In the beginning… Free ride biking was illegal, that’s right, illegal. The idea was originally thought of as a promotional method to help with publicity and marketing. The whole concept was launched around the idea of “freedom to act” and designed to attract such extreme riders. Free riding has given everyone the ability to act without considering risk, which has proven to be very dangerous. Similarly, bungee jumping was origanally done by daredevil stuntmen who promoted the sport and it quickly became a popular illegal outdoor activity. Both bungee jumping and free ride biking are still considered to be illegal activities, due to the extreme danger of death and injury involved.
When free riding first hit the scene, a few bikers had built courses already but many more bikers began designing their own free ride courses and tracks. Not one of these were built to any regulation specifics or any scientific criteria. They were just created around what the bikers thought would be challenging enough and, of course, action-packed with adrenaline pumpimg moments.
Of cousre, with little to no specific or proper design for the courses, there have been hundreds of free ride accidents since the concept first emerged. The amount of casualties caused by free riding inspired the autorities to take down any and all parks and tracks, but as history will show, the bikers just built their parks somewhere they wouldn’t be found, out in the woods and rural areas. Hence starting the whole free ride visual of jumping off cliffs and barrelling off massive jumps in the wilderness.
These days free ride biking has become an accepted sport of thrill and danger, though techically still considered illegal on homemade courses. Official courses for free riding outdoors and indoors are available and the sport has become recognized internationally and participated in by thousands.
Also, many people think that downhill mountain bikes(DH) and free ride mountain bikes are one in the same, FALSE. With downhill riding, the purpose is to get to the end as soon as possible, there are jumps and stunts but the main objective is quickness of descent. Free riding on the other hand may call for the rider to zig-zag back and forth across the course to hit multiple obstacles, with a low level of concern for time. The steering and how the tricks are executed is also diferent with each style.
The bikes are also designed differently for DH and free ride biking. Free ride bikes have less travel (suspension movement up and down) than DH bikes in order for easy steering and handling the more technical parts of the courses. Also for those hard impact landings. Free ride bikes have a shorter wheelbase and steep angles on the head to help make technical steering easier also.
FINAL THOUGHT:
Free ride mountain biking can be extremely dangerous and deadly if you don’t know what you’re doing, as statistics have shown. The sport consists of many technical stunts and “dirty” jumping. If you don’t have your “thinking head” on, you could end up in a bad place. As I always say, you have to make sure you have the right equipment (bike, gears, safety equipment, EXPERIENCE, etc…). I highlighted experience because it is so vastly important, you need to practice as much as possible, on the bike you will use, untill you are an expert in handling, landing, and maneuvering your bike. Ride Safe.