Are mountain bicycles good for street riding? Are mountain bicycles good for street riding? I need a bike to get to work about 8 mile ride.

Looks like a nice bike to ride everywhere and as an urban commuter I would love to ride it in traffic instead of using a road bike or commuter type. If you need more speed in town or want to compete, a road bike might be better. A mountain bike will probably last longer than a road bike under all driving conditions.

One man's road position is another man's mountain. Which DIRECTION do you wish to go with them?

Depending on its current orientation and deviation from 90 degrees (known as rise) the stem could simply be flipped to change the height.

Read this...
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html

Google "how to change handlebar height" for videos.

I have listed the most famous bike types: BMX Bicycle

Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) bicycles are designed for rough off road riding and are typically single speed. People also use them for stunt riding, and you may see some fitted with stunt pegs.

Mountain Bike (MTB)

A mountain bike is designed for trail riding and downhill riding. It can also be ridden on the road. They come in many shapes and forms. Some have no suspension, whilst others have front and rear suspension. A mountain bike without rear suspension is usually called a hard tail bike.

Most MTBs use 26 inch wheels which is the standard. This size wheel is fairly strong, especially when coupled with the large off road tyres that are fitted to MTBs.

An MTB is suited for off road riding and will handle rough terrain quite easy. It is very stable on rough terrain, but is a lot slower to ride on the road when compared to a road bike. It is also suitably geared for climbing hills.

Hybrid Bicycle

Another style of bike that has a similar riding position to a mountain bike, but better road speed is a Hybrid bicycle. Hybrids are a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. They have an upright comfortable position, road tyres, and are usually a lot lighter than a mountain bike.

Hybrid bicycles are typically used for commuting.

Touring Bicycle

A touring bicycle is designed for loaded cycle touring and has the capability to be fitted with mudguards, racks, panniers and extra water cages. They are typically fitted with wider road type tyres that are suitable for gravel riding also.

They usually come with a stronger frame and longer chainstays so that the back of your feet don't hit the rear panniers. They are usually fitted with a relaxed drop bar style handlebar. The geometry of the frame is also different and allows for much more easier steering and handling when loaded.

Expedition Bicycle

As above for touring, but usually fitted with Trekking bars and MTB gear and is designed for extreme off road conditions.

Randonneur or 'All Rounder'

A rare beast in Australia where we like to specialise. 'Randonneur' is a French term, coined to describe a bike that can do a bit of everything - you can ride with the pack or take a doddle with the kids, you can ride light or carry a load, you'd use it to visit Gran on Sunday then pick up some groceries on the way home. They are the 'family station wagon' of cycling. However, like any Jack of All Trades, they do everything well but the specialists do it better. They can carry a load but not like a heavy tourer. They are fast but heavier than a racer and with more comfortable geometry. They have wider wheels and tyres to ride on rough roads but wont handle true off road work.

Typically, they look like any other racing or flat bar road bike ... until you look at the details. Most randonneurs start life as a touring bike or hybrid, and are then modified by the owner over time to reflect how they are used.

The cost of the hobby varies from a couple of hundred dollars to tens of thousands. What you need to do is first figure out what you can afford and give a realistic decision on what type of riding you will be doing (IE going a couple of miles to the store, or 100 mile long rides) This will make a big difference in the type of bike you need.

Next visit your local bike shops and ride a few in your price range. A lot of cycling is preference. Bikes are built for different fits, so what fits my body may not be comfortable to you.

Good brands for low end bikes are the popular brands: Specialized, Trek, and Canondale. For the most part the more money you spend the better bike you get. There is a huge difference between a $200 bike and a $2,000 bike. A good starting price point is about $800 to $1000. If thats out of your range there are cheaper options, but that is the range with some quality.

you can download it from specialized.com they have a really good site, i ride a stumpy myself and have used the site regularly

sounds like a pretty good bike for what you will be using it for

If you want to buy a NEW dual-suspension mountain bike that is worth buying, be prepared to spend at least $700 dollars. A GOOD dual-sus bike will run upwards of $1500 and a very nice one will be over $2000. Anything new for under $500 is generally rubbish and money down the drain. The components will be bad, the manufacturing will be bad, the frame will be bad and it will no doubt be problematic if ridden more than occasionally on the street only. i might suggest looking at bike forums or craigslist for a used bike made by one of the reputable manufacturers like Giant, Trek, Specialized, Cannondale or the like. Bargain bikes are not a bargain at all, but money down the drain.

i hope this helps,
matthew