Mountain Bike Types-MTB 2023 New Category Explanation

Mountain bikes have developed a lot since we first started seeing them 50 years ago.There are several types of mountain bikes. They have different geometry, tire sizes, rigidity, weight, suspension, seat posts, etc... To avoid confusion and make empowered purchasing decisions about your mountain biking, it's worth knowing the differences between various frame types and the categories of riding they belong to. We’ve put together a guide to help you understand.

Hardtail MTB frames

A hardtail mountain bike’s rear triangle is fixed, allowing no vertical axle or wheel movement.They are more affordable and more cheaper, will allow you to purchase a bike with better components that are lighter. Hardtail bikes also have better handling than full-suspension bikes. Hardtail mountain bikes are not just for entry-level riders looking to save some money, their lighter weight and rigidity make them excellent cross country bikes and racing bikes.

Nearly all hardtail mountain bikes have a front suspension fork, but some can be fully rigid, without any suspension. Riders prioritising endurance riding and adventure touring durability might opt for a fully-rigid hardtail mountain bike. Hardtail mountain bikes can fall under cross-country mountain biking, trail and sometimes enduro categories depending on their geometries, componentry and suspension travel.

Full suspension MTB frames

Full-suspension mountain bikes have suspension in the front and rear, which improves comfort and helps you ride more technical terrain. They are generally more expensive and weigh more. Most beginner mountain bikers wait until they're more experienced to buy their first full-suspension bike.

Cross-country mountain bikes

These mountain bikes are designed to ride very efficiently and climb with the least effort, often featuring remote lock-out switches for the front and rear suspension. The better XC bikes are ideal for racing on most mountain bike trails. The cheaper models are more suitable for beginners or for use on simple paths or on the road.Most XC mountain bikes only have front suspension, also called Hardtail. However, there is also plenty of choice in XC mountain bikes with fully suspension. The advantages of a Fully suspension XC bikes are: more grip and control, more comfort and less fatigue on long journeys. The disadvantages are the higher costs for both the purchase and maintenance and the higher weight.

Cross-country mountain bikes have between 80-120mm of front and/or rear-suspension travel.Although handlebar size has widened over the years, many cross-country bikes still need some semblance of aerodynamic efficiency, hence the slightly narrower handlebars of 700-720mm. Riders on cross-country bikes rarely overheat their brakes, hence the presence of small 160mm rotors and four-piston brake callipers. Again, lightweight is the overriding principle for cross-country mountain bikers.

Trail Mountain Bikes

Trail Bikes are designed as the all-rounder among mountain bikes. This is therefore the most sold type of mountain bike in many countries with mountains. With a Trail Bike you can both climb well and descent aggressively. For many mountain bikers, this is where the ‘fun’ really starts.Although trail MTB bikes is heavier that cross-country bikes but they can be robust and more stable in the downhill.

The Trail bike has generally feature 120-150mm of suspension travel.Trail bikes have standard fitment dropper seat posts, handlebars 760mm or wider and 2.4in to 2.6in tyres, with a reasonably aggressive tread pattern.

Trail bikes are true all-rounders, unlike cross-country bikes, which are designed with a bias for climbing performance. Contemporary trail bikes can hit jumps, roll sizeable drops and ride reasonably intense descending terrain. Because trail bikes appeal to such a broad spectrum of uses, bike companies invest a lot of R&D and resources to ensure a competitive market standing.

Almost all Trail Bikes have front and rear suspension (Fully), but there is also a limited number of models with only front suspension (Hardtail). Choose a hardtail if you do not have the budget for a fully or if you are looking for the extra challenge of descending without rear suspension.

Enduro Mountain bikes

Enduro bikes are long-travel bikes designed for going as fast as possible downhill on the hardest trails around. Their geometry is built for speed on the descents, but also for pedalling back up hill to start the next race stage.Generally, they are more most capable single-crown forked mountain bikes, featuring 150-170mm of suspension travel,and are beefier than XC or Trail bikes with wider tires.

With very progressive geometry, enduro bikes are what you’ll find riders on when attempting the gnarliest of descents. Suspension design is heavily biased toward descending performance, with large volume reservoir air shocks or coil-sprung rear suspension.

Only experienced riders will make the most of an Enduro bike. If you don't want to ride a mountain bike marathon on an Enduro bike; Then choose a Cross Country bike.

Downhill Mountain Bikes

Downhill Mountain bikes are the most extreme frame category in mountain biking,which are designed to go downhill, and on specific trails. Their one thing is to cycling down as fast as possible! So they are not comfortably ridden as everyday all-around bikes.

These bikes are engineered to handle a mass amount of stress without a failure, for example, even downhill tires are made to be extra resilient to prevent punctures.Steep drops, huge jumps, gnarly terrain, and all the previous at the highest possible speed.

Downhill bikes feature the most travel (200mm+), heaviest suspension components and the least compromised overall design.They have the largest brakes and heaviest tyres on downhill mountain bikes. It not unusual to see 220 or even 230mm brake rotors, with tyres in the 1000-1400g weight range being standard.Downhill bikes feature such extreme geometry relating to head and seat tube angles, that it becomes difficult to pedal one up even the gentlest gradient.

Downhill mountain biking is less performance of pedalling or climbing. These bikes are designed purely for riding down the steepest and most technical trails. Even a downhill bike’s seat design is extreme, with the saddle shape and position not conducive to resting but for use as a steering aid, with inner-thigh pressure.

One of the most difference to distinguish a downhill mountain bike is the fork, which is triple clamped with a dual-crown, as opposed to the single-crown set-up that all other mountain bikes have. That means a downhill mountain bike can’t turn as sharply, due to the presence of those two outer crown assemblies, which knock the headtube when a rider turns with too much angle.

Fat Mountain bikes

Fat bikes were originally built to handle sand and snow.Fat bikes have extremely wide tires with which they can easily ride over loose surfaces such as sand and snow. These bikes are popular with adventurers who like to cycle off the paths and with people looking for something else, with a high fun factor or a tough appearance.

Most Fat bikes have no front or rear suspension (Rigid) because the thick tires can absorb most bumps on the path.

Dirt Jump Mountain Bikes

Dirt jumping is the biking discipline of hitting jumps entirely made of dirt or soil. Not in a competitive scenario but purely for the fun of it. It’s done on purpose-built tracks with smooth surfaces and no natural obstacles, only man-made dirt-to-dirt jumps and occasionally berm turns.

Dirt jump bikes attract the bunch of adrenaline junkies who are looking to master jumps and tricks on custom-made parks and dirt jumps.

Dirt bikes are very similar to large BMX bikes and are made for use in so-called bike parks with jump and pump tracks. They are compact, strong bicycles, with no or a short front suspension, and often only equipped with one gear. The saddle is very low and is only for resting.Dirt jump bikes have a better reach and speed for certain descents, jumps, landings, and of course – tricks.

A dedicated dirt jumper bike has a smaller frame than a traditional mountain bike and gearing that is designed to produce more torque than speed. All extra weight has been stripped from the dirt jumper, making it capable of jumping high and being maneuverable mid-air.

Downcountry Mountain Bikes

Downcountry bikes are short-travel full-suspension bikes that are light and efficient, yet outfitted for enhanced downhill performance,which is a cross-country bike that’s been modified to perform better in more trail situations, blurring the lines between a pure-bred cross-country racer and a trail mountain bike.

Downcountry bikes are designed to go faster on downhills than regular XC bikes,Wider handlebars and a short stem and have more powerful brakes, or at least bigger brake rotors, to accommodate more aggressive descending too.

For starters, downcountry bikes should have at least 120mm of fork travel.Their rims and tires are wider than traditional XC hoops.

Electric Mountain Bikes

Electric mountain bikes have a small motor under the frame where the cranks that assists the rider when pedalling .

Where traditional mountain bikes struggle to balance the demands of descending with the need to climb back out, E-MTBs can make both a breeze. This is the biggest attraction to these premium assisted steeds, and you can have all the descending confidence and control of an Enduro mountain bike.

Electric mountain bikes come in all sorts of forms and variations, but the majority of the rock is a full-suspension setup.