MOUNTAIN BIKES RULE
Less kind folk who visit our fair province often scoff "Mountain bikes in Winnipeg? But... you have no MOUNTAINS!" To that we regularly reply (right before we ask them to leave) "OF COURSE MOUNTAIN BIKES! HAVE YOU SEEN OUR ROADS?" (no but really, all kidding aside, have you seen our roads?) We don't even offer drop-bar road bikes at our Donald store... there's simply nowhere to test drive them safely!

Mountain bikes are perfect for our terrain, they smooth out imperfections, make potholes less of a life-threatening encounter and allow one to hit both pavement and trails... No wonder the vast majority of our bike sales are of the MTB variety, they are an excellent choice for an all-around bike with lots of terrain options.

We carry the best mountain bikes from Rocky Mountain, Jamis, Scott, Norco, Marin, Commencal, Salsa and a few specialty frame builders like Ellsworth, Intense and Tomac.

Mountain bikes are designed to handle anything you can throw at them from single-track and park paths to big rocky descents. Mountain bikes can be split into two main groups:

[1] Hard-Tail Bikes that only have suspension at the front and full-suspension bikes that have suspension at the rear as well. Mountain bike suspension has been designed to absorb the shocks from riding over uneven terrain. It aids traction over difficult, loose surfaces and helps you to control the bike. If you aren’t trying anything too challenging a hard-tail bike will more often provide enough suspension. If, however you enjoy venturing into more extreme trail riding then another popular type of mountain bike is the Aggressive Hard-Tail (or dirt jump) bike, these offer extra strong wheels and long travel suspension forks designed for dirt jumping and aggressive, stunt-laden urban riding.

Cross-country mountain bike racers insist on the lightest bike possible for maximum gains on the climbs and on the flats. These bikes have slightly less travel than the trail bikes as the emphasis is on speed not comfort. Another style of bike are Free Ride or Downhill bikes. Riders use ski lifts, shuttles or push their bikes to the top of a mountain for a fast, technically challenging descent. These bikes are smaller for rider maneuverability, with lots of travel to soak up the big drops and heavy as weight is not an issue.

Here's, in detail, how we have sub-categorized Gord's Mountain-Bike selection:

FRONT SUSPENSION HARD-TAILS
Let's just accept it: The vast majority of modern mountain bikes now come with suspension forks and disc brakes, it's just the way of the future. While V-Brakes work just fine, disc brakes do have a cool factor that some folks are drawn to like moths to a flame (which is why bike companies slap them on there)... It's not a bad thing so don't fight it, embrace it.

BASIC HARDTAIL MOUNTAIN BIKES:
Bikes like the Jamis Trail X1. We sell lots of these. These serve a dual purpose: Some may never see a trail and some will see the most abuse of all mountain bikes: The 12-17 year old. They look like the part, feature sturdy frames and inexpensive parts for economical replacement when crashed and yet function well enough to work well as an inexpensive commuter. Not in this bikes' repertoire are the words "jump" or "serious off-road trail riding". They feature heavy-duty frames, adequate brakes, 7 to 8 (x3) speed gearing and basic yet sturdy front suspension.

SPORT HARDTAIL MOUNTAIN BIKES:
Bikes like the Rocky Mountain Soul, these bikes will work well on a club "Wednesday Night Ride", they usually feature lighter frames, better braking, shifting and stronger, faster wheelsets. While this bike may not be the most comfortable long distance Epic Ride partner, it can take you anywhere you want to go. This is a popular choice for those wanting an efficient commuter bike that can also be taken off-road with some degree of confidence. Gearing on these bikes begins at 8 speeds to 9 speeds in the higher end models. Suspension and brake systems on these bikes become more sophisticated as price levels increase.

PERFORMANCE/RACE HARDTAIL XC MOUNTAIN BIKES:
Bikes like the very cool carbon fiber Scott Scale 30. Definitely for the most serious riders among us, these bikes are suitable for racing and all day fast rides. They are usually light, stiff (many feature carbon fiber) and their drivetrains usually feature 9 speeds (x3), mandatory high performance brakes, sophisticated front suspensions and brand-name lighter weight components. These bikes are purpose built for speed and designed to be ridden for a fast time, not necessarily for a long time.

AGGRESIVE HARDTAIL MOUNTAIN BIKES (AKA Dirt Jump Bikes):
Bikes like The Jamis Komodo II. These bikes are built to take abuse. They all feature heavy-duty frames and burly suspension forks, bash guards instead of third chain-rings, beefier wheels, bottom brackets and cranks. Peripheral components such as pedals, brakes and especially rear derailleur are purposely spec'd on the economical end of the spectrum as they usually get damaged during stunt attempts and therefore need to be relatively inexpensive to replace. Some of these brutes are purely for jumping, some offer compromises in order to also be fun and easier to ride on trails.

FULL SUSPENSION BIKES

SPORT FULL-SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKES:
A good example of this category of bike is the Commencal Combi S. These bikes are mainly designed for the emerging mountain-bike aficionado. These bikes are designed for Cross Country riders wishing to embrace comfortable (possibly all-day long) trail-riding. These bikes are a godsend for an aging population wishing to ride longer, faster and yet not suffer the physical consequences of a punishing trail ride. This category is littered with less than desirable designs because of some manufacturers desire to satisfy certain price points, we carry the best of the lot. Usually defined by 4 inch (100mm) suspension designs, some companies pony up some longer travel front forks here for those wishing to push the terrain envelope on a budget. The top end of this category could even be used for recreational racing.

ALL-MOUNTAIN FULL-SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKES:
Bikes like the Scott Genius MC-30. These bikes must be able to do everything, from commuting to trail riding to medium-duty urban riding to even some downhill riding. Most of our regular Gord's Bike Club members ride this type of bike. Quite efficient at climbing yet fantastic at the art of descending, these rides mostly feature 5" (130mm) to 6" (150mm) designs. These bikes are best suited for soaking up great big gobs of terrain on long Epic Rides than they are for all-out racing although some of the lighter weight designs could definitely compete. Not reserved for advance riders, these dream bikes feature Game-improvement-technologies with huge sweet spots that allow even the most novice rider to keep up with the very best. If you can afford it, you should get it. Riders who own bikes in this category are very likely to become hooked.

PERFORMANCE/RACING XC FULL-SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKES:
Jamis does a good job here with the Dakar XCR Expert. These bikes are for the speed demons among the crowd. On technical, rocky terrain these light full-suspension rockets will arguably go much faster than the prototypical performance hard tail because of the huge traction benefits of proper full suspension designs. With 3.5 to 4.5 inches of travel, these bikes simply dominate when the terrain becomes less than glass smooth. Surprising in their ability to soak up large obstacles and be quite comfortable at the art of Epic Rides, they do suffer a bit when pointed straight down due to shorter travel forks. If you're looking for a fast, supremely efficient full suspension bike, this is your ride.

LONG-TRAVEL FULL-SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKES:
Intense pretty much rules the world of 6+ Inch bikes with the supremely capable Intense 6.6... More and more of us are riding these things as our "one" bike as they have become more and more efficient over the years and have less and less drawbacks. These 6"+ machines laugh at terrain irregularities. Basically designed as "Pedal to the top of the mountain and rocket down" machines, they offer the gravity junkies a nice one-bike option with the ability to trail-ride when not thinking of ways to move to B.C.

DH FULL-SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKES:
These purpose built monsters are neither cheap nor much fun to pedal in any direction other than down. Component is absolute and purpose built for gravity assist speed runs down your mountain of choice.