All About Mountain Bikes

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Early mountain bike history tells us of how Californian bike riders began adapting their bikes to handle off road routes and making the best of all the downhill paths and runs that were native to the landscape. Hence began the birth of mountain biking. The first types of bikes were meant only for the road however and even though many people road off road, it was not popular enough to design a bike for that purpose specifically, yet.
 
California bikers changed all this though. Mountain biking originated with them and, as such, they were the ones who started designing bikes that would handle better off road and be able to tolerate the rough terrain and obstacles of trail and downhill riding.
 
Basically, there’s 4 types of mountain bikes: cross country, dirt jump, freeride, and downhill bikes. They are all designed to handle different kinds of conditions and obstacles. When you choose a bike, it’s best to know first what kind of riding you’re gonna be doing and the potential obstacles you’ll have to face. It simply comes down to what you need and want.

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1. Cross Country Mountain Bikes(XC)

Cross Country Mountain Bikes are designed and equipt for off-road trails with moderate obstacles. They’re also good for climbs and descents. Typically 20-30 lb.

Usually more rigid than other Mountain Bikes, XC bikes are divided into 2 sub-types:

     Hard-tail Mountain Bikes

A mountain bike that has a stiff rear frame and only front shocks or the shock absorbers are absent all together, is known as a hard tail mountain bike.

One huge advantage that hard tails have is they’re great for jumping and just as good in downhill racing as full suspension. Though less sophisticated than full suspension, by comparison these bikes are very popular with alot of riders because they’re light weight and the fact that they”re easier to peddle. Newer hardtail frames are being made with some amount of shock-absorbing characteristics now. Its’s found in the improved materials used for the chainstay and seatstay. Starting out with a hardtail Mountain Bike is not a bad move. You’ll save on a lot of extra $$ and you’ll be able to good good pedaling technique. Lastly, hardtails are more durable than full-suspension bikes and require less maintenance and most professionals prefer hard tails and even amateurs consider them to be the more durable bike.

     Full-suspension Mountain Bikes

As the name insists, a mountain bike that has the front and the rear shock mechanisms is considered a full suspension mountain bike.These bikes kinda resemble a motorcycle.

Great for downhill racing and fro jumping,they’re extremely comfortable to ride and perfect for events that require you to stay on your bike for a long period of time, like cross country racing. The problem is that full suspension bikes are alot heavier and cost quite a bit more than hard tails. You will also get a bouncing sensation during off saddle climbing or sprinting. Due to advances in technology, full-suspension maintenance is becoming alot easier. Some bike suspension companies have come out with suspension lock-out. This gives the bike more of a hard-tail feel and eliminates most of the bouncing.

2. Dirt Jump Mountain Bikes

Typically made from high strength material, these bikes are designed for hitting jumps and the impact of landing. Their suspension systems are just a smidge softer than those of Cross Country Mountain Bikes and are commonly used for slalom races or street riding too. An overgrown BMX with a suspension fork ;)

3. Freeride Mountain Bikes 

These look almost like Downhill Mountain Bikes, weigh almost the same, but they’re designed to pedal easier. Freeride Mountain Bikes are made to function both as a Cross Country and a Downhill Mountain Bike all in one, but will not perform as effectively as a bike designed for one or the other specifically.

4. Downhill Mountain Bikes

As the name suggests, Downhill Bikes are designed for fast downhill trails and race courses with steep drops. They have the most suspension “travel” of other Mt bikes. These bikes are beasts, weighing in at 40+ lbs, but are made as light as possible so they’re still good for racing. They are virtually impossible to peddle uphill so the rider and the bike have to be brought to the top via chair lift. DH bikes also use disc brakes for slowing and stopping with ease at high speeds. Here’s a post all about DH mountain biking…. Click Here to read.

Let’s wrap it up,

There’s 4 types of mountain bikes: Cross Country (XC), Freeride, Dirt Jump. and Downhill (DH). If you’re just starting out in this sport, I would recommend going with a hardtail XC bike, they’re less expensive and can do just about everything that mountain bikes are designed to do. On the same token though, you need to think about what kind of riding you are gonna be doing then decide based on the pros and cons of the different styles. 
 
 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>HAPPY TRAILS<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

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Comments
  • Peter:

    very interesting i learn something new every day

    Reply February 15, 2011 at 8:53 pm
  • Johnson:

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