Purchasing a men's mountain bike today means a few more choices, as the range and spectrum of available products has evolved and changed over the last few years. Most mountain bikes can be defined into two main categories, hard tail and full suspension, sometimes called dual suspension.

Hard tail indicates a mountain bike that has no rear suspension in it. These bikes tend to cost a little less than full suspension bikes and weigh slightly less, and are still the favorite choice of many riders. They make for great climbing bikes, since energy is not lost in the rear suspension travel when going up hills, however the decent can often be a bit rougher. Hard tail mountain bikes also make great candidates for casual commuting to and from school, where a full suspension setup isn't required.

Full suspension mountain bikes operate in a similar fashion to motorcycles, offering a shock at the fork and another one at the rear of the bike. They tend to be slightly heavier, making it not as easy to climb up a hill; however descending can be a pure dream on them.

Knowing where and how you will ride will help narrow down which type of mountain bike will best suit your needs. All are made of aircraft quality aluminum, some of the more high end models feature bits of carbon fiber to help shed excess weight, and the higher end models feature disc brakes, similar to those found on motorcycles for unmatchable stopping power.

Most models are available with 16-24 speeds, depending what their intended purpose is. If you plan on pedaling around town for casual errands, going on bike paths and maybe a hill here or there, a wide array of gears will best suit you. If however you plan on doing some serious downhill riding, chances are you'll be standing up, utilising the full suspension of the bike and gravity more than gears, so less gearing is the way to go. The number of gears is directly related to how easy or hard it is to pedal in any given instance. The more you have, the easier it will be to adapt to a wider range of riding styles and situations.