The Best Mountain Bike Under $200

I love riding a bicycle. I always have, maybe it’s a subtle reminder of the independence I would feel as a kid, being able to go places that were a little further, and get there faster than walking. I’m not really sure why it’s so special to me, but I have always enjoyed it.

Bike received. This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking my links.

Best Mountain Bike Under $200

Mountain bikes can be expensive, but the Kent Thruster KZ2600 offers incredible value, check out our experience with it.

 The Thruster KZ2600 is a mountain bike that combines performance, style & value. In my 2 weeks of riding it, I have totally loved it. The Thruster is a comfortable ride, very smooth, even in the rougher terrain of grass, dirt and “natural” roads that we have around our neighborhood.Many people think that good mountain bikes are very expensive, and I used to think that too, until riding the Thruster KZ2600.There are a couple of things that Kent has really done well with the Thruster. Here are some of my favorite features.

Lightweight – the entire frame is made of lightweight aluminum and the bike in total weighs about 40lbs

Appearance – This is a bonus feature. The Thruster KZ2600 is a good-looking mountain bike. It will stand out in a crowd, with its mix of colors and blue “white walls” on the tires. It even was able to get a “wow that looks cool” from my tween niece, and if a pre-teen thinks it looks good . . . well, I must be styling!

Gears – This is always an important aspect. The Thruster KZ2600 uses Shimono gears. Shimono is well known and makes a quality product. They offer 21 speeds to choose from, which is more than enough in my opinion. Shifting is nice and easy, one gear selects 1-7 and the other selects 1-3, the shifting is nice and smooth and easy to do in both directions.

Brakes – The Thruster KZ2600 uses a combination of disk brakes and linear pull (conventional pads on the tire) brakes. One main reason why I think this is the best mountain bike under $200 is the disk braking system on the front tire. Most mountain bikes at this price point use the more common linear pull, the disk brakes are a huge bonus.

Areas for improvement

The Kent Thruster KZ2600 is an incredible mountain bike at its price point. I would love to see disk brakes on the front AND back tires. Also, the seat could be a little more comfy, but I think I would say that about any stock bike seat!

Overall, the Thruster KZ2600 is a lot of mountain bike for under $200. Check it out here and order one for yourself, so you can look as stylish as I do riding around the neighborhood.

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