What off season?

Fat bikes

What is the ideal fat bike?

The best fat tire bikes are tough, durable, and feature massive amounts of tire clearance. If you look at a fat bike, it’s pretty simple. They’re usually rigid (re: they have no suspension), they have disc brakes, and they have massive tires. Those massive tires are key (more on that below). 

A good fat bike should have mega tire clearance. They should also have extremely low gearing. It takes a lot of torque to plow through deep snow or sand, so having the option to shift into a super low gear is critical. For 99% of people, a fat tire bike will essentially be a winter mountain bike. For riding bikes in snow, nothing can beat a fat bike. A select few will also use them as sand bikes, too—the qualities that make a good snow mountain bike also make for a good sand bike.

What are the advantages of fat tires on a mountain bike?

Grip and the ability to run super low tire pressure. The massive tires plow through snow and keep good traction on ice. But the biggest thing (arguably) is that fat bikes allow the rider to run extremely low tire pressure. That means you’ll have a massive contact point on the ground at all times, so you’re way less likely to slip around on ice or get shifted around by snow or sand. Think of a fat bike like a monster truck—it has massive tires so it can kind of roll over everything. 

What is the best season to ride a fat bike?

Generally speaking, to keep riding through winter! Fat bikes are an absolute hoot for riding in the winter, and can effectively let you ride all year long if you’ve got a dedicated trail or mountain bike in the summer months. Some areas even groom single track trails specifically for fat bikes, so you can keep shredding all year round. 

It is possible to ride a fat bike on summer trails, but it’s not really what they’re meant for. You can do it, sure, but you’ll have more fun on a dedicated trail bike. And if for some reason you want to ride along a sandy beach in the summer, you can do that too—fat bikes hold up really, really well in sand (but try to avoid sea water to keep rust at bay).

Looking for something different?

Gravel bikes

What is a gravel bike?

So many things. A gravel bike is a beautiful and weird hybrid of road bike, adventure bike, and cyclocross bike with just a hint of mountain bike thrown in. In terms of geometry and ride feel, a gravel bike is very similar to a road bike.

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Fat bikes

What is the ideal fat bike?

The best fat tire bikes are tough, durable, and feature massive amounts of tire clearance. If you look at a fat bike, it’s pretty simple. They’re usually rigid (re: they have no suspension), they have disc brakes, and they have massive tires. Those massive tires are key (more on that below). 

Learn more

Cross country bikes

What is cross country riding? 

Cross country riding (also often referred to as XC riding and XC bikes) focuses on riding fast everywhere, and not just downhill. Unlike enduro or downhill, cross country riding is all about riding fast up climbs, on flats, and downhill. Mountain biking has its roots in cross country riding and racing, and the scene is still going super strong today. 

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Trail bikes

What is trail mountain biking?

Think of a trail mountain bike as a jack of all trades. Because a good full suspension trail bike can do a bit of everything. It can climb, it can descend, it can flick through tight, flowy singletrack. Trail bikes are popular because they really are a “do it all” solution.

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Enduro bikes

What is enduro mountain biking?

While enduro mountain biking has its roots in racing, enduro bikes are a popular option for riders looking to charge down hard trails, but still want to be able to ride efficiently up climbs and between steep trails and sections. 

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Freeride bikes

What is a freeride bike? 

A freeride bike is a bike that combines elements of downhill, trail, and enduro bikes. A 180mm travel bike is usually the go-to for freeride. So, bigger and burlier than an enduro bike, but slightly less travel and lighter than a dedicated downhill bike.

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Pump track bikes

What is a pump track bike?

Pump track bikes are purpose-built for riding the rhythm of pump tracks. What are pump tracks, all about? Imagine a tight circuit of rollers, berms, and jumps. It's a playground for riders that are looking to sharpen skills and dial in tricks.

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