Mountain Bike Routes

Mountain bikes (MTB)  are incredible go-anywhere machines designed for climbing steep hills and dropping down over fantastically bumpy descents. They typically come with Front or Full suspension to soften those blows, allowing you to trundle across any terrain without feeling vibration fatigue, while flat handlebars (sometimes outlandishly wide) give you wildly precise handling for every twist and turn.

The trade-off? Weight. Mountain bikes can weigh far more than Road or Gravel so, while they’ll get you over any terrain, they can feel lumbering and heavy and easier terrain. This is also an important consideration if you’d need to lift the bike anywhere.

Tyres are naturally knobbly and wide, with tubeless sealant now an excellent, reliable and popular choice inside, but those bumps can also make for roads and even some flatter trails feeling like a drag. A 29er (with bigger wheels than the standard 26-inch) can improve rolling resistance a little.

If you’re planning to buy for general cycling, consider carefully how bumpy your likely routes really are and look at Hybrid or Gravel bikes, too.