| When most people think of mountain biking, they think | | | | Everyone races flat out. |
| of climbing up to the top of a mountain and then riding | | | | 4. Dirt jumping |
| down it again. However, there are plenty of | | | | The idea with dirt jumping is not so much the jumping |
| opportunities for the fat-tire enthusiast, and the | | | | but what tricks the rider can do while he is air borne. |
| disciplines are growing every year as riders find new | | | | The idea is not to get around the course as fast as |
| ways to challenge themselves. | | | | possible but to have the most air time and do the most |
| Below is just a brief list of some of the biking disciplines | | | | stunts in the air. |
| associated with mountain biking. For each discipline, | | | | 5. Downhill |
| you'll be able to find bikes especially made for the | | | | As the name implies, downhill biking means getting |
| different challenges they present, and the different | | | | down the hill as fast as possible, much like downhill |
| skills needed. | | | | skiing. It's a time trial event - bikers don't ride together |
| 1. BMX | | | | but rather start down the course at intervals. This is |
| BMX stands for bicycle motocross. The cycles used | | | | because the way down is not smooth - there are |
| are specially designed to operate on a dirt track: a | | | | plenty of obstacles to negotiate along the way. |
| groomed racecourse made up of various jumps, | | | | 6. Freeride |
| banked and flat corners, and therefore have small | | | | Freeriding is a sport that has just recently come into |
| wheel diameters - 20-inches, and fat tires. The sport | | | | vogue. The courses feature man-made obstacles |
| began in California in the late 1960s, as young boys | | | | such as teeter totters and skinny bridges, and can |
| began emulating their motocross heroes, and is now | | | | take place in-doors as well as out on specially |
| popular around the world. | | | | prepared mountain courses. |
| 2. Cross country | | | | 7. Single speed |
| Just as its name implies, fat-tire enthusiasts bike across | | | | Those who like the uncluttered life will use a bike with |
| country - specifically hilly country to test the rider's | | | | only one gear and fewer components. The idea is |
| endurance. | | | | simplicity. The racers however still go all out - both up |
| 3. Cyclo cross | | | | and down courses. This sport is popular around the |
| A cyclo cross bike is a road bike with powerful brakes, | | | | world. |
| extra mud clearance, and tires that aren't exactly fat | | | | 8. Urban |
| but do have knobs on. These bikes are used for Cyclo | | | | Most cities were not designed for the bicyclist - and |
| cross racing, a sport which began in Europe, as | | | | people on two wheels are resented by those on four. |
| off-season training for road racers. The courses are a | | | | And then there are the pedestrians... However, people |
| mile long, and are partly paved and partly mud-soaked | | | | who don't live near mountains or hills haven't let that |
| to give the rider all kinds of challenges. Also on the | | | | stop t hem from creating challenging, man-made |
| course are a certain number of barricades, forcing the | | | | courses - with all the obstacles available in urban |
| rider to dismount and carry his bike over them. | | | | areas. |