Whats the difference between XC, Trail, All Mountain, Downhill and a Freeride bikes?
Cross-country (XC) bikes are usually hardtails and most often just have just front suspension and are the most lightweight type of mountain bike. A new generation of XC bikes has rear suspension with 80-100mm rear wheel travel. The angles of an XC bike cater for quick handling and excel in tight single track. Weight range is 9-12 kg (20-26 lbs). Trail and All Mountain bikes are designed to cope with a much larger variety of terrains and are often referred to as the type of bike to own if you are going to have just one. They are built to be lightweight and perform equally well on ascents as on descents. Trail bikes can have 120-140mm rear wheel travel and weight around 11-15 kg (24-16 lbs). All Mountain bikes will have about 150-160mm rear wheel travel and weigh around 12-16 kg (26-35 lbs). Downhill bikes are built with very slack angles for downhill speed and performance. Travel is often 180-200mm, sometimes more, with weight in the 16-20 kg (35-45 lbs) range. Freeride bikes are heavie
