| Mountain Bike, abbreviated as MTBs or ATBs (All | | | | speeds. They usually have 3 gears in the front. The |
| Terrain Bikes) is a bike that are meant for riding on | | | | rear has 7, 8 or 9 gears. They also feature disc |
| dirt paths or unpaved environments. They are more | | | | brakes. This gives the rider better stopping power |
| rugged than road bicycles, and can handle more | | | | than normal rim brakes. They can also take heavy |
| strain. | | | | breaking without wearing out soon, and causing |
| The tires of the mountain bike are wider and | | | | lesser problems. |
| knobbier than road bikes, for more grip and shock | | | | There are a wide range of tire types for mountain |
| absorption. Front suspension for the MTBs is | | | | bikes. Some styles include slick street tires, sticky |
| becoming the norm, and in today's mountain bikes, | | | | rubber tires, etc. Tubeless tires are also gaining |
| you can find front and rear suspension. The wheels | | | | popularity in the MTB world for their pinch flat |
| are usually 26" in diameter, but this is slowly changing | | | | resistance. Some good MTB tire manufacturers are |
| to 29" in the newer mountain bikes. | | | | Wilderness Trail Bikes, Schwalbe, Kenda, Maxxis, |
| Mountain Bikes can be widely classified into four | | | | Nokian, etc. |
| types. | | | | Mountain biking has become more of an adventure |
| * Fully Rigid | | | | sport by itself, and lot of equipment can be found |
| * Hard Tail | | | | just for mountain bikers, most of it safety related. |
| * Soft Tail | | | | Protective gear that is worn by the rider is often |
| * Dual/ Full Suspension | | | | referred to as 'Armor', and is work to protect against |
| Fully Rigid Mountain Bikes don't have any suspension, | | | | injuries. 'Armors' may range from just knee and |
| and their frames have fixed rears and a rigid fork. | | | | elbow caps, to full body padding. Usually, Downhill and |
| Hard Tail Mountain Bikes have a suspension fork in | | | | freestyle bikers wear more armor, as their riding |
| the front, and no suspension in the rear. A soft tail | | | | styles are more dangerous and prone to injuries. |
| Mountain bike has very less suspension in the rear, | | | | Most of these bodysuits also have special protection |
| and its frame has a flex in the rear, rather than the | | | | for the spine, comprising of a set of plastic plates, |
| pivot. A Full Suspension MTB has a suspension fork in | | | | covered with foam. |
| the front, and a rear suspension as well, with a link | | | | Most bike parks require bikers to wear full face |
| that lets the rear wheel move on a pivot. | | | | helmets, to protect against injury. These helmets a |
| Until recently, MTBs had the same design and | | | | just like their counterparts used in motocross, but are |
| geometry of Road Bikes. When mountain biking | | | | considerably more ventilated and lighter. Most |
| became more popular, riding became more | | | | professional riders wear these by choice, to avoid |
| aggressive, and new mountain bikes with lighter and | | | | head injuries. |
| stronger frames were created to cater to the rider's | | | | Some of the Mountain Bike manufacturers are |
| needs and aggressive riding style. | | | | Airborne cycles, Alpine design MTBs, Arrow Racing, |
| The New-age mountain bikes have 21, 24 or 27 | | | | Dagger, Dart, Full Dynamix, etc. |