We\u2019re going to take you through the different types of mountain bikes you can buy, what some of the terminology means, and hopefully help you work out which one is right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are 2 types of mountain bikes with suspension. One of the first choices you\u2019ll need to make is whether to go for a hardtail<\/a> or full-suspension<\/a> mountain bike<\/strong>. What this essentially means is you\u2019re choosing whether you have rear suspension (full-suspension) or front suspension only (hardtail).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many riders will recommend that as a beginner, you start with a hardtail. The reason for this is that rear suspension can help mask some errors in your riding, whereas with a hardtail, you have to be fairly virtuous with your skill development. Having rear suspension on your bike does mean you\u2019ll have a plusher, more comfortable ride however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of the above tend to make a hardtail a great choice for a beginner rider. Cheaper options mean you don\u2019t have to commit to as much financially, only to find that mountain biking might not be for you. The lack of rear suspension (or a rear \u201cshock\u201d as you may hear it referred to as) also means it\u2019s a lot easier\/cheaper to maintain as there are fewer moving parts that need regular servicing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the higher end (and price point) of the hardtail spectrum, with the right components and a carbon frame, you can find hardtails sub 10kg in weight. Perfect if you\u2019re planning on riding long distances as it\u2019s less fatiguing to pedal, or if you\u2019re racing as it should help give you a better power-to-weight ratio (free speed)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, there can be some limitations to hardtails – if you\u2019re committed to progressing your riding and are perhaps aiming to get comfortable on more challenging terrain, then a full-suspension bike might be right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The addition of a rear shock also means that full-suspension bikes tend to start at a higher price point, which can be off-putting as a new rider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned above, one downside of rear suspension to think about is that depending on the bike\/suspension design it can make pedalling less efficient\/slower. If climbing and improvements in speed uphill is going to be a focus of your riding, then a hardtail is definitely worth looking at. Or a short-travel cross-country bike (more on suspension travel and disciplines later in this article).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to know if you should run a coil or air shock on your full-suspension mountain bike? Check out our blog discussing just that here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The type of mountain bike that is right for you will be dependent on several variables. For example, what sort of terrain will you be riding? Is uphill or downhill riding going to be your main focus, or do you want a solid all-rounder? Do you have ambitions to race or ride long distances?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep reading for a rundown of each key mountain bike discipline and what the differences are between the bikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A cross-country (or XC) bike<\/a> is designed to be as fast as possible going up, while still being relatively capable at descending on moderate terrain. Generally speaking, an XC bike would not be suitable for extremely steep, technical tracks. To help reduce weight and increase efficiency climbing a cross-country mountain bike tends to either be a lightweight hardtail, or \u201cshort-travel\u201d* bike. The trade-off is that it\u2019s going to be far less supportive and confidence-inspiring when things get rough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *When we\u2019re talking about \u201ctravel\u201d on a bike, this refers to how much movement the <\/em>suspension has, or how much the bike can compress when absorbing force. The further the suspension can travel, the more force the bike can take, meaning it\u2019s more capable of taking bigger hits either on technical terrain or jumps\/drops.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n An XC bike will generally feature suspension travel in the range of 100 – 120mm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It will also feature a steeper head angle \u2013 again to increase climbing efficiency. The head angle refers to the angle of the head tube (the part at the front of your bike below your handlebars) in relation to the ground. The slacker the angle, the more capable the bike will be on steep terrain, and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cross-country bikes are designed with racing in mind, but are also fantastic for big days in the saddle, working on your fitness or going on some two-wheeled adventures!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your plan is to ride plenty of trail centres and more technical singletrack with less of a focus on pure climbing speed, then a trail bike might be right for you. Slightly slacker in the head tube, with more suspension travel than an XC bike (usually anywhere from 130 – 150mm), a trail bike is designed to still be efficient at climbing, while being confidence-inspiring on the descents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A trail bike will make flat trails feel fast and fun, and will give you the confidence to hit a few jumps and drops if you feel inclined. Climbing will be slightly slower, but should still feel relatively efficient. And the trade-off is worth it for how much fun you’ll be having on the trails!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you frequent any MTB forums, you may have heard the term Downcountry thrown around in conversation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This refers to a category of bikes that blends XC efficiency with trail bike playfulness. Think shorter travel (around the 120mm mark) for more efficient climbing, but with confidence-inspiring geometry that will let you tackle tougher trails! You may find you want a bit more support than a Downcountry bike offers when things get super rough and steep, but we think this style of bike is perfect for a lot of our local riding. (Think Surrey Hills etc).<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Downcountry” is not technically a proper category, so you’ll find these types of bikes in both the Trail & XC categories, depending on which side they lean more towards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where we start focusing more on descending prowess rather than high climbing efficiency. An All-Mountain bike<\/a> kind of does what it says on the tin \u2013 you can ride all types of terrain comfortably on one of these bikes. They are designed to be a jack-of-all-trades, allowing you to feel confident hitting technical terrain at pace, while still being able to pedal back to the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Enduro” references the discipline of Enduro<\/a> racing – big days on the bike with racing across multiple stages\/trails. You’re only timed on the descending – and the trails tend to be on the more technical side, favouring those with more advanced downhill skills. Enduro bikes are designed with this type of riding in mind. They’re also a great choice for bike park riding, if you don’t want to have a dedicated park\/downhill bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Head angles start getting slacker, and suspension travel longer (Usually the 160-180mm range), meaning climbing may start feeling slightly more sluggish, but most would say it\u2019s a fair trade for the confidence you\u2019ll find when pointing back down the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lines can get somewhat blurred between Trail, All-Mountai<\/a>n and Enduro bikes<\/a>. Some brands also no longer use the term “All-Mountain”, though Enduro bikes tend to be even further biased towards the downhill sections and ready to tackle the gnarliest terrain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Downhill mountain bikes<\/a> are for tackling the hardest terrain, and sending the biggest jumps. These bikes come alive at speed and are definitely not designed to be pedalled back to the top of the hill \u2013 if you don\u2019t have an uplift available, you\u2019ll be pushing your bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Downhill bikes<\/a> will have the longest travel available (usually somewhere in the 180 \u2013 200mm range) and heavy-duty components that can take the biggest hits. This does come at a weight penalty, but if you’re tackling something particularly challenging, you need to know your tools are up to the job!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most complete beginners probably don\u2019t need to look at downhill bikes to start with \u2013 you won\u2019t really make the most of these bikes until you can hit rough sections and big features with speed and confidence. And they can make easier\/more beginner-friendly trails feel like hard work and quite dull!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s not forget about E-MTB’s!<\/a> They come in all shapes and sizes, across all of the different types of mountain bikes listed above. If you’re looking for a bike that will allow you to maximise the time spent descending without leaving you absolutely gassed on the way back to the top of the trail, then an E-MTB might be for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As well as hardtail or full-suspension bikes being available, E-MTB’s come in lightweight or “full fat”\/full-power models and each has their different benefits. To find out more about the differences, read our article here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"2](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/05\/TK22_LAUNCH_Marlin_Lifestyle_Selects_14-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHardtail vs Full-Suspension Mountain Bikes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/05\/TK20_Marlin_58-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>The Benefits of a Hardtail MTB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Benefits of Full-Suspension MTB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/06\/DSC04025-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhich Type of Mountain Bike is Right for Me?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/05\/ENV_BLMN_BLONG_EX0524-5371-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nCross-Country Mountain Bikes: Lightweight & Efficient<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/06\/DSC09788-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTrail Mountain Bikes: Versatile Singletrack Slayers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/06\/trek-fuel-lx-full-suspension-mountain-bike.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDowncountry Mountain Bikes: A New Take On Trail Riding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/06\/trek-top-fuel-downcountry-xc-mountain-bike-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAll-Mountain\/Enduro Bikes: Thrilling Descents and Downhill Performance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/06\/Trek-Slash-Enduro-Mountain-Bike.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDownhill Bikes: Unleash the Thrill<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/05\/SessonWindrock202128-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nElectric Mountain Bikes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"an](\"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/balf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/06\/specialized-turbo-levo-pro-full-suspension-electric-mountain-biking-1024x683.jpg\")
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