There are three main categories of mountain bikes: Cross-Country, Enduro, and Downhill.
Here’s a far too brief analogy to describe them: Rally Car vs. Jeep vs. Monster Truck
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Mountain Bikes
Cross Country
Cross-Country Bikes The original mountain bike. These come in many sizes shapes and forms, and are the basis upon which the wonderful world of off-road racing began. These are separated into different categories based on their suspension– the defining feature of a XC bike is a short/medium amount of suspension travel. Hardtail Hardtails are the…
Enduro
Enduro Enduro bikes are basically dual-suspension cross-country bikes adapted for downhill riding and racing. A true version of the do-it-all machine. They feature plush, long travel suspension designed for absorbing high-speed impacts unlike XC bikes. A characteristic of Enduro bikes is a medium-aggressive geometry, meaning the angles of the tubes fall between the tight angles…
Downhill
Downhill Downhill bikes are the monster truck of the bicycle world. They feature the longest-travel suspension available for high-speed dampening of the roughest terrain imaginable. These bikes are not meant to go uphill. The bomb-proof downhill drivetrain is meant to create more speed so the slack geometry can sing. The angles are designed for maximum…
