The seatless ones

At the most basic level, trials riding can be summed up as bicycle handling skills.

Skills taken from trials riding can be used practically on any bicycle for balance, for example controlled braking and track standing, or balancing on the bike without putting a foot down. Trial bike characteristics include, but are not limited to: powerful brakes, wide handlebars, light parts, low gearing, and a thick rear tire that provides grip and a heavy emphasis on frame geometry and no seat.


Gravity is your friend

Downhill cycling (DH) is a gravity-assisted time trial mountain biking event. Riders race against the clock, starting alone at set intervals, on courses which typically take two to five minutes to complete.

The placing is determined by the fastest times to complete the course. As the name of this discipline implies, downhill races are held on steep, downhill terrain with no extended climbing sections, resulting in high speed descents with extended air time off of jumps and other obstacles.


Big jumps, Big air

Dirt Jumping evolved along side bmx racing from its birth. Dirt Jumping is similar to BMX or Mountain bike racing in that the rider jumps off of mounds of dirt. It differs in that the jumps are usually much larger and designed to lift the rider higher into the air.

Additionally, the goal is not to complete the course with the fastest time, but rather to perform the best tricks with the best style. Trails are most often hand built, with attention to detail.




All out racing

Mountain-cross or four-cross racing (4X) is a relatively new style of mountain bike riding where four bikers race downhill on a prepared, BMX like, track, simply trying to get down first.

These bikes are generally either full suspension with 3 to 4 inches of travel, or hardtails, and have, typically, quite strong frames. They run a chainguide on front and gears on the back. They have slack head angles, short chainstays and low bottom brackets for good cornering and acceleration.


All about adventure

Cross-country (XC) cycling is the most common discipline of mountain biking. While less publicized than downhill cycling as it is more difficult to televise, it garners the highest levels of participation both recreationally and competitively.

Cross-country cycling became an Olympic sport in 1996 and is the only form of mountain biking practiced at the Summer Olympics.


Downhill + Dirtjump

Freeride is a branch of mountain biking. A relatively new sport combining different aspects of mountain biking, such as downhill and dirtjumping, freeriding has progressed quickly in recent years, and is now recognised as one of the most popular disciplines within mountain biking.

The term came from the concept of freeriding, which is used in a multitude of sports, including skiing, snowboarding, and windsurfing. The general concept was that there was no set course, goals or rules to abide by.