The next two categories of bicycles are actually almost the same. The main difference though is in the built of the frame and the amount of suspension travel.
Trail bike.
2009 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR
Giant NRS CarbonAll Mountain bike
2009 Santa Cruz Bullit
Mountain Cycles San AndreasSo as you can see and read the descriptions above, the Specialized and Giant are trail bikes. Typical riders will take this bike through the bushes, some small back lands, beside streams and edges of forests to get some off road fun. With a rear suspension, life becomes easier and more comfortable when going through the rough stuff. In Malaysia its the typical rubber and oil palm estates. Or more adventurous will go to FRIM in Sg Buloh or Mont Kiara.
A good rear and front suspension of about 5-6 inches responds well to bumps and absorbs all the shock. Frame is built to handle the stresses and strains of the extra pounding. Complete bikes weigh in at 25lbs , 12.5kg which is quite light. 26-28lbs is a normal range depending on parts again.
The All Mountain (AM) bike is a more adventurous bike. Just as the Santa Cruz Bullit and the Mountain Cycle San Andreas shows a more aggressive look. You can take these further deeper into the forest where logs, tree trunks, rocks, boulders and 2-5 feet drops (drops as in the trail just drops beneath you) are your friends. This bike allows you to go almost anywhere without a problem of worrying whats around the next corner. A really long front and rear suspension prepares you for nasty trails. A larger disc brake gives more bite and power to stop when needed the most.
Frame is built with bigger tubing for greater durability, strength and survivability. Frames of this sort tend to start to grow heavy with as much as 4-6kgs on the frame alone. So a total bike would weigh in the region of 30-35lbs or roughly 15-18kg. Weight isnt a concern anymore at this stage.
This bike can and is brave enough to handle Taman Negara if ridden into. Provided the rider is brave enough in the first place.
Prices for trail bikes range from (selling in Malaysia) RM5000 to RM10000+ depending on model and make.
Dirt Jump
Well this isnt really a mountain bike ridden out in the outback or in the amazon. Dirt jump (DJ) bikes are usually and only used to do some stunt jumps on specially man made dirt ramps. So hence the term dirt jumping. These guys are on the flip side of life.....literally. The love jumping turning and twisting in the air. Some have done the 360 in air. Typical frames have a verysloping top tube and low seat to enable you to execute stunts without much problem.
Now we get to the hardcore stuff in the mountain bike world. Prepare to drop your jaws....
2009 Giant Glory DH
2009 Yeti 303 DH
2009 Santa Cruz V10
2008 Trk Session 88 DH
2009 Specialized Demo 9 DH
A good rear and front suspension of about 5-6 inches responds well to bumps and absorbs all the shock. Frame is built to handle the stresses and strains of the extra pounding. Complete bikes weigh in at 25lbs , 12.5kg which is quite light. 26-28lbs is a normal range depending on parts again.
The All Mountain (AM) bike is a more adventurous bike. Just as the Santa Cruz Bullit and the Mountain Cycle San Andreas shows a more aggressive look. You can take these further deeper into the forest where logs, tree trunks, rocks, boulders and 2-5 feet drops (drops as in the trail just drops beneath you) are your friends. This bike allows you to go almost anywhere without a problem of worrying whats around the next corner. A really long front and rear suspension prepares you for nasty trails. A larger disc brake gives more bite and power to stop when needed the most.
Frame is built with bigger tubing for greater durability, strength and survivability. Frames of this sort tend to start to grow heavy with as much as 4-6kgs on the frame alone. So a total bike would weigh in the region of 30-35lbs or roughly 15-18kg. Weight isnt a concern anymore at this stage.
This bike can and is brave enough to handle Taman Negara if ridden into. Provided the rider is brave enough in the first place.
Prices for trail bikes range from (selling in Malaysia) RM5000 to RM10000+ depending on model and make.
Dirt Jump
Well this isnt really a mountain bike ridden out in the outback or in the amazon. Dirt jump (DJ) bikes are usually and only used to do some stunt jumps on specially man made dirt ramps. So hence the term dirt jumping. These guys are on the flip side of life.....literally. The love jumping turning and twisting in the air. Some have done the 360 in air. Typical frames have a verysloping top tube and low seat to enable you to execute stunts without much problem.
Kona DJ bike.
Freeride and Downhill Bikes.Now we get to the hardcore stuff in the mountain bike world. Prepare to drop your jaws....
2009 Giant Glory DH
2009 Yeti 303 DH
2009 Santa Cruz V10
2008 Trk Session 88 DH
2009 Specialized Demo 9 DH
As you can see from the 5 very different models and makes of the downhill and free ride bikes, they all share almost the same common features. Downhill and free ride bikes are meant for one thing only..........severe punishment. These are the bikes you point down a hill and just go straight down not caring whats infront of you. Just go and knock your brains out from the ride.
Free ride bikes are the bigger brothers to AM bikes yet the DH bikes are the most biggest bad ass bikes of the lot. And if i may say, in the cycling world. No bike has been where these guys have been to.
FR and DH bikes have super huge frame work. Super long suspension. Front forks alone are 200mm in travel and rear travel is up to 9inches. This give you plenty of room to hit what ever thats on the trail. Monster 2.75inch tires are the norm here. You will need lots of traction and grip in mud, sand, moss, or any dead thing. Mad ones use 3.0inches. Which is almost a motorbike sized tire. Going downhill, gearing isnt much a need. So the front deraileur is often take out leaving the back deraileur and cassette. These bikes have chain guides (which is the case/rollers around the frong crank) to avoid the chain coming off due to the hard bumps and knocks which can easily derail a chain.
Oh yes, and this bike is not meant at all for normal road riding. Simply because the geometry of the frame is at such low angles, it only works best when pointed down a hill. So when you ride on normal roads you are literally sitting back (if you notice in all the pics, the seats are tilted back). This is because once the bike points down, the seat becomes flat again and in a position of an upright bike. When in this position all handling kicks in like a smooth upright. Steering this bike on flat road would be difficult. And if all these havent killed you yet, the weight of the bike will.
These beasts weigh at 35-40lbs, nearly 20kgs. Again weight is not an issue once ur going down a hill. The one thing really bad about these bikes is that they are so heavy........its useless to cycle up a hill. So actually.........all DH riders would push their bikes up the hill and ride down. They love it with all their heart i suppose.
A DH bike is suppose to be able to survive any obstacle. Thats why manufacturers and companies have the liberty to go big and bad on frames. But the rear suspension linkage systems (as you can see) can be very very complex from frame to frame. Each with their own handling characteristics. With their own technology and design, its hard to tell which is the best. It all boils down to your choice and preference. The choice material for frames here is aluminium. Any other is either too expensive, too fragile, or too heavy.
A DH bike is not cheap by any measure. RM15000 is a rough minimum you would spend on a brand new DH machine. The pro levels may rise to RM25000++.
So here ends the mountain bike section. The road/racing bike section will continue soon.
-End Part IV-
Free ride bikes are the bigger brothers to AM bikes yet the DH bikes are the most biggest bad ass bikes of the lot. And if i may say, in the cycling world. No bike has been where these guys have been to.
FR and DH bikes have super huge frame work. Super long suspension. Front forks alone are 200mm in travel and rear travel is up to 9inches. This give you plenty of room to hit what ever thats on the trail. Monster 2.75inch tires are the norm here. You will need lots of traction and grip in mud, sand, moss, or any dead thing. Mad ones use 3.0inches. Which is almost a motorbike sized tire. Going downhill, gearing isnt much a need. So the front deraileur is often take out leaving the back deraileur and cassette. These bikes have chain guides (which is the case/rollers around the frong crank) to avoid the chain coming off due to the hard bumps and knocks which can easily derail a chain.
Oh yes, and this bike is not meant at all for normal road riding. Simply because the geometry of the frame is at such low angles, it only works best when pointed down a hill. So when you ride on normal roads you are literally sitting back (if you notice in all the pics, the seats are tilted back). This is because once the bike points down, the seat becomes flat again and in a position of an upright bike. When in this position all handling kicks in like a smooth upright. Steering this bike on flat road would be difficult. And if all these havent killed you yet, the weight of the bike will.
These beasts weigh at 35-40lbs, nearly 20kgs. Again weight is not an issue once ur going down a hill. The one thing really bad about these bikes is that they are so heavy........its useless to cycle up a hill. So actually.........all DH riders would push their bikes up the hill and ride down. They love it with all their heart i suppose.
A DH bike is suppose to be able to survive any obstacle. Thats why manufacturers and companies have the liberty to go big and bad on frames. But the rear suspension linkage systems (as you can see) can be very very complex from frame to frame. Each with their own handling characteristics. With their own technology and design, its hard to tell which is the best. It all boils down to your choice and preference. The choice material for frames here is aluminium. Any other is either too expensive, too fragile, or too heavy.
A DH bike is not cheap by any measure. RM15000 is a rough minimum you would spend on a brand new DH machine. The pro levels may rise to RM25000++.
So here ends the mountain bike section. The road/racing bike section will continue soon.
-End Part IV-
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