An introduction to Mountain Biking

On this website you can gain information about Mountain Bike Trials and other forms of Mountain Bike events, including down hill cycling, cross country and single track.

A mountain bike or bicycle (also known as MTB) are rugged bicycles suitable for off road riding, including dirt trails, and just generally unpaved areas.

They are also sometimes called All Terrain Bicycles (ATB).

The main difference between road bikes and mountain bikes is that mountain bikes have much wider tyres with deeper tred for extra traction and increased shock absorption.

Mountain bikes also increasingly now have front suspension for a smoother ride, with rear or full suspension rising in popularity.

It was the norm for mountain bikes to have 26 inch (559 mm) wheels, but since the early part of this century some makes have been available with 29 inch (622 mm) wheels - the same as what is usually used for road bikes.

There are many leading brands of Mountain Bike - popular choices with keen enthusiasts being Kona, Cannondale, Hardrock, Giant, Saracen, Dawes, GT, and Claud Butler to name a few.

Weight is extremely important to mountain bike riders, as the lighter the bike, the easier to travel long distances. Titanium mountain bike frames are extremely light, but importantly are also strong and have a 'natural springyness' that can take some of the hard vibrations out of cycling on hard terrain. Steel is also a good material for the same reasons and it's relatively cheap. Aluminium mountain bike frames are extremely light however, but a lot more rigid - making them better for bikes with suspension, which decrease in effectiveness when other movement/forces are involved.