With so many different mountain bikes on the market, it can be difficult to know which bikes are right for you. Knowing what type of mountain bike best fits your riding style can help you narrow down the bike search significantly.
Below we’ll go over all of the major types of mountain bikes available.
Cross-Country/XC
- Suspension Travel: 90mm – 120mm
- Head Tube Angle: 66 – 68
- Tire Width: 2” – 2.3”
Cross-country mountain bikes are made for being light and going fast across long distances and moderate terrain. These bikes usually have shorter travel and a steeper head tube angle which helps the bike to be more efficient when pedaling and climbing hills.
Additionally, cross-country mountain bikes typically have narrower tires compared to trail or enduro bikes. The narrow tires reduce rolling resistance, making them faster and more efficient on smoother terrain. However, they may not provide as much grip and stability on technical terrain, which is where the wider tires of trail and enduro bikes come in handy.
Most hardtail mountain bikes fall into the cross-country category since less suspension excels at cross-country.
Who are they for?
Cross-country bikes are a great choice for riders that plan on riding more moderate trails where the distance they travel is the more exciting part. If you’re getting into mountain biking for fitness and plan on doing long climbs and lots of pedaling you’ll appreciate the efficiency of a good cross-country bike.
Cross country is also the most common type of mountain bike race and is even featured in the Olympics. For youth that wants to join the local team, they’ll probably be racing cross country.
Who are they not for?
Cross-country bikes are not ideal for someone who is getting into mountain biking to ride extremely rough trails with steep downhills, or someone who wants to learn to ride large jumps. You’ll be better off with a trail bike or an enduro bike for that style of riding.
XC Bike examples: Trek Pro-caliber (Hardtail), Trek Top Fuel, Specialized Epic, Giant XTC
Trail
- Suspension Travel: 120mm – 160mm
- Head Tube Angle: 64- 66
- Tire Width: 2.3” – 2.6”
Trail bikes are designed to offer a balance between cross-country and enduro bikes, with the ability to handle more technical terrain while still being nimble and efficient on smoother trails. These bikes typically have a moderate amount of suspension travel and a head tube angle that’s slightly slacker than a cross-country bike but not as slack as an enduro bike.
The suspension on a trail bike is designed to be more versatile than a cross-country bike, with the ability to handle rougher terrain while still maintaining efficiency on climbs. The tires on trail bikes are typically wider than those on cross-country bikes, providing more traction and stability on technical terrain.
You can find both hardtail and full-suspension bikes in this category.
Who are they for?
Trail bikes are a great choice for riders who want a bike that’s versatile enough to handle a wide range of terrain, from smooth singletrack to more technical trails with rocks, roots, and small drops. If you’re looking for a bike that can handle a variety of rides without owning multiple bikes, then a trail bike is a great place to start.
Who are they not for?
Trail bikes are not ideal for riders who want to focus on racing or who primarily ride very steep technical trails with large drops and jumps. If you’re looking for a bike that’s specifically designed for racing, you’ll be better off with a cross-country or enduro bike. Additionally, if you primarily ride smooth, flowing trails for long distances a cross-country bike may be a better choice for you.
Trail Bike Examples: Trek Fuel EX, Specialized Stumpjumper, Giant Trance, Trek Roscoe (hardtail)
Enduro/All Mountain
- Suspension Travel: 160mm – 190mm
- Head Tube Angle: 62 – 65
- Tire Width: 2.3” – 2.8”
Enduro bikes (also known as all mountain bikes) prioritize riding rough terrain and downhill. The bikes have a slack head tube angle which makes it so that the front wheel is further out in front of your bike. This puts your center of gravity closer to the back wheel which helps you maintain stability while riding steep sections fast.
The suspension on Enduro bikes is also longer than either the cross country or the trail bikes. This helps the bike to absorb the impacts on more advanced trails that are often steep and rocky and may incorporate features like drops and jumps.
Who are they for?
Enduro bikes are for riders that want to be able to ride downhill very fast and be able to hit all of the jumps and drops along the way. Here are some things to consider to know if it’s for you:
- Region: choice is for people that live in regions like the Pacific Northwest where a lot of the trails can be very steep and technical and where maintaining stability on challenging terrain is vital.
- Racing: Enduro races are a specific type of mountain bike race where you ride a whole course, but only the downhill sections are timed. An enduro bike will allow you to ride the untimed portions while giving you the best time downhill.
- Bike Parks: Enduro bikes are a good choice for someone who plans on frequently visiting bike parks, but also wants to ride the local trails where no lift is available.
Who are they not for?
There is a tendency among mountain bikers to think longer travel and slacker headtubes are always better, but for many people that’s not true. Most of the trails in the US are not extreme and can be easily handled with a trail or even a cross-country bike. If you’re not using an enduro bike how it was intended you’ll be a lot slower when pedaling and may not enjoy the more moderate trails in your area.
Enduro Bike examples: Trek Slash, Specialized Enduro, Giant Reign
Downhill
- Suspension Travel: 180mm – 210mm
- Head Tube Angle: 60 – 63
- Tire Width 2.3 – 2.6
Downhill bikes are specialty bikes intended for riding only downhill. These are the bikes people use when riding at downhill parks where a lift can take you to the top of the hill.
They have the longest travel and the slackest head tube angle of all of the bikes. In addition to those features, they will typically have a double-crown fork similar to a motocross bike and no climbing gears. These bikes are practically incapable of climbing hills but excel at huge drops and steep terrain.
For 95% of mountain bikers, a downhill bike should be a secondary bike, not your primary bike.
Who are they for?
Downhill bikes are for extreme riding and for riding bike parks. Those participating in Downhill bike racing will require one of these bikes. If you plan on riding at the bike park and only at the bike park the Downhill bike might be the right choice for you.
Who are they not for?
Downhill bikes are not for most riders. As stated above these bikes can’t climb and the majority of local trails involve both climbing and descending. Most people would be better off having an enduro bike or a trail bike as their primary steed and buying or renting a downhill bike as a secondary bike for riding at the bike park.
Downhill Bike Examples: Trek Session, Scott Gambler
Fat-Tire
Fat-tire mountain bikes are exactly what they sound like. They have tires that are much wider than the 2”-3” tires of most other mountain bikes. These wide tires allow these bikes to ride on very loose terrain like sand and snow.
Riding fat tire bikes in the winter can be a fun pastime for riders in the north that can’t ride regular bikes in the winter. Typically these bikes are fully rigid or hardtails since the large tires and loose terrain offer a lot of shock absorption on their own.
Fat Tire Bike Examples: Trek Farley, Norco Bigfoot
Dirt Jumper
Dirt Jumpers are another type of specialty bike that will be a secondary bike for most people rather than their primary bike. These bikes are almost like BMX bikes for the dirt. They are made for hitting jumps and doing tricks.
Dirt Jumpers are almost always Hardtail mountain bikes with around 100-120 mm of travel. They tend to be smaller so that they can be handled better in the air. These bikes are ideal for someone who wants to learn lots of jumping tricks and who rides at dirt jump parks and pump tracks.
Dirt Jumper Bike Examples: Scott Voltage YZ, Marin Alcatraz
Gravel Bikes (Not technically Mountain Bikes)
Gravel bikes are a class of bikes that is becoming increasingly popular every year. Gravel bikes are not mountain bikes, but may get confused as one by beginners.
These bikes are road bikes with some mountain biking-inspired features to help them handle rough terrains like dirt roads and mild single tracks that a regular road bike couldn’t hope to ride on. If you plan on riding anything more than smooth mild single track but still want efficiency, a cross-country bike could be a better choice.
Gravel Bike Examples: Marin Headlands, Trek Checkpoint
In Summary
There are many different types of mountain bikes. Which type is best for you depends on the type of riding your going to be doing and to an extent your budget. For example, if you have the budget for 2 bikes, then having a cross country bike and a downhill bike, depending on what you’re doing or any other combination of the above bikes, is also an option.
The likes of a Downhill bike is more specialized and is typically a bike you would have as part of a quiver of bikes or something you might rent when at a mountain bike park with lifts doing the uphill part.
Hopefully this has helped you to navigate through the many types of mountain bikes available and to help decide which might be best for you.
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