MTBs – More Technical Aspects
If you want to go downhill rocky mountains, or climb up hills, to speed up through woods or along the country roads, then you need strong rims, wide tires and really good brakes. Consequently, what you need is a MTB (mountain bike).
In mountain biking, there is a golden rule that states that the bike and the biker should develop a sort of a symbiosis, a compatibility which is mainly rendered by the tight relationship between the shape and the size of the mountain bike, the quality of its components, and last but not the least, its purpose. By overstressing the MTB, any biker undertakes a huge risk; the mountain bike might loosen and eventually throw the rider out of the saddle, just like a bad-tempered horse.
Mountain bikes are bicycles particularly designed to be used on irregular, unpaved terrains. Consequently, they have been modified to serve this purpose. That means that the handle-bar of a mountain bike is straight, the change speed gear is located on the handle bar, while the tires are much wider and the suspensions are stronger in order to absorb the shocks. Another particular characteristic is that MTBs are much slower compared to regular street bicycles, but at the same time, they are much more durable. In brief, we might say that mountain bikes deal quite well with any situation, on every terrain, no matter it is a forest road climbing up the mountain, or an abrupt, sinuous dirt trails going downhill.
From the point of view of the design and the presence or absence of suspensions, mountain bikes classification look like that:
- fully rigid MTBs. In other words, this type of mountain bikes has no suspensions at all. A fully rigid MTB might be useful on a leveled, smooth surface;
- hard tail MTBs. Which means that the mountain bike model is provided only with front suspensions, located on the fork, while the “tail” of the MTB, that is the saddle, has no suspension at all; and
- full suspension MTBs. This model is the most comfortable and, naturally, the most popular, having both front suspensions, on the fork, and rear suspension – on the frame. The suspensions are useful especially when riding on a bumpy terrain. Moreover, they tend to help the biker and ease the physical effort.
The mountain bikes evolved from the simple, street bicycles; originally, they even had the same type of frame and geometry. However, lately, they tended to become more mainstream in order to able to cope with a more and more aggressive driving style. Modern MTBs are provided with 21, 24 or 27 speeds, with 3 front gears and 7, 8 or 9 rear gears. Their design includes light but strong frames and a geometry that allows a higher speed along difficult trails.
Whatever the MTB model you want to ride, the market is very generous in this regard, providing thousands of MTBs sizes, from “mini” MTBs to the so-called “giant” MTBs, depending on the money invested, the MTB biker’s style and its physical development. The choice of the proper MTB is all yours!
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Tags: MTBs, rigid MTB