Race - Bike Regulations

If you're considering racing, there are certain regulations to be aware of:

• Only mountain bikes allowed

• Tires must be at least 1.75" wide and have knobbies (no slick tires)

• No road bikes, mountain bikes with drop bars, cyclocross bikes, or single-speed bikes (must have 5 cogs in the rear)

• Bicycles must have fully operational front and rear brakes

• E-Bikes are not allowed for students in practices or races; allowed for Coaches adhering to local trail rules.

If you're a true bike geek and gear enthusiast, welcome to your playground in the next section! If bike specs and gear ratios make your heart race, read on. But if you'd rather keep the rubber side down and skip the tech talk, no worries – pedal on! 

We are a cross-country mountain bike team, and as you might've guessed, we're all about riding cross-country mountain bikes. Here is more information than you would ever need about cross-country mountain bikes. Lots of this information was borrowed from BikeRadar.

What is a cross-country mountain bike?

A cross-country mountain bike is designed to cover a variety of off-road terrain as quickly as possible. It needs to be equally capable of climbing and descending, while also being efficient when pedalling on flatter terrain. Cross-country bikes are usually the lightest type of mountain bike you can buy.

XC bikes have less suspension travel than trail bikes and enduro bikes, so won’t be as adept on very steep, rough and technical trails. That being said, in the right hands a cross-country bike is surprisingly capable.

While cross-country bikes are designed mainly for racing, they’re equally at home on mellower trails, or a big day out in the hills when you’ll value the all-round capability of an XC bike on varied terrain.

What about downcountry?

Before we go any further, we need to quickly mention downcountry bikes. Downcountry is a fairly new term within mountain biking. In essence, it refers to bikes that blur the line between dedicated cross-country race bikes and more forgiving trail bikes.  A downcountry bike will have a little more suspension travel than a cross-country race bike; normally in the region of 120 to 130mm at the front and 110 to 125mm at the rear. It will also have geometry that leans more towards descending performance than pedalling efficiency. For example, a slacker head angle, longer reach and longer wheelbase. Finally, the componentry will be chosen with descending in mind, with more powerful brakes, larger/grippier tyres and a dropper post. 

Hardtail vs Full-Suspension

The first decision you need to make when buying a cross-country bike is whether you want a hardtail or full-suspension bike. A hardtail only has suspension at the front through the fork, while a full-suspension bike has suspension at the front and rear. There are pros and cons to each. 

For a given spec, a hardtail will nearly always be lighter than a full-suspension bike. So if you live somewhere hilly, or just prioritise climbing performance above all else, then a hardtail could be a good option. With suspension only at the front of the bike, a hardtail is simpler in its design, making it easier and cheaper to maintain than a full-suspension bike. For the same cost, a hardtail can often come with a better spec than a full-suspension bike, so may require less, if any, upgrading in the future.

When it comes to descending performance, a full-susser will win every time. They’re also more comfortable than a hardtail. On rough, flat terrain, full-suspension bikes will often enable you to pedal more efficiently because the rear suspension soaks up any bumps in the ground. As we’ve already mentioned, they will usually be heavier. However, this gap has narrowed over recent years, and at the top end, they may only weigh a pound or two more than a hardtail.

For many riders, the relatively small weight penalty of a full-suspension bike is worth the benefits of better descending, more comfort and increased pedalling efficiency on rough terrain.

Geometry

Cross-country bikes have traditionally had ‘steeper’ geometry figures than trail or enduro bikes. The logic was that the ‘quicker’ handling made cross-country bikes better in tight singletrack and elbow-to-elbow racing. However, modern cross-country racing now takes place on much tougher courses, which are equal parts tricky descents and lung-searing climbs, so geometry has had to keep up with this trend. Head angles as slack as 67 degrees and reach figures once only seen on trail bikes are not uncommon on modern cross-country bikes. They will also have steeper seat angles of around 74 to 75 degrees, which puts a rider’s hips in a better position over the bottom bracket for pedalling efficiency.

Frame Material

When it comes to professional racing, most riders will use carbon fiber; it’s lighter than aluminium and can be designed to be stiffer, so makes perfect sense if all you’re worried about is going as fast as possible, with little concern for budget. The downside of carbon is it’s more expensive than aluminium, and in certain situations, more susceptible to crash damage.

Aluminium is more affordable and better at resisting damage from certain impacts. This makes it ideal if you’re looking to save money or want your bike to be as durable as possible. The latest aluminium frames can be impressively light, too. Titanium and steel cross-country bikes do exist, but these are in the minority.

Wheel Size

On modern cross-country bikes, nearly every model will feature 29in mountain bike wheels. While 29ers took a while to truly catch on, they’re now considered a smart option for many riders, thanks to their ability to roll over obstacles more easily, and arguably provide better pedalling speed. In some circumstances, such as for particularly short riders, it may be best to go for smaller 27.5in wheels, but for most people, 29ers are the way to go for XC bikes.

Tires

Tire choice comes down to a balancing act between rolling resistance/speed and grip, so the best cross-country tires will usually have smaller tread blocks than trail or enduro tires. XC tires may also have thinner sidewalls to save weight, and in some cases be made out of a slightly harder compound, which can roll faster. However, remember a harder compound will, in theory, provide less grip, and thinner sidewalls offer less puncture protection. As we said, there’s always a compromise to be made somewhere. Cross-country tires were traditionally much narrower than trail or enduro tires – but, as the sport has changed, the tires sizes have increased, so you’ll now find cross-country tires in the 2.2in to 2.4in range.

Gearing

Just like the best trail mountain bikes, cross-country bikes have almost exclusively moved to 1x drivetrains, with Shimano and SRAM mountain bike groupsets dominating the market. 1x drivetrains have one chainring at the front (removing the need for a front derailleur), with a wide-ranging 11- or 12-speed cassette at the back to still provide a big spread of gears. Cassette sizes usually range from a 10- or 11-tooth sprocket for the hardest gear to a 51- or 52-tooth sprocket for the easiest climbing gear. This is a pretty big spread and should keep those legs turning up the steepest of climbs.

Brakes

Cross-country bikes will commonly be fitted with lightweight disc brakes. These will have smaller rotors, with most riders opting for 160mm front and rear. Some particularly powerful riders may pop a 180mm rotor on the front, and the lightest riders may go for a 140mm on the rear, but in general, 160mm is what’s seen most commonly. XC disc brakes won’t be quite as powerful as the brakes you’ll find on an enduro bike, but they’re more than capable for the job at hand. On the most affordable bikes, these may be cable-actuated disc brakes, but from the mid-range and up, you’ll find hydraulic mountain bike disc brakes on all cross-country bikes.

Dropper Posts

The best dropper posts enable you to lower your saddle height at the touch of a button or lever mounted on your handlebar. This helps with descending because you’re able to move the bike and your weight around more easily. Droppers were once unheard of in cross-country racing because most riders thought they were too heavy and unreliable. But as the sport and dropper technology has progressed, they’ve become more popular, with many pro riders making the switch. Dropper posts aren’t necessarily cheap, but if you can afford one, or your bike already comes with one, they can be a great addition for a relatively small weight penalty.

How much should you spend?

You can spend anywhere from $500 all the way up to $10,000 on a cross-country bike. That said, more affordable bikes in the $600 to $2,000 range are excellent options for beginners.