Life used to be easier : in the beginning of mountain cycling, any old cruiser fitted with fat tires was adequate. As the game evolved, so did the options for bikes designed specially for off-road riding. Bike riders began taking on all sorts of terrain, and so the options for bikes grew out of this demand. Nowadays there are generally 5 main classes for bikes : Cross Country or XC, Trail, All-Mountain, Downhill, and Freeride.
Picking the right bike from a landslide of selections available in the booming market hardware can be overpowering if you do not know what you need it for.
Cross Country ( XC ) Bikes
Cross country or XC bikes are, as the name says, designed for cross country racing. They’re light and efficient meaning you’re not bogged down by pointless bike bulk. The frames are either hard tail or short travel, semi-active suspension designs. Because XC bikes are long and low, you’ll have to ride it in a stretched position, which is best when tackling a gentle uphill terrain. Depending on how you push, the XC bike will take you up a cleared trail-not too many rocks or roots-as fast as you want it to go. XC bikes have around 80-100 mm of suspension travel.
Trail Bikes
Trail bikes are perhaps the most typical and most well liked trail bicycles simply because they’re designed to climb with control and comfort and descend with speed. Regard it as a all rounder, master of some. With more suspension travel, it is less efficient than an XC bike, but if an uphill trail gets rough and rocky, it’s the trail bike that gets going better. Trail bikes have around 120 to 140 mm of rear and front suspension travel and weigh twenty-four to thirty three lbs.
All-Mountain ( AM )
If you would like to have some jollies all day, go for an All-Mountain bike it has got bigger tires, plush suspension, and dynamic brakes that to some degree, make for further protect against accidents. You can ride on steep terrain and over little drop-offs with confidence. AM bikes are built to be ridden on all-day rides concerning steep descends and climbs, therefore the term “All Mountain.” AM bikes have around 150 to 160 mm of suspension front and rear travel and weigh twenty-nine to 35 lbs.
Downhill ( DH )
DH bikes are created for biking in one particular direction only : downhill, over steep trails with big rocks, gnarly roots, big jumps, and drop-offs. DH bikes are designed for sturdiness and stability matched against XC bikes which are created for lightness and efficiency. They have three-inch wide tires and eight-inch diameter brakes. DH bikes have around 180 to 250 mm of rear and front suspension travel and weigh around forty to 45 lbs.
Freeride ( FR )
FR bikes are designed in a similar fashion to DH bikes but have a shorter wheelbase, a little higher bottom bracket, and steeper geometry which makes them respond better at lower to mid-speed sections of a technical trail. If you suspect that mountains have been put along your path so you can bike over them, then by all possible means, hop on a FR bike. FR bikes have at least 180 mm of front and rear suspension travel and weigh 31 to 44 lbs.
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