What Is Gravity Mountain Biking?

Riding a bike is an exciting activity. But what’s more exciting is Gravity Mountain Biking. Because with it, you won’t only get to enjoy the roads and rails, but gravity too. Yes, that’s right, the same gravity that pulls you down towards the Earth.

As they say, what goes up must come down. Using this same technique, the mountain bikers go through the rugged terrains of mountains. Jumping through the woods, or dropping down, while riding on their bikes.

This is a great source of adventure for mountain bikers as they get to experience a new environment. Not only that, but gravity biking also helps them put it to the test and find out their limits

So, what is gravity mountain biking? Let’s get into it.

What Is Gravity Riding Mountain Biking?

Gravity mountain biking is a type of biking that utilizes gravity. In this, the rider will start from an elevated position, and from there, the rider will use gravity to propel downhill.

With Gravity Mountain biking, the rider experiences high speed. But it is achieved when the rider properly utilizes potential energy from the elevated position.

This is further divided into three categories. They are Downhill biking, Enduro biking, and freeride biking.

In downhill biking, the rider rides through the gnarliest terrain. The rider gets to the top through a shuttle, vehicle, or chair lift in downhill biking.

Enduro biking is also gravity mountain biking. Enduro biking got its influence from Enduro racing. In Enduro racing, the riders go through long, hilly trails.

Enduro racing is held in parts, with different stages. On the final ride, the time taken by each stage is added up, and a winner is chosen from this.

Enduro biking is considered one of the true forms of gravity mountain biking. That’s because, in Enduro, all focus is on riding downhill. Getting on top of the hill is up to the rider.

Often, riders rely on pedal power to get up, while others use chair lifts. Some riders use a hybrid system of shuttles and pedaling to get up.

Freeride mountain biking is another type of gravity mountain biking. In this, the rider emphasizes free falling. The tracks in this consist of jumps and sharp turns.

What Is A Gravity Mountain Bike?

Gravity Mountain biking is a tough task. It puts you and your bike to the test as the roads won’t be smooth. That’s why you need a durable and strong bike.

Gravity Mountain Biking amateurs recommend the downhill mountain bike. Among the mountain bikes, these bikes are the safest. Strong frames and long travel are your friend when gravity riding.

Another thing that makes downhill mountain bikes the first choice is that many championship winners have used these. Canyon Sender, Kona Operator, and Scott Gambler are some of the bikes used by world-class riders.

The braking system on these bikes is remarkable. Its tires and suspension support that. These both ensure that you can trust the Downhill Mountain Bikes on the trippy mountain trails.

What Is a Gravity Trail?

They are trails that are steeper than average. These gravity trails are for descending. Gravity trails are further divided into two main styles. They are downhill trails or freeride trails. Both of these trails consist of challenging drops and jumps and feature technical sections.

When talking about the Downhill Trails, we get to see technical features. Here, the trails are designed to ride with speed. That’s because the downhill trails are for Downhill Mountain Racing. In this race, the main goal is to finish the race as quickly as possible.

With the Freeride trails, the tracks come with acrobatics. Different jumps are in the freeride trails. That is because the main target of freeride trails is to compete in airtime.

Overall, the main features of the gravity trails are the roots, rocks, and different pathways. Here, you won’t find any straight tracks like those found in normal cycling. And when talking about the expert-level trails, the tracks are complicated. The jumps and drops become difficult.

What Is Gravity Enduro?

Gravity Enduro, or GE, is a bike rally. It is a marathon of bikes in which you’ll be covering a large distance divided into sections against the clock: gravity Enduro tests and challenges multiple areas of your skills. The tracks are gravity focused so they’ll have jumps and falls.

In Gravity Enduro, the skills of a biker are tested again and again. Because GE is a rally race rather than a typical biking event, there’s a great atmosphere. It fills the feelings of adventure and competition in the participants.

Here, you get to experience the best terrains available for gravity mountain biking. Overall, it is a championship where you’ll get to meet exciting people and compete against them.

The tracks don’t only test your riding abilities, but your technical abilities too. And since the tracks span over kilometers, they test your physical capacity too.

One important thing for the GE is that you get to meet with a variety of people here. From national champions to navy marines, all participate with zeal and enthusiasm.

Tips on Gravity Mountain Biking:

Gravity mountain biking is an intense sport. Here, you’ll be putting all your skills to the test. And since you’ve prepared yourself for the test, it’s time to go through some tips for Gravity Mountain Biking.

Study The Trails

Whenever starting on a new trail, it’s best to get maps from your local bike dealer or online. This will help you know what to expect on the trail. Keep the trail map with yourself, so if your memory fails, you have your trusty map with you.

Know Your Fitness Level

Mountain trails are of different types, so they are suitable for different riders. The fitness level of the rider often differentiates these. So, if you go on a trail that isn’t appropriate for your fitness level, you can get injured. Therefore, it’s better to know your fitness level before going for Gravity Mountain biking.

Practice Uphill and Downhill Biking

When going for gravity biking, you’ll face many uphill and downhill tracks. So, it’s better to prepare for such tracks. Practice getting into a lower gear for uphill biking and putting more frequency and power into your pedaling.

For downhill biking, keep in mind that you have to look at where you want to go. With downhill biking, it’s better to get into higher gear.

Another tip for uphill and downhill biking is to make sure that the tires have enough traction. This will save them from popping up on such complex trails.

Shifting Weight

With gravity biking, you’ll be facing rough terrains. In these terrains, you should have control over your body and weight. When going downhill, shift your weight back, and when going uphill, shift it forward. This way, you’ll save yourself from tripping.

Sunglasses

This might seem simple, but it’s one of the most important tips you’ll get. Sunglasses aren’t used to look cool. With sunglasses, you’ll be protecting your eyes from any flying debris on the trail.

Is Mountain Biking Difficult?

The trails of mountain bikes are difficult. That is because they are often steep with uphill and downhill climbing. Not only that, there are often rocks and logs that will regularly change the pathways. With gravity biking, you won’t only have to work with your memory but your instincts.

You’ll face sharp turns, high jumps, and lower drops. But that isn’t the only issue. With mountain gravity biking, the elevation change is the problem. The constant uphill and downhill riding is what will fire you up.

Although mountain biking is difficult, it’s difficult for starters. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes as simple as cycling on the road. But much more exciting.

How Fast Do Gravity Bikes Go?

Have you ever sat on something with wheels and pushed yourself down the hill? This would give you an experience of fast riding with gravity. You might’ve repeated this more often.

With gravity bikes, you get another chance with this because they attain high speeds. They don’t go fast; it’s the ‘gravity that pushes them downhill at high speed. You’ll be riding at 50 mph more often. And sometimes, you can reach the speed of 70 mph.

When reaching these high speeds, you need something to stop your fall. That’s why gravity bikes come with strong brakes. These brakes are often hydraulic discs. Hydraulic discs have a great braking mechanism that allows you to come to a stop even in rough terrain.

Is Gravity Mountain Biking Good for Health?

Biking in itself is a top-notch cardio workout. While biking, you’ll burn 400 calories per hour. While biking, you’ll put your whole body to work, mostly your legs and hips.

If you are gravity biking for fitness and health, you’ll have a slow start. Because it requires a rather fit body due to the intense terrains.

The hills and surfaces of mountain trails make it trickier to bike. And with mountain biking, your whole body will be put to the test. Your upper body and core will have to balance. And the lower body will already be working out because of the terrain.

Overall, it is still lower-body cardio because you’ll get the horsepower to ride your bike from your lower body.

Conclusion

With Gravity Mountain Biking, you put yourself to the test by going through completely natural terrain. Here, you won’t find any straight roads but tracks left by other bikers. There are often high jumps or drops that make the whole sport exciting.

Gravity biking is further divided into 3 main categories. Each of these has its unique features. But they all provide a full experience of gravity biking.

The downhill trails, as the name suggests, use gravity to go down. At the same time, the Enduro trails are usually for gravity mountain bike rally. Here, you’ll get to several gravity bikers. The freeride trails provide extreme gravity biking. These trails have jumped and falls and intense tracks.