You may not know it but there are different types of mountain bikes.
The distinctions not only based on the type of cushioning (Front Suspended or Full Suspended), but above all the classification takes place following the intended use of the vehicle.
MTB is in fact a very varied sport and recalls different peculiarities and interpretations, from the more touristic ones to the more competitive ones.
There are bikes developed to perform better uphill, others are optimized for the descent, models designed to cover flat stretches on mixed terrain with a touristic pace.
The market is very varied because such are the demands of bikers.
After understanding the characteristics of mountain bikes, you will be able to define the difference between an enduro and an all mountain, between a downhill and a cross country or the difference between a front suspended and a full suspended.
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What is MTB Cross Country (XC)?
The bikes designed for this discipline have the characteristic of being in most cases equipped with a single front suspension (Front) and are designed to go fast uphill.
The travel of the fork is not exaggerated and usually stops at 100 mm.
Today it is usual to see a transmission consisting of two front and ten rear chainrings because, in competitive models, it is easier to change them based on the route to be tackled in the race.
Since the XC MTB is built to tackle the climbs in an intense way, the softer ratios are sacrificed in favor of the longer ones, able to give the bike more speed.
The climbs to be tackled are hardly kilometers long, but they require speed and technique. The races are held on a medium-short track to be covered for several laps.
This is why agile reporting is not necessary.
There are even riders who decide for a single front chainring to be combined with eleven gears at the rear, not only to lighten the entire system, but because they believe that by always tackling the same route to be repeated several times, no further variables are necessary to the ratio.
If you have to go fast you have to put on a light bike and therefore carbon is the material that more than others are used in these models, at least in the most advanced and high-end ones on the market: handlebar, frame, seat post and crankset are all made carbon fiber.
Typical routes are made up of climbs and descents: here are the 29-inch tires, with greater ability to climb because they are larger and therefore better manageable on difficult dirt paths.
A detail to keep in mind in a Cross-Country mountain bike are the rims: light, fluid, smooth and fast.
The frame has a design that sends the biker leaning forward in an aerodynamic position: certainly not comfortable but effective.
Comfort is certainly not the strong point of this kind of MTB, given the very rigid and reactive frames to be able to better transfer the motion impressed by pedaling. The yield, in this case, is very high.
Those who do not practice competition can still think of buying an XC bike for training or to vary their routes.
Cross Country MTBs are good on mixed routes consisting of climbs and descents, dirt roads alternating with stretches of asphalt or dirt.
They are versatile bikes from this point of view, which can give you satisfaction, but you must always use them to the maximum and you must be in good physical condition because they are frames made to pedal hard.
They are therefore not very good for being a tourist.
What are the Mountain Bike Marathons?
Completely similar to the previous XCs but designed to tackle long distances.
For this it is necessary to equip them with greater comfort thanks to the addition of the double suspension and a front fork with greater shock absorber travel (about a couple of centimeters more) than the Cross Country.
The required driving is a bit more relaxed when compared to XC, as it is advisable to measure the forces in order to get to the end of the course.
Always, they favor the climb, giving up on the downhill performance, since in the competitive field races are usually won by climbing with a pedaling made of strength, intensity and fluidity.
Being bicycles oriented to long distances, a single front chainring is not enough and it is necessary to have at least two or even three even if the latter configuration is tending to disappear: in a long journey there are flat sections that require a longer ratio, useful for don't lose speed.
A level MTB marathon bike hardly exceeds 10.5 kg, also the result of 29-inch wheels mounted on super light rims.
Those who do not practice competition can buy a marathon if they have the consistency of staying on the saddle for more than 3-4 hours, covering several kilometers for excursions, or to tackle a journey in stages.
What are Trail Mountain Bikes or Trail MTBs?
The Trail Mountain Bike is the strong point of those who love to ride a bicycle relaxing at tourist pace, admiring the landscapes and making passages in the middle of nature without the hassle of race time. The use is mainly for tourism or recreation.
The fork can have an excursion of up to 140 mm to give greater comfort and the different models can be indiscriminately front or full suspended.
Aesthetically, a Trail looks very similar to a Marathon, but it is the geometry of the frame that changes, favoring the descent and a more relaxed ride.
The gearbox can also have three front chainrings, but currently the choice of 2 x 10 is going the most, trying to cover all possible situations to be faced with fewer crowns.
One of the main characteristics of Trail bikes is their handling: a very useful function for moving with ease on mountain paths in the woods, discarding trees, roots or following paths full of curves.
Compared to a Marathon, the Trail is more stressed and therefore has more robust (but also heavier) components.
Aluminum is the material often chosen for mid-range frames, while for the high-end it is appropriate to choose carbon to lighten the structure. In the latter case it is important to have an interesting quality - price ratio since a frame made of carbon is useful for those who frequently use the bicycle on challenging tracks.
The Trail is probably the most versatile MTB bike ever (together with the All Mountain).
If you want to take a nice ride in the mountains it is the ideal solution: designed to give a decent comfort since it also allows long use, good for facing ups and downs, important gradients and mixed routes, even if they favor the descent thanks to a precise, fun and reactive.