Freeride mountain biking is one of the fastest growing disciplines in the sport. Freeride is a loose term used to describe downhill mountain biking on natural and man-made terrain. It’s a blend of downhill racing, dirt jumping, and all-mountain riding.
Freeride has become popular because it gives riders the opportunity to express themselves by creating their own challenging lines down the hill. Freeriders often use creative obstacles such as jumps, drops, gaps, and berms to add excitement and difficulty to their rides. The main goal of freeriding is to showcase technical skills and make an impression with style.
The equipment used for freeride mountain biking is similar to that used in downhill racing but typically with more travel and a more relaxed geometry. Freeride bikes generally have longer wheelbases than cross country bikes, making them more stable at speed and better able to handle larger obstacles like drops or jumps. Most freeride rigs also come equipped with beefier suspension systems and powerful brakes for added control when tackling bigger terrain features.
Unlike other forms of mountain biking, freeriding often involves travelling down untracked trails or making your own line through rough terrain. This means that riders need to be skilled at reading the terrain in order to pick out the best lines while staying safe from any potential hazards.
In conclusion, freeriding is a highly skilled form of mountain biking that combines elements from other disciplines such as downhill racing and dirt jumping. It requires riders to have an intimate knowledge of their equipment as well as excellent skills in reading the terrain in order to pick out the best lines while staying safe from any potential hazards.
What Does Freeride Mean in Mountain Biking?
In short, freeriding is about taking on challenging terrain using creative obstacles such as jumps, drops, gaps, and berms while showcasing technical skills and style. It requires specialized equipment with longer wheelbases, beefier suspension systems, and powerful brakes as well as a good understanding of how to read the terrain safely.