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Different Bike Types For Different Rides
Life used to be easier : in the early days of mountain cycling, any old cruiser fitted with fat tires was adequate. As the game developed, so did the options for bikes designed specifically for off-road riding. Bikers began taking on all sorts of terrain, and that the options for bikes grew out of this demand. These days there are sometimes 5 main categories 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 implies, designed for cross country racing. They are light and efficient meaning you’re not weighed under 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 steady 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 would like it to go. XC bikes have around 80-100 mm of suspension travel.
Trail Bikes
Trail bikes are perhaps the most common and most well liked trail bicycles simply because they are built to climb with control and comfort and descend with speed. Regard it as a jack-of-all-trades, 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 is the trail bike that gets going better. Trail bikes have around 120 to 140 mm of front and rear suspension travel and weigh twenty-four to 33 lbs.
All-Mountain ( AM )
If you need to have a laugh all day, go for an All-Mountain bike it’s got bigger tires, plush suspension, and dynamic brakes that to some level, make for additional protect against accidents. You can ride on steep terrain and over small drop-offs with confidence. AM bikes are engineered to be ridden on all-day rides concerning steep descends and climbs, thus the term “All Mountain.” AM bikes have around 150 to 160 mm of suspension rear and front travel and weigh twenty-nine to 35 lbs.
Downhill ( DH )
DH bikes are designed for biking in one specific direction only : downhill, over steep trails with large rocks, gnarly roots, massive jumps, and drop-offs. DH bikes are made for sturdiness and stability matched against XC bikes which are created for lightness and potency. They have three-inch wide tires and eight-inch diameter brakes. DH bikes have around 180 to 250 mm of front and rear suspension travel and weigh around 40 to forty five lbs.
Freeride ( FR )
FR bikes are designed likewise to DH bikes but have a shorter wheelbase, slightly higher bottom bracket, and steeper geometry which makes them respond better at lower to mid-speed sections of a technical trail. If you believe that mountains have been put along your trail so you can bike over them, then by every means, hop on a FR bike. FR bikes have at least 180 mm of rear and front suspension travel and weigh 31 to 44 lbs.
To discover more about mountain biking and bicycle gear, visit http://bikefitness.net/.
Hay Rides