You have a friend who’s been into mountain biking for years, and you’ve decided you’d like to join them on a ride. They ask you what biking discipline you want to try, and you have no idea how to answer. Disciplines? What does that even mean? What are the different mountain bike disciplines?
Mountain bike disciplines and different riding styles include the following:
If you’re still a little confused, you won’t be by the time you’re done reading. Ahead, we’ll go in-depth into each of the above mountain bike disciplines so you can pick a style that personally suits you!
8 Types of Mountain Bike Disciplines You Need to Know Before You Ride
Enduro
If you’re looking for a mountain bike discipline with fan appeal, enduro (EN) is a good pick. The enduro discipline is off-road and speed-driven. Those who are especially experienced in enduro mountain biking might compete in events like the Enduro World Series.
These types of events feature a downhill mountain biking race with timed stages. The amount of time it takes to complete the course depends on the event, but it’s anywhere from two to 20 minutes. Between the timed stages are liaisons where the riders go from one special stage to another.
Enduro races can last for days. The winner will have completed all the timed stages and liaisons in the least amount of time. To achieve this kind of feat, not just any mountain bike will do. You’d need an enduro bike, which is built for the durability of an enduro event. With the dropper seat post and full suspension system, riding an enduro bike is quite the experience.
Downhill
The second mountain bike discipline is downhill (DH) riding. A track for downhill riding will be steep, such as a mountaintop. Whether racing in an official capacity or just among buddies, you compete to see who can safely yet quickly navigate to the bottom first.
Okay, but how do you get to the top, you’re asking? That’s easy. Rather than ride uphill, which is time-consuming and strenuous, you’re chair-lifted up. Phew! This lets you conserve your energy so you can focus on the race.
Downhill mountain biking can be incredibly fast, with average speeds of around 50 miles per hour. Many professional courses have drops and jumps, which are both long and high, further adding a challenging element and an air of exhilaration to downhill mountain biking. Learning the course is advisable if you want to win, and practice rounds are usually allowed so you can better grasp the lay of the land.
Unlike enduro races, which are long events, downhill mountain biking races like the UCI Downhill World Cup Series are over in minutes. That’s because once you’re barreling down a hill, momentum takes over, and so you’re on even ground before you know it!
This discipline requires a downhill mountain bike. The shape of the frame leans you down, so you’re ready for your trajectory. A full suspension system is made for all sorts of ground, including rough terrains like tree roots or rocks. The tires of a downhill mountain bike are thick and heavy so that you can maintain control and grip.
Many downhill mountain bikers use body plates, eye goggles, and a full-face helmet for this discipline to avoid injuries from flying debris.
Four-Cross
If you’ve tried BMX racing before, it might be easier to transition into four-cross (4X) mountain biking. As the name indicates, you compete with three other bikers in four-cross, so there are four of you altogether. This is a straightforward race where the one who zips past the finish line first is the winner. Just because four-cross races are straightforward, though, doesn’t mean they’re easy.
Four-cross races may include corners, jumps, and hills. There are short rounds or heats until the finish line. You need a powerful mountain bike and great stamina, as the intensity of four-cross racing is more than it sometimes looks. The UCI 4X World Cup Series will show you how four-cross is supposed to be done.
If you have a hardtail mountain bike for four-cross, you can also use it for dual slalom riding. This is like a subset of four-cross in which only two cyclists participate. Two tracks–one for each rider–have the same twists and turns, so both riders get identical experiences. Dual slalom races require two runs, and the rider with the shorter time of the two runs moves on to the next round. Then they compete to determine who the winner is. The loser is eliminated until only the two fastest riders are left.
So what is a hardtail mountain bike? This bike is for riding while standing, a must for four-cross as well as dual slalom events. Front suspension forks are another feature of these tough bikes.
All-Mountain
The fourth mountain bike discipline is all-mountain (AM). The name, in this instance, is very self-explanatory. With all-mountain biking, you’re up in the mountains traversing rocky terrain and sometimes narrow paths. You may do jumps across rock cliffs or ride down a smooth dirt hill to the bottom of the mountain. It’s hard to say what a mountain path will have in store for you, as that’s for Mother Nature to decide.
We’d recommend all-mountain biking only for experienced riders who are up for a new type of challenge. Hardtail mountain bikes are usable for all-mountain riding, but make sure yours is more lightweight. Your bike must also feature anti-puncture tires and hardy wheelbases that won’t bend if you hit a stone. Your bike should have around six inches of travel.
Stock up on the protective gear, as you’ll need it here more than maybe any other mountain bike discipline. You should wear elbow and kneepads as well as a heavy-duty helmet or goggles and body armor. Keep your clothes breathable and light, so you don’t overheat.
Trail Riding
The polar opposite of all-mountain biking is trail riding (TR). You’re riding more for enjoyment than the competition. Again, don’t be fooled; trail riding isn’t easy. It’s a more aggressive form of biking. You ride a single track that can include all sorts of different terrain. You may have to navigate hills, do jumps, and make hairpin turns. Descending is more common in trail riding than ascending, but you still have to do both.
Yet again, hardtail bikes are an option here. You can also buy a trail bike, which features a full suspension system for handling technically difficult trails. Climbing can be a bit harder in a trail bike compared to a hardtail. Don’t forget to put special consideration into which tires your mountain bike has. You’ll need powerful tires that won’t pop when you roll over tough terrain.
Quality brakes are crucial, considering you sometimes have to stop on a dime when trail riding. Your brakes must respond to your movements no matter how sudden they are. A wider set of handlebars will better suit trail riding than narrow handlebars.
Cross-Country
In the same vein as trail riding is cross-country (XC) mountain biking. Yet another form of off-road biking, few disciplines are as popular as this one. Cross-country biking is also a good choice for beginners, even over trail riding. It’s less aggressive, so you don’t feel forced to put the pedal to the metal.
Climbing or ascending hills happens much more frequently in cross-country mountain biking, but the descents are often long. Rock gardens might challenge your mountain biking prowess, but cross-country biking is more about duration and distance than physically demanding courses. Many cross-country bikers will ride for hours at a time, which you can work your way up to as a complete beginner.
The fun of cross-country mountain biking is your freedom to explore various terrain. If you’d rather ride on hard concrete, asphalt, or pavement, you can. You can just as easily switch back to open dust paths or grass.
Hardtail mountain bikes are perfect for cross-country riding, as they have full suspension systems and lightweight frames that won’t fatigue you. Make sure you wear a helmet but get one with exceptional ventilation because you can expect to be wearing it for a while. You will need great endurance to handle especially long cross-country paths.
Slopestyle
For the mountain bike tricksters, the discipline known as slopestyle is a perfect match. In slopestyle, it’s all about doing awesome tricks. Slopestyle courses make it easy to pull off your best stunts with berms, jumps, drops, and ramps. The course will still have a definition to it, but slopestyle courses have a skate park attitude compared to the other mountain biking disciplines we’ve talked about.
Yes, slopestyle can be a competitive event, so how do you win? You have to come up with unique tricks and then link them together to create an awesome flow. You also can’t bail, or you’ll lose points. Judges will select the winner.
Get a slopestyle bike for this mountain biking discipline. These bikes can handle strain and stress better than your everyday mountain bike, so you’ll have the confidence to try your best stunts yet!
Freeriding
The last mountain bike discipline is freeriding. Rather than strive to beat your competitor’s times, freeriding events are a chance to showcase your technical skills and creativity. You select the route and can even alter it by digging out takeoffs and landings. Tricks are allowable and welcomed.
Like in slopestyle, judges will determine the criteria that crown the winner. The judges usually look for the rider with the most creativity, uniqueness, flow, elevation, and speed. Having your own sense of style is very important in freeriding as well.
If you ever want to make it to Red Bull Rampage or another freeriding event, you’ll need a freeride bike. These bikes are about as light as slopestyle mountain bikes but smaller. When you catch air, the lightness of a freeride bike allows you to stay up there longer.
Conclusion
There you go, eight fun mountain bike disciplines. Although you’re new to mountain biking now, as you practice and improve your skills, you’ll probably want to try each discipline at different times!
