mountain bike

Mountain biking differs from the rest of the competitive cycling disciplines because it takes place in natural environments. Another fundamental difference has to do with the type of bicycles used: mountain bikes (MTB). Suspensions play a fundamental role and their materials must combine resistance and lightness.

However, there is no single way to ride a mountain bike. Once we leave those shared characteristics behind, we can find different specialties. Mountain biking is gaining a growing following in part because it has proven to be such a diverse sport. Let's see how much.

enduro

The most basic form of mountain biking is known as Enduro. Mountain biking was born in 1976 when a group of friends, aboard their beach bikes, began to climb the tops of the mountains in California, United States, and compete to see who could get downhill first. That is basically Enduro and therefore, the fairest thing is to start with this discipline.

cross-country

Cross-Country is perhaps the most famous specialty within mountain biking. It became an Olympic sport in 1996 and is the only type of MTB present at the Olympic Games. In this case, when Olympic distances and rules are respected, it is known as Cross-Country Olympic (XCO).

XC is a cross-country discipline. The courses include climbs, descents and horizontal terrain. Sometimes the terrain gets very hard and you have to cross narrow and very irregular paths. On the other hand, in other parts, paved roads can be included that join different sectors of the circuit.

Downhill (DHI)

It is one of the specialties included in the Mountain Biking World Championship organized by the UCI. As its name indicates, the rules of this modality are very simple. In DHI you start at the top of a mountain and end at the bottom. Whoever completes the course in the shortest time wins.

It is similar to Enduro, with the difference that the climb is not done by pedaling. In fact, it is common for those who practice this sport to go up using chairlifts, since Downhill competitions are usually held in ski resorts during the summer months.

Freeriding

Freeride is a specialty of MTB that is related to Downhill as it takes place in natural environments and downhill. However, it has its peculiarities.

Freeride is a strictly technical discipline as it focuses on doing tricks that are scored by judges. To that end, a freeride course can include wallrides, wooden planks, or any other structure that helps the rider rise into the air. In that sense, the track fulfills the same function as a skatepark.

What do you think about the risk involved in practicing this sport?