Everything you should know about mountain bike features

Mountain bike frames are built to be more robust than road bikes or hybrid bike frames. They are designed to withstand the stresses of off-road riding. This strength and durability usually come from using more robust materials such as alloys as opposed to aluminium or carbon fibre.

Instead of a flat top tube (or no top tube at all in the case of step-through bikes), mountain bikes have a sloping top tube that provides greater clearance between the rider and the frame, which makes it easier to manoeuvre the bike over obstacles and the rider over the frame. 

When it comes to selecting a frame, the most important consideration is choosing the correct size. The bike should feel comfortable to ride and suit your style of riding. You can read more about the perfect mountain bike frame fit in our guide.

When riding your mountain bike, you will be climbing in and out of the saddle, so set it at a comfortable height that maximises pedalling efficiency. Too high and over time you'll potentially give yourself hamstring problems or hyperextended tendons, too low and you'll not be maximising the power from your legs

One innovation that has ripped up the rules is the creation of dropper seat posts. With a push of a lever, you can raise or lower your seat post, changing its height, so climbing is easier allowing you full use of each leg stroke when it is up. Then on those tricky downhill sections, it is dropped out of the way allowing you to really get over the frame and control the bike.

Mountain bike tyres are wide and chunky. They are built to give you grip while you are riding over mud, gravel, and rocks.

Larger tyres can hold more air (either in the inner tube or inside the tyre if you are running a tubeless set-up) which provides a layer of cushioning between you and the tracks.

Deep tread and thicker tyres can withstand collisions with common obstacles you will come across, including rocks, tree roots and uneven surfaces. As the large tyre compresses under your weight, you will enjoy greater grip keeping you planted to the floor.

Mountain bikes come fitted with a variety of wheel sizes, including 27.5” and 29”. Some older bikes or jump bikes still run a smaller 26” wheel set up. Some riders find that the 27.5” wheels are more precise and offer better handling, while others feel 29” wheels roll faster and can tackle rough terrain better. Comparing wheel sizes is key to your riding style and where you are likely to need that choice, so we would always recommend you get your hands on a bike and see how it feels.

While you are checking out the wheels, consider the hardwearing spokes, axles, hubs, and rims that make up a mountain bike wheel. They are built to tackle the great outdoors, including hard landings, high-speed impacts, and collisions with hard objects.

Electric mountain bikes are heavier than normal mountain bikes, because of the weight of the motor and the battery. As a result, most e-MTBs run on wider wheels and tyres.

Mountain bikes have wide, 'flat' handlebars. 'Flat' is a relative term compared to the dropped bars you see on Road bikes as the reality is many MTB bars come with a 'rise' so that the end of the bar is slightly higher than the centre.

Mountain bike handlebars are designed to provide control and precision when cornering and improve balance. With your arms wider apart, you have greater control over the direction of the bike. When you climb out of the saddle, it is easier to shift your weight to the sides, front and back.

As you start to get more confident on your mountain bike, you will find it easier to lift the front wheel and clear obstacles in your way. It is a crucial move that you will need to master as you tackle tougher trails and courses.

When you're mountain biking, you will find that you use every gear in the range. The biggest cog at the back (the lowest gear) makes climbing easier. The highest gear (the smallest gear at the back) will be the fastest.

Mountain bikes come with a much wider range of gears than you would find on a road bike or hybrid, this is because the terrain can change in an instant. One minute you can be flying down a hill, the next minute you could be struggling up one!

Increasingly, you will find mountain bikes running a 1x (one-by) system. There's one cog at the front and a wide-ranged cassette at the back. This simplifies the riding experience and keeps the cockpit less cluttered with just one shifter to worry about. Modern mountain bikes have fewer gears but the range is huge and designed to cope with the big differences in terrain you'll encounter and of course, a 1x setup means there's also just one derailleur to maintain and keep clean!

Disc brakes dominate the mountain bike scene. They provide strong and consistent stopping power in all conditions. You'll find two types of disc brakes: cable-operated and hydraulic.

Cable-operated brakes are, as the name suggests, operated with a cable that pulls the blocks against the disc. Hydraulic brakes are more advanced and more efficient, using fluid to operate the brakes and they are more precise when you pull the lever. You will also see differences in disc rotor size (the metal braking plate fixed to the wheel), with Shimano and SRAM offering several different options for all styles of riding. The larger rotors tend to be found on bikes built for more aggressive riding as they provide far superior stopping power.

In mountain bike circles, you may see a conversation on 4pot v 2pot brakes. It's all to do with the number of pistons on each calliper. A 4-pot brake has two pistons on either side that push the brake pad against the rotor. A 2pot calliper has one piston on each side. 4pot callipers have a slightly larger surface area for the pads to touch the rotor, which creates more friction, which translates to better-stopping power.

Mountain bike suspension is split into two categories: Hardtail bikes and full suspension. For more information about the differences please click here.