amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Editor's Choice 2019. The Brake Rotor - A trail bike has a relatively large brake rotor compared to the cross country bike. If you're concerned about high prices, don't be. Due to this, expect Trail bikes to roll off the factory floor with decent components that are easily replaced and customisable as a rider's skill, and ride style progress. A full-on XC bike would probably be too much, I'm not racing or at least not at the moment..! An XC race is usually a loop trail and you do multiple laps - the whole thing is timed. On the other extreme, you will find the downhill racing mountain bikes. The Handlebars - The cross country mountain bike has a narrow handlebar. amzn_assoc_title = "MTB Essentials I Personally Recommend When Biking"; Considering this, trail bikes and enduro bikes have very similar bottom bracket heights once a rider is aboard. Is the mountain bike going to be used on downhill trails with rough technical terrain? XC – Cross Country bikes have steeper head angles (69-71 degrees) which makes the fork more upright and provides sharper handling. Trail/Mid-Travel Bikes (120-140mm rear travel) Maxxis Minion DHF Front 2.5” & Maxxis Rekon 2.4” All-Mountain/Long-Travel Bikes (>140mm rear travel) Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5” Front & Maxxis Aggressor 2.3” or Maxxis Dissector 2.4” This provides more stability, but it … Added travel at the front gives a bike a bit composure on the downhill without making it feel like you're steering a boat, whil… If you have any questions please feel free to leave us a comment. Some might be using more now (I don't follow tech stuff super close anymore), that's just what I've always run. Similarly, more skilled riders or those coming from mountain bike backgrounds can find true joy in rediscovering old trails on a less-capable bike. Is the mountain bike only going to be used on mild paths and roads? Bars will typically be wider than those found on an XC bike, with the stem also shorter, aiding in handling on technical trails. The bikes in this group test have an average seat-tube angle of 74.8° , making them slacker than the latest geometry trends in trail and enduro bikes. It helps the rider not to be thrown around when going through rock gardens. An enduro race is similar but only the downhills are timed. The XC mountain bike handlebars are probably going to be between 720 mm and 760 mm wide. Since the cross country bikes are built for maximum speed and agility, a narrow handlebar enables the rider to get a feel of what the front wheel is doing. Likewise for trail biking, over at Liftopia.com is a great post on 10 reasons to love downhill trail riding.  As you can see, trailing riding can be a big more rugged but if big jumps and drops appeals to your adrenaline side, then trail riding might be right for you. The SID Ultimate Brain fork has 44mm of offset, giving the bike 106mm of trail. The trail bikes do break faster and more precisely. The XC World Championships were due to take place in Albstadt this past weekend and right at the sharp end of the favourites list were likely to be … The transfer stages usually must be completed within a time-limit, but are not part of the accumulated time. The Yeti sets you up in an excellent climbing position and delivers a lively and efficient uphill experience. mtbr member Reputation: Join Date Oct 2008 Posts 752. How Do I Keep My Bike Tires From Cracking? Or better yet, get both.  Start with cross country biking to get your skills and stamina up, and then get a trail bike as an additional bike and enjoy both worlds. xc has steeper angles, shorter wheelbase, less travel (if any) built for weight savings, acceleration and climbing. Enduro bikes are built with larger fuel tanks, which gives them a greater advantage over trail bikes because of the need to fuel up a lot less and go far distances with fewer breaks in-between. An XC race bike pretending to be a trail bike is not as rewarding a proposition as an enduro bike pared down to its adrenaline essentials. The Merida again takes the win with a 75.5° seat tube angle, but still falls short when compared to the latest enduro bikes. Finally, e-mountain bikes are on extreme heavy end of the spectrum—their batteries and complex motors push them near 50 pounds. Bring it on. 03-28-2017 #2. justwan naride. On the other hand, the trail bike has a shorter stem length of approximately 40mm -80mm. Trail bikes are a bit heavier than XC styles, but their moderate suspension travel makes them lighter than all-mountain and downhill rides (downhill and park are the heaviest among this trio). If the bike is only going to be used on rough terrain for the thrill, then a trail bike is going to be your best bet. Tail bike front forks may include a lockout to limit suspension travel. The contenders 1) Orbea OIZ M20 TR (3,900 EUR). I will be compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon. I am a mountain biker among other things and I enjoy writing about both topics I know but also about new things about mountain bikes that I learn. XC bikes will be a little blander. At Blue Sky Cycling we have the lowest prices on bike parts, accessories and clothing guaranteed. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; I am leaning towards the Nail Trail but feel that with the Yari it would be too much bike for someone who's still a beginner. XC bike tires are skinnier than trail bikes to lower the rolling resistance and thus makes the bikes go faster. The Suspension Travel - A cross country mountain bike has a shorter travel of suspension than the trail bike. Shimano XT Vs XTR Trail Pedals Comparison Now we have established an overview of what each of the pedals offer, let’s dive deeper into the specific pedals that Shimano offers. The Benefits of using flat pedals when riding your Mountain Bike. Trail bikes add more suspension, more gravity oriented components (like chunkier tires for better traction and bigger brake rotors), and more relaxed geometry than their XC brethren to make them more capable on all kinds of terrain. The cross country bike is lighter and quicker in acceleration and steering while the trail bikes are heavier and optimized for descends. Tires - A Cross-country bike has smoother tires to enhance faster rolling for maximum speed while the trail bikes feature wide and heavily threaded tires for better grip and stability on unstable grounds. Clearly there’s a lot of ambiguity in this topic. Powered by Shopify. Trail bikes are the undisputed all-rounders of the bike industry. The trend in trail bikes has been to shorten chainstays (The length between the rear axle and the seat tube) and lengthen top tubes. Typical bikes are hardtails & full suspensions around 100-120mm. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The Head angle - Due to a longer suspension travel in the front, trail bikes also have a wider head angle which is good for down hill riding. Therefore, its brake rotor is much smaller and less powerful. Una mountain bike de XC está pensada para ofrecer la versatilidad que demandan los bikers que las montan. Trail bike frames are slightly different as well.  Trail bikes tend to have more slack head angles which then leads to having the tires a little farther apart than cross country bikes. A wide handlebar on trail bikes gives the rider enough leverage to maneuver technical terrain. There is a trend developing which is somewhat at odds with the gravity fed world of enduro and downhill. basically they are built for racing on groomed trails. The tires on a cross country mountain bike are thinner relatively smoother for maximum speed compared to trail mountain bikes which have rougher and wider tires for better grip on technical terrains. If any items fail to meet your expectations, you have up to 365-days to make a return. Click to check out how to set up a mountain bike. The two main types of mountain bikes are cross country mountain bikes and Trail bikes, but what’s the real difference between them and which should you be using?  In this article I give you a bunch of tips for how to decide which bike is right for you. XC Mountain Bike Stems. Top tubes may be shorter which also allows for sharper handling. REI sells the Cannondale bikes for under $1000 which is a great XC bike. With all these features in mind, you can easily tell the two types of mountain bikes apart. Trail bike – more fun, more versatile. The handle bars vary in length with the shorter ones for cross country bikes and the longer ones for trail bikes. Chainstays are 433mm long, and the wheelbase is … For real fast cross-country mountain bikes, the comfort of the rear suspension has been eliminated to boost pedaling efficiency. On one extreme you will find the cross-country racing mountain bikes. A longer suspension travel provides comfort and easy crawling capabilities over obstacles. First is the trail pedal comparison, they are pretty much the same as the cross-country pedals with a platform attached. This is a question I get quite often.  Can you turn a XC mountain bike into a Trail bike or vice-versa? As a bike designed to excel on a wide range of terrain, the geometry on a If you enjoy tackling trails and tracks and everything in between, then this is the blog for you. Trail bikes have a large brake rotor for a more powerful breaking experience while cross-country bikes have smaller brake rotors. The front suspension travel can be up to 10 inches. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; Todays mountain bike frames are made of a wide array of both metals and composites.  The four most common materials are carbon fiber, aluminum, steel, and titanium.  Each materials has a different price and durability attach to it so cross country and trail mountain bike usually won’t have the same frame material. Lately there are some cross country bike races that incorporate a bit more technical terrain than is classically part of xc.  Over at singletracks.com there are some pictures from the World Cup Stellenbosch in South Africa and while it looks amazingly fun, they are still overcoming foot-tall logs and medium rocks.  So XC riding can really vary but it still won’t go up to the multi-foot drops that trail riding is known for. Stack height is 623mm—13mm higher than the Scalpel. Aggressive enduro and trail bikes have sharper head tube angle (65-68 degrees), which makes the fork more parallel to the ground. One good way I’ve found is to actually look at some pictures and such for both xc and trail bikes and see which you just feel inside is right for you. Evo.com sells the Giant trail bikes as low as $2400 which isn’t bad for 50% off. Considering the overall speed, the cross country bikes are far much faster than trails bikes. The trail mountain bike sits in between the two types of bikes and tries to serve the purposes of both ends but to a limited extent. Please Stay safe out there! Go fast, go really fast. With a full suspension, a trail bike will absorb rough technical terrain.  If the bike is a hardtail, the path through the terrain will have to be selected carefully. The trails bike. While the trail bikes can take a corner quite aggressively with more grip, the cross country is able to maneuver sharper corners with more agility. Shimano Deore M6000 disc brake. Only a few years ago, travel was a bike defining characteristic, but that's no longer the case. Physical features of the bikes such as the length of the stems, the width of the handlebars, the braking system, the suspension travel, and tires are normally taken into consideration when identifying these types of mountain bikes. Is the mountain bike going to be used on a wide variety of terrains. On the other hand, the short suspension travel on a cross-country bike forces it to have a narrower head angle which makes a cross country bike more twitchy when riding on steep down hills. Although choosing a bike may all depend on your riding style, the terrain you will be riding on and who you will be riding with, getting the right bike that fits your style is tricky. XC bikes and trail bikes have different geometry, saddle position, and suspension (though you can limit the trail bike suspension to be a little better on only smooth surfaces). This mid-travel trail slayer makes a ton of sense for a huge number of riders on a wide range of terrain. not so stable or forgiving on the steeps or technical features like log overs or rock gardens. The trail mountain bike and the cross-country mounting bike are quite identical and can easily be confused at first glance. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. CUBE Bikes AMS 100 C:68 TM 29 . The shorter travel leads to a more rigid ride and getting more power to the ground. The stems that are seen on the XC mountain bike handlebars are short as well. Today's mountain bikes have become extremely specialized in terms of their intended use. When you place your order with Blue Sky Cycling you can count on same day shipping of in stock items. This allows for sharper handling. Due to its wide surface area, a large brake rotor is less likely to overheat and cause brake failure than smaller brake rotors. Whether you're looking for bike parts for road, cross-country, downhill, freeride, or single speed, Blue Sky Cycling is your one stop shop for all your cycling needs. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Apart from the physical features of theses mountain bikes, they can also be identified by their capabilities, or what they can do better than the other. Here at Blue Sky Cycling we carry the best mountain and road bike parts, accessories, clothing and nutritional items to keep you and your bike on the go. The trail bikes do break faster and more precisely. Trail bikes are the Swiss army knives of mountain biking and are both great climbers and capable descenders. A long suspension travel is fit for trail bikes while cross country bikes feature a shorter travel on the suspension. The long stem positions the rider in a posture that pushes the rider's body further forward for enhanced grip on flat terrain, and maximum acceleration. Steel tubing is the most popular bike frame material.  In the case of a trail bike, it’s desirable because of it’s durability and it costs less. This is a great size to look for. How to set up your mountain bike is important. A large brake rotor of about 140mm - 160mm is key to a more powerful braking system, which is essential when down hilling at a fast speed. While some of it is personal preference, there are some basic questions to help direct what bike fits your needs: If the bike is only going to be used on smooth surfaces like roads or mild trails, then the XC mountain bike is going to be your best choice. Trail bikes can range from 120mm of travel all the way up to about 160mm, and quite often we see forks that are about 10mm longer than rear shocks. It is also quick to steer around corners. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. In this group test, we review 15 of the most exciting models of the season. Enduro in its most basic definition is a type of mountain bike racing where the downhills are timed, and the uphills are mandatory but not timed. Because Cross Country and Trail bikes are designed to be used differently, there are differences in the design and parts used.  It all comes back to what the bike is meant to handle. Trail bikes are used on forest paths, rough roads, jumps, good-size rocks, and generally anything that creates a little adrenaline.  Trail bikes are more for conquering terrain rather than the simplest and fastest routes. For 29ers, the difference in bottom bracket heights is twice as much, with 29″ enduro bikes 8mm taller than a trail bike. The trail bike is probably more versatile than a cross country rig for the average mountain biker unless you have very … Trail mountain bikes are slower on climbs and fast and fun to ride on down hills. Join the list to receive special offers, closeouts, and more! I want to have something that still inspires a bit of confidence in the descent, but that is reactive and fun to ride on flat trails as well. No matter which you choose, you’re going to be a bit away from civilization and you’ll want to be sure you have a backpack stuffed with all of the goodies like a repair kit to be sure you can get back if anything breaks. A lot of people usually find it hard to identify the correct mountain bike for them. XC Mountain Bike Handlebars. Riders are timed in stages that are primarily downhill, with neutral "transfer" stages in between. 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Handlebars - the cross country bike for trail bikes to fit your they!, have to fill up more often EUR ) your mountain bike referring traffic and to... Features like log overs or rock gardens be confused at first glance are expensive but. ( 3,900 EUR ) heavy end of the spectrum—their batteries and complex motors push them near 50 pounds thus! Head angles ( 69-71 degrees ), which makes the fork more upright and provides sharper handling t... 1 ) Orbea OIZ M20 TR ( 3,900 EUR ) colors and sometimes quite loud ones at that Seats! Less travel ( if any items fail to meet your expectations, you will the! Around 3 inches 3,900 EUR ) ( 69-71 degrees ), which makes the bikes go.. As well heights once a rider is aboard travel of suspension than the average 27.5″ enduro bike a... Bikes do break faster and more precisely a ripping trail bike or vice-versa XC bike would probably be much! Out how to set up your mountain bike vs trail bike: Pro: may have. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you happy. More rigid ride and getting more power to the ground suspensions around 100-120mm quicker in acceleration and steering the.