Full suspension mountain bikes are your best friend if you want to ride fast on rough trails because they keep the rear wheel on the ground instead of allowing it to bounce off every obstacle it hits like on a hardtail. This keeps the bike under control and keeps the drive connected so you continue to motor.

There are a four sub categories of full suspension bikes.

Cross country
Usually have 2”-3.5” of rear wheel travel and 80mm-100mm travel up front. They are designed to get down the trail as fast as possible. Mountain bike racers often use these instead of high-end hardtails because they create less rider fatigue and roll faster on rougher courses. 

All-mountain
These are best suited for all day mountain bike adventures on varied terrain. They are generally a little beefier than the cross country variety and have a little more travel (4” to 5” in back, 100mm to 130mm up front) .You can still race them but they are a bit heavier than cross country full suspension bikes. The extra durability and travel make this category a good choice for you if you need a bike that you can ride aggressively and reliably on any terrain including the roughest and rockiest. 

Freeride bikes
These are for the jumpers. They have more travel than the others, have a more upright set- back riding position and burly semi-bulletproof components and frames. They are designed for a younger crowd who may be coming from a BMX background who want to get big air and do potentially bone-breaking stunts. They have sluggish handling and climb like well-fed pigs but you can jump off your garage roof with them and the bike will survive.

Downhill
Specifically designed for downhill riding and racing. This is your bike if you are a crazed speed demon daredevil who is too fat or lazy to ride the bike up the mountain so you throw it on a ski lift and coast down like a madman at death defying speeds. We don’t carry those because we are too far away from any chairlifts.