Equipment
Mountain bike
A rugged bicycle built to handle rough, off-road terrain.
Equipment
Overview
A mountain bike is a sturdy bicycle with wide, knobbly tyres, a strong frame and often suspension to absorb bumps, all designed for riding on rough, off-road trails. Flat handlebars and low gearing help with control and steep climbs.
Its grippy tyres and shock-absorbing build suit the loose, uneven ground of trails, tracks and hills where a road bike could not go.
Good to know
- Wide, knobbly tyres grip loose, uneven ground.
- Suspension helps absorb bumps on rough trails.
- Low gearing assists on steep climbs.
Where it’s used
Sports that use mountain bike:
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Playing surfaces
- GravelLoose crushed stone over a firm base — an unpaved middle ground between smooth road and rough trail, ridden and run for variable grip and steady pace.
- TrailNatural off-road terrain of dirt, rock, roots, grass and mud that varies constantly and rewards surefootedness in trail running, mountain biking and hiking.
- SnowCompacted or natural snow on slopes and trails — a low-friction surface built for gliding, where skis, boards and runners slide fast over frozen ground.
Learning paths
Disciplines
- CyclocrossCyclocross is lap racing on a short off-road circuit of grass, mud, and sand, where riders often dismount to carry the bike over obstacles.
- Road CyclingRoad cycling covers riding and racing on paved roads, from mass-start races and time trials to multi-day stage events.
- Middle Distance (70.3)Middle distance triathlon, widely known as 70.3, covers a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike, and a 21.1 km half-marathon run.
Tactics
- Baseline playA patient tennis style built around rallying from the back of the court and constructing points with groundstrokes.
- Serve and volleyAn attacking tennis tactic where the server follows their serve to the net to finish the point with a volley.
- Interval-training strategyStructuring a workout as bursts of hard effort separated by recovery to build fitness efficiently.