Design Responses > About Bikes > Typology >
Mountain

Mountain bike geometry creates an upright riding position. Higher end examples have strong, durable, lightweight frames and often include front and/or rear suspension (hydraulic or pneumatic) built to deal with the stresses of downhill impact and increase traction.

Front suspension is common to most mountain bikes. Those with rear suspension are referred to as ‘fully suspended’ and those wihout as ‘hard tails’. Suspension can often be ‘locked out’ on climbs, and activated for downhill use. This preserves rider's energy as a lot of force is absorbed by suspension limiting the power delivered to the road as forward momentum.

A large number of closely-ratioed gears reflect the demands of high gradient climbs.

Gears
Up to 27 derailleur gears

Brakes / Levers
Disc, Cantilever or V brakes

Typical Accessories
Lights, Rack

Strengths
• Built for off-road riding so is tough enough for the streets

Weaknesses
• Suspension can reduce the rider’s energy transfer on roads so rigid forks and frames are preferable for city use
• Lower end models are often heavy
• Often supplied with knobbly tyres which are not efficient on roads
• Frames are often highly branded making them a 'target'