# Difference between AM, XC, freeride and downhill?



## erikgenerik (Jan 6, 2011)

Just wondering if anybody would be gracious enough to explain the diff between AM, XC, FR, and all the other classifications of MTBs. It'd be greatly appreciated. 
Thanks, Erik


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

am is a bike type that is more burly than xc rigs. xc is riding along on trails and what not. fr is mainly going down and hucking your bones. dh is about going down fast.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Search the forums.

The flippant answer would be the DH is lift-served, FR is pickup-truck served, AM is what teenagers do, and XC is what adults who have to ride up for every foot of descent are doing.


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## mullen119 (Aug 30, 2009)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Search the forums.
> 
> The flippant answer would be the DH is lift-served, FR is pickup-truck served, AM is what teenagers do, and XC is what adults who have to ride up for every foot of descent are doing.


I dont know if I would say AM is what teenagers do. I would say AM is what aggressive riders do.


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

I tried to classify the type of riding I do. It didn't work out well. Here's an excerpt from another post that explains why I don't bother.



> A few weeks back I went on a group ride. I rode my hardtail 29er 10 miles on pavement to my buddy's house. He got his 8" DH racing bike and we rode 2 more miles to another friend's house. He took his cyclocross bike that day. 2 miles on a dirt road got us to the BMX park where we did a couple of laps and on to the skate bowl where we found another guy riding his DJ bike. We rode through the DJ's (all of us) to the trailhead. The group that day had super light XC bikes, DH, bikes, Cross bikes, Wally world FS bikes, AM bikes, trail bikes, hybrids, hardtail, full suspension, rigid, single speed, multi-speed and a coaster with back pedal brakes and a basket on the front. The age range of the riders was from 15 to 84.
> 
> We rode fire roads, the DH race course, the dual slalom course, logs, raised ladder bridges, dirt jumps, drops, gaps, technical single track, wide open double track, picnic tables, and one guy rode a rail fence. On the way back we all rode the steps and the concrete lawn edging at the police station (urban) with the BMX guys.
> 
> ...


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## PnkCrnk (Nov 25, 2010)

erikgenerik said:


> Just wondering if anybody would be gracious enough to explain the diff between AM, XC, FR, and all the other classifications of MTBs. It'd be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks, Erik


I think I understand why you are asking. I was just like you when I first saw those terms being used: very confused. I did a lot of googling here and there and learned a bit. Now, I must warn you that I can't guarantee the correctness of the information I'm sharing but this should give you at least a start:

*All-Mountain (AM)* is recreational mountain biking where you do a little bit of of all the other types of riding (XC, minor DH, minor FR, etc.) These bikes are usually used on trails that involve rock gardens, and technical climbs and descents. This possibly also involves minor Downhill (DH). You can pedal them uphill although may not be as good as Trail and XC bikes. Kinda like a multi-purpose bike.

*Cross-Country (XC)* is mountain biking on trails that does not involve a lot of steep descents, jumps or rock gardens. XC Racing is the competitive version of this type of riding. These bikes usually are the lightest and have the steepest head angle of all mountain bikes. They are also less burly of all mountain bikes and therefore not recommended for big jumps. The steep head angle makes for a good uphill bike but not so suitable for very steep descents. If you want to go fast, this is the bike to pick up but it may not be comfortable for long rides as the geometry makes your riding position a little bit stretched forward.

A *Trail* bike is somewhere in between an All-Mountain and an XC bike. Lighter than all-mountain and heavier, stronger, has a slacker head angle and usually longer travel than XC. Some of these bikes are also used for XC racing. Can be as good for riding uphill as XC and can take fast descents on singletrack trails. Comfortable for long rides. Riding position is more upright than XC.

*Freeride (FR)* is riding downhill and doing tricks and jumps along the way. In the competitive version you are given scores on difficulty of the tricks and jumps performed and the difficulty of the path taken downhill. Long travel suspension, slack head angle.

*Downhill (DH)* is riding downhill as fast as you can. Fastest wins. Burly and very slack head angle. You are going to need to push this bike uphill.

*Dirtjump (DJ)* is...well, I'm not really sure what this one is about. I think it's doing jumps and tricks while riding on a track.

There are other other type of riding that are classified under mountain biking like *BMX*, *4X*, etc. All these terms usually refer to a certain type of competitive riding although they can also be a recreational. These terms - FR, or DH, or XC, etc., are also used to describe bikes to indicate their suitability for that type of riding.

My post is open to correction and/or addition.

:thumbsup:


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

^^ I like it. Works for me. I just never do only one of those while on a ride.


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## erikgenerik (Jan 6, 2011)

PnkCrnk said:


> I think I understand why you are asking. I was just like you when I first saw those terms being used: very confused. I did a lot of googling here and there and learned a bit. Now, I must warn you that I can't guarantee the correctness of the information I'm sharing but this should give you at least a start:
> 
> *All-Mountain (AM)* is recreational mountain biking where you do a little bit of of all the other types of riding (XC, minor DH, minor FR, etc.) These bikes are usually used on trails that involve rock gardens, and technical climbs and descents. This possibly also involves minor Downhill (DH). You can pedal them uphill although may not be as good as Trail and XC bikes. Kinda like a multi-purpose bike.
> 
> ...


THANKS!!!:thumbsup: This is exactly what I was looking for. I really appreciate everyone who chimed in. I suspect I'll prob be doing a good mixture of everything mentioned...well maybe not as much DJ. Well here's the bike I'm planning on getting. Does this MARIN look like it's got a pretty strong frame to start off with? Let me know what you think.
Thanks again, Erik

Model Category Mountain HT 
Model Series Hydro HT 
Sizes 13'' 15'' 17'' 19'' 20.5'' 22'' 
Frame 6061 Aluminum, Double Butted Hydro-Edge Top and Down Tubes, E4 Anti-Flex Seat and Chain Stays 
Front Suspension Marzocchi 22R, 100mm with Preload and Rebound Adjustment 
Rear Suspension 0 
Shift Lever Shimano Deore, 2 Way Release, 9 Speed 
Derailleur Front Shimano Deore 
Derailleur Rear Shimano Deore 
Brakes Front Shimano M486 Hydraulic Disc 
Brakes Rear Shimano M486 Hydraulic Disc 
Brake Levers Shimano M485 Hydraulic Disc 
Pedals Composite 
Crankset TruVativ IsoFlow 3.0, 44/32/22 
Bottom Bracket TruVativ with Sealed Cartridge 
Chain Shimano HG53 
Cassette Shimano, 11-34, 9 Speed 
Hub Rear Alloy Double Sealed, 32 Hole Disc with QR 
Hub Front Alloy Double Sealed, 32 Hole Disc with QR 
Rims WTB DX23, Double Wall, 32 Hole Disc 
Spokes Nipples WTB 15 Gauge Stainless 
Tires WTB Prowler MX Comp, 26" x 2.1" (49/52) 
Saddle WTB Speed V Sport LE with Love Channel and Comfort Zone 
Seatpost Alloy Micro Adjust, 30.9mm x 400mm 
Stem Marin OS Alloy Threadless, with 31.8mm Bar Clamp 
Handlebar Double Butted 6061 Alloy, OS-31.8mm, 25.4mm Rise 
Grips Marin Dual Density 
Headset TH-888, 1 1/8", Threadless


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

You could do worse to start with.

Did you ride it? What did you think? The one in the picture has a really wonky setup for any kind of sport riding - is that the specific one you were thinking of buying, or just a Marin you found a picture of?


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## R2ana (Dec 24, 2010)

what am i saying just buy the bike and ride it!


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

erik, do yourself a favor and do a little research on Marin frames breaking. I looked around yesterday but I couldn't find where is saw a whole lot of pictures of one particular frame that cracked. I remember it was a Marin frame that was being sold under a different name and there were a few Marin brand that cracked too. It didn't look like the one in your picture and it was a few years ago.

I'm thinking it was a 29er frame.

Edit:

I found it.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=522215&page=2


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

mullen119 said:


> I dont know if I would say AM is what teenagers do. I would say AM is what aggressive riders do.


:thumbsup: 
C'mon 'switch!


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

erikgenerik said:


> Just wondering if anybody would be gracious enough to explain the diff between AM, XC, FR, and all the other classifications of MTBs. It'd be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks, Erik


As long as people are trying to describe these labels in terms of terrain being ridden, they will fail. These terms work fairly well to describe types of bikes, but not terrain.


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## Kona_CT (Apr 25, 2010)

Trail Ninja said:


> I tried to classify the type of riding I do. It didn't work out well. Here's an excerpt from another post that explains why I don't bother.


It helps for a n00b to know what each style means for purchasing reasons, though.

I don't bother to tell people "I have a Kona dirt jumper"... I tell non mtb'ers that I ride a mountain bike and go mountain biking. BUT! When I was shopping for a bike I wanted to look at certain types. The LBS sales guy woulda been wasting his time showing me DH bikes... ya know?


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

Kona_CT said:


> It helps for a n00b to know what each style means for purchasing reasons, though.
> 
> I don't bother to tell people "I have a Kona dirt jumper"... I tell non mtb'ers that I ride a mountain bike and go mountain biking. BUT! When I was shopping for a bike I wanted to look at certain types. The LBS sales guy woulda been wasting his time showing me DH bikes... ya know?


That is why I think that the classification work well for the bikes themselves, more so than the actual riding.


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## chas_martel (May 14, 2006)

AndrwSwitch said:


> AM is what teenagers do,


WTF?


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## Kaba Klaus (Jul 20, 2005)

kapusta said:


> As long as people are trying to describe these labels in terms of terrain being ridden, they will fail. These terms work fairly well to describe types of bikes, but not terrain.


I disagree. The categories are very usefull to describe terrain, style/focus of riding and the bike needed. PnkCrnk did a good job.

In addition:

Cross Country XC: A bit of everything, nothing extreme. Riding for distance or for speed. Many riders in that category never want their wheels to leave the ground. Stairs are serious obstacles.

AM: A bit of everything, but the focus is on conquering technical trails. Most prefer to do that descending as gravity = momentum = easier going over the rough. Bikes are usually build to focus on descending rather than efficient pedalling. Stairs are not an obstacle but a welcome fun element to be rolled or jumped.

FR: This is all about stunts. Ladders/skinnies, drops, jumps, insanely steep descends. Speed doesn't matter unless it is required to actually ride the stunt. The fun starts where the trail is actually not hikeable. Stairs are boring (unless you can jump them - best over the handrails).

DH: Descending as fast as anyhow possible. This includes droping and jumping as braking for obstacles slows the rider down. Make no mistake, the trails are usually rough,steep and technical - hard or impossible to hike. Too fast to even notice the stairs.

Many riders claim to do a bit of everything. Reality is, they don't. Riding down a tame trail on an XC bike doesn't make it DH. Rolling an XC bike over a BMX track or some DJ tables doesn't make this BMX (gated racing) nor DJ (actually jumping with style).


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

Kaba Klaus said:


> I disagree. The categories are very usefull to describe terrain, style/focus of riding and the bike needed. PnkCrnk did a good job.
> 
> In addition:
> 
> ...


You mostly just described approach to the terrain, not the terrain itself.

Insofar as you are describing terrain, I think you are confusing "XC" with "non technical". Call it what you want, but pick any terrain you wish, and if there is a race that goes up and down the mountain, most people will most likely be racing it on XC bikes, even extremely technical and steep courses (staircases included).


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## PnkCrnk (Nov 25, 2010)

I use the terms DH, AM, XC, etc. to describe the type of riding and not terrain. That is actually what I attempted to do in my post above. Being a newbie myself, I only started to understand what a DH, or XC, or AM bike really is when I learned about the different types of riding. That knowledge explained to me the purpose and reason behind the designs of bikes.


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## Kaba Klaus (Jul 20, 2005)

kapusta said:


> You mostly just described approach to the terrain, not the terrain itself.
> 
> Insofar as you are describing terrain, I think you are confusing "XC" with "non technical". Call it what you want, but pick any terrain you wish, and if there is a race that goes up and down the mountain, most people will most likely be racing it on XC bikes, even extremely technical and steep courses (staircases included).


I think your definition of 'extreme'/'technical' and mine are different.  Go watch a DH race. Go and ride the double blacks in a resort.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Let the chest-beating commence.

I often say the same thing about XC races ascending and descending any and all available terrain. But I'd make an exception for constructed DH trails - I'd say once a trail has mandatory airs or a lot of skinnies, narrow boardwalks, or other elevated structures, it's not XC anymore.

The thing that makes a trail no longer XC, for me, is the incorporation of a lot of human-built stuff that the rider is required to do to complete the trail, beyond what may be necessary to get through a boggy section or for erosion control, although some berms and moguls still fit. I think a XC trail is only as difficult as the terrain makes it. That can be very, very difficult, but things aren't built to make it harder. Some of my favorite XC trails do have some skinnies and boardwalks, but they're there to get through boggy sections. Some of them also have some berms and moguls - that's just part of the fun, and I think a lot of that stuff, built well, makes it easier to be flowy anyway.

EDIT: rocks and roots vs. skinnies and jumps


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

Kaba Klaus said:


> I think your definition of 'extreme'/'technical' and mine are different.  Go watch a DH race. Go and ride the double blacks in a resort.


Well, I guess if you want to call "lift access" a type of terrain.......


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## Kaba Klaus (Jul 20, 2005)

kapusta said:


> Well, I guess if you want to call "lift access" a type of terrain.......


I am merely pointing you to where you (and others) can see the type of terrain I am speaking of most easily. You know that.

Edit:

Go check it out and then re-evaluate the trails you ride and those you hike and think not rideable.


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