After we’ve reviewed the best mountain bikes under 500 and 300 its now time to review the top 5 best mountain bikes under 200 you can buy in 2024.
Bare your intention of buying the best mountain bike under 200 in public, and it is likely most people will laugh at you. These are the people who believe that mountain bikes are a thing of luxury and that only top dollar bills could land them in your garage.
However, as suggested by the title of this article, we think different.
Why I hear you ask? We are mountain bike enthusiasts – have traveled hundreds of miles on them, and in all sorts of terrains. Consequently, from our own experience, we can tell that if anything, it is the comfort provided – and not the price tag of mountain bikes, which is astronomically high.
That doesn’t mean, however, that all mountain bikes are created equal. In fact, as long as you haven’t done research, you might end up with a cheap bike for a considerable price tag.
If you don’t want to waste your money, you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s take a look at the best mountain bike under 200:
Table of Contents
Merax Falcon Full Suspension Mountain Bike
Merax Falcon Full Suspension Mountain Bike
Before you think I’m kidding, let me reiterate what’s already mentioned in the bike’s name: it has a dual-suspension, which means if you are looking for extreme comfort, you need this bike.
Features
First up under our consideration is inevitably the design. Apart from the dual-suspension frame, the Merax has rising handlebars, blue knobby tires, and a complementing aluminum wheelset. All these parts combine to give you an upright posture while driving the bicycle, hence saving your back from the pains which come from long-distance riding.
Secondly, as far as the gears are concerned, Merax has left no stone unturned, as suggested by the 21-speed Shimano Shifter used on the bike.
Unless you won’t use this bike in heavy traffic – where one gear would be enough, the Shimano shifters will help you by allowing smooth shifting between gears. The advantages will multiply if/when you travel uphill as the shifters will make uphill riding a cinch.
What’s more, despite costing ridiculously low, this bike has a front disc brake, providing it enough braking power in all weather conditions. If you are still unsure about the braking power, this bike also has alloy rims to increase its brake clearance and provide better handling.
- Easy to Assemble
- The Aluminum frame is high quality
- Dual-suspension fork
- Comes at an affordable price
- Rear tire doesn’t have a disc brake
- Seat isn’t comfortable
Final Verdict
Since this is an entry level road bike, it is more likely to be used for short distance rides. Consequently, the problem with the seat being less comfortable won’t bother much. Still, if it does bother you, this bike has more than enough features to make up for it.
Murtisol Mountain Bike 26’’ Hybrid Bike
Murtisol Mountain Bike 26’’ Hybrid Bike
No matter what people say, women’s bikes are different from that of men’s, which means a bike designed for the latter shouldn’t be used by the former. And if you want to know the benefits a women-specific bike will give to them, look no further than this bike.
Features
First thing first – despite this being a mountain bike, I’d not recommend it to be ridden on extremely rough surfaces. Reason? Look at its tires.
They aren’t thick or wobbly, meaning they are more for speed than for traction. Put simply, this whole explanation means that you should only ride this bicycle either on fully paved or on slightly off-road conditions. Anything worse, and things might get ugly.
Secondly, as suggested by its name, this bike was thought to be comfortable. Thankfully, it fulfills this promise by providing a comfortable cruiser seat and an ergonomically fit handlebar. What’s more, since the handlebars are all steel, they would stabilize the bike in strong, windy conditions.
Turning our attention to the heart of the bike, a lightweight aluminum suspension frame is what lies there.
Able to handle off-road vibrations, the lightweight of this frame makes the bike extremely nimble and hence easy to maneuver. Consequently, while the weight of this bike is considerable, it is a cinch to maneuver.
- Sturdy, handles cross-winds with aplomb
- Has a beautiful mint-green design
- Slick tires mean it is easy to accelerate
- Doesn’t have disc brakes
Final Verdict
Generally speaking, not many bikes have as many features as offered by this one at such a ridiculously low price. While it has some shortcomings, its small price tag means you can easily ignore them.
Akonza Cobra 26″ Mountain Bicycle
Akonza Cobra 26″ Mountain Bicycle
Here it comes the good, old Schwinn. If you haven’t heard its name, it means you know nothing about bicycles in general. For, the manufacturer is the world leader in churning out quality bicycles. Will the High Timber Bicycle be able to uphold Akonza’s name? Let’s find out
Features
Why do you want a mountain bike? Speed may be important, but it isn’t of critical importance. Rather, it is balance and stability which mountain bikes are known to provide which lure people towards their direction.
How has Akonza’s High Timber provided balance and stability? Two words: Steel frame. While it has lowered the speed of this bike, the steel frame has maximized your comfort level. For, when combined with the depth of the suspension fork, the weight of the steel frame will smooth the off-road bumps.
Also, since the bike has gained weight due to the steel frame, it has also made it more stable. It means that if you live in bad weather conditions, the bike – due to the steel frame, would be able to handle strong winds with minimum fuss.
Having said that, one thing which disappointed me about this bike was the use of brakes. For, despite costing much less than this bike, the abovementioned Kent Thruster has gone for disc brakes, whereas Akonza can only go as far as linear brakes. Disappointing!
- Steel frame means increased stability and comfort
- Suspension fork to suss-out road bumps
- Will work for someone as bulky as 300lbs
- Allows quick gear shifting
- Seat isn’t comfortable
Final Verdict
To be honest with you, I’ve never seen an Akonza mountain bike as inexpensive as this one. Despite the reduction in the price tag, Akonza was able to equip this bike with features that you normally expect in its products. Consequently, even with the shortcomings mentioned above, this bike is a must-have.
26″ Schwinn Sidewinder Women’s Mountain Bike
26″ Schwinn Sidewinder Women’s Mountain Bike
Despite both of them being made for girls, Schwinn Sidewinder and Northwoods Pomona are poles apart from each other. Hence, no matter how hard you try, you cannot compare one with the other. This, in turn, means that if you are a woman, your range of choices has just gone up.
Features
Even before I had tested this bike, I knew that one thing was guaranteed: its seat was super comfortable. You might ask: how did I know that? The cutout.
Yes, if you look closely, you’ll see a line dividing the seat into half from tail to neck. This line, known as a cutout in the bicycling parlance, is an indication that in the design of this bicycle, Schwinn took the comfort of its customers extremely seriously.
Still, no matter how comfortable a bike saddle is, it would be useless if it doesn’t have a complementing suspension fork. Luckily, attached to the rear tire, this bike has a brilliant suspension fork to smooth out road bumps.
Just like in providing comfort, two features combine to increase the gearing utility of this bike. First of those is the 21speed Shimano derailleur which makes gear shifting a cinch. Second, you have a 3-piece mountain crank which allows a wide range of gears, meaning you can use any of them with minimum fuss.
- Super-comfortable seat
- Beautiful design
- Handlebars have grips to protect your hands
- Knobby tires and suspension fork to suss-out road bumps
- Comes with a kickstand
- Heavy
Final Verdict
If you are looking for a bike that will provide the best value for your money, your search ends here. Despite containing nothing fancy, this bike has all the features you can dream of in such a limited budget.
26″ Men’s Mountain Bike
26″ Men’s Mountain Bike
Why deprive the kids of all the fun? After all, in the previous sections, we have reviewed both men’s and women’s bikes. Consequently, now it’s time for kids to get their hands on a bike which could show them the way on difficult-to-handle trails.
Features
Since this bike is made for kids aged between 3 and 15years, it would have been comical to equip it with disc brakes. For, no matter how good they are, disc brakes provide instant stopping, a feature any kids bike can ill afford.
Thankfully, Hyper has heeded to this suggestion and has instead gone for v-brakes. These brakes won’t stop the bicycle in one go. Rather, they would slow it down before eventually stopping it. It means the chances of the bike flipping over are quite slim.
Other than this, Hyper has provided this bike with all the features which you normally expect to see in adult bikes. For example, it’s 2’’ tires – which look too big for the wheel, are there for increased stability. Similar is the case with the lightweight aluminum frame which makes the bike easy to maneuver.
Finally, there is one thing which I didn’t like about this bike: its price. Yes, it does come under the coveted 200 mark. However, when you look at the features not given – no disc brakes, no suspension fork, no water bottle holder, you expect the bike to come at a reduced price than what it’s coming at now.
- Stable
- Has a lightweight aluminum frame
- V-brakes provide reliable and slow braking to meet kids’ needs
- Attractive design, especially for the boys
- Expensive for the features it offers
Final Verdict
If you can afford to, there is no better gift you can give to your children than this mountain bike. Its rowdy looks – when combined with a useful feature-set and easy to handle frames will make your child fall in love with it.
Conclusion
Why go for high-priced options when you can get the cheap & best mountain bikes under 200. No matter to which category you belong – men, women or children, this review has got something to offer you. Take help from it, and you’ll have a gem of a mountain bike in your garage.
