DO YOU SPEAK "BIKE"?
Whip Off, wheelie, pump track – you may be thinking you need a translator. Experienced riders already know their bike vocab but for anyone new to the bike scene, we've created this page to explain a few of the terms used in biking. Check it out so you can talk shop with the pros and other riders on the trails, for example at Bikepark Innsbruck on the Muttereralm or at the next Crankworx Innsbruck.
Different types of mountain biking
- DH/Downhill: Purely downhill oriented, heavy bikes with long-travel suspension (generally 200 millimetres at the front and rear). These bikes are rarely ridden uphill and are instead transported up the mountain by gondola or shuttle.
- Flow trail: A machine-built trail without roots or stones. These trails feature berm after berm and experts ride them without using brakes or pedals.
- Single track: This is the name given to a natural mountain bike trail, mostly a disused hiking trail. Hardly wider than a hand towel and hardly adapted.
- FR/Freeride: Strongly downhill oriented but may also include short ascents. The bikes are slightly lighter but still have long-travel suspension (generally 160 – 180 millimetres). Lifts are used for uphill sections. Shorter distances are pedalled.
- Enduro: A balanced mixture of uphill and downhill. Preferably on trails, forest roads are only used for uphill sections. The bikes are quite light thanks to the carbon construction but still have suspension travel of 140 and 160 millimetres. Enduro fans sometimes take lifts and sometimes ride up under their own steam.
- XC/Cross-country: This discipline is primarily about the ride up to the peaks, the descent is secondary. The bikes are very light and have less suspension travel. Lifts and other aids are hardly ever used to help riders cover uphill stretches.
GENERAL MOUNTAIN BIKE TERMS
- Gap: This term describes a section of the trail that is jumped over. The size of a gap can vary greatly and covers everything from large potholes to entire river beds.
- Step down: A jump where the take-off is higher than the landing, also called a "drop".
- Step up: A jump where the landing is higher than the take-off.
- Double: A jump where there is a gap between the take-off and the landing.
- Caution: this can be dangerous and is only for experienced bikers. Too little speed leads to serious falls.
- Drop: A lip in the trail where the elevation drops abruptly and riders can jump a few centimetres or metres down, provided they have the right riding technique.
- Table: A table or tabletop is a jump where the area between the take-off and the landing is filled, for example with dirt or wood. If you jump too short, you can usually just keep going.
- Wheelie: Riding on the rear wheel with pedal movement.
- Manual: Rolling on the rear wheel without using the pedals.
- North Shore: Section of a trail that runs exclusively on wooden boards.
- Full-face: The term used for an integral, full-face helmet, i.e. a helmet that also has a chin guard. A full-face helmet is similar to a motocross helmet.
