We recommend
First, here's a 26-inch-wheel, full-suspension mountain bike. It has knobby tires and shocks on the front and back of the bike. It has a wide range of gears for getting up steep hills and disc brakes for excellent stopping power. Newer full-suspension bikes come with 27.5" or 29" wheel sizes, but the 26" wheels still work well! More recent bikes also often come with only one gear in the front and a wider range of gears in the back. This simplifies shifting and works well.
Full-suspension mountain bike:
Next is an example of a hardtail (front suspension) mountain bike. This one happens to have 29-inch wheels. Most have 26" or 27.5" wheels. Again, notice the knobby tires and the disc brakes. Many older bicycles still use rim brakes and those are also acceptable on our rides.
Not all mountain bikes have suspension, and while not necessary for the Diva rides, it does make going over bumps, rocks, and roots a bit easier and less jarring on the body.
Hardtail mountain bike:
Here is a fat-tire bike on a visit to the beach! Although some people only use their fat bikes in the winter for snow riding, they also make good mountain bikes (and are great for the beach - be sure to rinse off that salt water). Most shops will have non-studded tires for your summer riding and some people will get a different wheelset with narrower rims for summer use. Some fat bikes have suspension forks which is especially nice if you put on narrower rims (on a fat bike, the balloon tires ARE your suspension).
Fat-tire bike:
Not recommended
This is an example of a hybrid. It has 700c wheels (the same size as you'll find on most road bikes) and a mountain bike handlebar. While it may be great for pavement riding and commuting, it is not a good choice for the dirt trail rides. Notice the skinny, smooth tires. These wouldn't be good in the mud! Road bikes are also not recommended.
You may also notice that this bike has only one gear. Single-speed mountain bikes do exist and if you're a strong rider, they can be acceptable on our trail rides, especially if you want an additional challenge.
Hybrid bike:
Likewise, a rider who is experienced handling a cyclocross (or cross) bike may feel comfortable using that kind of bike on our rides, knowing that it will be more challenging than the mountain bike due to the skinny tires and the lack of suspension.
In Conclusion
If you are relatively new to mountain biking (less than two years) and/or haven't spent much time on dirt trails, we recommend you use a front-suspension or full-suspension mountain bike or your fat-tire bike with summer tires for the Diva rides. You'll be much happier with the right equipment!
