Every Major Mountain Bike Type Explained

New to mountain biking? Confused by all the different types of bikes? Or just love admiring some beautiful machinery? This video breaks down every major type of mountain bike to help you find the perfect match for your riding style.

We’ll cover:
👉 Cross-country & Downcountry
👉 Trail Bikes
👉 Enduro Bikes
👉 Park Bikes
👉 Downhill (DH) Bikes
👉 Dirt Jump Bikes

Tom explains what each bike is built for, the components you’ll find on them, and how they perform on the trail. From lightweight XC machines to burly DH beasts, you’ll know exactly what to look for.

🎥 Filmed at the stunning Nevis Range, featuring a range of Saracen bikes. A big thanks to Saracen for sponsoring and providing these incredible bikes!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:35 XC & Downcountry
5:50 Trail Bikes
9:30 Enduro Bikes
14:45 Park Bikes
18:20 DH Bikes
21:50 Dirt Jump Bikes

#MountainBiking #DownhillBikes #Saracen #NevisRange

Listen to the BikeRadar Podcast

Follow BikeRadar on our social media channels:

BikeRadar is supported by Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus Magazine –For more information and to subscribe please visit

For more content like this see our latest subscription offer –

[dadventuretv]

I’ll make this simple:
XC: For those that want a heart rate of 30 but not enough upper body strength to lift a gallon of milk and secretly dream about riding skinny tires.
Trail riding: for those that want to replenish all the calories they just burned and then some with post ride tacos and beer.
Enduro: for masochists.
Freeride: for bruh dudes and chics only who say shred and bruh every other word.
Downhill: for those born without the ability to feel fear.
Electric MTBers: for those that cheat on their income taxes.
And if anyone says there are more categories than this, they are lying!

😂 shred on my gnarly bruhs

[elgringoec]

I had no idea there were so many different purpose driven design considerations. It's fascinating, but for me I just want a bike for fun riding to get exercise. Thanks for the good explanations.

[ShadLife]

I certainly hope the bike industry keeps trail trail bikes. Each year I feel like trail bikes are more like long slack enduro bikes and thus they are becoming too single purpose for DH style riding rather than being great all around bikes. What I find funny is that Pinkbike just did a review of a bunch of trails Whistler!!! That makes absolutely no sense to me!

[Jeremiah_Hardthrasher]

Off topic but what is that jacket Tom is wearing? It’s fabulous 👀

[angelwarrior]

What about mountain bikes for general road and track use?

[fen]

Freeride bikes are what you get when you build a bike with leftover dh and enduro parts and zero plan