THE CROSS COUNTRY RACE BIKE

INTENDED USE: THE CROSS COUNTRY RACING PLATFORM IS A LIGHT WEIGHT HARDTAIL, SOFTTAIL OR A DUAL-SUSPENSION CHASSIS WITH THREE INCHES (75MM) OR LESS OF TRAVEL. IT'S DESIGNED FOR PEDALING EFFICIENCY. IT SHOULD BE RIDDEN BY AN INTELLIGENT RIDER ON PREPARED RACE CIRCUITS, DIRT ROADS AND MAINTAINED TRAILS. WEIGHT IS A MAJOR DESIGN ISSUE, SO THE BEST CROSS COUNTRY RACERS BORDER ON FRAGILE AND WILL NOT WITHSTAND REPEATED RIDER ERRORS (HARD, FLAT LANDINGS, SOLID IMPACTS INTO TRAIL OBSTACLES AND G-OUTS INTO TRANSITIONS). CONSTANT ATTENTION TO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IS NOT JUST RECOMMENDED, IT IS REQUIRED.

WEIGHT RANGE: 8.5 TO 11..5KG

MAXIMUM ABUSE LEVEL: BUNNY HOPPING TRAIL OBSTACLES, MINIMAL JUMPING TO SMOOTH TRANSITIONS AND MODERATE TECHNICAL TERRAIN

WHAT IT IS NOT: DURABLE, COMFORTABLE CRASHWORTHY, OR SUITED FOR AGGRESSIVE RIDING.

THE TRAILBIKE

INTENDED USE: A TRAILBIKE IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF RIDERS. THEY OFFER DUAL-SUSPENSION WITH A TRAVEL THAT RANGES FROM FOUR TO FIVE INCHES (100MM -125MM), ALTHOUGH THE TRAILBIKE DEFINITION CAN INCLUDE HARDTAILS. CLIMBING AND PEDALING EFFICIENCY REMAIN JOB ONE FOR THIS CATEGORY, BUT THERE IS MORE EMPHASIS ON TECHNICAL HANDLING SKILLS, DURABILITY AND COMFORT. THE BEST VALUE WILL BE FOUND IN THIS CATEGORY, BECAUSE ITS WIDE APPEAL HAS CREATED A VERY COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR BIKE COMPANIES. WE'VE SEEN A STEADY DECLINE IN OVERALL WEIGHT OF TRAILBIKES BECAUSE OF ADVANCEMENTS IN DESIGN, MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS. MANY OF THE MORE EXPENSIVE MODELS ARE NOW CRAFTED FROM CARBON FIBER.

WEIGHT RANGE: 11 TO 14.5KG

MAXIMUM ABUSE LEVEL: AN AGGRESSIVE RIDING STYLE, INCLUDING JUMPS WITH SOFT TRANSITIONS AND DROPS (1M OR LESS) ASSOCIATED WITH TECHNICAL CROSS COUNTRY RIDING. THESE BIKES CAN TRAVEL AT HIGHER SPEED OVER ROUGHER MORE TECHNICAL TERRAIN THAN A TRADITIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY BIKE.

WHAT IT IS NOT: SUITABLE FOR DOWNHILL, AGGRESSIVE BLACK-DIAMOND TRAIL RIDING, JUMPING OR STUNTS.

THE BLACK-DIAMOND BIKE

INTENDED USE: PUSHING THE ENVELOPE OF YOUR PERSONAL SKILL LEVEL IS THE BLACK-DIAMOND EXPERIENCE (THE NAME DERIVED FROM THE TRAIL MARKING USED AT RESORTS TO SIGNIFY THE MOST DIFFICULT RUNS, USUALLY INTENDED FOR EXPERTS ONLY). A BLACK-DIAMOND BIKE COULD BE A 30PLUS LBS HARDTAIL WITH A BURLY FRAME AND A LONG -STROKE FORK, BUT THE MOST POPULAR FORM IS A 35 TO 45LBS, LONG-TRAVEL MONSTER WITH SOME DEGREE OF PEDALING EFFICIENCY.

WEIGHT RANGE: 16 TO 21

MAXIMUM ABUSE LEVEL:ANYTHING A RIDER'S BODY CAN WITHSTAND WITHOUT DAMAGE. BLACK-DIAMOND BIKES ARE MASSIVELY STRONG, BUT NOT UNBREAKABLE, SO RIDERS IN THIS CATEGORY MUST FACTOR IN THE REPLACEMENT COST OF EVERY COMPONENT AS A COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE WOODS.

WHAT IT IS NOT: A TRAILBIKE, AND ITS STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS DICTATE IT IS BUILT FROM HIGH-QUALITY PARTS, SO IT WON'T BE AFFORDABLE.

THE 4 CROSS/DUAL-SLALOM BIKE

INTENDED USE: USED FOR TWO-UP RACING THROUGH A SERIES OF GATES, BERMS AND JUMPS OR IN FOUR-UP RACING DOWN A MANICURED TRACK OF BERMS, JUMPS AND WHOOPS, THESE BIKES OFFER QUICK HANDLING, FRAME STIFFNESS (FOR SPRINTING) AND COMPONENTS THAT HAVE TO WALK THE LINE BETWEEN FLEX-FREE AND LIGHT. MOUNTAINCROSS BIKES RANGE FROM ALUMINIUM OR STEEL HARDTAILS TO FOUR-INCH TRAVEL, STIFFY SPRUNG SPEEDSTERS. THESE GATED-RACING SPECIALISTS ARE DESIGNED FOR SPRINTING, MAINTAINING CORNERING SPEED, LAUNCHING JUMPS AND PEDALING EFFICIENTLY. TOP MOUNTAIN-CROSS BIKES CAN USE LIGHTER COMPONENTS BECAUSE MECHANICS AND SPARES ARE WAITING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COURSE.

WEIGHT RANGE: 12 TO 14.5KG

MAXIMUM ABUSE LEVEL:ANYTHING FOUND ON A PROFESSIONAL MOUNTAIN-CROSS OR DUAL-SLALOM RACECOURSE, WITH SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF ALL COMPONENTS.

WHAT IT IS NOT: SUITABLE FOR DOWNHILL, BLACK-DIAMOND TRAILS, SKATEPARK RIDING OR DIRT JUMPING. NOT INTENDED TO LAST MORE THEN TWO SEASONS OF RACING.

THE DOWNHILL RACE BIKE

INTENDED USE: NO LONGER AN ALL-PURPOSE, GRAVITY-POWERED RACER THAT COULD BE USED AS A RECREATIONAL SKI AREA BIKE, A COMPETITIVE DOWNHILL RACING BIKE REQUIRES SUPERSENITIVE SUSPENSION, FRAME GEOMETRY THAT FAVORS CORNERING, AND A LOW ENOUGH CENTER OF GRAVITY TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM OVER ROUGH TERRAIN. DOWNHILL BIKES MAY USE LIGTHER COMPONENTS THEN A BLACK-DIAMOND BIKE, BECAUSE RACERS VIEW THESE PARTS AS EXPENDABLE, BREAK IT, REPLACE IT. ALL OF THESE RACING ATTRIBUTES ERODE THE USEFULNESS OF A DEDICATED DOWNHILL RACER FOR BLACK-DIAMOND RIDING.

WEIGHT RANGE: 15 TO 22KG

MAXIMUM ABUSE LEVEL:ANYTHING FOUND ON A PROFESSIONAL DOWNHILL RACE-COURSE. SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF ALL COMPONENTS IS IMPERATIVE.

THE DIRT JUMP/URBAN BIKE

INTENDED USE : JUMP BIKES ARE FAVORED BY YOUNGER RIDERS WHO USE THEM FOR EVERYTHING. THEY WILL BE TAPPED FOR DAILY TRANSPORTATION AND TRAIL RIDING, BUT THEIR MAIN OBJECTIVE IS GETTING BIG AIR AT JUMP PARKS OR PULLING STUNTS IN SKATE PARKS AND URBAN SETTINGS. WEIGHT TAKES A BACKSEAT TO DURABILITY. FRAMES (THE VAST MAJORITY AGREE HARDTAILS) ARE OVERBUILT, WITH BURLY STAYS (WITH PLENTY OF CLEARANCE FOR A WIDE TIRE), LIBERAL USE OF GUSSETS IN THE MAIN TRIANGLE, AND PLENTY OF STANDOVER HEIGHT. WHILE INEXPENSIVE JUMP BIKES ARE READILY AVAILABLE, THEY CAN BE A COSTLY DECISION, BECAUSE CHEAP COMPONENTS WILL NOT WITHSTAND THE ABUSE OF TRUE JUMPING.

WEIGHT RANGE: 13.5 TO 18K

MAXIMUM ABUSE LEVEL: ANYTHING S RIDER'S BODY CAN WITHSTAND WITHOUT DAMAGE . MOST BIKE COMPANIES DO NOT EXTEND WARRANTY COVERAGE TO THEIR DIET JUMP BIKES BECAUSE OF THE TORTUROUS NATURE OF DIRT JUMPING.

WHAT IT IS NOT: COMFORTABLE FOR TRAIL RIDING OR ADEQUATE FOR SERIOUS DOWNHILLING OR BLACK-DIAMOND TRAIL RIDING.