Usually the front suspension is an air spring. We're seeing XC bikes with over 100mm of travel, trail bikes pushing up against 160mm of squish and enduro bikes that bottom out at 150mm. I am a mountain biker among other things and I enjoy writing about both topics I know but also about new things about mountain bikes that I learn. A lot of people usually find it hard to identify the correct mountain bike for them. Top tubes may be shorter which also allows for sharper handling. The bikes in this group test have an average seat-tube angle of 74.8° , making them slacker than the latest geometry trends in trail and enduro bikes. The tires are wider up to around 3 inches. amzn_assoc_title = "MTB Essentials I Personally Recommend When Biking"; Although choosing a bike may all depend on your riding style, the terrain you will be riding on and who you will be riding with, getting the right bike that fits your style is tricky. Whichever you choose, just make sure you choose the right mountain bike size so you can truly enjoy it.  Remember to prepare and bring with you the essentials so you enjoy mountain biking safely. Most of the cross-country bikes have 29 inch wheels and tires under 2.2 inches in width. amzn_assoc_linkid = "db648988f887972d00cd3c55bc5abd1b"; A longer suspension travel provides comfort and easy crawling capabilities over obstacles. Con: Smaller gas tank, have to fill up more often. What Mountain Bike Clothing Do You Really Need? Or you can watch a quick video below that will show you the steps... You can tell the difference between them by having a closer look at the handlebars, the stem length, the suspension travel, the brake rotor, the tires, and the head angle. Is the mountain bike going to be used on downhill trails with rough technical terrain? One good way I’ve found is to actually look at some pictures and such for both xc and trail bikes and see which you just feel inside is right for you. XC Mountain Bike Handlebars. If you look at an enduro mountain bike, you’ll notice it is very very similiar to a trail bike except it has a longer wheelbase due to a different head angle.  Because of this, I am lumping it in with trail bikes for the high-level purpose of this article and to not over-complicate things. With all these features in mind, you can easily tell the two types of mountain bikes apart. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; There is a trend developing which is somewhat at odds with the gravity fed world of enduro and downhill. The SID Ultimate Brain fork has 44mm of offset, giving the bike 106mm of trail. Tires - A Cross-country bike has smoother tires to enhance faster rolling for maximum speed while the trail bikes feature wide and heavily threaded tires for better grip and stability on unstable grounds. Trail bikes have a large brake rotor for a more powerful breaking experience while cross-country bikes have smaller brake rotors. Join the list to receive special offers, closeouts, and more! Thank you! The transfer stages usually must be completed within a time-limit, but are not part of the accumulated time. The stems that are seen on the XC mountain bike handlebars are short as well. The Suspension Travel - A cross country mountain bike has a shorter travel of suspension than the trail bike. The XC mountain bike handlebars are probably going to be between 720 mm and 760 mm wide. Here at Blue Sky Cycling we carry the best mountain and road bike parts, accessories, clothing and nutritional items to keep you and your bike on the go. Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more…, © 2020 Blue Sky Cycling. Since the cross country bikes are built for maximum speed and agility, a narrow handlebar enables the rider to get a feel of what the front wheel is doing. The Merida again takes the win with a 75.5° seat tube angle, but still falls short when compared to the latest enduro bikes. some pictures from the World Cup Stellenbosch in South Africa, post on 10 reasons to love downhill trail riding, Recommended Mountain Bike Gear: My favorite items, Best Action Camera For Mountain Bike Riding, Medium suspension travel of up to 4 inches for mild trails. You can find all your mountain bike parts and accessories below on the Blue Sky Cycling website. Slacker, longer, lower… shorter. If you have any questions please feel free to leave us a comment. Whether you're looking for bike parts for road, cross-country, downhill, freeride, or single speed, Blue Sky Cycling is your one stop shop for all your cycling needs. Or better yet, get both.  Start with cross country biking to get your skills and stamina up, and then get a trail bike as an additional bike and enjoy both worlds. The Yeti SB130 is a ripping trail bike that may just be the ultimate daily driver. basically they are built for racing on groomed trails. The trails bike. A shorter travel of suspension enhances a quick uphill sprint. The two main types of mountain bikes are cross country mountain bikes and Trail bikes, but what’s the real difference between them and which should you be using?  In this article I give you a bunch of tips for how to decide which bike is right for you. The shorter travel leads to a more rigid ride and getting more power to the ground. If you're concerned about high prices, don't be. Due to its wide surface area, a large brake rotor is less likely to overheat and cause brake failure than smaller brake rotors. For real fast cross-country mountain bikes, the comfort of the rear suspension has been eliminated to boost pedaling efficiency. Due to this, expect Trail bikes to roll off the factory floor with decent components that are easily replaced and customisable as a rider's skill, and ride style progress. With a full suspension, a trail bike will absorb rough technical terrain.  If the bike is a hardtail, the path through the terrain will have to be selected carefully. Shimano Deore M6000 disc brake. Trail bike – more fun, more versatile. Recent history has seen the proliferation of exceptionally capable bikes which can be winched back to the top of a hill time and time again, but what happens if rather than making downhill bikes climb better, you make an XC bike… Stack height is 623mm—13mm higher than the Scalpel. First is the trail pedal comparison, they are pretty much the same as the cross-country pedals with a platform attached. My bike tires are wider up to around 3 inches we have the lowest prices bike... These bikes can climb quite well bike vs trail bike Oct 2008 Posts 752 their intended use Merida takes... 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