| Mountain bikes are bicycles which have been | | | | times and carrying it over rougher areas. It became a |
| specifically designed for off-road activities. This | | | | sport in the 1940s and is still practiced today. |
| means that they require a more rugged build for | | | | The first use of the term "mountain bicycle" is dated |
| dealing with dirt trails and other unpaved surfaces. | | | | to 1966. It was used in reference to an off-road bike |
| Jumps, steep inclines, rocky surfaces and washouts | | | | built in Oregon. It was created by a man named D. |
| are just a few of the rougher situations for which | | | | Gwynn who was part of an off-road biking club. |
| they are designed. Standard bicycles are not created | | | | Designs optimized for the mountain biking experience |
| with these situations in mind. | | | | weren't sold until the late 1970s and early 1980s. |
| A mountain bicycle may be abbreviated to MTB. | | | | Before that, there were mostly just altered or |
| Another term which is used is ATB. This stands for all | | | | retrofitted versions of conventional bikes. At that |
| terrain bicycle. | | | | time, many people were assuming that off-road bikes |
| The history of these more specialized bikes is of | | | | would just be a short term fad. |
| course intertwined with standard bicycle histories. | | | | It wasn't until the 1990s that mountain biking became |
| The first reliable account is dated to the early 19th | | | | a mainstream activity. Today, it is broken down into |
| century. Earlier and less reliable occurrences had been | | | | several categories. These include cross-country, dirt |
| noted previously, but discredited. | | | | jumping, downhill, freeride, short cross/speed cross, |
| One of the first recorded instances of a bicycle being | | | | and trials/street riding. |
| used specifically for off-road purposes was in August | | | | The use of mountain bikes encourages an ethic of |
| of 1896. This was during a Buffalo Soldier expedition. | | | | self-reliance. This is because bicyclists are often riding |
| They traveled from Missoula, Montana to | | | | in areas that are far from cities or towns. Knowing |
| Yellowstone and back. | | | | how to repair equipment and fix flat tires is |
| Cyclo-cross is another early example of mountain | | | | necessary to avoid being stranded miles from any |
| bikes . It was a means of keeping fit during the | | | | help. |
| winter. Cyclo-cross involves dismounting the bicycle at | | | | |