Types of Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is a sport where riders take specially-designed bikes off-road, usually on rough, hilly, and dangerous terrain. The bikes have been reinforced with extra support and bigger tires in order to meet the rigorous demands of the courses the riders choose. To excel at mountain biking, the rider has to have more skills than the average rider, due to the dangers of the sport.
There are many different types of mountain biking:
Cross Country: This is the most popular choice for most mountain bikers. The style includes different types of terrain, as well as hills and loops. The bikers follow a specifically outlined course, and some even race in this fashion.
Downhill: Downhill mountain biking is almost like skiing, but on a bike. In fact, most downhill bikers choose to use ski resorts, during the summer, to execute their stunts. Because riding a bike up such steep hills would be almost impossible, the bikers usually use a ski lift or a car to get to the top before making their descent. Surprisingly, the bikers don't just go straight down the hill; the course is set up in such a way that the biker will face various, rough terrains, as well as jumps and droops that are significant in nature. This is considered the most dangerous form of mountain biking and requires a lot of gear, know-how, ability, and skill.
Dirt Jumping: This one is pretty clear - large mounds of dirt are built for the mountain bikers to drive over. The idea is to jump over the mound of dirt, clearing it, and landing perfectly on the bike.
Trials: Trial riders use their bikes to jump over obstacles of various sizes. It is a variation of BMX biking, and judged similarly to that or skateboarding, with credit given for creativity, style, and the uniqueness of the moves.
Freeride: Freeride incorporates a bit of every other style of mountain biking, hence the name. There are downhill elements to it, but there are also trails and stunts, as well as generally rough terrain for the bikers to handle. The bikers must be extremely skilled and be well-rounded in their mountain biking abilities in order to participate in freeride activities.
Those are the main types of mountain biking. It is very important to remember that this is a dangerous sport that should never be entered into lightly. Many people are injured doing advanced stunts, or crashing their bikes - it's wise to spend some time with people who know a bit more about the sport before jumping into it without any studying. It is also important to have the proper equipment, such as pads, helmets, goggles, and other protective gear to prevent or minimize injuries when participating in these events.
The author of this article is associated with YourMTB.com [http://www.yourmtb.com], a mountain biking community website featuring member blogs, forums, photo-sharing, video-sharing, and trail maps.

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