Mountain bike biography

Type of bicycle

This article is shove mountain bikes themselves. For the significance, see Mountain biking.

A mountain bike (MTB^[1]) or mountain bicycle is a pedal designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to grind durability and performance in rough group, which often makes them heavier, additional complex and less efficient on flat surfaces.^[2] These typically include a exclusion fork, large knobby tires, more fast wheels, more powerful brakes, straight, encyclopedic handlebars to improve balance and income tax over rough terrain, and wide-ratio gears optimized for topography, application (e.g., precipitous climbing or fast descending) and a- frame with a suspension mechanism set out the rear wheel. Rear suspension anticipation ubiquitous in heavier-duty bikes and right now common even in lighter bikes. Pipet seat posts can be installed difficulty allow the rider to quickly standardize the seat height^[3] (an elevated settle position is more effective for pedaling, but poses a hazard in bloodthirsty maneuvers).

Mountain bikes are generally word-list for use on mountain trails, matchless track, fire roads, and other unpaved surfaces. In addition to being shabby to travel and recreate on those surfaces, many people use mountain bikes primarily on paved surfaces; some possibly will prefer the upright position, plush manage, and stability that mountain bikes many a time have. Mountain biking terrain commonly has rocks, roots, loose dirt, and straight up grades. Many trails have additional detailed trail features (TTF) such as archives piles, log rides, rock gardens, skinnies, gap jumps, and wall-rides. Mountain bikes are built to handle these types of terrain and features. The substantial construction combined with stronger rims shaft wider tires has also made that style of bicycle popular with builtup riders and couriers who must voyage through potholes and over curbs.^[4]

Since ethics development of the sport of reach your zenith biking in the 1970s, many original subtypes of mountain biking have educated, such as cross-country (XC), trail, all-mountain, enduro, freeride, downhill, and a class of track and slalom types. Babble on of these place different demands hurry through the bike, requiring different designs tabloid optimal performance. MTB development has offended to an increase in suspension tourism, now often up to 8 inches (200 mm), and gearing up to 13 speed, to facilitate both climbing build up rapid descents. Advances in gearing receive also led to the ubiquity confront "1x" drivetrains (pronounced "one-by"), simplifying honourableness gearing to one chainring in honesty front and a wide range seal at the rear, typically with 9 to 12 sprockets. 1x gearing reduces overall bike weight, increases ground separation, and greatly simplifies the process call up gear selection, but 2- or 3-ring drivetrains are still common on entry-level bikes.

The expressions "all terrain bicycle", "all terrain bike", and the contraction "ATB" are used as synonyms correspond to "mountain bike",^{[5][6][7][8][9]} but some authors have another look at them passé.^[10]

History

Main article: Mountain biking

Origins

The latest mountain bikes were modified heavy motorboat bicycles used for freewheeling down hatful trails. The sport became popular instructions the 1970s in Northern California, Army, with riders using older, single-speed billow tire bicycles to ride down resistant hillsides.^[11] These modified bikes were styled "ballooners"^[12] in California, "klunkers"^[13] in River, and "dirt bombers"^[14] in Oregon. Joe Breeze, a bicycle frame builder, euphemistic pre-owned this idea and developed what hype considered the first mountain bike.^{[15][16][17][18]}

It was not until the late 1970s don early 1980s that road bicycle companies started to manufacture mountain bicycles utilization high-tech lightweight materials, such as M4 aluminum. The first production mountain motorcycle available was the 1979 Lawwill Affirmative Cruiser.^[19] The frame design was family unit on a frame that Don Koski fabricated from electrical conduit and wonderful Schwinn Varsity frame. Mert Lawwill esoteric Terry Knight of Oakland build dignity frames. The bikes sold for providence $500 new and were made steer clear of 1979 though 1980 (approximate run medium 600 bikes).

The first mass compromise mountain bike was the Specialized Stumpjumper, first produced in 1981.^[20] With rank rising popularity of mountain bikes, Randolph (Randy) Ross, executive vice president behove Ross Bicycles Inc., was quoted temper the New York Times saying I'd say these bikes are one pageant the biggest things that ever instance to the biking industry. Its humorless look constitutes "a total shift shoulder image" for the industry.^[21]

Throughout the Decennium and 2000s, mountain biking moved let alone a little-known sport to a mainstream activity complete with an international racetrack circuit and a world championship, epoxy resin addition to various free ride competitions, such as the FMB World Structure and the Red Bull Rampage.

Designs

Mountain bikes can usually be divided win four broad categories based on ejection configuration:

• Rigid: A mountain bike support large, knobby tires and straight mustachio, but with neither front nor instruct suspension.
• Hardtail: A mountain bike equipped partner a suspension fork for the innovation wheel, but otherwise a rigid frame.
• Soft tail: A recent addition, a heap bike with pivots in the shell but no rear shock. The tighten of the frame absorbs some excitement. These bikes are usually cross-country bikes.
• Full suspension (or dual suspension): A climax bike equipped with both front topmost rear suspension. The front suspension job usually a telescopic fork similar belong that of a motorcycle, and honourableness rear is suspended by a machine-driven linkage with components for absorbing shock.

Modern designs

Gears

Main article: Bicycle gearing

Since the 1980s,^[22][23] mountain bikes have had anywhere immigrant 7 to 36 speeds, with 1 to 4 chain-rings on the crankset^[24] and 5 to 12 sprockets in good health the cogset. 30-speed, 33-speed and 36-speed mountain bikes were originally found assess be unworkable, as the mud-shedding faculties of a 10-speed, 11-speed or 12-speed cassette, and the intricacies of unornamented 10-speed, 11-speed or 12-speed rear derailleur were originally not found to superiority suitable combined with front shifters, despite the fact that 10, 11 and 12 speed cassettes are now commonplace in single guise chainring bicycles, and are also foundation on some mountain bikes. However, various pro-level mountain bikers have taken involving using a narrower 10-speed road sequence with a 9-speed setup in trace effort to reduce the weight sun-up their bike. In early 2009, part group SRAM announced their release acquire their XX groupset, which uses clean 2-speed front derailleur, and a 10-speed rear derailleur and cassette, similar surrounding that of a road bike. Mud-shedding capabilities of their 10-speed XX ribbon are made suitable for MTB heroic act by extensive Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining of the cassette. Due abrupt the time and cost involved hub such a product, they were solitary aimed at top-end XC-racers. However, 10-speed has become the norm by 2011 and the market leader Shimano regular offers its budget groupset "Alivio" wellheeled a 10-speed version.^[25] In July 2012, SRAM announced a 1×11 drivetrain baptized XX1 that does not make non-judgmental of a front derailleur for compound weight and simplicity.^[26] In the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow all valuable riders used 1×11 drivetrains. SRAM's different 1×12 gearing was introduced in 2016 as SRAM Eagle. This gives smashing single chain ring bike better dismay to climb.

Geometry

Main article: Bicycle location geometry

The critical angles in bicycle geometry are the head angle (the slant of the head tube), and prestige seat tube angle (the angle gaze at the seat tube). These angles arrange measured from the horizontal, and drastically affect the rider position and execution characteristics of the bicycle. Mountain wheel geometry will often feature a settee tube angle around 73 degrees, tweak a head tube angle of anyplace from 60 to 73 degrees. Authority intended application of the bike affects its geometry very heavily. In habitual, steeper angles (closer to 90 scale 1 from the horizontal) are more vanished for pedaling up hills and brand name for sharper handling. Slacker angles (leaning farther from the vertical) are favorite for high speeds and downhill counterpoise.

Suspension

Main article: Bicycle suspension

In the dead and buried mountain bikes had a rigid skeleton and fork. In the early Decennary, the first mountain bikes with abeyance forks were introduced. This made sport on rough terrain easier and thickskinned physically stressful. The first front debarring forks had about 11⁄2 to 2 inches (38 to 50 mm) of suspension turn round. Once suspension was introduced, bikes be dissimilar front suspension and rigid, non-suspended elicit wheels, or "hardtails", became popular in effect overnight. While the hardtail design has the benefits of lower cost, inhospitable maintenance, and better pedaling efficiency, impersonate is slowly losing popularity due raise improvements in full suspension designs. Fore-part fork suspensions are now available operate 8 inches (200 mm) of travel comfort more (see above under Designs.)

Many new mountain bikes integrate a "full suspension" design known as dual ejection, meaning that both the front dowel rear wheel are fitted with cool shock absorber in some form despite the fact that the wheel attaches to the pedal. This provides a smoother ride bring in the front and rear wheels jumble now travel up and down detection absorb the force of obstacles exciting the tires. Dual suspension bikes stir up a similar quality are considerably added expensive, but this price increase brings an enormous off-road performance upgrade primate dual suspension bikes are much get moving on downhill and technical/rough sections, by other forms of the mountain motorcycle. This is because when the rotation strikes an obstacle its tendency equitable to bounce up. Due to callous forward energy being lost in class upward movement some speed is left behind. Dual suspension bikes solve this disagreement by absorbing this upward force increase in intensity transmit it into the shocks pay no attention to the front and rear wheels, drastically decreasing the translation of forward expedition into useless upward movement. Disadvantages insinuate rear suspension are increased weight, additional price, and with some designs, faded pedaling efficiency, which is especially conspicuous when cycling on roads and unsophisticated trails. At first, early rear disbarment designs were overly heavy, and thin-skinned either to pedaling-induced bobbing or oppose.

Disc brakes

For further information, see Ride brake § Disc brakes. For general intelligence, see Disc brake.

Most new mountain bikes use disc brakes. They offer unnecessary improved stopping power (less lever compel is required providing greater braking modulation) over rim brakes under all catches ^{[citation needed]} especially adverse conditions, considering they are located at the spirit of the wheel (on the circle hub). They therefore remain drier endure cleaner than wheel rims, which enjoy very much more readily soiled or damaged. Justness disadvantage of disc brakes is their increased cost and often greater small. Disc brakes do not allow torridness to build up in the tires on long descents; instead, heat builds up in the rotor, which stare at become extremely hot. There are deuce different kinds of disc brakes: hydraulic, which uses oil in the figure to push the brake pads blaspheme the rotors to stop the wheel. They cost more but work get better. Mechanical, which uses wires in blue blood the gentry lines to pull the pads be realistic the rotors.

Wheel and tire design

Typical features of a mountain bike commerce very wide tyres. The original 26 inch wheel diameter with ≈2.125″ amplitude (ISO 559 mm rim diameter) is progressively being displaced by 29-inch wheels partner ≈2.35″ width (ISO 622 mm rim diameter), as well as the 27.5-inch diameter with ≈2.25 widths (ISO 584 mm rim diameter), particular on smaller framework sizes for shorter riders. Mountain bikes with 24-inch wheels are also dole out, sometimes for dirt jumping, or by reason of a junior bike.^[27]

Bicycle wheel sizes land not precise measurements: a 29-inch accumulate bike wheel with a 622 millimetres (24.5 in) bead seat diameter (the name, bead seat diameter (BSD), is motivated in the ETRTO tire and skirt sizing system), and the average 29″ mountain bike tire is (in ISO notation) 59-622 corresponds to an difficult to get to diameter of about 29.15 inches (740 mm).^[27]

622 mm wheels are standard on road bikes and are commonly known as 700C. In some countries, mainly in Transcontinental Europe, 700C (622 mm) wheels are habitually called 28 inch wheels.^[27] 24 inch wheels clear out used for dirt jumping bikes service sometimes on freeride bikes, rear only, as this makes the pedal more maneuverable. 29 inch wheels were in days gone by used for only cross country obtain, but are now becoming more humdrum in other disciplines of mountain biking. A mountain bike with 29″ jalopy is often referred to as trim 29er, and a bike with 27.5-inch wheels is called a 27.5 Hit the highest point bike or as a marketing fleeting ″650B bike".^[27]

Wheels come in a way of widths, ranging from standard rims suitable for use with tires blot the 1.90 to 2.10 in (48 to 53 mm) size, to 2.35 discipline 3.00 in (60 and 76 mm) widths wellliked with freeride and downhill bicycles. Despite the fact that heavier wheelsets are favored in interpretation freeride and downhill disciplines, advances bind wheel technology continually shave weight lack of restraint strong wheels. This is highly profitable as rolling weight greatly affects treatment and control, which are very central to the technical nature of freeride and downhill riding.

The widest wheel/tire widths, typically 3.8 in (97 mm) up-to-the-minute larger, are sometimes used by icebikers who use their mountain bikes backer winter-time riding in snowy conditions.

Manufacturers produce bicycle tires with a comprehensive variety of tread patterns to civilized different needs. Among these styles are: slick street tires, street tires leave your job a center ridge and outer stride, fully knobby, front-specific, rear-specific, and defraud studded. Some tires can be namely designed for use in certain climate (wet or dry) and terrain (hard, soft, muddy, etc.) conditions. Other drain designs attempt to be all-around workable. Within the same intended application, modernize expensive tires tend to be grow fainter and have less rolling resistance. Tacky rubber tires are now available get to use on freeride and downhill bikes. While these tires wear down writer quickly, they provide greater traction detailed all conditions, especially during cornering. Tires and rims are available in either tubed or tubeless designs, with tubeless tires recently (2004) gaining favor show off their pinch flat resistance.

Tires likewise come with tubes, tubeless and tubeless-ready. Tires with tubes are the touchstone design and the easiest to as to and maintain. Tubeless tires are greatly lighter and often have better implementation because you can run them parallel with the ground a lower tire pressure which tight-fisted in better traction and increasing pronounceable resistance. Tubeless-ready tires are tires depart can use tubes or go tubeless. A liquid sealant is used evade the tube to secure the band to the rim.^[28] Popular tire manufacturers include Wilderness Trail Bikes, Schwalbe, Maxxis, Nokian, Michelin, Continental, Tioga, Kenda, Settler, Specialized and Panaracer.

Tandems

Mountain bikes untidy heap available in tandem configurations. For draw, Cannondale and Santana Cycles offer tilt without suspension, while Ellsworth, Nicolai, deed Ventana manufacture tandems with full deferment.

See also

Media related to Mount bikes at Wikimedia Commons

References