I think it’s an interesting question to hear different opinions on what people class as mountain biking.
Some people reckon riding on their way to work on the canal towpath is classed as mountain biking just as some people think riding down a groomed track full of man made berms that could be done on a bmx on a so called gravity enduro to be mountain biking, I myself class mountain biking to be proper mountain style natural tracks, that’s my opinion but would be interested in knowing what others think?

Mountain Biking is riding a bike with knobbly tyres and flat or riser (ie. not dropped) handlebars. Pretty much everything else goes IMO.

Mountain biking to me is about the thrill of railing berms, the descents. The burning legs and empty lungs. The climbs, the switchbacks.

The location is moot. For me it’s being out on the bike. Hammering it.

Anything that’s a. not on Tarmac, and b. done purely for the fun of it.

You’ve asked two different questions.

(a) What is a proper mountain bike?
(b) What do people class as mountain biking?

“Proper Mountain Bike”

I got bored with real mountain bikes.

Cyclo-cross bikes are where it’s at. Fast up the hills, and sometimes a bit slower down them.

Just change the M to A and it’s all good .
ATB,that’s where it all started man. 😉

Not a road bike or BMX or hybrid.

some people think riding down a groomed track full of man made berms that could be done on a bmx on a so called gravity enduro to be mountain biking, I myself class mountain biking to be proper mountain style natural tracks, that’s my opinion but would be interested in knowing what others think?

swoons… wish I cud be jus like u!

ps waiting for the Pussy Willow edited highlights thread where we compile all of these into one (good effort for getting the groomed trails in again)

A mountainbike is a bike that can get you places in and over the mountains, not necessarily following a track.

And sometimes for me that’s a CX bike, but usually a fatbike.

That doesn’t mean everything else is just a glorified BMX bike with extra technology though.

a bike I can ride out my front door, up Conwy Mountain, down Sychnant pass, up towards Tal-y-fan, around up Drum and over The Carneddau, and all the way down home, So it includes tarmac on bits. None of this transporting the bicycle by car!! A 120mm lightweight HT is just the job. FOR ME! Just right for Marin and Penmachno down the road too, anything bigger is overkill imo. I go to Coed Y Brenin and it’s very artificial compared to natural mountain riding and I feel I need a bigger bike cos the trails are construcred for that, but that’s not for me I think. Unless I get a windfall for a bigger bike! but I’ll need a car before that to transport the bike there! It’s kind of defeatist if you have little money. So Until my super skills outweigh what I can do on my 120mm Hardtail, that’s it for me. The next bike I want is a tourer/Cx type bike. Saying that, I would really like a go on Antur Stiniog but feel I am both under biked and underskilled so N+1 applies!. need a bigger bouncy bike for the collection! also, come to think of it, some of the best times I’ve had on a bike were cycling around London canal paths or Epping Forest on a 92 Tange prestige Bike with Manitou SX-r’s. So I guess the answer is – F*** knows. Really like my road bike atm…

It’s not about the bike, its about what you do with it. For me it’s any off-road biking on whatever bike you’re on.

You’ve asked about the bike, not the biking.

I would guess that my road bike has seen more big mountains than my mountain bike.

Perhaps they should rename them off road bikes, mines has seen some pretty big hills but never a mountain!!

Mountain Biking is riding a bike with knobbly tyres and flat or riser (ie. not dropped) handlebars.

Why no drops? I love using drops on my mountain bike… I’d post the classic Tomac image, but just for variation…

mountain biking = ATB = all terrain bikes

scotroutes – Member
You’ve asked two different questions.

(a) What is a proper mountain bike?
(b) What do people class as mountain biking?

POSTED 7 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

What is a proper mountain biker, or what I should have said is what do you class is proper mountain biking.

Went to the local-ish park on my 9year old hardtail t’other day – for a picnic – not shredding trails 🙂 and overheard a young man say to his beau ,”that’s a proper mountain bike” – so it’s all relative….
To me a proper mountain bike is a bicycle that can get you up a mountain & then down it.I ride either on road or off road. Or both.
I call it cycling. 🙂

What is a proper mountain biker

Anyone with a mountain bike who gets paid to ride it.

what do you class is proper mountain biking.

Riding a mountain bike for money.

This is easy. Anymore?

I’ve one for you. What is a proper doctor?

Depends on the day. It could be a potter up the Carneddau on the HT where I won’t see a soul for hours or it might be a balls-out DH affair about speed and being airbourne. That’s why I love mountain biking as it means these and more, and each seems the best day ever.

Getting sweaty and coming home covered in mud/dust.
NO MINCING

Is it just me who sees a pussywillow thread and thinks “I wonder what they’re trying to start a row about now?”.

Why all the hatred of trail centres , if you don’t like them don’t go.
But don’t complain about others enjoying them.

Personaly for me I do prefer a proper route out the countyside
Or some lung pooping xc racing

anywhere ridden with a sense of adventure and ( usually ) knobbly tyres.
think it’s more a state of mind rather than being specific about the terrain. It helps to ride an mtb though.

orangeboy – Member

Why all the hatred of trail centres ,

Because it’s cool to say so.

All riding is good, wherever it is and on whatever bike. That can be an off the peg bling bike or a rigid steel Jones single speed ego chariot type. It’s all good.

nope, i dont think its an interesting question, ride what you ride and enjoy it.

http://flowmountainbike.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/WEB_Firstbite_Specialized-2014_Stumpy-29-EVO0063.jpg

orangeboy – Member
Why all the hatred of trail centres ,

Because PW is a fairly poor troll?
If he rides like he Trolls I can see why he has to avoid trial centres – far too scary

I’ve got to agree about ATB comments. That’s how it all started. for me i ride off road every week, sometimes on forest roads, sometimes on man made trails , sometimes on natural trails and a couple of times a year i go to real mountains. That is not the point , a real mountain bike is a bike that does all this, then does all this again without falling apart and most important PUTS A SMILE ON MY FACE?

A natural style mountain track, Morzine.

Much radder higher up than any trail centre…..

Again?

Really..?

To me a mountainbike is a dirt bike (motorbike) without an engine. So full suspension and gears are a given.

Mountainbiking is trail riding and enduro. Same as a dirt bike.
I don’t see the point of downhill. If you’re not going to go up the hill under your own steam just fit an engine.

You can tell I came from dirt bikes, not from bicycles.

A proper mountain bike has got to be light and reliable and capable of getting up and down mountains without mechanical assistance. That means it’s got to have a traditional two-triangle frame and be light enough to shoulder, it can have suspension forks if the rider doesn’t mind the extra weight, it’s got to have good brakes and plenty of gears and lots of honourable scars and scratches from hard days out in the mountains. Simple really.

I don’t see the point of downhill. If you’re not going to go up the hill under your own steam just fit an engine.

That definition actually disqualifies the first mountain bikes! 😀

That definition actually disqualifies the first mountain bikes!

😆 Riding down fire roads probably does too.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtZhG2kWVLY[/video]
From 13s in
Maybe a bit of this
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhXx-wNEXeg[/video]

mikewsmith – Member
orangeboy – Member
Why all the hatred of trail centres ,

Because PW is a fairly poor troll?
If he rides like he Trolls I can see why he has to avoid trial centres – far too scary
POSTED 16 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Mikewsmith, I’ve noticed you seem to comment a lot on my threads, and quite rude towards me and my riding, if you really think I’m a Shiite rider then why not come ride with me and see if your man enough to ride down some of the stuff I ride???

Mikewsmith, I’ve noticed you seem to comment a lot on my threads, and quite rude towards me and my riding, if you really think I’m a Shiite rider then why not come ride with me and see if your man enough to ride down some of the stuff I ride???

Not at all you just ask deliberately trolly questions then wander away like lobbing hand grenades into a room 🙂 I’ll add a smiley so you know I’m joking like you are when you ask some of these questions.