Mountain Bike
Mountain Bikes (also known as MTB) are bicycles developed for cycling off road. Mountain Biking involves riding over rough terrain filled with rocks, washouts, and other obstacles. To cycle on unpaved roads, tracks and trails, you need a bicycle that will withstand a bit of a beating. The wheels of a MTB generally come in a 26inch but more recently are also available in a 29inch wheel (29ers). The tires of MTB are normally wider than on a normal bike, and come with knobby tires to increase traction and stability on undulating, bumpy surfaces.
When it comes to Bicycle Suspension on a MTB it has improved since the first models of Mountain Bikes came out. Now suspension forks are found on most MTB. MTB suspension make riding on rougher terrain easier and less stressful than frames with rigid forks. There is Hardtail MTB (Front Suspension and rigid rear wheels), which have the benefit of less maintenance, lower cost and easier pedaling. The other type of suspension is Dual Suspension which is a “full suspension” Mountain Bike. The front and rear wheels of these bicycles have are equipped with shock absorbers giving a much smoother ride. A Dual Suspension Bike is generally more expensive than a Hardtail, but the ride quality is greatly improved.
Which style is best for you depends on your personal preference and the type of mountain biking that appeals to you. Do you want to ride smooth flowing trails, climb big mountains, ride stunts, descend technical downhill courses, or just have all around fun.
Thinking about where you live and ride helps narrow your decision by making you take another realistic look at where you will be riding .If you want to ride crazy downhill shuttles, but all you have is flat and smooth trails in your neck of the woods, a true downhill bike is probably not going to be your best choice.
ALL MOUNTAIN MTB: For most people, All Mountain (Trail Bikes) make the most sense. These bikes are truly made to be the most fun in the largest number of situations. They can take you almost anywhere, and they won't wear you out doing it.
All mountain bikes, also known as trail bikes are the workhorse category of mountain bikes. An all mountain bicycle is a bike built to handle almost everything a mountain biker will run into on a full day of riding.
The all mountain category consists mostly of bikes with about 4 to 6 inches (100 to 160 millimeters) of travel. While they are designed to climb hills very efficiently, they are generally heavier and tougher than the typical cross country bike. They can handle a lot rougher terrain as well.
Trail bikes are what most people should be riding. They are an excellent balance between efficiency, comfort, and control. All mountain MTBs are light and efficient enough to get you to the top of the hill, have soft enough give in the suspension to keep you isolated from rough terrain, and have enough travel to suck up the bigger hits that can leave a cross country racer tasting the dirt.
CROSS COUNTRY (XC) MOUNTAIN BIKES: Cross Country (XC) bikes are the lightest and most efficient to pedal, but aren't necessarily the best for rough terrain or the most comfortable.
XC mountain bike riding refers the type of terrain the riding is being done on and what type of ride it is. Most trail riding is XC riding. These are rides where you usually pedal along the whole ride without lift access or shuttle and don't need any extraordinary equipment to complete the ride.
FREERIDE MOUNTAIN BIKES: Freeride bikes are great for hard hitting trails, jumps and stunts. They are built to get you up the hills as well, but not very easily. These bikes are heavy and tough.
Freeride mountain biking refers to a type of MTB riding style. Freeride usually involves large drops, jumps, and manmade stunts. Freeride bikes usually have large amounts of suspension travel (6" to 8"+) and are built to take a beating. They are available in both hard tail and dual suspension styles.
DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKES: The least common bikes are the Downhill (DH) specific MTB. DH bikes are built just for downhill racing. Don't expect to have too much fun riding these bikes up the hills (this is Very hard work!), usually you throw them in your Ute and drive yourself, your mates and your bikes to the top of the mountain, but once you are there, you won't find a faster way to get down no matter how rough the trail is. It is also a great idea to leave someone at the top so they can drive your Ute back down the mountain to pick you up!
SUMMING IT UP: Mountain biking is all about going bush and having fun and choosing the style that suits you best is the key to having more fun. The trick is to be honest with yourself about how you will spend most of your time riding, and then choosing a bike that is designed to make the best of it. If you feel like you still need more information drop in to one of our Bums on Bikes stores and talk to our friendly staff and they will help and guide you towards choosing the right mountain bike for you.
Mountain Bike Brands:
