Really embarrassing - differences in MTB types

secretsam
secretsam Posts: 5,120
edited August 2009 in MTB beginners
OK, I'm a refugee from Commuting, which is my main riding, but were I (big "if") to get an MTB for mucky fun in the woods (possibly involving family at a later date) I'd need to know what sort of machine to go for - mostly trail riding.

But there's all sorts out there, from rough and tough rigid fork hybrids, through 'hard tail' which seems to be suspension forks but regular rear end, to full suss - and then there's jump bikes. Eh? What's the difference, and what do you use each type for? Or do you do like with road machines and buy different ones for different uses?

Apologies for unfocused questions, be gentle with me - but I'm reasonably bike (on road) savvy so some techie talk is OK

It's just a hill. Get over it.

Comments

  • jairaj
    jairaj Posts: 3,009
    Hi SecretSam welcome to the crazy place that is the MTB forum!

    there are different types of bikes designed for different types of riding. For what it sounds like you want to do you need a Cross Country (XC) bike. but need a bit more detail about you mean by "mostly trail riding".

    The level of suspension you require is a personal matter and also depends on your budget. You can tackle all sorts of terrain with a totally rigid bike but things get easier and more comfortable when you add a suspension fork and even rear suspension too. Good hardtails start at around £350 while good full sus bikes start around £900.

    Most people starting off in MTB are fine with a XC orientated hardtail bike and as and when their skills / love for MTB increases may upgrade to a more expensive full sus bike. Have a read of the "what bike" sticky has lots of useful info
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    your basic "trail" mountain bike will do for anything. They can either have only front suspension, or "full" suspension (fonr & rear). Which one you go for depends in budget and preference.

    From there, you get more specialised breeds, such as....

    XC (cross country) - again can be either front suspension (hardtail) or full suss. These are very light bikes, with short travel suspension or forks, designed with a lean towards racing. They aren't particularly good over properly rough terrain, and their handling can be "nevrous" or twitchy. They can also be quite fragile, depending on budget.

    DH (Downhill) - these are invariably full suspension beasts, with lots of suspension travel, typically up to 210mm of front and rear wheel travel. They are built very strong, and are therefore pretty heavy. They will only have one chainwheel, with a guide to prevent the chain from falling off. The geometry is fairly slack, meaning they have great high speed stability over the roughest terrain.

    DJ (Dirt Jump) - These are mostly hardtails, but can also be rigids. They have very small frames, for doing aerial tricks. They are usually pretty simple machines, to avoid breaking expensive components when attempting and failing new tricks. They can be surprisingly heavy, as they are built to take a beating, and come back for more. DJ bikes with front suspension will have fairly short travel forks, as they are basically only there to take the sting out of a botched landing.

    Those are the 3 main classes of specialist bikes, but you can get sort of "crossbreeds" between them all. For example, an "all mountain" bike, will usually be specced as a half-way house between XC and DH, or thereabouts, so think a bike that has relaxed, stable handling over rough terrain, but can still be ridden uphill.

    That's basically all you need to know. Manufacturers will make up "niches" or change the names of categories to make their bikes sound more appealing.
  • xtreem
    xtreem Posts: 2,965
    Simple:
    XC - Cross country - riding offroad, no jumps, ok smallish are allowed (100mm of suspension travel)
    Trail - you can take now small jumps (100-140mm of suspension travel), small weight increase, XC no problem
    AM - All mountain - you can take medium sized jumps (140-160mm of sus. travel), bikes are around 15kg mark, more or less, and you can still ride XC
    FR - Freeride - big jumps, single crown forks, weight a lot, 18kg more or less, no XC with these bikes (180m of sus. travel)
    DH - Downhill - huge/big jumps but not necessarily, instead you ride damn fast through big roots and rocks, 20kg +/-, dual crown forks with 200mm of travel, and usualy a fullsuspension bikes. Definitely no XC with these bikes.

    You can do all of these disciplines on hardtail or fullsuspension,
    the only basic difference is that it's more comfortable on the fullsuspension.

    EDIT: Ok, it took me a while to write this..........0 replies before. :|
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    Hi bud,

    Glad to hear you are thinking of getting into mountain bikes.

    I would echo the answers you have been given already. I would reccoment a Hardtail (i.e front suspension and solid rear end) for a few reasons:

    firstly they are good for a bit of everything including road use etc

    Also they are a great way to hone your off road skills and learn the basics of off road biking control.

    Finally they are generally better value for money than full sus and are easier to maintain. I would say £400 - £500 would get you something very decent. You could even get a 'house' brand for less such as carrera or Focus. These are often the best choice as they have good spec and are often built by main manufacturers anyway (Halfords Carrera are made by Merida)

    What to look for? make sure you get a bike with Hydraulic disk breaks and a decent alu or steel frame. A good quality fork from the likes of Rock Shox / Fox / Magura etc is also handy. In terms of gearing anything around the Shimano Deore or above range should do well.

    I would say once you have mastered bike control on the trails maybe move up to full sus. Having said that many people love the simplicity of hardtails and a good one will match a full sus on all but the trickiest of terrain.

    Cheers
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    Thanks all, sounds like a hardtail is the one to go for, happy to go cheapy, would think twice about secondhand though, as bikes may have been thrashed - does this seem sensible?

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Nah, mountain bikes tend to stand up to a hell of a lot of abuse, so second hand is fine.
  • jairaj
    jairaj Posts: 3,009
    buying 2nd hand should be fine just check the bike over. this maybe of some help?

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12548913