Unlike the automotive industry where only 2-3 manufacturers make any kind of decent terrain capable vehicle, in MTB world there are a lot of brands. But also unlike automotive brands very few have global distribution.

Check what is available locally, and if possible try one. For mountain bikes getting the correct frame size is way more important than for city bikes. If it’s your first MTB don’t obsess too much about getting the perfect one right away - in a year you will get the upgrade itch anyway.

I own a Jeep (TJ) that I’ve built up for off-road excursions. I’d like to clarify about how these vehicles handle dirt, country roads, or mountainous terrain compared to bikes: Jeeps are nowhere as good as bikes.

Crazy, right?

It’s not like what the marketers would love you to believe, but it’s true. A 1.5 ton, four wheeled vehicle will struggle in all kinds of situations where light two wheeled vehicles will have no trouble at all. There’s a reason why you’ll see so many people standing around in videos of us four wheelers trying to make progress: walking is faster and easier! Pushing a large, heavy box through difficult terrain is a large part of the fun of a Jeep.

My recommendation for a bike is a gravel or all-terrain bike (ATB). Today’s mountain bikes are built for fast descents, very rough terrain, and large jumps. They’re amazing on certain trails but, IMHO, not the best for dirt and gravel tracks. Gravel and ATBs are also more flexible with mounting points for things like racks, cages, etc for outdoor excursions. As a bonus, they’re cheap right now. Gravel was all the rage during the pandemic and now stores are overstocked. You can get a great deal on new or last year’s models from your local bike store.

Or, if you really want that four-wheeling experience, take look at recumbent quadricycles. They’re quite unique! With fat tires they’ll float over just about any soft surface.

As others have stated, do not go to a box store or online with very limited exceptions. A LBS will generally employ a mechanic who knows what they’re doing, will stand behind any issues that arise, and can work on the bike after it breaks in. You’d be lucky if a Walmart employee manages to put a handle bar facing forwards.

This guy rides across countries and continents, including dirt roads and tracks https://youtube.com/@Cyclingabout?si=XhHHY_59oiIZoGCh

This is his touring bike guide link https://www.cyclingabout.com/touring-bicycle-buyers-guide/

This is his bike packing guide book link https://www.cyclingabout.com/bikepacking-bike-buyers-guide/

He charges on the order of $20 for each of these books. I think the touring one includes the style of bike you want

Wait, people think Jeeps are good? XD

That aside as another commenter alluded to you are better off defining what type of riding you are going to be doing. There are so many different types of mountain bikes with different geometry and components each tailored slightly towards different disciplines. If you get a decent bike with good components then of course you can use it for different kinds of riding but it’s best to choose one that will be optimised for the type of riding you’ll be doing the most.

For example gravel bikes will have the geometry of a 90s MTB, with drop bars and some skinnier but grippy tyres designed for dirt and gravel tracks but not particularly heavy hits.

XC bikes will be light and designed for a long time in the saddle, often with suspension but shorter travel to soak up some bumps but not designed for hucking off massive drops.

Trail bikes will have a more slack geometry designed for descending fast and taking bigger hits but won’t be as comfortable climbing.

There are many others too but once you figure out the kind of riding you want to do you can then look into what bikes are considered the best within that category, it will help narrow your search a lot :)

Thanks for all the comments guys! All of your comments have been very helpful and informative. I’ll definitely bookmark this thread for future purposes. Based on the information given, I’ll be getting a cross-country bike as my wife and I want to take a ‘cross-country’ trip on bike rather than a car. Sure, my Trek could handle such a trip and I will take it on such a trip. Hell, I think my old, crappy Mongoose could handle such a trip if I fixed it up. But for those scenic/nature routes I’ll consider a cross-country bike. I see a lot more bikes in my future! I once again want to thank all of you for your comments. I’m trying to go car-free and I’ll definitely be posting in this community more often. For the third time, thank you and peace out!

Nah, many brands are capable of making a decent MTB. If you are grabbing something new, $1000 gets you an OK hardtail, $2000 gets you an OK full-suspension. Spending more gets you higher quality parts and lighter weight. Spending less, better to go used.

No, get a mountain bike that you’re comfortable on, there’s a whole bunch of brands and types depending on what your want to do exactly. If it’s just dirt and country roads get a gravel bike or a cross country bike with just a front suspension.

Any steel frame mountain bike should do IMO. Trek, Specialized, GT, just to name a few, but generally all brands are solid choices as long as it’s not purchased from amazon, a walmart, or other generic big box store. Decathlon’s in-house brands are pretty reasonable, if they operate in your region.

Bicycle-specific retailers typically have tons of choice and variety in their offerings, may be worth giving those a look.

If you’ll be going off road frequently, check how affordable inner tubes are for that wheel size, so you can carry spares and repair quickly in the field - otherwise patch kits will get you home at least