Downhill mountain biking can be very aggressive, and the tracks can be quite intimidating for beginners and professionals alike. This sport is not for the faint of heart, but it is also not for brainless fun that may cost you a limb. In this sport, you will have to rely heavily on your bike and your wits to get you safely to your destination. Also, check out the best mountain bike under 600.
That is why you must have a different breed of mountain bike that you can rely on to keep you safe. Let us take a look at some of these unique bikes and what to look for in them.
Here is a quick preview of our top 5:
#1. Diamondback Overdrive 29 Mountain Bike
#2. Gravity FSX 1.0 Full Suspension Mountain Bike
#3. Mongoose Boot’s 27.5″ Down Hill Bicycle
#4. Merax FT323 Mountain Bike
#5. Schwinn Bonafide Mountain Bike
Table of Contents
#1. Diamondback Overdrive 29 Mountain Bike
With the Overdrive 29, you get a high-end, fast-tracking, and overall high-quality mountain bike that comes from a long line of great bikes.
Review
The Diamondback downhill mountain bike comes in a variety of sizes to fit riders of all different weights and sizes. The good thing about the different frame sizes is that you do not need to worry too much about wheel size. This means that all people can make use of the larger wheels for a much better downhill biking experience.
The hardtail frame of this mountain bike is handmade from a very high-quality aluminum alloy to make it much lighter. Butted tubing is used for the frame to make it much stronger and easier to handle on those rough downhill trails. This is good for the rider to not have to worry about too much weight on the mountain bike.
All frame sizes feature a 29-inch wheel to give you a much better attack angle on the rough trails. These 29-inch rims are made from a strong and durable aluminum alloy to make them lightweight and better to control. The larger wheels give you a much better grip on the rocky parts and other obstacles when you ride over rough terrain.
The Overdrive 29 comes almost completely assembled to save you all the trouble of this humdrum and time-consuming task. This means that, once you receive it, you only need to do the last bit of assembling for your bike to be complete. It will also help you to see the proper way it was assembled for future reference on assembling your bike.
The fact that it does not have dual suspension makes it a little more like a cross-country type of bike. It is not a true downhill mountain bike, but it will still take most of the punch with the front suspension. That being said, this is a great entry-level downhill mountain bike, and it is also optimal for casual mountain biking in the hills. Learn more about mountain biking guide tools you must have in your backpack.
The seat of this mountain bike is a definite no-go for any type of ride in the hills or any place, for that matter. If you intend to use this bike to go into the hills and practice your downhill skills, replace the seat first. There are much better mountain bike seats available at a reasonable price that you can replace the standard seat with.
PROS
- Available in different sizes
- Butted tubing frame
- Shipped ready for assembling
- Large 29-inch wheels
CONS
- More suitable as an entry-level bike
- Low-quality seat
#2. Gravity FSX 1.0 Full Suspension Mountain Bike
With this mountain bike, you get much good control of the bike due to the full suspension and a light, hydroformed aluminum frame.
Review
The frame of this downhill mountain bike is made from a high-quality, hydroformed aluminum alloy. This makes it light enough to give you good control. It will also help counter the extra weight of the back suspension to give you a much better overall ride. This bike is great for the entry-level mountain biker who should not be concerned with extra weight as much as simply learning to ride.
To accommodate many different sizes of people, the Gravity FSX 1.0 is available in a variety of sizes. Choosing the right size downhill mountain bike that will be a perfect fit for you is very important. You especially need the right size mountain bike if you take downhill mountain biking very seriously.
With the dual suspension added to this bike, it will be perfect for giving you better control on those rough, downhill trails. This will also help give you the right mindset if you are a beginner at this type of sport. It is very important to have the right mountain bike for the right type of training to make sure you have a great downhill experience.
If you are an entry-level mountain biker, you will have to look at the bike’s features to help you along the way. Safety is one of the first things you need to take into consideration, and this bike will give you that. It all starts with the bike, then your gear, and you can focus on using the correct technique and posture later on.
Though the Gravity FSX 1.0 is not suitable for professional downhill mountain biking, it is good for beginners. There are some drawbacks that you will find with this mountain bike that may be of some concern, though. Some of the features may be of inferior quality and may need to be replaced before biking.
Two of these features are the seat, which is not very good quality, and the suspension design. Then, there are the tires that may not be good for hard trail mountain biking. With the smaller wheelset, you may also miss out on better traction that you could get with larger wheels.
PROS
- Available in different sizes
- Good price point
- Has dual suspension
- A narrow cassette
CONS
- Not suitable for hard trails
- Tires not ideal for rough terrain
#3. Mongoose Boot's 27.5" Down Hill Bicycle
The Mongoose brand will always arouse the feeling of professionalism and good quality, and that is what you get with this downhill bike.
Review
The larger tires on this Mongoose downhill bike help give you much better traction on rough mountain trails. This is good for downhill biking, where you need excellent traction and overall control of your downhill mountain bike. This Mongoose Boot is also suitable for both downhill and cross-country biking with its 27.5-inch wheelbase.
The frame is made from tectonic T2 aluminum alloy, which is much stronger and lighter and offers a much better ride. This is good for downhill biking because you need to have a light frame to counter the extra suspension weight. This will also help for better handling and better control, and it will easily take the punch of a hard trail.
The T4 four-piston disc brakes will help give you much better control for your downhill braking and enhance your safety. You need a very strong brake system while accelerating downhill to control the speed of your downhill descent. This is necessary for your safety and helps you take steep corners under controlled speeds.
A good suspension system will help cancel out most of the shock you get from rough downhill trails. This braking technology is lightweight but still offers the excellent braking ability.
The Mongoose Boot’s downhill bike comes with quite a high price tag attached to it, but it is still affordable for most people. This will allow for more people to get into the professional sport of downhill biking, as well as other types of mountain biking.
Some of the features of this downhill mountain bike from Mongoose may not be suitable for all mountain bikers. The heavy crank may keep weaker people away from this bike and its great downhill biking performance. This is not good for bringing downhill biking to more people, as the difficulty level chases a lot of people off.
PROS
- Large and wide tires
- A strong and sturdy frame
- Good overall suspension
- Tubeless-ready rims
CONS
- High price tag
- Crank is heavy
#4. Merax FT323 Mountain Bike
With the Merax Mountain Bike, you get great quality, as well as functionality, all in one very valuable package.
Review
This mountain bike comes with dual suspension to help you smooth out the bumps on your way down the hill. At the same time, it will also give you enhanced handling capabilities for a much better and smoother downhill riding experience. These great features will make a huge difference in the outcome of your ride and provide you with much better overall results.
The high-quality gear system in the form of Shamino derailleurs and shifters will give you better, smoother gear shifting. This will especially help during the times of uphill riding. It will also provide fast, smooth mountain trail rides in many different environments. Timing is of the essence and the quality gear-shifting equipment may just make it or break it for the rider.
A strong and durable frame that is made from very high-quality, the heat-treated aluminum alloy will keep you safe on the trail. Together with a high-quality, full-suspension design, it will give you a much safer ride and increased peace of mind. The linear-pull brake system, with the support of the 17-inch frame, will give much faster and stronger stopping power.
This full-suspension, a high-quality mountain bike will make an excellent entry-level downhill bike for the beginner who wants to try out downhill biking. It is quite safe and comes with many good features that will help in your first experience of downhill biking. One of these great features is the lightweight of the frame, which makes it much easier to control.
There is one drawback with this great, 17-inch, lightweight frame. Unfortunately, this mountain bike is not very ideal for short people. For a 5-foot, 7-inch person, with the seat in the lowest position, it will be just the right fit. This simply means that shorter people will regrettably have to look for a smaller size mountain bike.
PROS
- Dual-suspension design
- High-quality gear system
- Enhanced stopping power with linear brakes
- The frame is made of high-quality materials
CONS
- Not ideal for shorter riders
#5. Schwinn Bonafide Mountain Bike
You get good quality and excellent stability with this downhill mountain bike made by the reliable Schwinn brand.
Review
The large wheelbase of this downhill mountain bike will give you good traction and extra control over rough trails. The high-profile, double-wall rims will also add durability to the overall quality of this mountain bike.
The strong frame, which is made from very durable and high-grade aluminum, gives you stability and endurance.
This will help take the punch of the rough terrain and bumps you will encounter on a mountain trail.
The whole frame and base are made from excellent, high-quality materials, and the great front suspension will absorb most bumps. You will receive the bike ready to assemble. On top of that, you will receive an extended warranty on it.
There is one drawback to this otherwise excellent downhill mountain bike, and that is that the gear system is a bit low-quality. This may not be such a big problem for downhill biking, but it may pose a problem when going cross-country.
PROS
- Large 29-inch wheelbase
- A good strong frame
- Lightweight and durable
- A long warranty
CONS
- No rear suspension
- Low-quality gear system
FINAL VERDICT
If you need to choose the right downhill mountain bike that will be perfect for you, now it should be much easier. With all the facts gathered, you may make a more informed decision regarding the right downhill mountain bike. Because of all the great features, the Gravity FSX 1.0 is the most suitable for the rough terrain of the downhill trails.
