XC vs Trail
Jamieg285
Posts: 98
Very basic question (tin hat on), that I've not seen answered anywhere yet.
What's the difference between XC and Trail, and how do bikes suitable for each differ?
What's the difference between XC and Trail, and how do bikes suitable for each differ?
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Bit of a grey area, but in my opinion, xc is the broadest possible style of mountain biking which could encompass singletrack, doubletrack, forest roads, cycle paths, open moors and even fields. For this you want a very light bike with shortish travel which is comfortable and efficient to ride on a wide variety of terrain.
Trail, as far as I can tell is more just that. Riding on trails, predominantly singletrack. Most of the trail bikes on the market are set up to be a little more burly and aggressive than xc bikes... longer travel, slacker geometry, more powerful brakes etc. This type of bike is perfectly suited to "trail centres" which is what most people who buy them would be riding.
That's the way I see it.www.trailguru.co.uk - The ultimate guide to mountain biking in Wales0 -
trail is a slightly beefed up xc bike with more travel. most prob slightly less racey geo. about it.0
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Example,
Giant anthem xc/race
Giant trance xc
Giant reign trail/am
just have a look at the difference between these bikes, xc as it says, trail, hard hitting do anything sort of bike.0 -
but most 'XC' oriented bikes are capable of riding trail centres with ease....0
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We did this at length not that long ago. In essence it's marketing. There's vast amounts of crossover between what bikes will do. To some XC is basic bridleway riding, to others it's everything that isn't uplift-assisted DH, dirt jumping, or north shore type 'freeriding'.
'Trail' bikes will usually have slightly more travel and more relaxed geometry than their XC bretheren though.0 -
With Giant the Anthem is the raciest and lightest, the Reign the longer travel and hardest hitting, while the Trance sits in the middle.0
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TrailGuru wrote:Bit of a grey area, but in my opinion, xc is the broadest possible style of mountain biking which could encompass singletrack, doubletrack, forest roads, cycle paths, open moors and even fields. For this you want a very light bike with shortish travel which is comfortable and efficient to ride on a wide variety of terrain.
Trail, as far as I can tell is more just that. Riding on trails, predominantly singletrack. Most of the trail bikes on the market are set up to be a little more burly and aggressive than xc bikes... longer travel, slacker geometry, more powerful brakes etc. This type of bike is perfectly suited to "trail centres" which is what most people who buy them would be riding.
That's the way I see it.
This is pretty much how I'd see it as well. XC being that little bit less technical usually too and trail needing that little bit more skill and guts.0 -
They are the same thing, just for XC you need to wear lycra and shave your legs.0
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IMHO
XC Short travel
Trial Mid travel
AM/FR Long travel
DH Fecking lots of travel0 -
xc does seem to be becoming shorthand for xc racing..
i'd always considered it to be getting from A to B going across country i.e not on roads.
The scenic route to one of my favorate pubs is a good example: 2 miles of country lanes, 2 miles of bridleway type stuff, the uphill bit of coed llangegla, a mile over boardwalks, another mile on tarmac, and about 4 miles (descending ) of rough moorland paths, forest singletrack, farm tracks, alleys, old railway line etc.0 -
The way I see it, Trail, or All-mountain, is your proper mountain bike, and everything else is a more specialist machine.
So an XC bike would be racier, lighter etc etc.
I wish we could ditch the whole "AM/Trail/Freeride light" nonsense and just call them what they frigging are, "mountain bikes"0 -
It's all marketing blurb to make us think that our 'xc' bikes aren't good enough for riding anything scarier blah blah. They are all just bikes 8)
However I am completely incapable of listening to my advice myself having just got a new bike for a slightly different type of riding. What can I say? I sell advertising for a job, I am a marketing mans dream... :oops: :oops:Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....
Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!
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yeehaamcgee wrote:I wish we could ditch the whole "AM/Trail/Freeride light" nonsense and just call them what they frigging are, "mountain bikes"0
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Because it's daft and unnecessary, and leads to millions of discussions about what it actually means.0
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But without them leads to loads thinking they can ride DH on Hardrocks lol0
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But you CAN0
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But you CAN0
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You can. I'd rather do it on a better equipped bike, and if somebody walked into my shop and I sold them an XC bike for DH, I'd be a bad salesman! But of course I'd take them through the options ;-) Same as you can ride a DH bike on the road.0
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yeehaamcgee wrote:Because it's daft and unnecessary, and leads to millions of discussions about what it actually means.0
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read what I posted again before forming any more opinions based on thin air.0
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yeehaamcgee wrote:read what I posted again before forming any more opinions based on thin air.0
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If that's what you took away from it, I suggest you ask a responsible adult to read it again for you, maybe slowly, and explaining some of the more complicated words.0
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So in your eyes, would it be wrong to say rear derailer, and instead would the word drivetrain be the only appropriate term? Because that's essentially what you're saying.0
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bennett_346 wrote:So in your eyes, would it be wrong to say rear derailer, and instead would the word drivetrain be the only appropriate term? Because that's essentially what you're saying.I don't do smileys.
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bennett_346 wrote:So in your eyes, would it be wrong to say rear derailer, and instead would the word drivetrain be the only appropriate term? Because that's essentially what you're saying.0
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yeehaamcgee wrote:If that's what you took away from it, I suggest you ask a responsible adult to read it again for you, maybe slowly, and explaining some of the more complicated words.
You stated that trail bikes/AM bikes/Freeride bikes can all be lumped together to be classed as 'mountain bikes' and that XC bikes are more specialised lighter equipped bikes so would be classed separately.
Then you state that you can ride any bike DH as they're all mountain bikes. (I agree, however certain bikes are better suited to the job, you wouldn't race a Mini Cooper S against F1 cars. You can but you wouldn't)
So based on that why would XC bikes be classed separately? They can ride up and down mountains and DH routes etc, why wouldn't they be classed as mountain bikes as well.
The only difference between an XC bike and a trail bike is the geometry and components, same with trail to all mountain and so on but they're all the same they're all just pedal powered bikes with two wheels. They all specialise for their intended terrains etc and the differences between models (XC to trail included) can be marginal.
Not saying either way we should have an overall classification or break it all down, to be honest I don't care so long as the bike I have does the job I need it to then done, at the end of the day they are all mountain bikes with slightly varying traits.0 -
because, sugarplum, what I said was that any non-specialist mountain bike, is an all-purpose mountain bike, or just "mountain bike".
If you want to get specialist gear, then that's where the XC and DH come into it.0 -
Ok, but that doesnt explain why XC is anymore specialised than a trail bike, they're all bikes at the end of the day with slighly varying geo etc with the difference being so marginal at times.
The trail/all mountain/freeride specialise at their specific target terrain, agreed the difference is tiny but as I said the difference between an XC bike and trail bike can be tiny and you could race a trail bike around an XC course and vice versa.
So why would an XC bike get a seperate specialised classification just because its HA is 70 degrees instead of 69 and weighs 1lb lighter than the now classified 'bog standard mountain bike'.
Same with a freeride bike compared to a DH bike.0 -
An XC racing bike will be considerably lighter than your average do-it-all mountain bike.
I think what you're doing is confusing a slightly lighter do-it-all bike with a lightweight racer.0