Mountain bikes are mostly used for off road cycling. This means going riding over rocks, through water, using dirt trails and going up and down steep trails. These units are required to be very well built to allow cycling across very rugged terrains.
The different categories, of which there are four, are based on the type of suspension the cycle has. A hard-tail consists of a frame which has a front suspension fork, but with no back suspension. The fully rigid frame type consists of a rigid fork with a fixed rear, but with no suspension. A soft-tail frame has a minimal quantity of rear suspension and this is activated by the frame flex instead of pivots. The full suspension or dual suspension types have front suspension forks with rear suspensions that have a rear shock. This category also has linkage that let the rear wheels move about on pivots.
The styles of mountain biking is varied. These styles are normally characterized by the kind of terrain. The cross country bicycles are made for cross country racing. As there is emphasis placed on endurance and speed as well as climbing during this type of racing, it is quite important that the bike is lightweight as well as efficient. Even though these types are meant for off-road intent, the construction is too light for it to be efficient on steep or very rugged areas.
Trail styles are normally used by people who go mountain riding for recreational purposes. These are also used by people who go on natural off road trails. Since there is less of an emphasis on the weight of these bicycles, they can handle rough terrain and the slacker head angles allow for greater stability when going on a descent.
All the different mountain styles are a cross between the cross-country and the free-ride styles. One of their main features is more suspension travel and this is adjustable if you are looking at one of the mid or high-end styles. They have been designed to enable efficient climbing as well as efficient descending. For this reason, they are suitable for all-day rides which require either steep climbs or steep descents.
The downhill styles are built with light, strong frames. These models are only suited for downhill trails or racecourses. This is due to the fact that they have high gears and slack geometry angles. In order for the rider to be able to go over bumpy trails fast, these bikes come with more sag than others as this will enable them to get enough traction.
With the free-ride models, although they are quite similar to the downhill styles, there is much less focus on its weight and much more on its strength. The components that are used in this instance are generally made of heavier material and it is therefore much stronger. You can go uphill with these, but they are not very efficient. When doing low speed traveling or going uphill, the slack head tube angles will cause difficulty with movement when angled.
They are quite effective on technical downhill trails. The frame angles are normally steeper than the ones on downhill bikes and this makes maneuverability over and around small objects more successful. These bicycles are generally too heavy and have too much suspension to make uphill riding as comfortable as other less sturdy models.
The bike shop Melbourne area provides a great selection of bikes and accessories for all skill levels. The excitement and fun of riding mountain bikes is hard to match in any other sport.