of bikes in mountain biking will offer you what you need for your unique style of riding. You'll want a different bike for
different terrain, such as cross country or downhill. As the terrain changes, you'll want to make sure you have the right bike for the job.

Mountain biking is different than any other sport, offering you plenty of excitement and thrills. If you are new to mountain biking, you'll find the
different designs to be very enticing yet very challenging at the same time. Each design serves a purpose with mountain biking, even some that
excel on the trails.

There are also several other designs which reflect on the manny challenging disciplines in the sport of mountain biking. No matter what type of
mountain biking you like to do, there are bikes for that specific discipline.

If you are new to mountain biking, you'll want to check out the many designs and types of biking before you purchase a bike. Mountain biking can
be a lot of fun and excitement, although it can also be very dangerous if you don't have the right bike for the terrain. Before you decide to
buy a bike and hit the trails, make sure you have the right design of mountain bike for the riding you are planning on doing.

A mountain bike is a lot of fun although it does require some maintenance. You should always lube your bike 15 hours or so before riding, as quick jobs right before you take off normally doesn't get everything lubed. Some lube jobs will last for more rides, although if things get loud or
shifting gets sticky, it's time to lube.

Here is how to lube your bike:
1. The chain
Apply a generous amount of mountain bike lube to your chain as you move the pedals around backwards. It also helps to find a spot to steady your hand such as the frame while you move the pedals around and around. Make sure you watch out for the cranks and chain rings as they move around.

2. Front Deraileur
On the front defaileur, lube the pivots. Use a spot of lube everywhere you can see movement whenyou move the shift lever.

3. Rear deraileur
Just like the front deraileur, lube the pivots.

4. Pedals
There are some types of clipless pedals that will need to have the release mechanism lubed. You should only lube this mechanism if you have this type of pedal.

5. Everything into motion
Pedal around, shift your gears, and bounce your bike around. If you hear anything squeak, there's a moving part there are it should be lubed
immediately.

6. Wipe it all clean
Once you've lubed everything and wiped it all around, simply wipe it all back off. Use a rag to wipe away all the lube you used, including all
the lube off the chain. Wiping it away will leave the lube in between the parts but clean it away from everywhere it isn't needed. This will keep
your bike from collecting dirt while you ride.

Thanks to the internet, you can look up mountain bike trails all over the world and pick one that suits your tastes by reading mountain bike trail reviews. Reviews by bikers just like you can help you decide where you would like to take a trip.

Factors to Consider

There are many factors that you need to consider when reading mountain bike trail reviews. You need to consider your experience level, when you are going to go, what kind of biking you want to do, and how long the trail is. Consider what kind of bike and gear you have when choosing a trail. If you don't even have a bike yet, read full suspension mountain bike reviews if you plan on doing endurance biking. Read reviews on hard-tail bikes if you are interested in cross-country biking.

When planning your trip, you need to ask yourself a few questions. First of all, do you want to bike in the forest, in the mountains, or in the desert? There are mountain bike trails in just about every type of terrain. Also, are you going to do a loop? If not, how are you going to get back to your vehicle? Will somebody be there to pick you up?

If you are a beginner, you need to pick a trail that is relatively easy. Look for mountain bike trail reviews with ratings telling you whether the trail is easy, moderate, or difficult. Don't go for a trail with too much uphill or too much downhill if you are new. A mix of everything is probably appropriate if you are new.

You also need to consider what time of the year you will be going. For example, if you are going to be biking in the middle of the summer, you might want to pick a trail with lots of shade in the forest. That way you won't get too hot when you are biking.
Also consider what kind of shape the trail is in. If the trail is barely used and it's located in the forest, there may be too much brush for you to ride through safely. Read plenty of mountain bike trail reviews prior to heading out so you can get an idea of what kind of condition the trail is in.

Remember that some trails can last for hours so keep the length of the trails in mind when reading bike trail reviews. If you are new to mountain biking, you are going to want to start out short and sweet. Furthermore, you probably shouldn't consider going alone in case you have an accident. You can take a tour if you are new so you can travel with a group and guide.

In conclusion, there are many things you need to keep in mind when you are reading mountain bike trail reviews. Fortunately, there are trails out there for people of all experience levels and the internet has made it easy to read about the opinions of other bikers prior to planning a trip. Now it's possible to go on a mountain biking trip just about anywhere and know plenty about what's in store.