Mountain biking is one of the best ways to get outside, get some exercise, and enjoy the great outdoors, and the sport offers something for everyone. Whether you are looking for casual trail riding, just want some exercise, or are a thrill seeker who wants to get the adrenaline pumping, there is surely one or more types of mountain biking for you!
This post explores the different MTB styles and disciplines, and the right mountain bike types to use for each.
Cross Country
What is it?
Cross country mountain biking (XC) involves a large variety of trails and terrain, and can include long climbs, flowy descents, and everything in between. XC is a beginner friendly type of mountain biking as cross country trails are often rideable in both directions and tend not to have advanced technical features such as large drops or jumps that cannot be avoided, but they can still have technical sections like rock gardens.
Cross country trails are the most accessible to most riders, when compared to other types of mountain biking. Those who are not lucky enough to live near large mountains or facilities such as bike parks that offer lift or shuttle services will almost always have local trails suitable for XC within driving distance. Most mountain bikes are able to handle cross country trail riding, however some may be faster than others depending on the terrain.
Cross country is the MTB discipline featured in the Olympics, and physical endurance is crucial to competitive XC riding. Many areas offer local XC races.
Type of bike to use
Cross country mountain biking can be done on a variety of trail bikes. At the competitive level, riders often prefer lighter hardtail models for their XC bikes as they can be faster on climbs and are better suited to keeping the pace up on longer rides, which makes them well suited as cross country bikes. XC riders will often be found riding the lightest mountain bikes when compared to other disciplines.
Those riding cross country trails with lots of rocks and roots may be better suited using full suspension mountain bikes allowing the bike to maintain momentum while soaking up bumps.
Downhill
What is it?
As the name implies, downhill mountain biking involves pointing your bike downhill and letting it take you there as fast as possible. This is a discipline of mountain biking loved by adrenaline junkies and people who enjoy going fast while riding downhill.
Unlike cross country trails, jumps, drops, and other technical trail features are often found on downhill MTB trails, some that can be relatively small and easy, and some that are large, requiring a higher level of skill and best left to more experienced riders. Some downhill trails including black diamond and double black diamond trails can have technical features that cannot be avoided, so it is best to make sure you scout and understand a new downhill trail before riding it.
Downhill mountain biking is often done at facilities that have lift services, including chairlifts and shuttle services, but can also include trails that have to be hiked or ridden up to then ride back down.
Type of bike to use
This type of mountain biking can be done on a variety of mountain bikes, but riders more often than not prefer their downhill mountain bike have full suspension and long travel, allowing the bike to handle larger features and rougher terrain that downhill riding can include.
All Mountain
What is it?
All Mountain (AM) style mountain biking is one of the more popular mountain biking disciplines in recent years. It combines elements of XC trail riding and downhill. Where downhill MTB often involves riding a lift or shuttle service to the top of a run, all mountain style mountain biking involves making those climbs on the saddle of your bike rather than on a lift.
This MTB style is excellent for those who love an adventure. AM biking is like cross country riding but with more extreme hills and terrain. It can be done on more remote trails that are not mountain bike specific, and can even be done on hills or mountains that do not have trails and are up to the riders’ imagination.
Type of bike to use
The type of mountain bike to use for all mountain riding can depend on rider preference, but often times either full suspension bikes or aggressive hardtails with long travel are preferred, as this style of riding can involve large features such as drops, jumps, and riding off of large natural terrain.
An all mountain bike is typically lighter and has less travel than downhill bikes, because downhill riding does not include climbing as often as all mountain does.
Enduro
What is it?
Enduro mountain biking is a discipline primarily focused on racing and competing. It typically involves up to 6 timed stages, and blends XC trail riding and the endurance it requires with downhill riding and the fast descents, challenging terrain and features that can go along with it.
Between the timed stages for an enduro race event there are transfer stages which must also be completed as a part of the competition, but these do not form part of the accumulated time for the race. The rules can vary by race, and each race can have a very different course.
Type of bike to use
As enduro courses often involve some downhill sections, riders will often prefer to use full suspension downhill bikes with long travel, allowing the bike to handle large features and rough terrain that can be found on those sections. Some enduro bikes may have less travel than downhill bikes given that enduro racing does include climbs in the transfer stages.
Freeride
What is it?
Freeriding is a type of mountain biking loved by daredevils and adrenaline junkies. It is a riding style focused on riding technical trail features that often involve getting your bike (and yourself) airborne, and doing so in a stylish way. Freeriding includes riding features such as drops, jumps, wooden ramps, and can also include riding off natural features such as large rocks.
This type of riding calls for creativity, a high level of skill, and courage. Beginners can start learning to freeride on smaller jumps and working their way up. Freeriding is most often done by experienced and skilled riders, and can be incorporated in other types of mountain biking including downhill and enduro.
Freeride does not always involve trail riding, as this type of mountain biking can be done at local dirt jumps that have many technical features designed for freeriding. This can be a great way to improve your skills on your mountain bike prior to hitting larger bike parks and mountain trails.
Type of bike to use
Freeriding can be done on either hardtail or full suspension mountain bikes, and this depends on rider preference.
For features like dirt jumps some riders prefer the predictable feel of a hardtail, however mistakes on the landing can be amplified without having a rear shock. Full suspension bikes can require more deliberate “pumping” into the face of jumps, and the rear shock can throw riders off balance in the air if this is not done correctly.
A shorter wheelbase is often preferred by riders on their freeride bikes to allow for more maneuverability and style in the air. Purpose built dirt jump bikes typically have very short wheelbases and smaller wheels, and are often hardtails which makes initiating the jump less complex than it would be on a full suspension bike.
Since dirt jumping is only one part of what freeriding involves, riders may prefer either aggressive hardtail or full suspension models as their freeride bikes of choice, depending on what their freeriding looks like and the size and types of features and terrain they want to hit.
Summary
As you can tell, there are many different types of mountain biking, each with something unique to offer. Some types of mountain biking combine aspects from other disciplines, such as enduro mountain biking combining aspects of both downhill and cross country. Both enduro and downhill disciplines can include freeriding.
As experienced mountain bikers know, it is not important what you call the type of MTB you are doing, as long as you are having fun doing it! Those in search of an adventure in the mountains may prefer the all mountain style, while those who want to compete and put their endurance to the test may be partial to XC riding.
The beauty of this sport is that there is something for everyone.