Good Bicycle

Get a Mountain Bike With Good Bicycle

Mountain bikes are the most rugged type of bicycle. They were made to be cycled on mountains, steep inclines and the roughest of terrains. Very rarely will a mountain bike rider cycle on a paved road. The majority of mountain bike riders love cycling on narrow and unpaved trails resulting in greater wear and tear and forcing the manufacturers to have to design sturdier bicycles.

Mountain bike tyres are therefore fatter, bigger and made of a stronger type of rubber. This is great as it gives the cyclist better traction and allows the bicycle to run freely in both rough and smooth terrains.

Another significant feature that all mountain bikes have is a strong suspension system. It is now common for manufacturers to make bikes with both front and rear suspensions to help the cyclist withstand heavier bumps and thuds.

Depending on what type of suspension the bikes have, they are classified as soft tails, hard tails, fully rigid and dual suspension bicycles. The hard tail types have a front suspension fork while the rigid types have a rigid fork. The soft tail's rear suspension rests on the frame rather than pivots, and dual and full types have a front suspension fork and rear suspension. As well as this they have a rear shock absorber and linkage.

Mountain bikes made for cross country cycling are generally made of more lightweight and resilient components. They can weigh as less as 20 pounds with the heaviest you can buy weighing around 40 pounds. Enduro mountain bikes tend to be heavier than their cross country counterparts weighing on average between 30 and 35 pounds. They have better suspensions that are great for steep inclines or steering over hairpin bends.

Free ride mountain bikes are built of heavier materials. Unlike most other downhill bikes they are designed for easy pedaling. You will find them easy to maneuver around dangerous obstacles and steep turns. The flip side being they are not as efficient as cross country bikes due to them being heavier, weighing between 40 and 50 pounds.

Downhill Mountain bikes, while not as strong as free ride bicycles are most suitable for riding on downhill tracks and for racing. A downhill mountain bike's traction is better than most other types of mountain bike.

Trial bikes are meant for short distances and come without suspension. They do not have proper seat or vestigial pad and weigh less than most other bikes at around 15-20 pounds.

Urban and Street Mountain Bike's features vary in between the mountain bikes and trial bikes. They are very strong and come with between one and nine gears and a chain guide for the front and rear gears.

Kenda Small Block Eight Tire Review

Kenda Small Block Eight Tire Review




Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap over rocks and tree branches, and more powerful than your two legs can handle! Kenda’s stable of tires are famous for superhero-like performance and the Small Block Eight tires are no exception. These tires are super durable, easy to install, roll fast on hard pack, and get good bite in both straight line acceleration and cornering. At the end of the day a hard time finding any kryptonite to slow these tires down!

At first glance you might imagine these tires are specialized and limited but that’s simply not the case. The tread is actually scaled-down Nevegal blocks with eight of them across the tread making this a good multi-purpose XC tire. Each tire weighs a respectable 520g (26 x 2.1) which means they aren’t super light but the upside is they are mega durable and stable at high speeds.

Mounting these tires to both the front and rear of Opus XC rig was a cinch - just make sure to note the correct tire rotation direction and remember not to use any tools other than proper tire irons. tossed a bit of baby powder in tires before installing with super light Kenda tubes (124g each) to help reduce the friction that is generated between the tube and tire when the tire rolls and deflects. inflated both front and rear tires to 42 psi and was ready to go - all in under 15 minutes.

MTB tire testing conditions at the Don Valley trails were perfect: dry with soft patches and the occasional mud pack left over from the rains a few days before. Using the Small Block 8 tires on both front and rear of bike really gave a sense of what this tire is all about. At the beginning of ride , fiddled with tire pressures a bit and ended up taking out 5 psi on the front to give better compliance in the corners. got the pressure right, cornering felt tight and accurate.

Climbing with the Small Block Eight tires was great and got great traction on hardpack, rocks, and even rooted trails. however, find the Small Block Eight’s kryptonite when hit some hardpack clay coated with a dusting of fine sand. Now to be fair that combination is tough to climb with almost any type of tire and in the end manage to get up (with some wheel spin). Even Superman isn’t perfect.

Rolling on trails this tire is very fast and requires little energy to keep its momentum. found that the tire changed speeds and directions nicely and allowed to lean into corners without having that wobbling feeling that some tires produce when hitting the transitional blocks in the tread. the front tire can become overworked when cornering which sometimes resulted in lost tracking and a slide (push). For this reason , dropped the front tire pressure a tad and that seemed to help. In terms of rear cornering these tires nailed every turn.

Braking with the Small Block Eights was great. The good thing about these tires is their ability to generate a tremendous amount of surface friction which allows the brakes to do their thing. In fact the Small Block Eights to be one of the best braking XC tires have tested in a long while. As with any tire, you can easily lock the tires up if you try, though you should always avoid this - it’s dangerous and bad for the trails. The tires work best at the fine point between lock up and rolling which must be that Nevegal block shape biting on the trail when needed.

rated the Kenda Small Block Eight MTB tires:

8 out of 10 for climbing
7 out of 10 for cornering
9 out of 10 for rolling and efficiency
5 out of 10 for loose conditions
10 out of 10 for hardpack
8 out of 10 for stopping in a straight line

Overall to say the Small Block Eight is a great tire for those who want a tire that will last a long time and ride fast with great control on trails that are mostly hardpack with some patches of softer stuff. These tires even work great for those who ride mainly on pathways, producing an even, comfortable ride. If you’re planing on racing, get these tires for training and treat your bike to a set of Kenda Kozmik Lite II tires for race day!


Specifications from KENDA:

* Excellent hard pack XC race tire
* 8 Nevegal shaped but smaller knobs across the tire for better ‘bite’
* DTC - Dual Tread Compound offers cornering grip with faster center line acceleration
* One of the fastest rolling tires in the Kenda Premium line
* 120 TPI casing on 26″ and 29″ tires
* Folding Beads
* Avaliable in UST tubeless version as well
* Sizes: 26 x 1.90 UST, 26 x 2.10 UST, 26 x 1.95, 26 x 2.10, 26 x 2.35, 29 x 2.10

set up a mechanical disc brake

I have run across this question on how to best set up a mechanical disc brake for a bicycle enough that I thought a post on it was in order.

There are several choices for mechanical disc brakes out there, but the most common to the serious off roader is going to be the Avid BB-7, which is pictured here. That being the case, I will say that my specific tips will benefit any user of any type of mechanical disc brake.

First of all, it's not so much how you set up the caliper, although that is critical, of course. However; you can have a perfectly installed caliper, rotor, and brake lever and still have a crappy brake that's not much better than a linear pull brake and it'll be a heck of alot heavier than a linear pull brake to boot.

The trick to getting the most out of your mechanical disc brake is in the cable, housing for that cable, and your choice of brake lever. Without careful consideration for each of these component choices, you are going to have a sub-standard set up on your brakes.

Brake Lever: While it's true that any linear pull compatible brake lever will work with mechanical disc brakes, not all levers are created equal. Many linear pull levers are sloppy, flexy, and do not pull as much cable as some other higher end levers. If you are using a lever that isn't solid and flex free, you are losing braking power! I recommend using a quality linear pull lever like an Avid SD-1 or better. Paul Love Levers are also really good. A flex free lever with little to no pivot slop is imperative for getting the most out of a mechanical disc brake.

Cable: Ahh! The lowly mountain bike brake cable. What possibly could you want better than that? Well, another thing that kills mechanical disc brake power and especially feel is a dry, dirty, or rusted cable. One of the best things you can do to improve your existing mechanical disc brake is to get that plain old cable out and replace it with a Teflon coated type cable. These are available from several manufacturers. They are more slippery in the housing, they resist corrosion, and are relatively cheap.

Cable Housing: Here's the big one. If you do not do anything else, do this! First, go out and squeeze the brake lever of a linear brake equipped bike. Watch the cable housing. (This works best if you squeeze the front brake lever on a linear brake equpped bike) With pressure applied you can see the housing moving. Big deal, you say? Well, that's brake power that you are loosing, my friend. That's especially bad on a mechanical disc brake system. You can get rid of this by using a compressionless cable housing like my Nokon system in the picture above. (Look for the silver/blue/silver housing) Compressionless housings resist or eliminate flex which in turn makes your mechanical disc brake much more powerfull. This is an expensive upgrade, but well worth the effort if you desire to have the best mechanical brake set up possible, and it's still cheaper than alot of mid to high end hydro brake set ups, even if you include the costs of all of your bits and pieces.

So, that's it. You can have a mechanical brake set up that rivals any hydro brake and have yours be leak free, field serviceable, and never have to bleed the system. Joy! And, if you use a sealed cable system like Nokon's, you won't even have dirt or lube problems to deal with. If you have a mechanical disc brake set, and you haven't tried any of these things, you haven't reached the potential of your brakes yet. Not even close!

mtb frame

Your very first ride down the steep slopes of a bona fide mountain on a rock strewn trail on an old bike will undoubtedly leave you convinced to the necessity of purchasing a strong and resilient mountain bike frame! It, as your body will attest, is going to absorb a lot of shock. If you invest in a good mountain bike frame, it will do even more: it will actually absorb, into its metal and components, much of the shock that would otherwise move readily into your own components!

Design and construction of mountain bike frames has advanced centuries in the last couple of decades, really. What is available today only remotely resembles the first so-called mountain bikes some of us rode in the early nineteen-eighties. Today, mountain bike frames are available in geometries and materials unimagined two decades ago. What you need is going to be a combination of your own body and your individual intentions. If you like the thrill of high speed downhill rides, you will need a vastly different bike than if you ride on level trails. If your preference is to avoid going over rocks, you will need a different bike than someone whose eyes light up at the sight of a boulder strewn pathway. Think about what you enjoy before you go shopping for a mountain bike.

Mountain bike frames spend a lot of time on roads these days, too. Most of the bikes seen around town seem to be mountain bikes or some hybrid of the mountain bike. Fact is, mountain bikes are made for comfort. What they add to genuine off-road riding (shock absorption, easy gearing, and responsive handling) may be essential but what they add to street riding (shock absorption, easy gearing, and responsive handling) is no less appreciated by the casual rider. You will even find mountain bike riders on most any of the long, multi-day road tours so increasingly popular. You will not, probably, find these riders among the front pack though: a mountain bike frame is not made for efficient road usage, even if it does add comfort.

Getting a mountain bike frame that's right for you is possible either in person at a good bike store or online if you know your size and usage requirements, but the vastly different frame geometries make riding a bike before buying it more important than ever. The traditional triangular structure of a road bike frame is frequently drastically skewed on today's mountain bike frames, rendering the triangle almost unrecognizable. Shopping at a good bike store will put you in touch with bike professionals who will be able to recommend the right geometry for your unique physique and your own unique preferences and strengths as a rider.

pedals and brakes

Standard pedal with toe clips and straps attached

today we will look at other very important components: pedals and brakes. You might get by with pedals without brakes, if you like to lay it down to stop, but without pedals of some sort you probably won’t be needing brakes, so let’s look at pedals first.

Most riders make a progression in pedals again depending on the type of bike trails they intend to ride. Standard pedals are fine when you first start riding, just long enough to get your bike adjusted to you and become familiar with it. Once you are more comfortable and if you desire a little more performance out of the bike you can advance to toe clips. These are small plastic cups that bolt to the front of the pedals for you to insert the toes of your shoes into but do not dangerously impede getting your feet off the pedals in a hurry when necessary. This allows riding in a little more uneven terrain because the shoe can’t as readily slide off the pedal. Toe clips also offer a little bit of assistance in climbing performance but as you progress climbing assistance improves greatly.

The next step is to add straps to the clips. With clips and straps the foot is inserted with the straps holding the foot more securely which really aids in climbing performance and allows yet more rugged mountain bike trails because it is even harder for the feet to come off the pedals. This of course increases the risk of accident and injury until you become comfortable with the straps holding your feet. The straps are adjustable so they can be tightened as you grow more accustomed to them.

Then the last, and the pedal style that offers the best performance under most conditions, are “clipless” pedals. These pedals accept cleats that actually screw to the bottom of your shoes. As you take off riding the cleats on the shoes clip into spring-loaded retainers on the pedals. These spring-loaded pedals are adjustable as well so begin learning these at a pretty loose setting. Then as you get better at “coming out” of the clips you can tighten the springs. The biggest issue with the adjustments is that you want to keep them set tight enough to do their job but not so tight you can’t get out of them in a hurry when necessary. If the pedals are too loose several things can happen. First, the slightest turn of the leg will release you from the pedals. Second, when riding in rough terrain you can be bounced out of the clips and lastly, if you’re trying to rock hop and the pedals are loose you will pull your feet out of the clips. This can be disastrous because the motion you use to hop will throw you out of sync if your feet come out or one of the tires could hit what you were trying to jump. Either one can be painful.

Clipless pedals really help increase speed because you get the extra benefit of upward power as well as on the downstroke because your feet do not leave the pedal. The most common type of mountain bike pedals is called SPD. These can be used on road bikes as well but a lot of riders use road style pedals.
As you progress through pedal styles and increase the type bike trails you can ride and the speed at which you ride the method of stopping the bike becomes more and more important. Most average priced bikes today come with what is known as V-brakes. These brakes are operated by a cable attached to the brake lever on the handlebars of a mountain bike. The first thing you have to learn is which lever, right or left on the handlebars, controls front and which controls rear brakes, not being good at this can cause a person to take a ride over the handlebars. Being a heavier rider yet riding some pretty steep, fast, slippery downhills I learned that V-brakes weren’t quite enough for me.

If V-brakes will not quite cut it, whether due to weight or steepness or roughness of trail, disk brakes make all the difference in the world. Disk brakes come in both mechanical, which are operated by cables very similar to V-brakes, and hydraulic disk which are operated by pressure being created when you squeeze the levers and force fluid to a caliper that then pushes the brake pads to contact with either side of the disk brake rotor. Aspects of disk brakes that have to be considered are the very short learning curve to make sure not to apply too much brake. It is pretty easy to do the over-the-handlebars ride with these unless you are very careful as you are learning to ride with them. Also, disk brake rotors mount to the center hub of a mountain bike wheel which creates a little more fine-tuned upkeep and makes for more expensive wheels to replace in the event of a wheel-deforming crash. These are very minor considerations compared to the great benefits of being able to slow or stop on the steepest of terrain in the worst conditions. That reminds me that I forgot to mention, V-brakes do not do so wonderfully in wet, muddy and especially snowy conditions. Disk brakes on the other hand still hold well in all these conditions.

Schwinn Rocket Dualsuspension

Schwinn Rocket DualSuspension Mountain Bike B00123YSX4

mountain bike basic maintenance

If you're a mountain bike owner it's a big help to be able to perform your own mountain bike maintenance, it will increase your enjoyment of riding and save you money.

If you know you can repair any breakdowns you will feel more confident going on longer, more remote trails but you'll be less likely to have breakdowns if you've maintained your bike properly.

Doing your own mountain bike maintenance will save you money because you won't have to pay a mechanic to maintain it for you and parts will last longer and need replacing less frequently.

The first important thing to do if you're going to perform your own maintenance is to get yourself the right basic tools. Over time you'll probably get more specialist tools as you'll learn more about your bike and it's parts.

You should also carry a tool kit with you when you ride and you can get complete basic tool kits to carry with you that are more compact than the regular tools you might use at home. Remember to test all tools at home before you take them out with you.

Before even thinking about tools though, the most basic maintenance to carry out on your mountain bike doesn't require any tools, it just requires that you regularly keep it clean.

Get into the habit of cleaning your bike after every ride, either by wiping it down or washing it with a bucket of hot water and soap. Make sure you rinse it or wipe it down afterwards and this will prevent any dirt getting into places it shouldn't get into and help to keep all the moving parts moving!

The next step in basic mountain bike maintenance includes occasionally lubricating the chain. This is essential to keep it functioning properly and there are lots of good lubricants available, including some self-cleaning ones. Get into the habit of applying any lubricant the night before you ride so that it works into the chain properly.

Another important basic thing to check is the air pressure in your tyres as this will protect them and give you a better ride. You should also change the tyres occasionally as part of your maintenance routine, and make sure you know how to repair a puncture.

The next things to check regularly are gear and brake cables as they stretch over time and become less effective. They should also be replaced every 6 months or so, depending on how often you ride.

Another very important maintenance issue to think about is to check your brake pads regularly as they wear out fast and obviously they are imperative for your safety. Check the alignment of the brake pad against the wheel rims, as they should sit squarely on the rim when the brakes are applied. When not applied they should be free of the sidewall of the tyre.

Finally check all nuts and bolts on your bike in your regular maintenance routine and use an Allen key or a spanner to tighten any loose bolts you find.

Remember breakdowns will always happen, even to the best riders and the most expensive bikes, it's just the nature of the activity, but it's better to be prepared and be able to deal with incidents or prevent them where possible with good maintenance.

Be pro-active in your approach to mountain bike maintenance and look after your bike. Remember maintenance is usually better and cheaper than repair, and armed with a little knowledge you can ride harder for longer.

GIANT HEAD-2010 mountain bike suspension lineup.

Giant heads to Keystone to preview its 2010 mountain bike suspension lineup. Maestro is growing up.

KEYSTONE, COLORADO:

On a day set aside to test its new DH, freeride and all-mountain bikes, Giant imported a little bit of the Pacific Northwest to Colorado just for the occasion. In place of the Centennial State’s usual sunshine and blue skies was unrelenting rain, and even, at the 11,640-foot high summit, a little overnight snow.

Once the weather backed off a bit, it turned out to be the perfect conditions to test Giant’s new bikes, and some of their claims about them. To the casual eye, there’s not a ton different with the new bikes. The heart of the entire line, from cross-country to DH, remains its dual-link Maestro suspension.

Giant's Dennis Lane pilots the 2010 Faith

But five years after its initial launch, the suspension design continues to hold up remarkably well, and Giant also continues to find ways to tweak it and improve it.

The central aspect that jumps out is remarkable decreases in weight across the line. Giant stuck with ALUXX aluminum for its gravity line, but has managed to use its hydroforming technology and design tweaks to shave massive amounts of weight off the bikes.

The all-mountain Reign X line drops 675 grams; the Faith freeride model loses 1,100 grams, and the DH-oriented Glory goes on a 1,500-gram diet.

Hydroforming has been around for years, actually, but Giant is finding new ways to use it. Essentially, it’s a tube-shaping technology that forces fluid into tube shapes at extremely high pressures while the tubes are placed in a “negative” mold. The pressure bulges out the tube into the desired shape.

That allows Giant to form complex tube shapes and profiles that aren’t possible with drawn tubing. Some of the results - like the twist to the downtube on the Faith - are more cosmetic. And some, like the bulge near the head tube, are functional, offering the same or higher stiffness with less weight. The 2010 line features more formed tubes than ever before.

The second major change is a move to an uninterrupted down tube on all the bikes - a so-called Co-Pivot design that houses the shock body entirely within the front triangle. Giant’s older method, which positioned the shock inside a split downtube, was relatively heavy and also cost the bike some lateral rigidity.

Some quick specifics:

Reign X - Trail/All-Mountain

• 3,100g frame (w/ shock, hardware and paint)
• 30.2 pounds fully built (Size M, no pedals)
• OverDrive tapered steerer (1.5-inch lower bearing)
• 6.7 inches of rear wheel travel

Faith - Freeride

• 4,060g frame (w/ shock, hardware and paint)
• 36.8 pounds complete (M, no pedals)
• OverDrive tapered steerer (1.5-inch lower bearing)
• Replaceable rear dropouts (44.2cm, 44.5cm - changes geometry)
• Convertible 12mm drops for standard, Saint and Maxle thru-axles

Glory - Now DH-specific

• 4,060g frame (w/ shock, hardware and paint)
• 37.9 pounds complete (M, no pedals)
• OverDrive tapered steerer (1.5-inch lower bearing)
• Convertible 12mm dropouts for standard, Saint or Maxle thru-axles
• 83mm bottom bracket shell

Giant freely admits it’s not trying to make the lightest bike. But as with its road launch last year, the company is very focused on trying to deliver what it feels is the best all-around bike - the bike with the fewest compromises.

To Giant, that means that along with weight and lateral stiffness (particularly considering the stiffness of the front and rear triangles through the suspension linkage), a suspension must be as close as possible to fully active and 100 percent efficient, while being independent of brake forces. How’d they do?

I’ve only had a chance so far to ride the Reign X0 and, briefly, the Faith (which thankfully makes a comeback as a dedicated freeride bike with, on the flagship model, a single-crown Rock Shox Totem fork). But so far, I’m impressed with both bikes.

Giant's 2010 Reign X0

The Reign X will not be cheap (MSRP is targeted for around the $4,500-$5,000 range) but it’s a remarkably balanced bike. With a 2×9 drivetrain and under 31 pounds, it’s a half-decent climber. The suspension is active over successive hits and large single slams, and climbing traction is excellent (there’s still some pedal bobbing - that’s part of the compromise aspect).

But with 6.7 inches of travel and a TALAS 140 fork up front, the Reign X was capable of pretty much all of the trails in Keystone’s bike park with the exception of some hucks that I wasn’t going to do anyway. Suspension feel is well-balanced front to rear, and the linear rate never felt harsh as it neared full bottom or wallowed in the middle of the travel and harming efficiency.

Giant's 2010 Faith

The Faith may have just .3 inches more travel, but it’s a vastly different bike, with a single ring drivetrain and coil-spring rear shock rather than air, and a more solid feel that’s less nimble than the Reign, but far from the sluggish heaviness of a DH bike (the Glory used to fill both freeride and DH roles).

And where the Reign’s middle-of-the-road geometry left it capable of both climbing and descending, the Faith positions the rider’s center of gravity much further back. It was extremely sure-footed on the rocky, rooted descents of Keystone’s steep trails, with zero hint of steering deflection on big impacts or hard cornering.

Firm prices and availability for the US market are not yet set, and keep in mind these are merely the top bikes in each line in the range - we expect them to ride well.

Giant’s 2010 Maestro bikes aren’t a revolutionary advance for them - this is a refinement of an existing product, albeit a significant one. But what has changed may not be best shown in the photos or even told here, but experienced. Obviously, the bikes are an improvement over past designs.

But even taken individually at the moment they were produced, the 2010 Maestro line feels more well-rounded, more polished, more mature, than previous efforts - the 2005 Maestro launch, or NRS, AC and the hodge-podge of acronyms that preceeded it. After searching for years, Giant found the suspension design its going to hang its future on, and has busily set about to perfecting it.

MTB Frames

MTB Frames

The Mountain Bike Frame is the skeleton or the core of the bike. This is what keeps all other bike parts together.

It is generally smaller than that of a road bike. The frame is also angled in a way that the rider is in a more relaxed position. These characteristics provide an ideal setup to make the bike more maneuverable and agile over different types of terrain.

Tom Ritchey, a road and mountain bicycle racer, is said to be the man behind the first regularly available mountain bike frame. He is the founder, designer, and welder of Ritchey Design, the maker of handcrafted Mountain Bikes and bike parts.

Each Mountain Bike Frame is designed with a specific Mountain Biking Discipline in mind. Downhill frames, freeride frames, dirt jumper frames, and cross-country frames are some of the bike frames available in the market. Frames also differ in the material/s they are made of. Steel alloy is commonly used in the first generation frames. As years progress, manufacturers started using Carbon-fibre and Kevlar. Frames which are made of composites are durable and lightweight, but react negatively to acids and solvents. Titanium is another material used in making bike frames. It is resistant to corrosion, durable, and lightweight. With these characteristics, the bike frame will be very expensive. Professional mountain bikers often use bikes with titanium frames.

Bike Frames also vary in sizes, so it is important to determine the size of bike frame that suits you. A Mountain Bike Frame that's too big or too small for you will not obviously give you an enjoyable ride. The simplest way to know the right frame size for you is a test ride. When you have determined the right frame size for you, everything follows: adjustment in the height of the saddle and all other bike parts.


Without the Mountain Bike Frame, you will not have a Mountain Bike. Know the different aspects of Mountain Bike Frames so you can select the frame that suits your riding needs.

MTB themselves

Mountain bike

This article is about mountain bikes themselves.

A hardtail mountain bike.

A mountain bike or mountain bicycle (abbreviated MTB or ATB (all terrain bicycle)) is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling, including jumps, and traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines, either on dirt trails, logging roads, or other unpaved environments. Bicycles typically used for mountain biking need to be able to withstand off-road use and the surmounting of obstacles such as logs and rocks. Most mountain bikes use 26 inch (590 mm in ISO sizing) bicycle wheels with wide, knobby tires for extra traction and shock absorption. In the current century, front wheel suspension has become the norm and full front and rear suspension has become increasingly common. Some mountain bikes are also fitted with bar ends on the handlebars to give extra leverage for hill-climbing.

Since the development of the sport in the 1970s, many new subtypes of mountain biking have developed, such as cross-country (XC) biking, all-day endurance biking, Freeride-biking, downhill mountain biking, and a variety of track and slalom competitions. Each of these place different demands on the bike requiring different designs to suit them. MTB development has included an increase in gearing, up to 27 speeds, to facilitate climbing and rapid descents. Other developments have included disc instead of cantilever or V-brakes.

History

A cross country mountain bike race.

Main article: History of the mountain bike and mountain biking

The history of the mountain bike includes contributions from cyclo-cross in Europe, the Roughstuff Fellowship in the UK. The name mountain bike first appeared in print in 1966 as "mountain bicycle". The mountain bike was a modified heavy cruiser bicycles used for freewheeling down mountain trails. The sport became popular in the 1970's in Marin county. The 2007 documentary film, *Klunkerz: A Film About Mountain Bikes, looks at this period of off-road cycling in detail. However, it was not until the late 1970s and early 1980s that road bicycle companies started to manufacture mountain bicycles using high-tech lightweight materials. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, mountain biking moved from a little-known sport to a mainstream activity.

Designs

Mountain bikes can be classified into four categories based on suspension:

• Fully rigid: A frame with a rigid fork and fixed rear, no suspension.
• Hardtail: A frame with a front suspension fork and no rear suspension.
• Soft tail: A frame with small amount of rear suspension, activated by flex of the frame instead of pivots.
• Dual or full suspension: A front suspension fork and rear suspension with a rear shock and linkage that allow the rear wheel to move on pivots.

Discipline-oriented designs

There are several different styles of mountain biking, usually defined by the terrain, and therefore bikes employed. All of the bikes in this category fall into one of the above four categories and bikes of each of the above style can be found almost any of the following categories.

Hardtail cross country mountain bike with carbon frame and disc brakes

Cross country (XC) mountain bikes usually have only a small amount of front and/or rear suspension (usually 65-110 mm) and are relatively light, which is achieved via the use of lightweight materials and construction in both frame and components. As a consequence, XC bikes are often less durable than other types of mountain bikes when used outside of their intended purpose. On full-suspension XC bikes, both front and rear, is typically provided by pneumatic (air) shocks or smaller coil/oil shocks and forks. Some full-suspension XC bikes may weigh as little as 21 pounds (9.5 kg), although they still are not as popular as hardtail XC bikes. Many XC bikes have only front suspension, and are normally referred to as hardtails. This is the most used type in XC competitions. A few XC bike models have no suspension and use a rigid front fork, saving weight but relying more on rider skill to negotiate rough terrain. XC or general riding is the most popular form of mountain biking, focused on climbing and quick turning abilities rather than on the aggressive descent capabilities of freeride or single-purpose downhill mountain bikes. XC bikes reflect this in their lighter weights and steeper geometries. However, due to their lighter frames and suspension, most XC bikes are poor choices for heavy-impact activities such as jumps and high-speed traverse of large obstacles such as rocks and deep washouts.

"Trail" Bikes are a cross between XC bikes and AM bikes. They usually have around 5" (120-140mm) of travel, weigh 25-32 lbs, and have geometries slightly slacker than XC bikes, though not as slack as AM bikes. Examples include The Giant Trance, the Trek Fuel EX series, the Gary Fisher HiFi, and others.

Enduro/all-mountain (AM) bikes bridge the gap between cross-country and freeride bikes, typically weighing between 30 and 35 pounds (14 to 16 kg). These bikes tend to feature greater suspension travel, frequently as much as 6 inches (150 mm) of front and rear travel, often adjustable on newer mid- and high-end bikes. They are designed to be able to ascend mild-to-moderate inclines and descend steep declines, though their relatively heavy overall weight limits their utility in all-day rides involving steep climbs.

A Specialized BigHit II entry level Downhill/Freeride mountain bike with 180 millimetres (7.1 in) of travel in the front forks and 190 millimetres (7.5 in) in the rear shock.

Freeride (FR) mountain bikes are similar to downhill bikes, but with less emphasis on weight and more on strength. Freeride bikes tend to have ample suspension and typically have at least 6 inches (150 mm) of travel. The components are built from stronger, consequently heavier, materials. They can be ridden uphill, but are inefficient and their moderately slack head tube angles make them difficult to maneuver while angled up a hill or traveling at a low speed. They are effective on technical downhill trails. Frame angles are typically steeper than those found in downhill bikes. This enhances maneuverability over and around small objects. Freeride bikes typically range in weight from 30 to 45 pounds (14 to 20 kg). Freeride trails are built using natural terrain features to create stunts such as dropoffs, also known as "hucks", narrow ladder bridges called "North Shores", as well as large ramps built to launch the rider into the air. The most durable freeride bikes are often too heavy and have too much suspension to be ridden uphill as comfortably as other less-sturdy models, although newer, more expensive bikes come with suspension specifically designed to make them easier to ride uphill. It is, however, quite common for freeriders to frequent lift accessed riding terrain, offered at ski resorts during the off season, or simply walk their bikes uphill, rather than riding them.

Downhill (DH) races are time trials events where riders ride courses separately, racing the clock. They can have technical sections like rock gardens as well as jumps and drops. Downhill bikes typically have seven or more inches (178 mm) of suspension travel. They are built with frames that are strong, yet light, which often requires the use of more expensive alloys. In the past few years, lighter downhill bikes have been getting below the 40lbs mark (18 kg). Due to their typically large or high gears, long, plush travel and slack geometry angles, Downhill bikes are ideal only for riding down dedicated downhill trails and race courses. Downhill bikes have the most sag of Mountain Bikes to get ample traction to go fast over bumpy trails. Head Angles are often as slack as 64 degrees.

At ski resorts that have mountain biking in the off-season, riders can get lots of runs in because of chair lifts. Shuttling up to the top of trails is very common as most trails away from ski resorts do not have lift access. When there is no car or truck access to shuttle, riders usually push and/or ride bikes to the top of the trails. Due to the high speed nature of downhill riding most bikes only have one chain ring in the front, a large bash guard and a chain guide, though many racers are now using chain guides without bash guards to drop weight.

Trials bikes are set up very specifically for the purpose of bicycle trials. Two varieties of trials bike exist, those with 26" wheels (referred to as 'stock') and those with 20" wheels (referred to as 'mod' - because historically they were modified BMX bikes). They typically have no suspension at all, though some still make use of some form of it. Competition rules require stock bikes to have multiple gears for competition, but most riders never use their shifters. Competition rules do not require mod bikes to have any gears. Many non-competitive riders run single-speed, choosing a fairly low-speed, high-torque gear. Most modern trials bikes have no seat at all, as the rider spends all of his time out of the saddle. These bikes are significantly lighter than almost all other mountain bikes, ranging from 15 to 25 pounds (6.8 to 11 kg). This makes maneuvering the bike much easier.

A simple dirt jump bike.

Dirt jumping, urban and street mountain bikes lie somewhere in between a BMX bike and a freeride bike. They are typically very strong bikes, with 4 to 6 inches (100 to 150 mm) of front suspension, and rarely any rear suspension (3 to 4 inches, 76 to 100 mm, if any), with as many as nine gears or as few as one. Tires on these bikes are usually fast-rolling, slick or semi-slicks. Dirt Jumpers usually sport a geometry of 24-26" tires, as well as a bashring (a type of bashguard) replacing the largest ring on the crankset. Dirt jumpers usually have low seatposts and oversized handlebars. Most dirt jumpers have an extended rear brake cable installed and have no front brake, which allows the rider to spin the handle bars without tangling the brake cables.

Single-speed (SS) mountain bikes have one set gear ratio. The gear ratio chosen depends on the terrain being ridden, the strength and skill of the rider, and the size of the bike (a bike with 29" wheels often requires a different gearing than a bike with standard 26" wheels). Often single-speeds are fully rigid, steel-framed bikes. These are typically ridden by very fit individuals on mild to moderate cross country terrain.

Mountain cross or "4-cross racing" (4X) is a relatively new style of riding where four bikers race downhill on a prepared, BMX like, track, simply trying to get down first. These bikes are generally either full suspension with 3 to 4 inches (76 to 100 mm) of travel, or hardtails, and have, typically, quite strong frames. They run a chainguide on front and gears on the back. They have slack head angles, short chainstays and low bottom brackets to aid in cornering and acceleration.

Dual slalom (DS) is similar to mountain cross, but instead of four bikers competing together, there are just two. Courses usually have a lane for each rider, though some combine to a single lane in places or even for much of the course. The courses are in general more technical with smaller jumps compared to Mountain Cross courses and have gates. Dual Slalom races originally took place on grass slopes with gates and minimal jumps. The same bikes used in Mountain Cross are used.

Short cross or speed cross (SC) is the newest form of mountain biking. The idea is to ride short, narrow forest paths with rocks and roots, but not necessarily any ramps on them. The optimal length of the paths are from a few tens to hundreds of meters. The shortness is to provide extreme speed and thrill to get through the hindrances as fast as possible without crashing. The altitude of each path does not have to vary much. The ultimate direction of each path from vertical aspect can be either up or down. The transitions between these essential parts are to be taken lightly and stopping at the beginning of every path is to provide maximum amount of thrilling action gained through the speed. The best fitting bicycle for SC is probably lightweight, but long travel full suspension bike.

Indycross (IX) is essentially a Mountain Cross event featuring a wide variety of features run by one competitor per time.^[1]

North Shore mountain biking originated in the steep, wet, rocky, rooty terrain of Vancouver, Canada's north shore, thus it was coined "north shore" riding. Because of the almost, if not completely impassable terrain, riders began building bridges over muddy areas, rocks, stumps and deadfall. These bridges evolved into complex, often extremely challenging, man-made stunts. Because stunts are often narrow and may require the rider to move very slowly regardless of width, north shore riding requires immense balance and bike handling skills. North shore bikes are much like freeride bikes in their geometry and downhill bikes in their component makeup. Because north shore stunts have evolved to not only include simple and complex bridges but also large drops and high speed descents through a series of stunts north shore bikes commonly have as much travel as downhill and freeride bikes, however with much more nimble and maneuverable frame designs, and often lighter-weight.

Circle dirt track racing In this class of racing any kind of bikes are used, most commonly a hard tail mountain bike with front suspension. Many different modifications are made to track racing bikes, such as reducing bike weight, increasing brake power, trying different cambers (so that when the bike leans the tire is more level with the track thus creating more grip), and trying different gear ratios.

Modern designs

Until the late 1990s, mountain bicycles often had road bicycle style frames and geometry. In the 2000s, mountain bikes often use frames designed for off-road use, which strengthened to withstand jumps and impacts and which use a geometry that allows for much more spirited riding over obstacles like logs, rocks, and ramps. In the 2000s, mountain bikes often have either 21, 24, or 27 speeds, with 3 gears in the front and 7, 8, or 9 gears at the rear wheel. Thirty-speed mountain bikes have previously been unworkable, as the mud-shedding capabilities of a ten-speed cassette, and the intricacies of a ten-speed rear derailleur have never been suitable. However, many pro-level mountain bikers have taken to using a narrower 10-speed road chain with a 9-speed setup in an effort to reduce the weight of their bike. In early 2009, component group SRAM announced their release of their XX groupset, which uses a two-speed front derailleur, and a ten-speed rear derailleur and cassette, similar to that of a road bike. Mud-shedding capabilities of their ten-speed XX cassette are made suitable for MTB use by extensive CNC machining of the cassette. Due to the time and cost involved in such a product, they are only aimed at top-end XC-racers.

Geometry

Main article: Bicycle frame#Frame geometry

The critical angles in bicycle geometry are the head angle (the angle of the head tube), and the seat tube angle (the angle of the seat tube). These angles are measured from the horizontal, and drastically affect the rider position and performance characteristics of the bicycle. In general, steeper angles (closer to 90 degrees from the horizontal) are more efficient for pedaling up hills and make for sharper handling. Slacker angles (leaning farther from the vertical) are preferred for high speeds and downhill stability.

Suspension

A full suspension mountain bike

Main article: Bicycle suspension

In the past mountain bikes had a rigid frame and fork. In the early 1990s, the first mountain bikes with suspension forks were introduced. This made riding on rough terrain easier and less physically stressful. The first suspension forks had about 1½ to 2 inches (38 to 50 mm) of suspension travel. Forks are now available with 8 inches (200 mm) of travel or more (see above under "Design.") Bikes with front suspension and rigid, non-suspended rear wheels, or hardtails became popular nearly overnight. While the hardtail design has the benefits of lower cost, less maintenance, and better pedaling efficiency, it is slowly losing popularity due to improvements in full suspension designs.

Many new mountain bikes integrate a "full suspension" design known as Dual Suspension or "full-susser", meaning that both the front and rear tire are fitted with a shock absorber in some form as the wheel attaches to the bike to provide a smoother ride as the front and rear wheels can now travel up and down to absorb the force of obstacles striking the tires. Dual suspension bikes are considerably more expensive, but this price increase brings an enormous performance upgrade as dual suspension bikes are much faster on downhill and technical/rough sections, than other forms of the mountain bike. This is because when the wheel strikes an obstacle its tendency is to bounce up. Due to some forward energy being lost in the upward movement some speed is lost. Dual Suspension bikes solve this problem by absorbing this upward force and transmit it into the shocks of the front and rear wheels, drastically decreasing the translation of forward momentum into useless upward movement. Many bikes have dual suspension including downhill, freeride and mountain, although some bikes are built only to have front suspension e.g. dirt jump, some mountain. This makes them lighter and easier to control while in motion.

The advantages of dual suspension are increased comfort on rough terrain, and improved handling over obstacles. Disadvantages of rear suspension are increased weight, increased price, and with some designs, decreased pedaling efficiency. At first, early rear suspension designs were overly heavy, and susceptible either to pedaling-induced bobbing or lockout at certain points of the suspension arc or travel. One of the most popular rear suspension designs to solve these issues has been the 'Horst Link' which first appeared with the AMP series of bikes, and was later adopted by Specialized and many other mountain bike manufacturers.

Disc brakes

A front disc brake, mounted to the fork and hub

For further information see Bicycle brake systems. For general information see Disc brake.

While inexpensive department store-style mountain bikes often come with V-brakes, most higher-end mountain bikes produced since the mid-2000s use disc brakes. These offer improved stopping power over rim brakes under adverse conditions, because they are located at the centre of the wheel (on the wheel hub) and therefore remain drier and cleaner than wheel rims, which are more readily soiled or damaged. While the traditional cantilever and V-brake style braking system provided ample braking for fully rigid bikes and the earlier, less sophisticated suspension fork-equipped bicycles, as suspension has evolved bicycle speeds have increased. Disc brakes offer the capacity for sustained heavy braking with fewer problems of brake fade than are encountered with rim brakes, allowing greater safety margins with less rider fatigue, greater modulation and therefore control.

The disadvantage of disc brakes is their increased cost and often greater weight. Hydraulic disc brakes, which work by moving brake fluid through a hose or line to squeeze the pads together, require much more technical maintenance but enjoy far more stopping power and much longer service intervals than their mechanical counterparts. Mechanical disc brakes, which are simpler and somewhat less expensive, work in a similar fashion to rim brakes by pulling one pad towards the disc with a cable, however offering around the same amount of braking force as a V-brake, meaning that advantages of such a system over are limited to the general advantages of disc brakes over V-brakes, barring, of course, power - these include better performance in muddy and wet conditions, and ease of removing wheels. The braking power of a disc brake also depends on the size of the rotor. For example, an 8-inch rotor has more stopping power than an 6-inch rotor of the same design (about 33% more). This is because the brake caliper can apply more torque with the same amount of force because the larger disc provides a longer moment arm.

Disk brakes are a good choice for any type of riding, especially on wet and muddy terrain. In just about every form of MTB racing, V-brakes have become obsolete, replaced by hydraulic disc brakes - disc-brakes are a must for Downhill, as V-brakes are unable to provide the necessary stopping power. In pro-level XC racing, V-brakes have also become obsolete due to great weight reductions in hydraulic disc brakes (some sets today can weigh as little as 300 grams) and increasingly technical courses.

Wheel and tire design

Most mountain bikes use 26 in (660 mm) bicycle wheels, though some models offer 24 or 29 in (520 or 622 mm) wheels. Bicycle wheel sizes are not precise measurements, a 29 inch mountain bike wheel actually has a 622 millimetres (24.5 in)ch) bead seat diameter (the term, bead seat diameter (BSD), is used in the ETRTO tire and rim sizing system). 622 mm wheels are standard on road bikes and are commonly known as 700c. In some countries, mainly in Continental Europe, 700c (622 mm) wheels are commonly called 28 inch wheels.^[2] 24 inch wheels are used for dirt jumping bikes and sometimes on freeride bikes, rear wheel only, as this makes the bike more maneuverable. 29 inch wheels were once used for only Cross Country purposes, but are now becoming more commonplace in other disciplines of mountain biking. Wheels come in a variety of widths, ranging from standard rims suitable for use with tires in the 26 in x 1.90 in to 2.10 in (559 x 48 to 53 mm) size, to 2.35 and 3.00 in (60 and 76 mm) widths popular with freeride and downhill bicycles. Although heavier wheelsets are favored in the freeride and downhill disciplines, advances in wheel technology continually shave weight off strong wheels. This is highly advantageous as rolling weight greatly affects handling and control, which are very important to the technical nature of freeride and downhill riding. The widest wheel widths are sometimes used by icebikers who use their mountain bikes for winter-time riding in snowy conditions.

Manufacturers produce a wide variety of tread patterns to suit different needs. Among these styles are: slick street tires, street tires with a center ridge and outer tread, fully knobby, front-specific, rear-specific, and snow studded. Some tires can be specifically designed for use in certain weather (wet or dry) and terrain (hard, soft, muddy, etc) conditions. Other tire designs attempt to be all-around applicable. Within the same intended application, more expensive tires tend to be lighter and have less rolling resistance. Sticky Rubber tires are now available for use on freeride and downhill bikes. While these tires wear down more quickly, they provide greater traction in all conditions, especially during cornering. Tires and rims are available in either tubed or tubeless designs, with tubeless tires recently (2004) gaining favor for their pinch flat resistance. Tubeless tires can also be run at lower air pressures to improve traction and increasing rolling resistance. Popular tire manufacturers include Wilderness Trail Bikes, Schwalbe, Maxxis, Nokian, Michelin, Continental, Tioga, Kenda, Hutchinson and Panaracer.