Cross Country Bikes: King Of The Mountain?
If you’re new to mountain biking, and looking for the best bike for you, it will come down to how you want to ride. Cross country bikes in NZ are very popular with riders of all levels, but they’re not the only option available to you. For example, you may want to play it safe to start with by choosing a recreation bike that you can ride on a parkway or a path without pushing it too much.
A recreation bike is certainly at the other end of the spectrum to downhill bikes which are better suited to highly experienced riders who really take it to the limit. Downhill bikes are well named as they are all about going down: maximum suspension, powerful brakes, and no lower climbing gears are features in these machines. They’re ridden by competitors in extreme downhill races or those taking on genuine mountain tracks after being transported to the top by vehicle, gondola, or helicopter, or pushing the bike up on foot.
A trail bike is a bit less full-on than a downhill bike but it is still designed for confident and competent riders who like to take on narrow and winding trails which are rocky and technical, or tracks that include a lot of man-made features like berms, small jumps and drop-offs. These bikes typically feature a full range of gears for climbing and speed on the flats, and they allow for a more upright riding position than a cross-country bike.
The cross-country bike, as we said at the start, is a popular choice for people new to mountain biking. These mountain bikes are designed and manufactured to get as much speed as possible over undulating terrain. Because of their lighter weight, they’re efficient enough to pedal up hills and over long distances on less severe off-road terrain. This might include forest paths, rocky uphills, and singletrack trails at speed, and this ability to handle all types of tracks and trails gives them their cross-country tag. Because you’re not going to extremes as you would with a downhill or trail bike, a cross country bike could be a good introduction to the awesome sport of mountain biking. It’s less technically demanding than those steep downhill rides but will still challenge you physically, particularly over longer rides.
At the end of the day, it’s your choice as to how you get into mountain biking. We’ll be happy to give you our advice, and we’ll have the right bike for you in our extensive range. So contact us and let’s get you started in style.
