Common Mountain Biking Definitions

ATB: All Terrain Bike. Can be used interchangeably with MTB.

bridle trails: Trails which are used by horses and are generally characterized by: 1. wide paths, generally wider than singletrack but more narrow than a forest road 2. sandy terrain and/or loose trails 3. horse poop 4. people riding horses. These usually do not make good mountain bike trails, stick to the singletrack.

DH: Downhill bike. These bikes usually have thicker tires than a normal mountain bike, extremely long travel shocks, full suspension, disc brakes, and one chainring on the front. These bikes are only good for one thing - going DOWNHILL. Hence, the name DH.

doubletrack: Two singletrack paths side by side. Usually these are in the form of ruts from an abandoned road.

endo: To crash in such a way that the back end of the bike rotates up while the front end stays fixed, resulting in the ejection of the rider. Named for the fact that the bike goes 'end over end.'

fire road: Unpaved road used for emergency access and generally closed to motorized vehicles. Fire roads are often used to connect sections of singletrack or to access remote trails.

forest road: A road or former road that is no longer accessible by vehicles. Also known as a jeep trail.

gravel road: A place to ride that is accessible to general vehicular traffic. Different from a forest road in that riders share the road with cars.

greenway: Usually a wide path that threads its way through an urban or suburban area. Greenways are often referred to as linear parks and can have either paved or unpaved surfaces. Great for mountain bike training rides or for accessing singletrack trails.

IMBA: International Mountain Biking Association. Mountain bike advocates and non profit organization.

jeep trail: See forest road.

moguls: Term used to refer to small jumps in a trail, usually in groups. This term is from the skiing term referring to similarly shaped hills on ski slopes.

MTB: Mountain Bike. Can be used interchangeably with ATB.

pavement: Obviously a hard surfaced place to ride. This can be in the form of a jogging path like those around golf courses or in the form of general purpose roads and streets.

portage: To carry one's bike. Not really as much fun as riding a bike but nevertheless necessary at times when the trail becomes too difficult to ride.

semi-slicks: Tires that generally have the tread in the middle of the tire trimmed down, leaving most of the tread on the outside of the tire. These tires allow one to go faster while still maintaining traction around turns.

singletrack: A narrow path that allows single-file riding only. Singletrack trails allow no room for riders to pass without leaving the trail.

slickrock: Usually reserved to describe the rock terrain found in places like Moab, Utah. Includes any type of trail terrain that consists of large rock formations with very little sand, rock, or vegetation cover.

slicks: Tires that lack significant tread. Usually reserved for road rides on your mountain bike. Tires also may come in the semi-slick variety.

sweet: A positive adjective that can be used to describe a bike, a jump, a trick, a trail, or any other noun associated with mountain biking.

switchback: Trail feature that involves a sharp turn, usually greater than 90 degrees. These usually occur on steep hills or mountains and can be difficult to negotiate.

taco: To bend a wheel into a shape that resembles a taco. Usually involves the front tire and a serious endo.

technical: Refers to obstacles and other trail features that require added skill and/or balance to sucessfully complete. A very 'technical' trail may contain parts that are unrideable by beginner or intermediate riders.

trailhead: Usually a parking lot or spot where a trail begins.

whoop-te-dos: Successive jumps along a trail. See also moguls.