| A mountain bike, mountain bicycle (a.k.a.
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| | able to travel uphill somewhat
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| MTB) or ATB (All Terrain Bicycle) is a
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| | efficiently. The most durable (and
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| bicycle designed for mountain biking,
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| | expensive) freeride bikes are designed
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| either on dirt trails or other unpaved
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| | almost solely for hucking and are
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| environments. In contrast, road bicycles
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| | incapable of any comfortable level of
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| aren't rugged enough for such terrain.
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| | uphill travel. It is common for
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| Mountain bikes have fat, knobby tires for
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| | freeriders to frequent lift accessed
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| extra traction and shock absorption. In
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| | riding terrain, offered at ski resorts
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| recent years front suspension has become
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| | during the off season, or simply walk
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| the norm and full front and rear
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| | their bikes uphill.
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| suspension is becoming increasingly
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| | Downhill Mountain Bikes tend to be very
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| common. Some mountain bikes are also
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| | heavy, often over 40 pounds and typically
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| fitted with bar ends on the handlebars,
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| | have 8 or more inches (200 mm) of
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| but with a recent trend in riser
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| | suspension travel. However heavy they may
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| handlebars (as opposed to a flat straight
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| | seem, they are built as light as possible
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| handlebar) fewer riders use bar end
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| | for racing. They are very strong, and due
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| extensions. The bikes normally have 26 in
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| | to the typically large, high gears and
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| (559 mm) wheels although since 2002, some
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| | long, soft travel, are suitable only for
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| models have been available with 29 in
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| | riding down dedicated downhill trails and
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| (622 mm) wheels. (The name given to a rim
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| | race courses. The suspension is set to
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| diameter in inches is different from the
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| | sag around 40% full travel, creating
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| rim's actual size. See below, at Tire
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| | ample traction around bumpy corners. The
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| Sizes.) The larger wheels are said to
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| | head angle is often as slack as 64
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| roll better over obstacles, but critics
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| | degrees. Competition downhill mountain
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| cite increased rolling resistance and a
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| | bike racing is where most mountain bike
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| lack of variety in aftermarket tires and
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| | technology is innovated, as most bike
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| forks. The larger wheel diameter also
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| | manufacturers sponsor a number of riders.
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| increases rotational weight, resulting in
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| | Downhill biking is just as it sounds,
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| slower acceleration.
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| | downhill. Most riders who ride
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| Mountain bikes can be classified into
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| | exclusively downhill do so in
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| four categories based on suspension:
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| | competitions or ride almost exclusively
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| Hardtail: frame with no rear suspension,
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| | on lift accessed terrain. Due to the high
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| often has a front suspension fork
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| | speed nature of downhill riding most
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| Fully Rigid: sub-type of hardtail, with a
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| | bikes only have one chain ring, a large
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| rigid fork
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| | bash guard and a chain guide. Downhill
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| Dual or Full suspension: front suspension
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| | mountain biking is the most high profile
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| fork and rear suspension with a rear
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| | category of competition biking.
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| shock and linkage that makes the rear
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| | Trials Mountain Bikes are set up very
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| wheel move on pivots.
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| | specifically for the purpose of bicycle
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| Soft Tail: frame with small amount of
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| | trials. They typically have no suspension
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| rear suspension, but activated by flex of
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| | at all, though some still make use of
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| the frame instead of pivots.
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| | some form of it. Competition rules
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| Discipline oriented bike designs
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| | require bikes to have multiple gears for
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| There are several different styles of
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| | competition, but most riders never use
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| mountain biking, usually defined by
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| | their shifters. Many non-competitive
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| terrain, and bikes to suit those styles.
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| | riders run single-speed, choosing a
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| All of the bikes in this category fall
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| | fairly low-speed, high-torque gear. Most
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| into one of the above four categories and
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| | modern trials bikes have no seat at all,
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| bikes of each of the above style can be
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| | as the rider spends all of his time out
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| found almost any of the following
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| | of the saddle. These bikes are
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| categories.
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| | significantly lighter than almost all
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| Cross Country (XC) Mountain Bikes tend to
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| | other mountain bikes, ranging from 15 to
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| have only a small amount of suspension
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| | 25 pounds. This makes maneuvering the
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| (usually 80-100 mm) on the front and/or
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| | bike much easier.
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| rear, and are fairly light. This is
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| | Dirt Jumping, Urban and Street Mountain
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| achieved via the use of lightweight
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| | Bikes lie somewhere in between a trials
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| materials in both frame construction and
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| | bike, a BMX bike and a freeride bike.
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| components. As a consequence of their
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| | They are typically very strong bikes,
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| lightweight material they are often
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| | with 3 to 6 inches (75 to 150 mm) of
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| weaker than other bikes. Suspension, both
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| | front suspension, no rear suspension, and
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| front and rear, is typically provided by
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| | as many as nine gears. Tires on these
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| pneumatic (air) shocks and forks, which
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| | bikes are usually fast-rolling, slick or
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| saves weight. Some XC bike models have no
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| | semi-slicks.
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| suspension at all and use a rigid front
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| | Single-speed Singlespeeding is as much a
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| fork; saving weight and relying more on
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| | life style as it is a type of mountain
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| rider skill to negotiate rough terrain.
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| | bike. A singlespeed is a mountain bike
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| XC bikes are often as light as 20 pounds
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| | with one set gear ratio. The gearing
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| (9 kg), or as heavy as 30 pounds (14 kg).
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| | ratio depends totally on the terrain
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| XC riding is one of the more common types
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| | being ridden, the strength and skill of
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| of riding and in its extreme form can be
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| | the rider, and the size of the bike (a
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| entirely uphill, hence the lightweight
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| | bike with 29" wheels often requires a
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| rigs. Cross country terrain typically is
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| | different gearing than a bike with
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| considered as having as many, or more,
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| | standard 26" wheels). Often singlespeeds
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| ascents than descents and does not
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| | are fully rigid, steel-framed bikes.
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| include any kind of stunt riding.
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| | These are typically ridden by very fit
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| Enduro (or "All-Mountain") Bikes are
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| | individuals on mild to moderate cross
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| generally heavier than XC bikes,
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| | country terrain.
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| typically weighing between 30 and 35
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| | Mountain Cross or "4X racing" is a
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| pounds (14 to 16 kg). These bikes tend to
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| | relatively new style of riding where four
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| feature greater suspension travel, often
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| | bikers race downhill on a prepared, BMX
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| as much as 150 mm of front and rear
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| | like, track, simply trying to get down
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| travel, often adjustable on newer mid and
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| | first. These bikes are generally either
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| top range bikes. These bikes are designed
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| | full suspension with 3 to 4 inches of
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| to be able to ascend and descend
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| | travel, or hardtails, and have,
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| mountains, integrating the climbing
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| | typically, quite strong frames. They run
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| abilities of XC bikes with the suspension
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| | a chainguide on front and gears on the
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| technology of freeride bikes.
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| | back. They have slack head angles, short
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| Freeride Mountain Bikes are similar to
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| | chainstays and low bottom brackets for
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| Enduro bikes, but with less emphasis on
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| | good cornering and acceleration.
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| weight and better suspension. Freeride
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| | North Shore Mountain Biking originated in
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| bikes tend to have up ample suspension,
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| | the hilly, slick, rocky terrain of
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| with 8 or more inches of travel fairly
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| | Vancouver, Canada's north shore, thus it
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| commonplace. The componentry is built
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| | was coined "north shore" riding. Because
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| from stronger, consequently heavier,
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| | of the almost, if not completely,
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| materials. Freeride bikes are designed to
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| | unridable terrain riders began building
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| be more versatile than any other bike.
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| | bridges over swampy or muddy areas. These
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| They are somewhat capable of being ridden
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| | bridges evolved into complex, oftentimes
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| uphill; however, their moderately steep
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| | extremely challenging, man-made stunts.
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| head tube angles make them difficult to
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| | Because stunts are often narrow and may
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| maneuver while angled up hill or
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| | require the rider to move very slowly
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| traveling at a low rate of speed. yet
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| | regardless of width, north shore riding
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| also effective on technical downhill
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| | requires immense balance and bike
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| trails. Frame angles are typically
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| | handling skills. North shore bikes, such
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| steeper than those found in downhill
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| | as those by manufacturer Norco are much
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| bikes. This enhances maneuverability over
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| | like freeride bikes in their geometry and
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| and around small objects. Freeride bikes
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| | downhill bikes in their componentry
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| typically range in weight from 30 to 45
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| | makeup. Because north shore stunts have
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| pounds. Freeride biking usually includes
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| | evolved to not only include simple and
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| some degree of natural terrain stunts
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| | complex bridges but also large drops and
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| such as hucking (ramping) and is usually
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| | high speed descents through a series of
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| more comprised of downhills and stunts,
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| | stunts north shore bikes commonly have as
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| with uphill travel usually for the
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| | much travel as downhill and freeride
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| purpose of reaching this terrain, hence
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| | bikes.
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| the necessity for a freeride bike to be
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