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Welcome to the r/MTB FAQ
Quick DOs and DO NOTs; most of this applies to every subreddit you visit
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Outline
I. General Introductory MTB FAQ
I. Introduction
Different types of riding and bikes:
29er:
Bikes that have tires that are nominally 29inches in diameter; these are larger than the standard mountain bike sized tire of 26 inches in diameter. 29ers share the same rim diameter as 700c road bikes, however off road specific rims are stronger and allow for much wider tires.
All Mountain:
Is a very loose term. In general it refers to all aspects of mountain biking, with a focus on descending. All mountain bikes will have around 6-7 inches of travel, in both the front and the rear. These bikes are designed to handle decent sized drops and gnarly terrain while not being overly cumbersome to ride uphill.
Cross-Country:
Is long distance endurance riding, usually XC riding does not involve drops or doing any stunts. XC bikes very greatly, some have 26 inch wheels and others 29 inch wheels; Some are full suspension, some are full rigid, meaning they have no travel. However typically XC riders have at least front suspension and ride 26 inch bikes, but 29ers are a growing movement and rapidly becoming the bikes of choice.
Cyclo-Cross:
is a discipline of racing, where riders will do multiple laps on an endurance course and at times they may or may not need to dismount their bikes and carry it over obstacles such as stairs, logs, and up steep hills.
Downhill:
Commonly confused with freeriding, is a form of gravity assisted mountain bike racing. The courses very in length, but are typically anywhere between 2 minutes to 4 minutes long, though it is not uncommon for some courses to be longer. DH courses contain drops, rock gardens, off camber traverses, jumps, steep decent, while avoiding at all costs including any uphill or even long flat pedaling sections. DH bike typically have 8-9 inches of front and rear travel, a slackened headtube and wide handle bars for stability
Dirt Jumping:
Is a style of riding practiced by MTBers and BMXers alike where riders will launch off shaped mounds of dirt and perform arial maneuvers.
Dual Slalom:
A form of gravity assisted gated racing where riders will navigate a course marked by flags, maneuver over rollers and banked turns. The name Dual implies that there are two courses that are side by side and mimic each other, each rider will race on both sides for one heat.
Four Cross:
Is another form of gravity assisted gated racing that resembles BMX racing in many aspects, courses will generally be less than a minute in length. On the course a racer will race side by side with up to 3 other racers, and navigate rocks, banked turns, jumps, logs and flags.
Full Suspension: A bike with suspision in both the front and back.
Hard Tail: A bike with Front suspension only.
Single Speed: A bike with no gears; it has one single speed.
Slopestyle:A form of competition where riders are judged on their use of terrain, style, smoothness and tricks performed. Common features on a slopestyle course include jumps, drops, ladders, wall rides, and platforms.
Rigid:
A bike with no front or rear suspension.
Trail Riding:
Is another loose term, and very closely resembles All Mountain riding. The difference is mainly that trail riding usually takes place at a non lift serviced mountain.
Common Abbreviations:
AM = All Mountain
BB = Bottom Bracket
CX = Cyclo-Cross
DH = Downhill
DJ = Dirt Jumps/Jumper
DS = Dual Slalom
FS = Full Suspension
HT = Hardtail
LBS = Local Bike Shop
XC = Cross country
29er = A bike with 29 inch wheels
4X = Four Cross
II. Getting Started
Buying a bike
It's my first time buying a bike what do I need to know?
Glance over the riding types to get a better understanding of what those are. Then go to your local bike shop. That is the first step in buying a quality bike. Even if you don't buy it from them you'll learn a lot, not only about what kind of bike you need but where to ride, what the trails are like and what the local culture is like. You local shop is always the best place to start. If you're still unsure, as to your wants consider renting a bike from a at a lift serviced mountain for a day. They will usually have variety of different bikes you will be able to ride. They will also offer pad and gear rentals if needed.
.
Is this [Insertboxstorebrand] bike any good?
Short answer…NO. Even the brands you once knew as good (mongoose, Schwinn, etc) are junk if in in a box store. These bikes are not designed for actual mountain biking and have a life of about 3-12 months before they start to fall apart. If you bring one of these to shop you can often spend more on repairs after month than the bike cost. Remember that the bikes do not come assembled, a quality bike shop with experienced mechanics will spend 30-90 min building a bike, most bikes at Department Stores are built by untrained people and very quickly. There are often safety and mechanical problems right out of the box. Save yourself the time and frustration and head to a shop that knows what they are doing with bicycles.
Should I get a Full Suspension, Hardtail, or Rigid?
This depends on a lot of things.
Rigid:
First lets get ridged out of the way, yes people love them (myself included) but you have to be a glutton for punishment and have good riding abilities to really ride one at a decent level.
Hardtail:
If you are 100% new to off-road riding (never ridden dirt bikes, etc.) then this is where you want to start. You will get more bang for your buck as far as components go but more importantly it will teach you how to ride. You need to learn to pick lines and feel the trail, too many people jump right into dual suspension without learning how to ride. These are the people who wonder why the guy on a hardball is faster…learn to ride on a hardball then move up.
If you are going to be riding it on pavement or for more casual rides, hardtails still rule. They are lighter, have not suspension bob and are way more efficient. You don't want to ride a dual suspension on the asphalt with much regularity, even if it has a lockout.
Want to go fast up hills and through most XC type trails? Hardtails are simply faster, especially 29ers. Check out your local XC race, most people racing expert or pro are on hardballs or very short travel bikes.
Dual Suspension: If you have experience off road and know how to pick lines. If you want to get into Downhill or Freeride (should still learn to pick lines on a hardball) If you are fit and want to do long epic rides, your ass will thank you. Once you go to a dual suspension it's hard to go back but it is important that you learn to ride before you start thinking about a rear shock.
Price Range
The price range is going to vary depending on what type of bike, condition, year, model, and, component group. If you buy new, you're looking at $600 entry level hard tail, or $1200 for an entry level full suspension XC bike. Downhill and freeride bikes will cost around $1500 for a low end model.
Sizing
It's best to go to your local bike shop and have them size you up. MTB strength coach had an interesting article on why bike fits don't matter that much. Bike geometry differs greatly and can really change the feel of your ride.
Bike Geometry Basics
Bottom-Bracket Height:
Low bottom brackets are good for cornering and stability; however pedals BB will hit objects protruding from the ground more often.
High bottom brackets give the pedals more clearance; however the stability is greatly affected.
Chain Stay;
Short chain stays give the rear wheel more traction, and make getting the front end up easier; no real downsides.
Long chain stays will centralize the rider on the bike and can feel more stable in high speed corners; however traction for climbing is decreased.
Head angle;
A steep head angle makes the bike easier to turn and better for climbing; however steep head angles make the bike less stable for descents.
A slack head angle is good for steeper slopes, and conquering rough terrain as high speeds; however slack head angles make quick turns and climbing a bigger challenge.
Where to Buy
Google, and type in Bicycle Shop, [Insert your town].
II. Clothing & Protecttion
Helmets: Each helmet should fit snuggly so that it does not shake around during use, or worse, fall off during a crash. Most helmets are only designed for a single impact use and should be disposed of immediately following a big impact. Helmets should also be replaced after every few years of use, since sweat can breakdown the impact absorbing materials. 3 different helmet types;
Full Face helmets encase whole head and wrap around the chin and mouth, these provide the most protection.
Open Face helmets are fairly uncommon, the helmet cover the upper region head and descend down to the jaw bone.
Half Shell helmets only encase the upper region of the head, and while providing no protection to the face or chin.
Pads: Knee pads, body armor, shin pads and elbow pads all come in three types;
Soft shell designs provide minor protection against mild blunt force, but usually only prevent cuts.
Hard shells have a thick and hard plastic casing over a foam pad.
D30, marketed under various names, is a soft material that hardens under impact.
Eyewear: Glasses and goggles protect the eyes from trail debris and low lying branches. Clear lenses are the most commonly used, however different color lenses can be used to increase or decrease contrast depending on the lighting.
Goggles, mainly used amongst gravity riders, provide eye protection while also providing a tight seal against the face to prevent debris from slipping under the lens.
Glasses, provide better airflow and are less restrictive than goggles; however unless a special band is purchased tend not to stay in place as well under hard impacts
Gloves: Gloves provide hand protection against scraping during falls, reduce blistering amongst some, while also creating a higher friction surface with rubber grips when wet.
Open finger gloves encase for the palm and bottom of the finger, while exposing the top half of the finger.
Full finger gloves fully encase the hands and fingers.
Other type of protection:
Wrist braces, ankle braces, all exist and can be used to provide support if needed.
Clothing:
If you are going to be sitting while on the bike for any length of time, buy some tights with a chamois in them. You don't have to wear just them, throw them under your shorts. Otherwise it's a bit of personal preference. Some people like natural fabric, others like synthetic. Just nothing to baggy or loose.
C. Other information for starting out
What's proper trail etiquette
[1] http://www.imba.com/about/rules-trail
What are some good books to read?
Check out IMBA's Trail Solutions book and Park Tool's Big Blue Book of Bicycle Maintenance. [Someone else will have to add some riding technique books]
How can I help the trail crew?
Find a local club on the net or check out some of your local bike shops!
I want to start racing where should I start?
Just get out there and do it! That’s the first step. Check out [2] http://www.usacycling.org/mtb/ or [3]http://www.bikereg.com for local races and registration info.
More advanced questions:
Tubeless, Ghetto Tubeless, vs. Tubes
They all work and keep your wheels rolling. Tubeless is lighter and can run lower pressure but requires a bit more maintenance and you need a compressor to set the bead. Ghetto tubeless works if done right, the Stans system works particularly well.
Flats VS Clipless
No question that clipless is more efficient than flats but it all depends on your riding style and where you ride. More aggressive riders tend to prefer flats, especially for freeride and dirt jumps. However many pro DH riders are on clipless, check out the world cup guys it's about half and half. Being clipped in lets you pedal better over rough terrain but does not give the ability to quick bail. If you are going to run flats spend good money on pedals and on MTB shoes (FiveTen?, etc).
Disk Brakes VS Rim brakes
Remember when you were a kid and you grabbed your brakes in the rain/mud and nothing happened? Remember the slow motion action as you plowed into that tree/wall/cliff/rock/car/person? Yeah, that doesn't happen with disk brakes. Disk pads last longer, have more stopping power, work in all conditions, don't damage your rims and have better modulation. Hydraulic brakes give better stopping power and modulation over mechanical but just having disk brakes is key. If you are still using rim brakes do yourself a favor and upgrade. Almost all quality mountain bikes will come with disk brakes these days, even entry-level bikes.
My bike is making a squeaking sound, what is causing it?
This is a Pandora’s box…a deep rabbit hole…you can spend months chasing down a squeak only for another to come up. The first thing to know is that mountain bikes are not silent like road bikes, mud, brim, dirt, etc. all get in things and make noise.
Some common causes of squeaks are loose chainring bolts, pedal bearings, loose cranks, unlubed or muddy chain, unlubed derailleur pulleys, unlubed or over tight hubs or headset, worn out bottom bracket (usually accompanied by play).
For dual suspension bikes check that all your pivots are tight (don't over tighten them!!!), check the shock bolts, if a coil shock check the spring plates. Lube these up with tri-flow (don't get any on your rotors!). If there is play take it to your local shop to get it fixed ASAP. Play gets worse and more expensive to fix over time. If you have a Virtual Pivot or DW Link bike, get used to squeaks…you will spend hundreds of dollars replacing bearings, bushings, etc only to have a new squeak pop up.