About Mountain Bike

Modern off-road cycling began in the late 1970’s in Northern California and today it serves as a popular form of both recreation and competition. Mountain biking encompasses many different formats including Cross-Country Olympic (XCO), Short Track (XCC), Downhill (DHI), Eliminator (XCE), Marathon (XCM), and E-Bike on the national and international stage. Mountain biking is one of the most fun and liberating forms of bike riding, and is engaging for riders of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Cross Country

Also known as XCO for Cross-Country Olympic, this endurance-oriented event is a mass-start competition, divided by category or ability, which typically features 100-150 riders competing over rough terrain including everything from unpaved fire roads to technical singletrack filled with rocks, roots and ruts. A typical elite-level mountain bike race lasts approximately two hours and ranges from 15-30 miles.

A common cross-country mountain bike course includes significant elevation gain and tricky descents. To accommodate the off-road conditions, competitors’ bikes are equipped with wide, knobby tires for better traction and suspension systems to soften the impact of riding over uneven terrain. Bike-handling skills, a keen sense of awareness, and an element of bravery are all vital characteristics of a successful cross-country mountain bike racer.

Short Track

Short Track racing, known internationally as XCC (Cross-Country Circuit), is similar to a criterium or circuit race in road cycling. The discipline was introduced as a more spectator-friendly form of cross-country mountain biking. Traversing rough and often steep terrain with other challenging course features, a Short Track race typically only lasts 20 minutes as competitors start and finish fast.

Marathon

Ultra-endurance racing comes in many forms but is best described as off-road racing that covers longer-than-normal distances and/or lasts for several hours or more. Held on cross-country courses, marathon races are 100 kilometers long or more.

Downhill

One of the many “gravity” styles of racing, downhill is exactly as it sounds. Competitors ride the lift to the top and descend the face of a mountain in an individual race against the clock, only timed on the way down. The rider with the fastest time is declared the winner. Some of mountain biking’s most advanced technology comes from the discipline of downhill racing. Riders compete on bikes that have full suspension systems which allow them to experience a smoother ride as they descend down rocky trails, jumps, and drop-offs.

Dual Slalom

Dual slalom features two riders competing head-to-head against each other in another “gravity style of racing. Similar to the slalom events in downhill ski racing, competitors must weave themselves in and out of gates while descending the face of a hill. A course will typically have two identical runs – red and blue – with the same features, including berms, rollers, and doubles. After the first heat, riders switch lanes and descend the hill a second time. After each rider competes on the red and blue course, his or her times are added together and the rider with the lowest cumulative time advances to the next round, while the other is eliminated. The bracket continues until one person is crowned the winner.

Four-Cross

Also referred to as mountain cross, four-cross replaced dual slalom on the international circuit in 2002. In the four-cross event, gravity riders are seeded into four-person brackets following an individual seeding run. Once seeded into their respective brackets, riders descend a technical, downhill course with tight turns, berms, and jumps. Riders start four-wide and descend the course simultaneously after the start gate drops. From there, the idea is simple: the top two riders in each heat advance to the next round while the others are eliminated from contention.

Enduro

Enduro is a mix between a gravity event and an endurance event, linking technical downhill trails with flat and uphill sections typically found at a cross-country race. Enduro races can have anywhere from 4-10 stages spanning over a day or two. In these events, only the downhill sections are timed, but riders are required to pedal to each stage sometimes climbing steep terrain. A rider's stage times are added together to create an overall time. Competitors typically choose bikes that allow for the bike-handling capabilities required of a downhill racer, but also don't prohibit sustained climbing.