Different Types Of Mountain Biking
Mountain biking means many things to many different people. It’s not defined by the bike you ride, it’s all about the way you ride it. But who wants to throw themselves through rock gardens on a 20 pound carbon sprinter, or fight with nine inches of travel whilst climbing single-track that would make a mountain goat feel queasy? Choosing the right bike for your chosen style of riding is paramount to getting the most out of your riding experience. To help you make the right choice, here’s a guide to just what can be done on two wheels.
Cross Country
Also known as XC, cross country is what most people are imagining when you tell them that you’re a mountain biker. They’re also probably imagining you in pink Lycra as well. Don’t worry though, cross country riders are definitely respected as the fittest guys around when it comes to mountain bikes. XC takes in the widest variety of terrain and routes usually consist of climbs, downhills and flat sections on a variety of trail types that can be anything from flat fire roads to technical, rooty single-track. XC bikes are typically light, with short travel suspension forks and if they have rear suspension, this will also be short travel. Because most XC riders prefer a light ride, they will opt for a hardtail, as rear suspension can dramatically increase a bike’s weight. Whilst a light hardtail will climb more quickly and efficiently, a full suspension bike will descend more quickly on those rough downhills. Modern advances in suspension technology though can make even a full suspension bike climb well, but it’ll cost you. The most important lesson is personal preference, so work out what’s best for you then get out there, and get muddy.
Downhill
Downhill is fast, and it’s getting faster. In order to keep up you’ll need fast reflexes, good all over body strength, immaculate bike handling skills and lots of sheer conviction and fearlessness. Of course, the latest in suspension technology and tough components will help too. A downhill course is usually home to obstacles geared purely at throwing the rider from their bike: expect steep rock gardens and root sections, big drops and tight turns between trees that want to give you a hug and jumps, huge jumps that don’t always allow for a pleasant landing. In short, a downhill track is a tough, dangerous place to be, and between the start and the finish line, your bike is your only friend. Most downhill bikes have both front and rear suspension and weigh roughly 35-40lb but both heavier and lighter bikes are common. A general rule of thumb is that the components of a downhill bike are all strong but the more you are willing to pay, the lighter they can be. Some riders just prefer a heavy bike though, or gravity sled as these machines are affectionately called. So, once again personal preference are the words of the day. Comfort isn’t so much of an issue with a downhill bike due to shorter times spent riding it, but bear in mind that the correct sizing is an important factor in your choice as ultimately this will affect the amount of control you have over your steed.
Dirt Jumping
Dirt jumping is expression on a bike, it’s big air and sick tricks, it’s smooth style and perfect flow and it’s chilled out summer afternoons at the trails. The idea is simple; mounds of dirt are shaped into take-offs that sends the rider into the air, the rider comes in to land on a similar mound of dirt that is shaped into a transition, or landing. Whilst airborne the rider will attempt tricks should they desire it to achieve maximum style points and admiration from the folks on the ground far below. Dirt jump bikes usually have short travel, hard suspension or even no suspension, can have 24” or 26” wheels and are usually hardtails. A hardtail frame, like every aspect of a good dirt jump bike, is intended to emphasise the need for smooth riding and allow the rider to pump the transitions and carry speed into the next jump. A singlespeed drive set up is usually chosen too because of its simplicity and the fact that the chain is always fully tensioned – a pretty big bonus with all the impacts a dirt jumping bike will take. Because you’ll be spending most of your dirt jumping career airborne and only a few minutes at a time on the bike, comfort is very much a secondary consideration to “chuckability” – the ease with which a bike allows you to perform the tricks you want to do. The relatively small size of dirt jump bikes allows you to have a bombproof machine that’s still not too heavy. The learning curve is steep but don’t let that put you off, get a few tricks dialled and you’ll be the king of cool. Look mum, no hands!
Street/Park
Street and park riding are both about taking it to the city and being the biggest, baddest kid in the urban playground. Use ledges, walls, rails and stairsets to show everyone who’s boss or tear up some bowls and whip it out big on the hips in the skate park. Of course, riding the streets goes beyond mile-long manuals and pedal grinds – for some, it’s the place where you take your downhill bike when the trails are too wet, where stairsets become transitions and roofs become drops to be launched. For pure street or park riding though, riders generally favour either fully rigid bikes or hardtails with hard, short travel forks up front. Because of the technicality involved in a lot of street tricks, 24” wheels are a common choice. Both of these styles of riding are pretty accessible with a dirt jump bike and vice versa which is good news for the wallet.
Freeride
Freeride is the buzzword of the mountain bike industry but it seems that no one’s really too sure about what it actually means. The truth is that it’s a mixture of every other riding discipline, but it’s also everything that’s not part of any other riding discipline. Freeride is the drops and speed of downhill but maybe you’ll throw in dirt jumping’s barspins along the way, then ride back to the top of the hill like an XC racer. Because of the wide range of attributes people want from a freeride bike, it has to be versatile; lighter than a downhill bike but with more travel than an XC bike. Of course to some riders, freeride is just downhill without the clock or competition and that’s fine too. Tailor your freeride bike to your needs; think long and hard about what you will use it for then add some of that flavour to your consideration. Freeriding: it’s riding that’s free, so we won’t spend too much time telling you how to do it. Suffice it to say, that it’s all about control and flow; a great rider once said “Anyone can ride really fast or ride off big drops, but if you’re doing it and you’re out of control: it means nothing.”
Trials
Trials is probably the most specialised form of mountain biking. It requires near perfect balance and a series of techniques that are rarely, if ever seen in the other riding disciplines. Trials riders overcome obstacles by hopping onto them, over them or across them and they view almost anything as their riding playground, whether it’s natural terrain such as boulders, tree stumps and logs or urban terrain such as walls, handrails or bollards. Trials bikes themselves bear little resemblance to other mountain bikes. They have very low frames, often have no seat and can have 20”, 24” or 26” wheels. Because the trials rider often needs to jump very high from near stationary starts, trials bikes are light – we’re talking lift up with your little finger light. To begin with, any trials bike will feel unnatural and so it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking “small rider, small bike – tall rider, big bike” but it’s better to think of the different wheel sizes as disciplines in themselves.
4X
4X (pronounced “four-cross”) is all about the thrill of racing shoulder to shoulder with other riders. When the gates open, you pedal like crazy and pump the moguls, rail the berms and pedal some more. You hurtle round a track at breakneck speed with your opponents breathing down your neck… usually quite literally. A 4X bike is usually a similar size and shape to a dirt jump bike, and in fact you wouldn’t look at all out of place turning up to a race on your jumper. A more specialised set up though would be a few pounds lighter: smoothness is the key to winning races so some strength can be sacrificed. Some riders also opt for a few gears allowing for a fast start without losing out in the later stages of the race.
With so many different disciplines to choose from it can be hard to classify what mountain biking really is. Is it the sport of lean mean Olympic athletes? Is it ripped jeans, ripped tee-shirt and chilling with your mates? Is it one of the most extreme sports on the planet? It’s simple really: whatever bike you ride, however you ride it; mountain biking is a way of life.