A mountain bike or mountain bicycle (abbreviated MTB or ATB (all terrain bicycle)) is a bicycle created and made 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 wheels with rims which are 559mm in ISO sizing. This rim size is colloquially referred to as "26 inch", although the term is inaccurate as it describes too many rim and tyre sizes to be meaningful. Bicycle wheels used on mountain bikes generally use 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 30 speeds, to facilitate climbing and rapid descents. Other developments have included disc instead of cantilever or V-brakes.
History
Main article: History of the mountain bike and mountain bikingThe 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 bicycle 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.
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) or 7" 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.
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). 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.
Downhill (DH) 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.
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 reduce weight. Some of the most up to date designs feature internal gearboxes built directly into the frame construction, this modification eliminates the need for the rear derrailuer mechanism, although this design has not been widely embraced yet.
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.
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
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