This is one of the most extreme ways to ride. It is abbreviated with the Latin letters "DH". It is a descent down a certain route, the aim being to cross it as quickly as possible. In general, the descent is practiced on specially prepared trails; every major mountain resort abroad has (at least one) such trails abroad. In Europe, they are still rare (such as in Sopot, for example), but some commonly used paths here and there have gained unofficial "status" on DH routes because they are actually used for this purpose. Most often, lifting takes place, but where there is no lifting, other modes of transportation applications. Diving is also a racing discipline, with a fairly clear profile - one track, one racer on it and a clock that measures his time. The fastest wins the race. To practice this discipline requires special protective equipment, which includes a helmet (helmet with a chin, such as a motorcycle, but much lighter), knee pads and shins, elbow pads, shoulder straps, spine and rib protectors and gloves with whole fingers. Special protective suits are also available in one or two pieces, which integrate the aforementioned fuses into one unit (except for the helmet and gloves), including additional protection (for the abdomen, loins, hips, ankles, etc.). For the descent, it is advisable to have a special bike (see below).
Cross Country - XC
Mountain biking, characterized by the fact that the rider overcomes a variety of slopes in both directions (up and down), seeking to ride his bike in most places (on steeper slopes, to push it). It is often associated with bridging longer distances and height differences. It is practiced in a variety of ways, including as a competitive discipline. Bikes that are suitable for this type of riding are different - from HS hards to AM/enduro bikes - depending on the variant you practice, but in any case weight and pedaling efficiency are important. Equipment varies by terrain and conditions, but generally includes light and airy clothing, a helmet, gloves, and glasses. When going down technical trails, many people prefer to add knee pads and sometimes elbow pads.
This is the most popular discipline for several reasons.
First, it can be practiced relatively cheaply. A solid wheel can also be used for cross country, though it is preferable to have at least a damping fork. It doesn't require a lot of protective gear either - the only mandatory thing is a helmet. Of course, there are expensive and super-light front or dual-suspension bikes for cross-country, as well as many high-tech clothes and other goodies, as long as one is ready to pay the price. When you think about it, cross-country can be both the most affordable and the most expensive discipline - it is up to you.
Second, it does not require a lot of courage and technicality - if you want, you drive fast, if not - you drive slower. Physical fitness should be level, but that level again depends on you - if you love the steep slopes, attack them, if not - there are enough routes that are smoother and easier.
Third, you can cross-country with your family or group of friends. On the downhill, you can also go together, but there is no way to drive and talk to each other - that's where communication begins at the start and at the finish.
Fourth, in cross-country driving, the driver can view the surrounding nature and the various sights of the area, i. it is not only sports but also tourism.
Other reasons for the popularity of this style are likely to be found, but these are sufficient. I just want to emphasize that they are not an advantage over other disciplines, but simply the prerequisites that make cross-country the most common way of riding.
Slalom Doubles (Parallel Slalom) / Doubles / 4-Cross (4X)
This is one of the newer disciplines that is also very spectacular. With it, two (dual) or four (4-Cross) racers descend on a special track with jumps, turns, turns and slalom doors, aiming to reach the finish line first. The adrenaline is also very high here. The fast speeds, high jumps, sharp turns and the danger of the two competitors colliding make this discipline one of the most interesting, but perhaps the most dangerous. Therefore, the equipment here is like a descent. Bikes are again special, taking into account the particularities of this discipline. Doubles and 4-Cross are racing disciplines and are rarely practiced outside of the race tracks. There are also variants with more than four competitors called Mountain cross.
Freeride - FR
Literally, it means "free-riding" and this is one of the reasons why it is the most difficult to define a style that has been constantly changing over the years and continues to do so. I am not hiring to give a definition similar to those of other types of riding, because it would be initially inaccurate. So I'm going to list some of the things that people call freeride. The common thing between them is that the free ride is downhill, adrenaline is high, the dangers are high, bicycles are able to cope with difficult terrain, and the protective equipment, as well as the descent, is quite serious and important.
- Descending on rocks, chutes, peaks, screes and other natural formations, which is done without a path and a path and a free line is chosen freely. This type of riding is related to overcoming falls, steep slopes and various other obstacles, some of which may have been prefabricated by free-riders, but overall the terrain is completely natural. Climbing to the starting point is usually done by pushing and carrying the bicycle.
- Overcoming one or more difficult obstacles such as pads, jumps, wooden ramps, etc. They can be both natural and artificial.
- Downhill trails and dirt roads that do not run for time, but only for fun and on trails that are not specifically designed for downhill running.
- Driving on special free-ride routes, which are different from those for descending in that they are not designed to be ridden for time, but to overcome more and more difficult obstacles. Also specific are the North Shore tracks, incorporating a variety of timber structures and offering quite an extreme riding. Another variation is slopestyle trails, which abound with various jumps and falls designed to perform a variety of downhill tracks.
- Extreme urban riding, including jumps, falls, dives and other such activities, using stairs, underpasses, bridges, roofs and other elements of the urban environment. Bikes and gear are like a free ride, the difference is that no natural terrain is used. Some call this type of ride urban, but it should not be confused with the so-called. street, which is also practiced in an urban environment, but in a radically different way.
There is also the concept of extreme free-riding, which does not mean a different type of riding, but simply practicing top-level free riding, in many cases by professionals. For example, if an ordinary 2-3m high paddle is a serious challenge, there are people who jump 7-8m or more and even do tricks while jumping.
Freeriding also exists as a racing discipline, but the manifestations are in a very different format because in most cases the goal is not to pass in time but to demonstrate courage, skills, cleanliness of riding and more.
Particularly popular lately are slopestyle competitions, which are beginning to take shape as a separate kind of riding and discipline. I'm not hiring to do an exact translation because it should mean something like "slopestyle". In other words, it's a style-show competition (as part of professional free riders understand it) as it slopes downhill. The basic idea is to cross a route with a certain number of obstacles, each of them allowing different ways of overcoming and demonstrating tricks. Various elements are included - wooden ramps high above the ground, jumps of the Dirt Jump type, with huge sizes, falls, bends, so-called wallrides, and more. The evaluation of each competitor is done by a jury, which usually has separate judges for the tricks, the smooth transition (no stoppages, falls, etc., which carry penalty points), the passing obstacles, the overall style, etc. Each of them awards a certain number of points, the sum of which forms the final result. Often, a race involves two runs, either taking the higher score or adding up the points from the two rounds.
From all of the above, you should be convinced that the free ride is the broadest and most vague in terms. It is hardly surprising to tell you that just a few years ago it involved even more things that gradually evolved into self-driving. This is, for example, Dirt Jump, street and more.
There is also one thing that is common to all disciplines, and that is that wearing a helmet is an absolute must !!!
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