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When you think of mountain biking I’m sure you probably think of a particular memory, thought, or example of riding. In reality there are several styles of mountain biking each with their own unique… flavor.

Here is a brief description of each type along with a video that gives you a better idea of whats involved.

Cross Country

This is definitely the most common as far as Texas mountain biking goes, and is probably the most performed of each type. Cross Country mountain biking can be done on all sorts of terrain, whether flat and twisty or extremely hilly. This style of mountain biking is likely to combine climbing and descending on much longer distance rides. These are what the majority of the trails we have in Texas are and for pretty obvious reasons, our state is mostly flat with some rolling hills and a couple mountains off to the far west.

Dirt Jumping

This form of riding is really a hybrid of mountain biking and BMX. Dirt jumping involves aggressively riding off and jumping the bike off of large man made dirt ramps. Here in Texas there are a few dirt jump trails strewn across the state, 9th Street Dirt Jumps in Austin, The Anthills in Houston, and others. Dirt Jumping is most often done on BMX bikes or hardtail mountain bikes with very low travel front suspension. Some parks like 9th street even have a ban on using a mountain bike.

Freeride

You can consider this style to be a hybrid of downhill mountain biking and dirt jumping. Freeride puts more emphasis on performing tricks or stunts than downhill biking but instead of being on a set course riders will instead follow a downhill route. This form of mountain biking gives you “creative freedom” to use the terrain to perform tricks while riding. Here in Texas we are pretty limited with what can be considered a freeride course, but check out the trails at Big Cedar and also the Roughrider Freeride Canyon in far west Texas.

Downhill

Downhill mountain biking is all about the fastest descent down a mountain. These are usually going to be wherever you have mountains, ski resorts are especially popular because you get a chairlift ride to the top. Downhill mountain biking is most likely what people think of when you say that you go mountain biking on the weekends. Educate them when they give you that strange look and let them know that mountain biking isn’t just limited to places with mountains. In Texas you will find designated Downhill courses at Big Cedar, The Super D in Burnett Texas and Roughrider Freeride Canyon. There may be others, but they aren’t known by me.

Trials

Trial riding is focused on bicycle handling skills. The objective is to pass through a course of obstacles without ever having your feet touch the ground. Lots of wheelies, bunny hops, and track standing keep you moving. This riding can be done anywhere with obstacles, from parks with large boulders to a school yard with picnic tables, trials is a pretty free form and creative way to bike. This is usually done on unique bikes that either have no seat, or has a seat that is just about sitting on the back tire.

Hopefully this opens your eyes to all the different kinds of mountain biking. While Texas has a little bit of all of them, its no ideal for some forms like Downhill or Freeride. If you are interested in that kind of riding you may want to look into a summer trip to Colorado, New Mexico, or California. Thank you for reading and be sure to join the email list for more tips, guides, and opportunities.