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Decent entry-level hardtail mountain bikes can be found for under $1,000, while full-suspension bikes realistically start from $1,500.

Bikes with front suspension only are known as hardtail bikes, while full-suspension bikes have both front and rear shocks.

“A hardtail really highlights your form on a bike and magnifies your mistakes. You’ve got to compensate with proper braking and body positioning,” says Emily Ford, an instructor with Radical Roots MTB, a mountain bike coaching and skills outfit based in the sport’s undisputed local hub of Bellingham.

Over the course of a weekend, he transformed his hardtail mountain bike into a throttle-assisted e-bike capable of speeds of up to 20 mph.

It is what’s known as a hardtail — a rigid, high-grade steel frame, with only a front suspension fork.