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Mountain bikes have tough frames, good brakes,
lots of gears and knobbly tires - perfect for riding off the beaten
track. The riding position is quite upright so you can see that tree
you’re about to crash into! Suspension is now common, for two
reasons: it’s more comfortable, and it can increase traction.
Mountain Bikes, however, do not necessarily all have suspension, some
have rigid forks and frames, others just have suspension forks and
some have suspension front and rear.
A related breed of bike is the ATB or All Terrain Bike. This is generally
less of a serious bike than a mountain bike (MTB), more for pottering
along canal towpaths than proper off-road riding.Types of MTB:Freeride
aka XC (Cross Country)
This is for what most of us do anyway - a bike for generally playing
around in the woods. It may have suspension, but not to an extreme,
and will have a good spread of gears and good brakes.
Pros... Very
versatile - you can use an MTB for anything from commuting to travelling
across Outer Mongolia. There’s a huge range available, with
prices from £60 to £6000. The fitting of less knobbly
tyres will make the bike usable on tarmac.
Cons... Bare
MTBs need lots of extras to make the most of other uses - slick tyres,
mudguards and lights for commuting, for example. |
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